It started out really windy and then the rain came. Now there are big clouds and the sun is out, but the phone tells me that more rain is expected in 17 minutes. It rained so hard at Hall’s Harbour that the side of the hill turned into a waterfall and tore out the road, a huge shock to everyone who lives and works there. They are expecting 43 feet tides on Saturday, something that is unprecedented No one knows what to expect. Will there be floods? The Hunter’s Full Moon is today, October 17. Full moons impact the tides being higher.
The long unpainted board above the little tug to the left marks a 41 foot tide. The tide is set to be 39 feet tonight which is slightly above the dark water mark on the boards.
While this is fascinating to someone living on the Prairies, this is not a curiosity to those that live in the area who have faced the mudslides and rising water.
We are not staying at Hall’s Harbour. Decades ago, before the fancy new restaurant, it was a favourite haunt of ours.
Our little cottage is on an appropriately named little lane near Grand Pre!
There were four Bald Eagles hunting on the dykelands this morning along with Crows and Gulls. They sit so still, just like hawks waiting for the small mammals to surface from the big clumps of soil that have been recently plowed. No doubt those fields are full of tasty voles.
Merlin identifies this gull as an Iceland Gull, a sub-species, a non-breeding Thayer’s Gull.
Our ride to Hall’s Harbour revealed fields of pumpkins, small stands of delicious apples for sale, and gorgeous foliage.
They have been harvesting pumpkins and squash from these vast fields for weeks.
There are stands everywhere where the honour system is in place. Pick your produce and put your money in the tin! It is that simple.
‘PB’ alerted me to the cameras at Captiva – both osprey and eagle cams are up and running! Thank you.
The little cuties went to bed with a full tummy at the Port Lincoln osprey barge on Wednesday. This was a great feeding. Wilko and Kasse are doing so well.
‘A’ remarks: “Unfortunately, we saw some aggression from Wilco yesterday morning as it decided to enforce pecking order on the nest. Kasse was completely bewildered, not having encountered this until now, and didn’t really know how to handle it. At one stage, he literally headed for the hills, but Wilco grabbed him by the back and dragged him down again. Certainly, Kasse’s major response was confusion, and I don’t think it is going to result in its being intimidated. We will wait and see. When the fish delivery arrived a little later, the pair were exemplary in their table manners and all was well.
Both of yesterday’s fish were magpie perch – large, striped and very much alive in the first case at least. Flopping around and bonking the babies. It took some time to come under control but luckily the littles are not quite as fragile at this age. Even so, they were a little taken aback to be attacked by breakfast. (Another magpie perch was brought in at 07:55 this morning – 17 October.)”
Breakfast at 367 Collins Street! Everyone is always full. What a great family.
It is very foggy at Orange. Diamond, Yira and Garramma are waiting for Xavier to be able to catch breakfast prey.
The sea eaglets are learning how to defend themselves against the Currawong attacks on the nest! https://youtu.be/dDhYLRxO-5M?
Thank you for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, J, PB’, Window to Wildlife, Judy Harrington and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Trudi Kron and JBS Sands Wetlands, NEFL-AEF, Gary’s Videos, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Raptor Persecution UK, SK Hideaways, The Guardian.
It is Sunday morning at 1000. The three Blue Jays are dashing in and out caching peanuts this morning. We have spread the nuts out in four different places so that there is less fussing. The Red Squirrels have the small square feeder while the Blue Jays and Crow are sharing the large one. The Grey Squirrels are on the deck. In the middle of all of this are the Starlings who have decided that they are really enjoying the solid suet cylinders more than the ‘Superior’ birdseed. They all seem happy and energetic. The rain from last night has given way to blue skies and fluffy cotton ball clouds that are moving rapidly to the South. ‘The Boyfriend’ appeared right on time. He is going to be ‘dewormed’. That is the plan for our return from the Maritimes. De Worming The Boyfriend. We will also build him a new winter home complete with lots of straw and a heat lamp. Winter feels like it is approaching fast! Today is a day for wool socks and jumpers.
We had our Thanksgiving dinner earlier in the week with my ‘bestie’, but we are sneaking in another little meal, just the two of us and The Girls and ‘The Boyfriend’ before we head to Nova Scotia. Everyone deserves a special treat. We are likely on our way as you read this. We are so grateful for everyone: the animals, our family and friends, and you, as I said yesterday. We feel blessed. Thank you so much for your good wishes for our Thanksgiving and holiday. So appreciated.
Just remember, there will be no blog on Tuesday. We will be travelling to our digs for the week.
The streaming cams that have nests with chicks are doing very well. The Sea Eaglets will be fledging soon, and we must send positive wishes to chase those Currawongs away from them when they fly. That is the only major event that will be happening while I am away. Of course, we hope all those birds not seen on camera since Milton sped through Florida will be seen soon – including Clive, Gabby, and Beau.
Neither Beau or Gabby have been seen on camera at their NE Florida nest since Milton passed through until late Sunday evening. What a relief to see them. The last time we saw Gabby was when she brought in sticks last Tuesday.
At SW Florida, it is full speed ahead for M15 and F23 as they make that nest as cosy as possible.
Thunder and Akecheta were at the West End nest in the Channel Islands on Sunday checking it out.
Look at Kasse’s fat little bottom and that cute tiny tail. (More about this family later).
Honestly, even with their pin feathers coming in, can we imagine more cuter chicks?
Pin feathers on the go at 367 Collins Street, too. And breakfast came early!
Heidi caught a feeding on video – and there are so many feedings. These little falcon dads are incredible. https://youtu.be/xqEGJsmCfFY?
The sea eaglets are getting ‘too antsy’, hopping about the nest, on and off the branch, and looking out to the wider world.
Some news from Ranger Judy Harrington:
Oh, the first flight for 33 is getting so close. I just held my breath.
‘A’ gives us the report from Sydney’s Cam: “October 14: Again, there was some unknown disturbance during the night – SE33 was alert, with wings out. SE33 spent a lot of the night sleeping standing. Early morning duets with the young ones joining in, then eagles away. At times in the early morning, there was a very noisy flock of Rainbow Lorikeets close by the nest – youngsters standing and watching. Then calling together, reacting to lorikeets. At 10:15, one eagle was seen down on River Roost, Eaglets were resting, lying in the nest. At 10:34, Dad brought in a scrap of fish, which was grabbed and mantled by SE34 but stolen by SE33, and self-fed. When Lady brought some leaves, SE33 mantled over his prey and kept it. Mid-afternoon there was a big storm, and all enjoyed the feeling of rain on their wings. By 5pm, the sun was shining again. Dad brought in a late gull at 17:57, which was taken by Lady and fed to the eaglets. Maybe a little self-feeding with scraps. At last light, Dad came to the nest – false alarm, not prey – followed by Lady.”
The wind is blowing at Port Lincoln. Mum looks to Dad, who is on the ropes, hoping that a fish will be coming soon.
Mum is still waiting for fish for the Wilko and Kasse – and, of course, herself.
Dad came in with a huge Sheepshead (I think that is what it is) for the chicks the evening prior (see top image below), but they are still waiting on Monday in Australia. Mum is trying her best to just sit on them so no unpleasantness but Wilco is getting impatient.
‘A’ remarks: “ I’m writing because dad has just brought in a very late fish at Port Lincoln (it’s nearly8.30pm there) – those IR lights must really be helping (I know they helped that night heron that was fishing off the barge). This is probably a good thing, as there was only one fish brought in today, and it didn’t arrive until after 4pm. The littles behaved themselves, and mum gave a saliva feeding to keep the osplets calm at lunchtime. The fish dad brought in 8.20pm was a big one, minus its head, and mum was hungry herself so had a good dinner, as the kids were in food comas from their late afternoon feedings. “
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. See you in a few days!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A’, Charter Group, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, IWS/Explore.org, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Olympic Park Eagles, Judy Harrington and Sydney Sea Eagle Cam.
We hope that the weekend has been good to all of you.
Many Canadians are celebrating Thanksgiving today with family and friends. The official day is Monday. Lots of good food to celebrate the harvest and to just look around and be thankful for all that we have. It has been a very challenging year for my family and I am so grateful to my children, my friends, to my husband and to his amazing doctor. Because of them, life has been good, full of laughter and ‘living’. I am also grateful to all of you. The wonderful letters, the photos you share with me – of you, your family, and your adorable pets. You are the best! Thank you for being there.
Just listen. ‘MI’ sent me this video taken in Niverville, Manitoba of geese, honking geese. Oh, I am going to miss them so much.
It is late Saturday afternoon and the promised rains have arrived on the Canadian Prairies. I treasure these rains. They clean off the roof of the conservatory from leaves and dust that have accumulated, but, most of all, they help the trees and shrubs prepare for winter. The birds and squirrels are still flitting about finding seed and much to the horror of our guest this afternoon, the Crows had a veritable buffet! I am clearing out the fridge and little odds and ends. Things like grapes wind up on their tray and they do love them.
Not all bird seed is alike and apparently the quality of peanuts from one retailer to the other is different – according to Junior and his Missus Saturday morning. They pecked all about those nuts searching for the heaviest!
Isn’t Junior handsome? Look at that beautiful profile. Junior will stay with us for the winter. Our job is to keep the peanuts coming!!!!!!
Selections finally made.
Inside, ‘The Girls’ are starting to notice that supplies are being left out. Suitcases will get filled tomorrow so that the girls’ anxiety level doesn’t peak too soon.
Hugo Yugo is now getting her teeth brushed twice daily to try and avoid any issues with gingivitis. She is an angel and loves the chicken flavoured toothpaste. I feel blessed. She is sooooooooo tiny. Her tail is bigger than she is. She did grow some, but goodness, she is so very little.
Missey is the ‘best’ behaved of the four. I can trim her nails every day, brush her, clean her teeth and then use dental wipes and she just lets me hold her without wiggling so I can get on with it. Calico is rather different! She is just darn difficult. She doesn’t want any part of it. Well, that is too bad, so sad. Calico will eventually settle, but, for now, it is going to happen regardless of whether she likes it or not. Hope is another story since she continues to be a little wild.
Now getting on with these words…
This is the way industry should work with wildlife! Take notice, Omega!!!!
Mum and Dad will be grandparents if Calypso and his mate’s eggs hatch! Isn’t this wonderful…oh, and Ervie and all his brothers will be uncles.
The new female at Collins Street is working so hard to shade and keep her brood cool! Let’s hope those wings can spread big and wide as it is going to get hot up there. https://youtu.be/SYliGHlf3a0?
Sunday breakfast in the CBD. ‘A’ comments: “Little Dad at Collins Street is just the sweetest. He has been working hard at his hunting and the prey he brings is sometimes a challenge for him. He’s so cute struggling down the ledge with a prey item that’s at least half his size. But he manages. I do wonder how on earth he manages to fly with it, and get it up so high too. He must be a very strong little falcon indeed. I am so impressed by what he and Xavier at Orange can carry. When Xavier brings in a monster pigeon as he did recently or a duckling, it dwarfs him, making me wonder the power to weight ratio of these small male falcons. They must be incredibly strong.”
Thanks to our Australian sleuth ‘A’, we have more news from Collins Street: “And yet more food at Collins Street. When mum brought in food at around 19:08, the chicks were all fast asleep, but they soon roused themselves at the prospect of food, and mum fed them all yet again. Those crops have been full for most of the day, and no-one is going to sleep hungry at this scrape. Mum also has a large crop and dad hasn’t missed out today either. So it seems the pigeon population of the Melbourne CBD has returned, at least in sufficient numbers to make things relatively easy for our falcon family when it comes to finding food. Certainly, this trio of eyases is being stuffed to the brim several times a day. They are adorable. Very very noisy and full of beans. So energetic in ensuring that they get fed. Mum works hard and she does a good job with the clamouring hordes. The youngest does very well indeed, both through its own efforts to get fed (it is very pushy and often grabs at food from its siblings’ beaks and is very good at positioning itself in the front row at feedings) and because mum makes the effort to feed all three beaks. Basically, as long as they are still there and still open, she will keep feeding.
At this meal, the chicks have moved into their tripod feeding arrangements, with the youngest nearest to mum. As you know, I am very keen on this particular positioning, as it makes it easy for mum to reach all three beaks, which are grouped together in the centre of the tripod, and it also provides some support for the chciks, so that early on when they are not as steady, they tend not to face-plant. Thoise crops are bulging!!! Isn’t it lovely to see? And that was a nice parrot at Orange today. I am not prepared to hazard a guess as to what sort of parrot it was but there is discussion on the chat about the colours that were evident on the plumage. Diamond loves a nice parrot almost as much as she likes a plump pigeon, though perhaps a nice duckling might be her favourite. I wonder what the other watchers at Orange think on that subject. I’d love their opinions.
Mum continues to coax the chicks at Collins Street, trying to get them to eat even more, as if they did not already have absolutely mammoth crops. She is e-chupping and continuing to offer bites and the chicks are trying hard to do what she asks. The youngest spends several minutes trying to deal with a bite that seemed to be ‘stuck’, but eventually it managed to swallow the food. OH MY GOODNESS!!! Just LOOK at those crops at 19:20!!!! Yes, I know they don’t burst, but I have to believe they are VERY uncomfortable. Surely. That is just outrageous. Crops the size of their heads, literally. I swear that is not an exaggeration. Again, as with the osplets, I predict a growth spurt in the morning. “
The cams at NE Florida nest of Gabby and Beau went live late Saturday afternoon. Neither eagle has been seen on cam at the time I am writing (4pm on Saturday) but the AEF says they have no reason to believe they are not safe and sound!
View of Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian on Saturday.
Achieva. Look at this nest and then remember what you read about the brand new super designed osprey nest that was built by the fishing company at the top to replace an old one they had to remove. I wish someone cared.
There is an eagle at the Trempealeau Eagle nest.
Ah, I was waiting. Someone asked me why I am not mentioning Pepe and Muhlady. First, they are wonderful eagle parents who have raised some impressive chicks. The owner of the property that has the nest and who runs the camera has indicated that he will prosecute anyone who uses images in any way from his site. I will not mention SuperBeaks again.
Nesting Bird Life and More caught a feeding at Port Lincoln. Yes, they are the cutest. Racing stripes and all! https://youtu.be/DSIq8tPB8fA?
I have a soft spot for Ospreys that knows no bounds. Just look at those two little fish eaters. Don’t you just want to pick them up, wrap them in a tiny blankie, and hold them?
It is now early Sunday morning. Dad has a fish he is eating on the ropes and Mum is anxiously anticipating that he will get some of it to her, Wilko and Kasse!
Dad did not disappoint. He left Mum a huge piece of fish for the family! They are just starting to dig in.
‘A’ remarks: “When I turned to the Port Lincoln tab to check the littles, I thought one of the osplets was dead, but when I rewound, it was just in a food coma from eating too much fish at breakfast (which was served in three sittings, the first when dad arrived with the large floppy fish at 07:23, the second at 08:32 and the third at around 08:53). Good heavens. By 09:30 they are eating yet again. It was a very large fish this morning. The sound is back up and the little chirps mum gives the osplets to encourage them to open their beaks are SO cute – different from those of an eagle or a falcon. The loveliest full-throated chirrups. No wonder I feared we had lost another osplet. It’s out for the count. Awwww. They are just adorable with their little bandit masks and racing stripes. (I had to explain to Jonathan how these chicks were different from all the other little fluffy bobbleheads I had insisted he see and that description interested him enough that he came and peered at my laptop to check them out. And yes, they are different, he said. I do love their livery. They really are cute as a button (unless they’re a Zoe, of course, at which point one becomes somewhat distracted by their behaviour. But these two are getting along fine, and even yesterday’s long wait for food did not provoke any dominating behaviour. What a relief. ” And more…”PLO has confirmed what we knew already – that the Fish Fairy (aka Janet) is ready for duty if she is needed. Thus far, dad has been doing an excellent job. But it is very nice to know that there won’t be any chicks starving on this nest this season. There is no aggression between Wilco and Kasse and I’m hopeful there won’t be. The long wait for food yesterday was a good indicator of how well they are getting along. “
Oh, my goodness. It is going to be a great year for ospreys in South Australia. More babies.
Poor Xavier. Diamond is away. He comes into the scrape with the morning’s Starling breakfast in the hope of feeding his chicks — and then, oops…here she comes and thwarts that idea!
There are times that I wish the Sea Eagles would have eaten every Pied Currawong in the Olympic Forest! SE33 and SE34 are branching and looking out to the wider world. Will they be able to get down to the river with Dad and Lady without being chased out of the area by those Curras?
Ranger Judy gives the summary of the day’s events at the Olympic Park Eagle nest:
Gracie Shepherd reported on FB that Jak and Audacity were working on their nest in the Channel Islands on Saturday. I went to have a look. They are forever hopeful like we are for them. Just look at them working so hard.
We can always use a smile and these Merlin chicks are providing it today.
Hugo Yugo wishes you the very best of days! Missey is giving her a good ole’ wash.
Thank you for being with us today! Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, J’, Fran Solly and Friends of Sth Aus, SK Hideaways, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, NEFL-AEF, FORE, Achieva Credit Union, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Olympic Park Sea Eagles, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Trempealeau Bald Eagle Cam, Nesting Bird Life and More, PIX Cams, Charter Group of Wildlife Ecology, The Guardian, Androcat, OpenVerse, NZ DOC, BTO, IWS/Explore, Woodlands Wildlife Sanctuary.
Cams are down in Florida. We have yet to determine what happened. ‘PB’ sent the following images to me from Barb Henry. All is well at SW Florida in Fort Myers. We are waiting for the word of Clive. And I am presuming that Achieva platform is alright. It was still holding in the worst winds as the far eye wall went through last night.
This report is a kind of mixed-up stream of consciousness following of Milton and the nests. In particular, I focused on Captiva, Achieva, and SW Florida. Thursday was quite the day and many of the other nests got simply overlooked – brief mentions at the tail end. So many of you watched Clive and stayed with him til the cameras went out at Captiva. He is my hero! Let us all hope that there is some word from Window to Wildlife on his status on Thursday since power to the cameras appears to be out there.
This is the wall of the hurricane after Milton made landfall hitting the Achieva Osprey platform. Notice the surge of water in the street below.
Milton has made landfall. So far, M15 and F23’s nest is holding. Some of the upper branches might break off.
At 36 minutes to landfall…cameras went out at Captiva at 1934 or thereabouts. At that time, Clive was in the nest.
Achieva. 89 mph wind gusts at the moment. Achieva had 5 inches of rain in an hour and had more than 7 inches prior to that. Lots of flash floods. The worst of the winds seem to hit Achieva after 2100 and you could see the streets filling up with water. See second image below.
This was 24 minutes til landfall near Achieva nest.
M15 visited his nest in Fort Myers, Florida before a tornado was at Cape Coral moving towards the Fort Myers area. They are expecting that tornado to hit the area of the nest within a few minutes as I write this. This is a PDF tornado, a monster tornado with life-threatening winds. They are saying that these are some of the biggest tornadoes ever seen in Florida. There is significant damage on the north side of Fort Myers. The cells are moving to the east and the nest should be alright for now. It is 1317 at the nest.
Lots of water when that system went through but M15’s tree is still standing.
Twisting M15’s tree around. Not sure those top perches are going to survive this.
There are huge tornadoes all over the area of the nests that are covered on the streaming cams – and, of course, all those wildlife that are not covered on cam. What a horrible day this is going to be.
One of the Bald Eagles is in the nest at Captiva! Look at the time. We are within 1 hour 48 minutes of Milton making landfall. Maybe this eagle knows something we don’t. They are thinking the hurricane is going to hit Sarasota instead of Tampa Bay. That would include Fort Myers and, of course, Captiva is in that path.
Lots of power line flashes going on at Captiva.
Osprey nest at Captiva. The storm surge is hitting the island. Milton is 1 hour and 3 minutes away and the osprey nest is losing sticks and rocking but holding in there.
Cameras off at Captiva now. Clive was still at the nest, hunkered way down as the hurricane went right over Captiva on its way towards St Petersburgh and Sarasota.
‘PB’ sent the migration map. Notice how smart those birds were to avoid Florida.
In other news…
Wilko and sibling, halfway around the world, only have one thing on their mind – fish! *
Every crop is full at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne.
‘A’ reports. “Those three are voracious eaters, and mum is kept very busy indeed filling those three endlessly open beaks. The youngest is very good at getting fed – it begs ceaselessly and loudly and always has its beak wide open. When it turns forward to face mum, it does not do as well as when it has its back to her in the tripod configuration I have been talking about. When the three beaks are gathered together in the centre of the tripod, it is very easy for mum to put food into all three, even though the heights vary. So the youngest has the best access to food in this position, which it has quickly realised. Smart little eyas. Getting fed is its number one priority after all and it is working that out fast.
These little snow people are beyond adorable. Fluffy wee falcons are the cutest things. Little dad is working hard and doing a great job. From soon after 16:24, we can hear him chirping away from the northern end of the ledge. Mum is brooding the trio, who are sprawled in front of the open garage, sleeping in a pile. Dad is eager to get mum’s attention, but she remains with the chicks, It certainly interests the chicks, who wake up at the sound of dad e=chupping. He then begins his kak-kak-kak vocalisation, loudly. He repeats it once or twice. No move from mum. “
The two little falcons appear to be doing just fine at Orange.
All is well with the Olympic Park Sea Eaglets.
Everything is good at Port Lincoln!
Thank you to everyone for being with us. Continue to send positive wishes to everyone as heavy work begins cleaning up after Milton. Take care. See you soon.
*It was reported that Mum removed Comet from the nest. This was an error. The second hatch was fed to the two other chicks as we saw at Niagara Bee.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H, PR’, Achieva Credit Union, Window to Wildlife, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Google Maps, BirdCast, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Olympic Park Eagles, and Port Lincoln Ospreys.
There are not a lot of images today. Apologies all around. You will recall that I have been battling the fact that my allocation of media is at its limit. I have just discovered that there are over – hold on – 50,000 unattached files starting in 2017. I have been deleting them 20 at a time. There must be a more efficient way to do that!
For now, though, most of us have only one thing on our minds and that is Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida and our beloved birds (and friends) there. They are watching and expect Milton to make land fall at Tampa Bay as a category 3 or 4. Despite this slow down, it is going to be catastrophic for this area of Florida that does not normally get hit directly.
Before we even think about Milton, we need a smile and that comes from Annie and Archie who have returned to The Campanile to bond! https://youtu.be/iwBATgGYDHg?
It is difficult to sit and watch knowing that Hurricane Milton is going to tear through Sanibel possibly destroying the Captiva Osprey and Bald Eagle nests. The only – and I do mean ‘only’ – silver lining to any of this is that there are no eggs or chicks on any of the Florida nests yet. The Barrier Islands will get hit first and no doubt, the impact of this hurricane might well be much worse than Ian a couple of years ago. Our thoughts today are with the people and wildlife of Florida as Milton changed quickly from a category 1 to a category 5 hurricane in the blink of an eye. https://youtu.be/AdTp1XgG4Rg?
Many of the wildlife rehabilitation centres have no place to take their animals. They have more than two hundred patients, some because of Helene. They are in direct line of Milton and their buildings will not take the 160-200 mph winds. Good people are staying with their clients and this is beyond sad. CROW is on Sanibel. There might not be anything left of the homes on the Barrier Islands, according to the discussions on many of the weather channels Monday evening.
It is raining at Fort Myers on Monday.
It is raining at Captiva. I am expecting Captiva to get hit by Milton about the same time or slightly before Fort Myers.
Wind and rain begins Monday evening at Captiva. It is coming down harder and harder.
Captiva Eagle Cam. Have a good look at both of them so we can compare after.
The winds are starting to pick up at Achieva Osprey platform in St Petersburgh.
Gabby was at the NE Florida nest in the early morning hours of Monday. I do not know if Beau is on the LOP (Look Out Perch).
At the Olympic Sea Eagle nest, ‘A’ writes: “At WBSE, we still have two eaglets lying duckling style, side by side, on the nest. They are such adorable nestlings, soon to be fledglings. They are getting along famously as usual – I remain absolutely convinced that we have two brothers here. They have had virtually no bonking at all – a little enforcing of pecking order for a few days but nothing vicious and never anything that prevented either chick from eating. So as usual, Lady and Dad have done a sterling job of making a mockery of this ‘obligate siblicide’ rubbish that is written about WBSEs. Now, we await with great trepidation the post-fledge fate of these gorgeous eaglets whom we have come to adore. My heart just sinks at the thought. But be positive. This might just be the year. ” “Ooh, I hear honking. That must be the WBSE tab and yes, sure enough, a bird has been brought to the nest. Dad is calling for Lady, not wanting to feed the nestlings but not prepared to leave them to fight over the food. Lady is on the perch branch, not responding, and Dad is very confused about what to do. Eventually he begins preparing the food. Now, he has taken it to the bottom of the perch branch, from which vantage point he continues to glance at Lady. The eaglets have no clue what is going on. Nor do I. (I’m pretty sure I have the parental IDs correct – you know I’m often unsure about these two.) Dad sidles up the branch towards Lady and she moves away, further up the branch, and then flies off. Dad is left preparing the bird on the perch branch. We wait to see whether he feeds it to the eaglets, eats it himself, leaves it for the kids to fight over, or some combination of the above. “
Report from Sea Eagles sent by ‘A’: “ October 8: An early duet just after 5am, then several more. Both eaglets were flapping and jumping. At 6:58 Dad brought a gull chick, quickly grabbed by SE34 & mantled over. 34 fed until SE33 managed to steal it after about 20 minutes. Lady took over when she came in around 8am. She returned with a small fish at 8:43, followed by Dad with a gull chick. Lady took over feeding from both prey, with SE33 grabbing the gull wing and trying hard to take it, but Lady stood firm and kept feeding. A magpie was swooping them as well –with both eaglets alert and watching. At 12:38 Lady brought a gull chick, fed very briefly, then took it to de-feather on the branch, but dropped it as she fell off the branch. She managed to get it from the ground – most unusual – and at 13:22 fed a little more again. Lady brought a bream just before 5pm and fed both. Then more, when Dad brought another gull chick at 18:17, which Lady took off to de-feather. She was still eating it herself at 6:45…. They have had plenty though today.”
‘A’ was really hopeful that Diamond would leave that third egg out of the egg cup, but later, she moved it back and began incubating. Many of you will be screaming at Diamond – I know my daughter and ‘A’ are to get over and feed that second hatch. We have seen this before. The second chick’s neck seems to grow after a couple of days or it learns to jump to get that food. Fingers crossed. ‘A’ reports: “At some feedings, Diamond just cannot be bothered reaching for the younger chick’s beak, especially if it is behind its older sibling, and continues to encourage the older chick to eat and eat, even after it has collapsed once or twice, while the younger chick begs and begs for food, its little beak wide open. She is annoying. And then, while she waits for the older chick to snap out of its food coma, she eats herself! I am not overly concerned about this because there is plenty of food and eventually, at most feedings, the little one does get fed. But I am SO glad there is not a third chick, especially now there has been Ca time gap of over two days since the second hatch. I really would hate to see a tiny third chick try and attract enough attention from Diamond to get fed properly in its first five days or so. But they are getting frequent feedings so I am sure that both chicks will be adequately fed. I am merely reiterating what you and I know already – that Diamond really is not temperamentally up to raising three eyases. She should be perfectly fine with two, as she has been every other season I have watched. But the little one was still begging for more food at the end of that feeding, with Diamond ignoring it completely to eat for herself, then left the box with the remainder with the youngest still chirping for food the whole time she is gone.
This morning there were small birds on the branches of the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23. A pair of horses could be seen in the pasture. It was also relatively calm at Captiva as Milton moves in on Florida.
There are two at Port Lincoln. There has been some notice that the second chick has not eaten or did not eat as well as expected. Is it tired from hatching? We will just have to wait and see. The obs board shows that Wilko, chick one, has been fed twice and that the second hatch, once.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please send all positive wishes to everyone in Florida. Take care yourself. We hope to see you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H’, SK Hideaways, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, KHOU 11, NEFL-AEF, Olympic Sea Eagle Cam, and Charter Group Bird Cams.
Sunday was a bit nippy. 9 C. The 40 kph winds were whipping the trees about with the leaves falling at an alarming rate. It is now 1100 and everyone is in the garden. Three Crows eating peanuts and suet. Three Blue Jays doing the same. Then there are the 18 or so European Starlings trying to grab some mealworms in between the Jays and the Crows. At least in our garden, they are not bullies. Everyone seems to wait their turn like planes lined up on a runway. Since the spring we have not been able to see the little birds very well as they have been hidden in the lilac bushes with their thick leaves. Soon all of those lilacs will be bare.
The bird feeder workshop was quite fun. The young woman leading the few of us that dared to show we lacked some essential skills was wonderful. She discussed every aspect feeding birds from seeds to feeders and for me, how to breed my own meal worms. Yes, we will call it Hugo Yugo’s Meal Work Farm!!!!! I don’t think Calico would want anything to do with bugs and worms! You need a transparent plastic bin (ugh, plastic), some paper towels, bran, and some starter meal worms. This tub has apparently been going at Oak Hammock Marsh for fifteen years. There are hundreds and hundreds of meal worms. I will keep you posted – I have everything but the breeding stock of worms.
Then we had a tray that showed us what to feed birds, different seeds for different species. Two things she noted should not be fed: bacon grease and peanut butter. Both of them will stick to the feathers of the birds and prevent them from flying. The bacon grease melts at a lower temperature than suet which should only be used in the winter. So don’t be tempted to use it. Popcorn – do not salt or butter – and best not on strings. Just air pop it and put it on your tray feeder! Some seeds can only be purchased at specialty bird shops while others can be bought at your local feed and seed stores. Calico says to always check prices -. We get some seed from a local farmer and others at the feed and seed. Our specialty bird feed store is at least twice as expensive. With the number of birds we feed, we need to find good quality food at reasonable prices.
And like magic…another feeder for the garden!
In the fields adjacent to the marsh, the geese were feeding. There were all four species that come to this area of the Canadian Prairies present – Ross’s Geese, Snow Geese, White-front Geese, and Canada Geese.
Florida hasn’t cleaned up after Hurricane Helene and already Milton is on its way to hit Fort Myers. Again, we can only be thankful that the raptors do not have any eggs or chicks in those nests. This will be the largest evacuation of Florida sine 2017 as Milton prepares for landfall. Milton appears to have the potential to impact all of the nests in Florida from Miami to Jacksonville. Stay safe everyone.
A different view of the Olympic Park Sea Eagles from cam 4. Lady is hunting for lunch! https://youtu.be/UIO6-eJBsGA?
Lady worked hard for prey.
Xavier tried to feed his chicks! Poor Guy. He is such a sweetie. Diamond is one protective falcon female!!!!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/rSGA_ATc7IE?
‘A’ reports that it is time to name the chicks at Orange! “Thought you would want this info in your blog as soon as it dropped. Here is the link for voting. They will choose the top two names from the voting (and the third egg, if it hatches, will get the third most popular name).
So did Mum tell Dad to go and get a fish or put in a phone call to the fish fairies? He flew out right after a little chat. 🙂
OMG. Ervie’s little brother or sister is so cute…and Mum had such a time getting it back under her after its feeding!
Heidi reports: “The second hatch at Port Lincoln occurred prior to 15:19 on 10/7. The second baby was first seen out of the shell for a split second in a very fuzzy cam view at 15:19 (screenshot).”
Lukin is the name of the little White-tail eaglet at Port Lincoln. He is 50 days old today and is standing and walking on the crane nest quite steadily.
Beau was on the LOP and Gabby was there, too. They are in the area of Milton. Send them good wishes – like I know you will to everyone.
It is raining in Fort Myers. The ground is absolutely saturated.
The nest is really a beauty. F23 and M15 have been working particularly hard and those cot rails are getting perfect. I wonder what it will look like after this hurricane? https://youtu.be/mOMRW5Ff8yw?
Brown Pelican caught on the Captiva Osprey cam where it is also raining and winds are gusting. Milton is not set to make landfall til Tuesday.
As most of you are aware, my husband has Lewy Body Dementia. Getting out in nature is essential not only to HIS mental health, but also mine. Taking part in simple activities, like building a bird feeder, is also key to one’s well being. It was not rocket science. Pre-drilled holes, but it helped with confidence. So if you know of someone who needs a boost, see what is happening at your local wildlife centre and take them! Sign up for a morning bird walk, build a bird house, learn to identify raptors. Life is truly beautiful – live it! Our dance card is full – every day there is something even if it is a trip to the local farmer’s market for their final event. The local honey is divine. Fantastic in tea or on toast.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Send warm wishes to everyone in the path of Milton as Florida prepares to get hit again.
Bird World is so exciting with all the new babies. Watch the cams, check them out, rewind to see the wonderful feedings. Watching falcons is so much different than ospreys. Now that we know that the fish fairies will visit Port Lincoln, we can relax. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H’, Oak Hammock Marsh, CNN Weather, Olympic Park Eagle Cam 4, SK Hideaways, Falcon Cam Project, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Heidi McGrue, Olympic Park Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Window to Wildlife, Charter Group of Wildlife Ecology, BirdMap, and The Guardian.
Friday was gorgeous. It was 14 C, with no wind and a clear blue sky. The lake at the nature centre had more than 500 Canada Geese, various ducks, and seven American White Pelicans. The songbirds seemed to have left except for those cute little flitty Black-capped Chickadees. It was a great day for a long walk!
I am happy to include Florida Audubon’s magazine. I hope that you find some interesting ‘bird’ information in there!
It is pitching down rain on Port Lincoln’s Osprey Mum. Will any of those eggs hatch? She has been quite incredible over the years. Thanks to the ‘fish fairies’ her two osplets from 2023-24 survived.
The rains have stopped. Mum has been fish calling but as of 0853 none has appeared. It is unclear how strong the winds are in Port Lincoln.
I wonder how many will be viable? Fingers crossed.
‘A’ remarks: “At Port Lincoln, we are hopeful of a wonderful season, thanks to our confidence in the fish fairy (and I’m pretty happy about the IR light they’re using to help with night-time fishing, which as I have said appears to have been very helpful to the night heron who was using the barge as a base for a few nights last week – the fish gleam silver in the lights). Dad has brought two partial fish in for mum so far today (which is not a great deal and certainly won’t be nearly enough to feed chicks). The chat has finally worked out that there was no pip three days ago. However, we are looking at eggs that are 34, 37 and 40 days old, so we would want to be seeing a pip in at least one and possibly two of those eggs within the next 36 hours. There should be a pip at any moment really. Again, I would be happy if only two of those eggs hatched. Three is always a worry with ospreys. We don’t tend to see sibling rivalry on the sea eagles nest at Olympic Park but I have always put that down to Lady and Dad. Here, with ospreys, I have little confidence that we won’t see a potential aggressive nest, which I always find impossible to watch without stress. So I remain hopeful that the first egg laid is gradually creeping beyond the hatch window (36 to 42 days according to the literature). We would need to see a pip on the first egg laid by tonight really, wouldn’t we? And the chatters are desperate to see a pip – I can’t see anything, even at the time stamps people have suggested. We wait – but as I say, all the eggs are within or very close to the hatch window and one is only a couple of days from slipping beyond it. So I am very hopeful that at least one of those eggs is not going to hatch. “
Xavier and Diamond are proud parents! Two chicks now.
Xavier wants to feed his chicks!!!!!!!!! How precious is that?
Breakfast at Orange.
‘A’ catches breakfast at Orange and other notes: “Mum headed off to get food for the littles at Orange and quickly returned with a starling. Yes, she is happy to feed starling to the chicks, she just doesn’t like eating it herself, which is great news for the chicks. There was an earlier feeding very early but I didn’t see the new chick getting any bites because Diamond was in the way. So this feeding may be the first one for the new chick.
It is a very short feeding, and Diamond is gone with the leftovers shortly after 9am. While she is gone, Xavier sneaks in for a little chick time, but Diamond is back only a minute later and he doesn’t argue for long when she does. Both of the chicks look very healthy and strong. They are so close together in size that we will have trouble telling them apart I suspect, and I am SO hoping that third egg won’t hatch.
Do you notice that the remaining egg appears to have quite a lot more colour on it than the empty half shell of chick number two? It is my understanding that the eggs are given colour on the way down the tubes, and there is gradually less and less of it, so that each egg laid should have slightly less colour on it than the one before. To me, this possibly indicates that the unhatched egg is not the third egg at all but the second or even the first egg laid. What do you think? Of course this is what I want to see, so obviously, I am probably wrong.
Diamond and Xavier use at least three stash spots of which we are aware – one a little higher up the building from the nest, another on the rooftop and a third in the trees visible from Ledge Cam. There may be more. But we think Diamond retrieved the starling for the 8.56am feeding from one of the stash spots not only because she was back so fast but because the prey appeared partially prepared (and certainly did not look as though it had been alive in the preceding five minutes). “
Three cute little eyases at 367 Collins Street having breakfast. Heidi kept track of the ages of the eggs at hatch:
Chick 1 – 10/3, 0451 (time per Mods), at 38 days.
Chick 2 – 10/3, 0631, at 36 days.
Chick 3 – 10/4, 1427, at 35 days.
A: “the little Collins Street eyases are SO cute. Watch the lunchtime feeding today (12:22 on 5 October) for three little bobbleheads. Mum is patient with them, and all three are strong and begging for food, beaks open, little heads up. The third hatch is noticeably smaller than its two siblings and its little beak is a lot harder for mum to reach. I do hope it gets its share. I’m not convinced that it did at this feeding. It seemed to become something for the others to lean on. It is very difficult early on when it’s hard for them to hold their heads up or face the right way. As I said, they all appear strong and healthy so we’ll just have to hope mum is patient enough to keep feeding the chicks until the older two have had enough so that number three gets a chance to eat. “
Lots of prey (or a good pantry or both) at Collins Street.
‘A’ remarks: “So we are awaiting the second (and third) hatch at Orange, with the first chick doing well. At Collins Street, we have all three. I have not yet had a good look at number three but can report that the first two appear active and healthy and both have eaten well today. I have been impressed by mum, who made certain that the younger hatch did not miss out on the food. She is patient and appears practiced at feeding newly hatched chicks. That’s is a great relief. Dad has been great, sometimes bringing prey along the ledge to the scrape and at other times giving mum a break by delivering the food higher up the building. Such a sweetie. I can’t wait to see him brooding all three of these chicks. Mum has her positioning perfect as I mentioned. I do like the garage door technique. I find it by far the most effective (especially with one chick too many for comfort). It will sure help with these three when they have doubled in size and are rapidly doubling a second time! “
Life in the world of Australia’s Peregrine Falcons appears to be good. ‘A’ adds: “The second chick at Orange finally managed to escape its little tomb about three hours ago (05:30 on 5 October) but it had to work long and hard to do so. It is tired, sweet baby, but seems well. Oh I am hoping we have a Dudley. I really don’t want that third egg to hatch at Orange. The pair at Collins Street appear to be working very well together to care for their brood. I have to admit that I have not been paying overly much attention to the Port Lincoln nest, although I believe it should be a safe watch this season, as it is obvious that the powers that be have determined the fish fairy will make a return appearance this season if she is required. That is such a relief. “
Holly Parsons posted a really information on the development of the falcon chicks.
SE33 and SE34 are walking very well on their nest in the Olympic Forest. Both are self-feeding and their wings are huge. They sing the duet with the parents in the morning, just precious. The next step is for them to branch. And then it will not be long until they fledge. They are the cutest pair.
Growing Home Osprey Family. What a darling threesome.
‘J’ reports that the WRDC cam fell into Ron and Rose’s nest on Friday. No one was injured.
A beautiful summary of an extraordinary season at Newfoundland’s Snow Lane nest of Beaumont and Hope! https://youtu.be/1n3-K_d7djg?
The Dyfi Osprey Calendar of Idris and Telyn and chicks will be available on line soon. They do ship internationally – just ask if you can’t indicate that on checkout.
It won’t be long til we have news of the swag available for Iris and Finn, Antali, and Sum-eh. I understand the nest sticks are on their way to be made into pens. Watch their FB for notices of notecards, etc.
The Canadian Highways Network FB posted an amazing image of Canada Geese setting off Friday morning after having a good feed on their field. Please make them welcome everyone south of us! They are not the Canadian bird, but many think they should be. (The Canada Jay is).
Send good thoughts to Gabby at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest. Since Samson went missing, her life has been nothing but chaotic. No solid mate, no eaglets. She arrived at her nest alone Friday night. No Beau. No 23E1.
What a lovely sight.
Calico’s Smile for the Day:
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. Have a wonderful weekend. We hope to see you soon!
Thank you to the following for your notes, posts, announcements, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, H, J’, Audubon Florida Naturalist, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Heidi McGrue, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Holly Parsons and Outside My Window, Olympic Park Eagles, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Osprey Stories, Heidi McGrue and Growing Home Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, NEFL-AEF, Animal & Nature, Maria Marika, and WRDC.
The European Starlings are really enjoying the meal worms. The Blue Jays are sorting through the peanuts for the best ones, and everyone wants a bath. It was a glorious fall morning in the garden with the animals and birds that I love so much.
Birds having a bath; Starlings eating meal worm treat.
Hope watching the Starlings.
Starlings devouring the meal worms.
Missey watches them, too.
Calico doesn’t care.
There is a hatch, on Wednesday, at the Melbourne CBD 367 Collins Street scrape. The penthouse falcons! Congratulations! We should be seeing the other two little fluff balls shortly.https://youtu.be/VRfLhA-E7cg?
And then there were two! Close together in hatch times. Fantastic.
Those two little fluff balls are getting some breakfast bits.
The other big news is that a bit of a ragged Beau has returned to the NE Florida nest after having been away for a fortnight and a day. 24E1 has not been seen since Tuesday morning at the nest. Gabby was there at 1000 on Wednesday morning. It is 5:34pm on the cam and as far as I know, Gabby has not been at the nest since his return. Oh, dear.
Beau made it through the hurricane. Are the missing feathers because of that along with the fresh blood on his tail or has he been in a fight? and with whom?
Gabby did return and she did find Beau. His feet are not in as bad a shape as the rest of him. They were down in the nest together working away. It is better than anything on Netflix. But, let us hope that this nest calms, that whichever of the males Gabby picks is up to the task of fatherhood this year, and that all hatchlings fledge.
I don’t think I have ever been so mad. See the post by Brian Collins below. Forestry England has observed ospreys at Llyn Clywedog for years. John Williams has kept accurate records on the fish delivered, and we now understand that a family of two adults and three osplets eat on average 480-525 fish, medium ones, from time of egg laying to migration. Ospreys cannot carry huge fish – think a Brown Trout. Of course, many other people keep track of fish deliveries, type and size and amount. This information should be clearly available to all. But, Goodness me. That is only about 1000 lbs of fish. A drop in the bucket compared to Omega’s takings. We also know that adults died and that starvation deaths were regional. So that the starving osplets in the Bay are specific to the overfishing of the Menhaden.
Geez. This ASMFC smells fishy.
Collecting data on our nests can be very overwhelming. For Heidi and me, because we were looking at mortality rates and causes, the emotion connected with watching ospreys starve to death when help could come has often been simply ‘too much’. Right now I have data on more than 60 nests that need to be entered except that it is lacking key information – the day the eggs were laid, the hatch dates, details on weather or dates of death, even fledging days. I am getting there slowly and hopefully we will have a good indication of the % that died from starvation and/or siblicide or predators in 2024 from over 566 osprey eggs. Bear with me. My goal is to get this together before the end of November!
I will put out a call early for information for the 2025 season. I am looking for detailed information on the nests that Heidi and I do not normally cover including those in Europe and in particular, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Germany. If you watch a particular nest on a regular basis, we would appreciate hearing from you as to dates the adults arrive, the date eggs are laid, hatch, and the date of the first flight. If chicks die or eggs do not hatch, all information is important. Thank you!
Elfruler has sent out a posting that they will be cutting back on what they are posting in terms of nests for similar reasons – being overwhelmed and nests with poor cams and little information. This is part of the letter that they sent out to readers: “
After reflecting long and hard over the last few months, I have determined reluctantly that it is time to retire the yearly Nest Watch page on my website. I began that page with the 2019-2020 season as what seemed like a logical extension of my comprehensive collection of statistics on eggs, hatches, and fledges on eagle nest cams since 2011. But I am finding that maintaining the page has become exhausting.
Is Ervie out scouting for a female? And how many female are there? Do we need a translocation for all these males??? Ervie was everyone’s all time favourite – the little third hatch that took on big Bazza and Falkey to be kind of the Port Lincoln territory til Mum and Dad thought he might need to move a little further away.
I found some old video footage of Ervie having a dust up with Bazza and another of Ervie catching his infamous puffers. At one time we thought they might seriously injure one another. Enjoy.
We wait and hope for Xavier and Diamond at Orange.
Judy Harrington is bringing us up to date on those cutie pies.
Looking at that wing span!
Smile. This osprey patient was returned to the wild!
Thank you to everyone for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘J’, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Brian Collins and Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, Elfruler, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Holly Parsons, Falcon Cam Project, NCTC Bald Eagle nest, IWS/Explore.org, Androcat, Nesting Bird Life & More, Judy Harrington and Olympic Park Sea Eagles, and Florida Wildlife Hospital.
I am starting to put all of the things that excite me or late updates here at the top. On Friday evening 24E1 brought Gabby her first fish gift of the season. She devoured that fish. I know that many have been cheering for Beau. Beau is not at the nest. 24E1 is and Gabby appears to be more than happy with him. His toes are ‘not that bad’ and actually appear to be healing. He is perfectly capable of protecting the nest, taking care of Gabby, and we hope providing for her and their eaglets, if that happens.
Gabby was working on the nest. She knows he is coming. Look at the delight on 24E1’s face when Gabby accepts the fish!
Friday was the most glorious day. There was a clear blue sky. Not a hint of a cloud! There was a nice breeze and the temperature was 22 C. As I write, the European Starlings have come in to try and get as many meal worms out of the nut cylinder as they can. Little do they know that I ordered them 22 lbs of meal worms. They will be here on Sunday.
Mr Crow got into the action, too!
It was Open House at Wildlife Haven. The Director said they wondered if they were taking a huge risk having the event so late in the month, but, no. It was fabulous. Last year it was 15 September and wet and cold. The vet who is doing her internship for a year as part of a project through the University of Guelph was amazing. I learned so much! And I asked a lot of questions for all of us!!!!!!!!!
First up a little bragging. I never win anything. And today, by putting the feather to the raptor (12 different ones), I won the book prize. It is a marvelous volume that I will enjoy.
We got to visit with one of the GHO ambassadors. It was found at the bottom of the nest. The parents would not feed it and then it was discovered why. It was born with only one eye and its beak was crooked so it could not hunt or survive in the wild.
Isn’t this owl a sweetie?
The volunteer with the GHO sent me over to Rick who was hosting a display on Kestrels. He does videography as well as taxidermy. I learned so much about how long it will take to get my Cooper’s Hawk approved for ‘stuffing’.
That is the female Kestrel on the top. She is larger than the male. Rick has a blind and monitors a small population of these raptors. He says the females are ‘fierce’. The males not so much. Want the territory protected? Call the female!!!!!!
Patients are brought to Wildlife Haven by Conservation Officers, Volunteers, and the general public. At intake, they try to get as much information as possible so that the patient can be returned to its territory on release. The goal is always to get them back to the wild. Next is the examination room where there is a host of machines such as an x-ray to try and determine what is needed.
Tess said that the centre is lucky. It has all of the facilities needed including a surgical centre so that raptors with broken wings can be put on the mend and not euthanised.
There are oxygen rich incubators if needed.
Cages for animals awaiting diagnosis. They are using stuffies so that the real animals do not get stressed.
A stuffie stands in for the Bald Eagle who did have wing surgery and is in one of the larger areas awaiting transfer to the flight pens.
The sub-adult Bald Eagle that had the surgery.
You have all heard about imping. Replacing a missing feather with another which is glued in place. According to Tess, you can only imp 2-3 feathers if you want success. Most of the raptors have many more feathers missing either their primaries, tail feathers, or both. She did say that in Manitoba, most of the hydro poles are insulated so that the birds are not electrocuted. She has not seen an electrocution from a power pole.
As I walked around I took notice of all the things that are needed in case you are feeling like making a donation. Those clean old towels are needed all the time! Dawn detergent. Bleach. All manner of stainless steel or plastic container that could be used for feeding animals. Look on the shelves below! If you clean out a house for someone moving (or otherwise), please consider donating items to your local wildlife rehabilitation clinic. They go through gallons of bleach and Dawn!!!!!!
Those old clean towels and sheets are always needed. If you are feeling ‘flush’, a good laundry set is always wanted.
One thing we haven’t thought of – bees wax paper. They use it for bandages for turtles! You can put the beeswax paper on the incision or wound and it actually keeps it from getting infected. They can use these for a fortnight without changing them and they are removed easily with a tongue depressor.
There is a turtle in there with a beeswax bandage under that leaf.
Majestic, the Ambassador Bald Eagle.
It was a great event. The new vet tech is fantastic. I said that at least twice. Her goal is for every animal to live in the wild. She said that the area of wildlife rehabilitation veterinary science is relatively new compared to large animals or domestic pets. One aspect that she is keenly interested in is the resilience of the animals. Can a turtle live in the wild with only three legs? Why not try it? Monitor them. The answer is, ‘Yes, they can’. What about a raptor with one leg? It was not that long ago that the wildlife would be euthanised. Now, some wildlife vets are ‘sticking their necks out’ to see precisely who can live with what injuries and thrive. I highly recommend that you seek out your local clinic and find out when they have Open House!
‘MP’ suggests that it is the right time to get that platform at Achieva fixed before the new breeding season starts. I sent a note to the Tampa Bay Raptor Centre to see if they could help. It is possible that there are so many animals in need that this could still be low on the priority list. The platform needs a new perch if not two of them. The dish needs proper drainage but with the ability to not allow eggs or nestlings to fall down and die or break. Was the tree trimmed to stop raccoons? What about other predators?
Oh, goodness. Falcons are the cutest! Don’t you love how they talk to their eggs?!!!!!!! https://youtu.be/qjh2vn1-vh4?
The Royal Cam chick’s name is Kiwa. Just lovely and the meaning is perfect.
Gabby was in the nest on Friday.
No one at the Newfoundland Power nest…it seems they have all headed south.
‘J’ reports that both eagles have been seen at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands eagle nest.
The Bluff City Bald Eagle streaming cam is up and running. The nest appears alright.
The wind is still blowing reasonably strong at Pa and Missey Berry’s nest in NE Georgia.
If you missed the live Ventana Wildlife Chat live, here is the recording. https://youtu.be/yLBrKSws3Zg? This month focuses on “…the Condor Crew highlight the arrival of our condor “rookies” in San Simeon, while our new interns, Rachel and Griffin, offer a glimpse into the developing personalities of these young birds. We also share some exciting nesting and flock updates, including a video of wild-hatched condor chick 1315 being fed by his dad, and Bucky (1087)’s release date from Oakland Zoo.“
What an adorable family. The Olympic Park Eagles in Sydney.
You still have time to guess the day and time the first egg will hatch at Port Lincoln. Put it under the streaming cam in chat! A big thanks to Brad M for keeping us great historical records and organising all the information including the daily log of nest happenings. It is invaluable. The link is at the top of the chat.
‘PB’ reports that the Seaside Bird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, Florida, suffered substantial damage due to flooding.
Time for Fun Fact Friday! Enrichment for good health! It is very important for any facility that takes care of birds and other animals to provide an environment with lots of enrichment to help them thrive. For a raptor, like Rita, having various perches of different heights with different materials covering them helps to keep her feet healthy, and the wood provides a good surface for her to “feak” her beak to keep it clean and sharp. Being able to bath in her bath tub and having a water mister helps with feather conditioning. A variety of prey items, some of which can be placed in containers that require her to use her foraging skills, is very stimulating. A few examples that simulate foraging in the wild are to place prey items in a floating bowl in the bath tub to be “fished out” or to freeze the prey in ice blocks, or put it in egg cartons or cardboard boxes with holes cut out so the prey is still visible are all great ideas. This allows the eagle to “hunt” and tear at the container to get to the prey. Another idea was to provide a sisal rope toy that the eagle could flip around and stomp on like it would do with sticks or prey in the wild. There are lots of ideas for enrichment online. When researching ideas, I came across a YT video of an eagle that was given a carved out pumpkin! That’s a great idea since Halloween is coming up and the stores will have pumpkins! Those caregivers carved holes in it and stuffed it with prey items sticking out so the eagle could forage for its food. With that idea in mind, I brought a ball for Rita, and Kelly and Laura put fish in for her to pick out! She had such a funny expression when she first saw the ball. Kelly and her team are always striving to provide the best of care for Rita with enrichment in her environment and diet that can help her thrive. They are the bestn and your support can help provide some stimulating enrichment for Rita! Thank you! JK #ritathebaldeagle
The Hawk & Owl Trust withdraws from the Hen Harrier brooding scheme!
Friday evening we took a quick spin over to The Mint. On our way to Wildlife Haven, we noticed hundreds of geese feeding on the grass at The Mint. I wondered if they would return to the pond at night for its security.
That did not happen. There were a few geese in the pond along with some ducks, but not many.
Is it because of this?
Calico’s Tip for the Day comes from ‘Everything Gardening’. Get yourself a nice cuppa and sit back and leave the leaves alone.
Missey and Hugo Yugo wish you a fantastic weekend. They want you to take care of yourself. Get outside if you can. Listen for the birds. Pet a cat! And be back with us as soon as you can.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, announcements, images, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, MP, PB’, Wildlife Haven, SK Hideaways, NZ-DOC, NEFL-AEF, Newfoundland Power, Achieva Credit Union, Berry College Eagle Cam, ETSU Bluff City, Olympic Park Eagles, Raptor Persecution UK, The Canadian Mint, Winnipeg, and Everything Gardening.
We hope that you are all well, and for those living in the path of Helene, please stay safe. We are thinking about you and keeping you in our warmest thoughts. Send your warm thoughts to all our feathered friends in the hope they have found their safe places. SW Florida streaming cam is down this morning. Swaying happening at NE Florida.
It is hard to believe it is fall. Gosh, golly. Wednesday was a beautiful morning. The sky was a clear blue, not a whisker of a cloud. No wind. No forecast for rain. The temperature is set to rise to 27 C. We have to remind ourselves that it is really the end of September and not July.
Mr and Mrs Junior were in the garden very early looking for peanuts. There are three Crows that come regularly together, nest mates. When there is a problem with other species, such as the GHO in their territory or a cat in our garden, there will be eight of them around the back of the garden. At one time, the combined count for the two families and their nestlings was eighteen. Did they disperse? I only saw one killed on the road. We must remember to have a small portable shovel in the boot of the car. If you see a dead animal on the road or street, take it to the boulevard so that the carrion eaters are safe to feed.
Junior has always stayed over during the winter. I have said that before, and we feed Crows all year along with the sparrows, woodpeckers, and chickadees (the others that remain). I wonder about their food sources outside of our garden. The area around me is getting denser and denser with little green, save for a few small parks. Indeed, the loss of habitat for our wildlife is truly concerning.
Speaking of food sources, we were shocked when we went to the country on Monday. Next to our acreage, there are now two HUGE reservoirs. They are about three stories tall, 1/6 of a mile by a 1/6 of a mile. The flood waters from the Boyne River are pumped into the holding ponds to irrigate the potato crops in the summer. There was no need for irrigation a few decades ago, and now the potato farmers have to store water. What happens if the rain and the snow in the Pembina Hills that feed the river dry up?
I have spent part of the day working in the containers on the deck. The pepper plants that show no sign of any more produce are in the compost pile. The soil is now heaped around the cherry tomato plants that are loaded – heavily laden – with tomatoes. The Curry leaves and Sage need to be dried along with the mint and the Rosemary. There is enough celery for everyone to have some for their Thanksgiving dinner that lives in earshot of me. It wasn’t a great year, but it was a good one. Now, we will try to grow lettuces, boy chop, green onions, etc. in the house for the winter. I sure hope Hugo Yugo stays out of that grower!!!!!!!! She is into everything these days. Is it because she is so tiny? Baby Hope sleeps atop the highest cabinet to see what everyone is doing—her private spot. Hugo Yugo cannot get up there! And neither can Calico—just Missey.
It is market day. Will the dumpling lady be there or will we be disappointed again? I must learn how to make these! At one point in my life I did know, but I need a refresher course. The last market day is approaching soon and it would be nice to have some more of the local honey. It is delicious – and, thankfully, the vendor was there.
Calico gave each jar of honey her ‘sniff’ test and voted on the honey from the downtown hives. How interesting.
Speaking of Florida…
The weather in Florida is going to be bad for all the nests with Helene potentially plowing through the State as a cat 3 storm. Everything is set to intensify beginning today. It will hit Captiva and Fort Myers first and make its way northeast hitting the nest of Gabby. Send good positive energy to all the birds and let us be thankful that there are no eggs or chicks in the nests.
Evacuations are now underway in various areas of Florida.
Jackie and Shadow have ousted the Ravens from the nest as they make plans for the 2024-25 season. https://youtu.be/5WxWE0iweQg?
Looking out over their territory of Big Bear.
You need to know that your voice can make a difference. If you believe strongly about our wildlife and their quality of life, then we cannot be silent. As a child, I love the little circus and all the animals. I cannot imagine, for a second, supporting any or watching any animal do tricks for humans! How barbaric. Disney has now stopped its animal shows.
I hope that our voices will also ensure that any company, no matter its country of origin, will never be allowed to conduct industrial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Can you imagine seeing the little ospreys eating lots of fish instead of starving to death? That is what you are fighting for! I was notified today that my letter has been received and will be read to the Committee meeting today. I made it short and to the point – commercial fishing of Menhaden has, according to the research that has been conducted on nests on either side of the Bay, in both Virginia and Maryland, seen only osprey deaths. ‘H’ and I are still entering the statistics but there will be more than 100 nests recorded – every osprey chick perished. Every one. I compared that to heat in other areas including Osoyoos where Olsen pulled a rabbit out of a hat and 2 out of 3 of his chicks lived despite the 40 C heat and lack of fish. That tells you how bad it was in the area of the Chesapeake. And the boats cannot be allowed to fish at the mouth of the Bay either. We will not give up and will continue to fight to stop Omega.
Despite the date passing, if you did not send a comment, but wish to do so, then please write to the individual below that acknowledged my letter:
‘MP’ writes that Jack is on the Achieva Osprey nest several times a day. Stay safe, Jack! Winds are beginning to pick up.
I really hope that Gabby and 24E1 will fill that egg cup sufficiently so that the eggs do not get lost or fall.
The pair at NE Florida flew off the nest as rain and wind began. Stay safe out there Gabby and 24E1.
At least one eagle at the SW Florida nest on Wednesday. M15 has seen many hurricanes. The nest that he shared with Harriet did not always survive the fierce winds, but they did! Let us see what happens in the nest few days.
M15 and F23 were working on the nest late Wednesday night.
‘MP’ caught one of the adults at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest on Wednesday near Dallas.
A really nice summary of a bittersweet year for two Newfoundland osprey nests by Ian Winter. Please pay attention to his comment about how Newfoundland Power refurbished the nest of Hope and Beaumont and the belief that this was the contributing factor in Hope caring for these two dark plumage osplets that lived to fledge. Years past I have wept as her chicks died early on. So, if this is true and that caused her maternal instincts to kick in, then I am suggesting that the people who care for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest get up there and fix the most beautiful nest that could be imagined! Then let’s see what happens there.
Eyes continue to be on Malta with all its illegal poaching right during migration!
A good news story! We need them all the time and a vet that can save a wing problem so a stork can fly again is gold.
A wonderful post from Dunrovin Ranch with a tiny summary of the successful year of the ‘JuneBug’ at the osprey nest with new female, Winnie.
Just look at how big that White-tailed eaglet is getting! And oh, so cute. 38 days old in the picture…39 days old today. It is so hard to tell how big it is. That crane is huge where the nest is located.
You might not have seen Tim MacKrill’s presentation on Osprey migration. I posted it in previous years. You can grab a cuppa and learn so much from this talented young man. https://youtu.be/JXWgoSF-Yrk?
Goodness. That Calico is smart. She heard me complaining about having 53,000 digital photos in my phone. She started reading ‘Wirecutter’ when an article about decluttering photos in your phone popped up. She even read it with having a ‘winkie’ in her right eye. Calico thinks that you likely have so many photographs in your phone that you won’t be able to find your favourite one of her! She says you can thank her later!!!!!!
Wirecutter: Your Phone’s Camera Roll Is a Mess. Here’s How to Clean It Up.
Thank you for being with us today. We will find out what Top Flat chicks name will be. Voting closed on the 26th. I wonder what it will be. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, MP’, noaa, Sunnie Day, The Weather Network, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Rita the Bald Eagle, NestFlix Memories, PIX Cams, JBS Wetlands, Ian L. Winter, CABS, Maria Marika, Dunrovin Ranch News, Nesting Birdlife and More, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Osprey Leadership Foundation, Menhaden Defenders, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, and The New York Times.
By elfruler on 10/02/2024
