Category Archives: vulnerable birds

Has Manaaki fledged? Saturday in Bird World

16 September 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

This is our last blog until we return on Monday 25 September. We hope that you have a great week while we are away!

Today it was cold and rainy. Not a great day for the annual open house at Wildlife Haven, our wildlife rescue hospital, in Ile des Chenes, Manitoba. Normally the grounds outside would be filled with people listening to speakers and visiting with the raptor ambassadors. Today, most huddled inside.

It was good to see so many parents with children aged 5 and up asking questions and being ever so curious about the animals.

One of the highlights of the tour was seeing the new home for Majestic. Majestic is a Bald Eagle that came to Wildlife Haven from Rainy River, Ontario ten years ago. She arrived as a juvenile and is believed to be between 10 and 12 years old. She was starving, dehydrated, and was suffering from an old fracture in her left wing at intake. She cannot live in the wild as she does not have control over her flight feathers but – now – she can fly about landing on various perches within her new enclosure safely.

Meet Una, a Great Horned Owl. Una had problems in the nest, according to the presenter. She was born with a missing right eye and a beak that was not aligned – he is small for the species. As a nestling, Una was neglected by her parents. Today, she is living the good life as an ambassador.

It felt ‘very odd’ holding the tail of an Osprey that was once very much alive.

Or a Red-tail Hawk.

There were tours throughout the surgical wing, the food preparation area, the big flight chambers, and special areas for clients such as otters and fox cubs.

Every wildlife rehab centre relies on donations and volunteers. It is amazing what they do with so little. You can normally find a ‘wish list’ at your local centre of items that are urgently needed and, of course, I will continually remind you about clean used towels and sheets, bleach, washing up liquid, laundry detergent, stainless steel bowls, small hand tools that work, pet food, vegetables from your garden, and items of enrichment such as toys. Clean kennels are particularly helpful in transporting animals or isolating them while they await intake or treatment. So before you bin it, think again. There is some wildlife rehab centre near you that might find those things useful – and they would be very grateful. Thank you!

Meanwhile – the kittens. I am guilty of taking way too many images of Hope. She is growing so fast and every day I can see subtle changes in her appearance.

Calico is getting very restless to get out of the conservatory and back into the house’s main part. The vet says ten days. Meanwhile, Hope is nothing short of energy in a small packet. She wants to play and runs from chair to table to tent and couch and then scurries under the covered area over the dining table and out again. Mamma is tired and, I think, growing weary of this big kid of hers. LOL.

Hope gets excited when anyone enters the conservatory – she wants to play with her favourite feather-dangling toy. She was introduced to healthy cat treats full of flax, cranberries, chicken, and other goodies. Her treats look healthy, like homemade human granola bars with extra protein. I made a line, and sure enough, she followed it to my lap. She is still very nervous, and I try not to breathe or move when this happens. She remains reluctant for me to hold her, so we are going every so slowly.

Lewis wants everyone to know that he is cuddly, adorable and a goof.

Lewis and Missey found a way to look out the window in the old office where Calico first stayed. Little birds were flitting about the apple tree. I am so glad that their closeness has not been jeopardised by the arrival of the two new siblings.

Looks like one of the things that we will be doing next week is building some insulated cat shelters. Winter will arrive on the Canadian Prairies before we know it. The Dark-eyed Juncos showed up in the garden today looking for Millet and Robins are passing through. There are still some hummingbirds being photographed along with Pine Siskins. Geese are everywhere, filling up on grass and grain left on the farmers’ fields before going south.

There is still concern over Hurricane Lee. There are reports that one beloved male Osprey adult, Swoop, is still near the nest at Hog Island in Maine. As I write this, the defined eye of the hurricane appears to have broken up, but this could still bring high winds and heavy rains to NE USA and Atlantic Canada.

Keep all of the wildlife in your thoughts as this system moves. We still have many fledglings and adult Ospreys in Atlantic Canada that have not left for migration.

Annie and Lou are bonding! How sweet. These are rare occurrences this time of year, but what is so good about this behaviour is that we can confirm that both are healthy and doing well.

In South Australia, Ervie is back fishing at Delamere, where he used to join Dad when he was just a youngster. Ervie is now two years old. Happy Birthday, Ervie!

It is always good to see Osprey platforms being replaced or installed for new couples. There are not enough old dead trees in situ for them near good fishing spots. This is a good solution and far superior to them building nests on power poles where they could be electrocuted.

Remember the two Royal Albatross chicks that failed in their first flight? Here is the story of their rescue. Thanks, Holly!

‘H’ brings us up to date on Barnegat Light and Date County:

Barnegat Light – “Duke is enjoying a few days of well-earned rest and relaxation since Dorsett left the area on 9/11.  Duke can often be seen in one of his trees at the north tree line, and Thursday he was wading at the shoreline with some gulls.  Friday Duke enjoyed a nice breakfish on his perch.  Later in the afternoon, he was seen on his perch shaking his tail and drying out his wings.  We love ya’, Duke.”

Dade County – “The juvie, R5, was back at the nest again on 9/15, and this time he was looking for food scraps.  Ah, he is so mature looking!  R5 has been at the nest 5 out of the last 6 days.  There is still some time before nesting season begins for Ron and Rose, but as much as we love R5, some of us are hoping that he will be bitten by the wanderlust bug soon, lol.  R5 is six months old on 9/16.  Happy Birthday, R5 !!”

Flaco, the Eurasian Owl that escaped the Central Park Zoo is doing well despite initial worries some months ago! You can check out more of Flake’s adventures by going to Bruce Yolton’s website urban hawks.com

‘A’ reports: “At Collins Street, F22 had a large crop today when she left the nest at 10:36, and little M22 arrived by 10:41 to take over the incubating until the shadow covered the scrape. He was panting a lot, and both parents this morning were using the technique of standing over the eggs with wings outstretched to shade them, rather than settling down on the clutch. Little dad looks so cute when he does it! He works so hard at enfluffling the eggs. It’s hard work for him to cover them all. He’s going to have major problems when it’s four eyases aged, say, a week to 10 days, without thermal down and exposed to the rain and the direct sunlight.—Yes, I’m going to say it again. WHY OH WHY could they not have strategically placed two small squares of wood to shelter from above and to extend the shelter of the building on the far side!??? What will happen on the first wet day?”

‘A’ continues: “I am genuinely concerned that there is the real possibility of a tragedy at Collins Street this season. Last year was the third consecutive La Nina year. That is not a normal Australian summer. We are about to get back to our usual summers, which include days reaching as high as 43C and I shudder to imagine what that scrape will look like by the time the chicks are, say, 10 days old. There is going to be a period of up to a month when the chicks are very vulnerable to that heat and are unable to escape it along that gutter. Not only that, but dehydration is going to be a potential problem even if they are getting enough food.”

SE31 and 32 were very hot on Friday, too. They were panting to help cool their bodies.

‘A’ reports about breakfast: “Breakfast was something that had been feathered (it looked young, but its feathers may just have been wet – it lacked a head so identifying it was not easy), which Lady brought in at 06:40:35. SE31 was in the right place at the right time, so was already in perfect position for food when it arrived, and shortly after 06:41 tried to help herself to the prey. Lady waited a while for some reason, and SE32 joined SE31 waiting for food. Because he came up on his big sister’s inside, SE32 was in primary position when mum did begin feeding, so was fed first rather than his sister. But Lady is relatively even-handed and is feeding both. The blood appears to be nearly gone from her head. so it must have come from her talons,. perhaps while scratching herself, and there is no apparent sign of what yesterday looked like a wound on her left foot. This is really lovely juicy nutritious red meat, and a decent-sized piece of prey as well. Both eaglets are eagerly grabbing bites, some of them very large. Their manners are impeccable. Neither is being at all aggressive and each is happy to watch the other eat. When they lose a competition for a bite, they just wait for the next one. It is lovely to watch. Lady is doing her best to feed both, and it seems they will end up having roughly equal amounts of this meal.”

‘J’ brings news that there is a new camera at the Centrepoint Bald Eagle Nest.

Gabby and V3 have been very alert at the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest on Friday.

The cameras will return to SWFlorida on the 30th of September.

At the Royal Albatross colony, ‘A’ reports: “Manaaki is hovering so high, he is out of camera shot. Twice, I have thought he has fledged, but he has landed far down the hill and walked back up. He may well go today, but he shouldn’t. He is still not in control of his flying and he still has too much fluff. Another three days is my guess, as he is still not tucking his feet and legs up confidently and is unable to surf the thermals with any real control. Still, he is getting great height on his hovers and staying airborne for increasing lengths of time. He is very serious about his practising, and cast another bolus at 01:40 this morning. So he is preparing to leave and it could be at any moment now. Literally.”

‘A’ returns later with what is ‘sad’ news: “Manaaki has not returned to his nest. UQ is waiting for him, in his new spot near Manaaki’s nest. The general consensus on the chat is that Manaaki has fledged, although we need to wait until the rangers do their walkaround and head count tomorrow to know whether he is elsewhere on the headland. Unless of course he returns to his nest during the night. It is agreed that he was last seen on camera at 16:39:45 and has not been seen since. Other sightings thought to be of Manaaki were in fact of UQ chick (whose hovering skills are way better than Manaaki’s). I am still sceptical because he really did not seem to be sufficiently balanced in the air and still looked very uncertain. Not to mention the fluff he still had. If he has fledged and landed on the water in the bay, he will be spotted and if necessary rescued.  If he has fledged successfully, he has done so at 238 days of age. We wish him godspeed and all the luck in the world out there. We pray we (and he) will live long enough to see him return to his birthplace (some return as early as age three, others not until they are five or even older). One or probably both of his parents will visit the nest over the next few days to make sure their baby has fledged and is not hanging around nearby, needing to be fed. It is so bittersweet watching them wait. If their chick does not return to the nest to be fed, then all their devotion and hard work has paid off. They have done their job for the season, successfully raising a chick to fledge. But somehow, there is a pang as they wait. Sometimes, they come back more than once, just to be sure.  

So now, a year after we watched QT fledge, we are waiting for her parents to return for the new season. Mum YRK and dad OGK. Of course, our hope that OKG will return is very slim indeed, but it does remain a possibility. They ring the bells at the colony when the first returnees arrive home, and then the bells ring out all over the area. They love the toroa.” 

There is good news. While I do not know the number of butterflies in Canada this year, we have noticed a considerable number in the garden and the local parks. Others have mentioned this as well. In the UK, the record of butterflies has grown this summer – excellent news. This does not mean that there has been an increase in the number of insects – so vital to the lives of our songbirds.

Indeed, a group of residents at one of the condominiums in Winnipeg has noticed that the songbirds have disappeared from their property after the management had the grass treated by a firm claiming to be ‘Eco’. If it kills weeds, it will kill insects that the birds eat and often kills the birds. If you know of any well-researched articles on the issue of lawn treatments and songbirds, please send them to me. I hope to help some of my former students prepare a united front and argue against this practice in the future.

UK-butterfly-numbers-bounce-back-after-last-years-all-time-low-Butterflies-The-GuardianDownload

Do you know the Island of Mull on the west coast of Scotland? It is notorious for its wildlife, and the White-tail Eagles are no exception. There are also dolphins and whales to be seen.

The-Sea-Eagles-That-Returned-to-Mull-Hakai-MagazineDownload

While the Ospreys are away, want to watch a different table feeder in Scotland? Check out the one at RSPB Loch Garten. Here is the link. You might see some of those adorable red squirrels.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to seeing you on the 25th of September when we return from a brief break.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog this morning: ‘A, H, J’, Geemeff’, Wildlife Haven, NOAA Hurricane Centre, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, PLO, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Info, Holly Parsons and Albatross Lovers, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, WRDC, Bruce Yolton, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Sydney sea Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, and Hakai Magazine.

Migration…Wednesday in Bird World

13 September 2023

Good Morning,

Tuesday was a very ‘difficult’ and, at the same time, rewarding and joyous day. Two beautiful Calico cats are off the streets and out of the cycle of producing feral kittens. Needless to say I did not sleep well Monday night. It is the ‘alarm clock syndrome’. Difficulty sleeping for fear of sleeping through the alarm.

Calico’s surgery went well. The vet phoned to say that Calico was ‘very strong’ and a gentle, sweet ‘kitten’. The staff spent much time with her when she was recovering – her story and that of Hope finding us -touched each and every one of them. It still makes me weep at all the things that had to ‘work’ for this to happen. I am indebted to those individuals that reached out to help me find ways to track Calico, who helped by providing the kitten trap for Hope, and to each and everyone whose experience with community cats helped us to have a successful ending to their story.

The biggest issue at the vet’s was the advice to keep Calico and Hope separated overnight. Of course, if Calico insisted, the stress being separated from Hope would be worse than Hope trying to suckle. The distance between the little office door and the one for the conservatory is approximately 65 feet. Calico made it very clear that she was not staying in that room. Lewis and Missey were contained in another room with the door to the conservatory open. Calico bolted the instance the office door opened. Hope came running! For a few seconds, there was a lovely little conversation between Mamma and baby. Thankfully, the only kitten that Calico will ever have is healthy and safe and with her Mamma tonight.

Calico is still in a bit of a haze, but Hope is so happy! Mamma is home. Just look at that round little belly on Hope. Poor Calico. She is just so wee…she weighs 2.3 kg or 5.03 lbs. Hope may weigh that much. Calico will start to put on weight and become healthy.

It is a secret. Hope spent the entire day playing with Missey!!!!!!!!!! They are super friends but don’t tell Mamma.

What fun it was to sit and watch these two with the new scratch post. They took turns with Hope watching every move that Missey made carefully and then imitating it.

Hope really loves this new scratch post with the feathered ball.

Before lights out, Hope got in some playtime while Calico rested. She forgot about where she was and wound up on my lap with the feather teaser. It was too funny – the startled look on her face when she realised that I had reached over and started petting her. Things are coming together. She is no longer 100% afraid of me scurrying off to hide in a corner. Humans mean food, cuddles, treats, and playtime!!!!!!!

What is happening in Bird World? One word: migration. Cornell Bird Lab and BirdCast are predicting that 348 million birds will be on the move as I am writing this Tuesday evening 12 September.

What needs to be done to protect migrating birds?

For-Migrating-Birds-Its-the-Flight-of-Their-Lives-The-New-York-TimesDownload

The National Wildlife Federation gives these ten tips for helping migrating birds – these are things we can initiate that can give instant success.

1.  Keep your cat indoors—this is best for your cat as well as the birds, as indoor cats live an average of three to seven times longer. Even well fed cats kill birds, and bells on cats don’t effectively warn birds of cat strikes.  For more information, go to http://www.abcbirds.org/cats.

2.  Prevent birds from hitting your windows by using a variety of treatments to the glass on your home—check out ABC’s tips at http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/collisions/glass.html

3.  Eliminate pesticides from your yard—even those pesticides that are not directly toxic to birds can pollute waterways and reduce insects that birds rely on for food.

4.  Create backyard habitat—if you have a larger yard, create a diverse landscape by planting native grasses, flowers, and shrubs that attract native birds. You will be rewarded by their beauty and song, and will have fewer insect pests as a result.

5.  Donate old birdwatching equipment such as binoculars or spotting scopes to local birdwatching groups—they can get them to schools or biologists in other countries who may not have the resources they need.

6.  Reduce your carbon footprint—use a hand-pushed or electric lawnmower, carpool, use low energy bulbs and Energy Star appliances. Contact your energy supplier and ask them about purchasing your energy from renewable sources.

7.  Buy organic food and drink shade-grown coffee—increasing the market for produce grown without the use of pesticides, which can be toxic to birds and other animals, will reduce the use of these hazardous chemicals in the U.S. and overseas. Shade coffee plantations maintain large trees that provide essential habitat for wintering songbirds.

8.  Keep feeders and bird baths clean to avoid disease and prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

9.  Support bird friendly legislation both locally and in the U.S. Congress.

10.  Join a bird conservation group—learn more about birds and support important conservation work.

According to ABC, birds need our help now more than ever.  In addition to the ongoing threat of loss of habitat that is becoming magnified by global warming, millions of birds are directly killed due to a number of different human-related causes.

Scientists estimate that 300 million to 1 billion birds die each year from collisions with buildings. Up to 50 million die from encounters with communication towers.  At least 11 million die from car strikes.  Another 1 million may die each day from attacks by cats left outdoors.

Some of these deaths occur year-round but many occur during the peak spring and fall migrations. Some studies suggest that perhaps as many as half of all migrating birds do not make it back to spring and summer grounds, succumbing to various threats on either end of the journey.

14 April 2010, NWF newsletter

There is great news coming out of Cal Falcons. Zephyr (2022) has been sighted more than once! Thanks, ‘B’ for the head’s up!

‘H’ brings us her report on Kent Island and Barnegat Light:


Kent Island –  “Audrey was seen a few times throughout the day.  In the morning, she was seen in ‘Joe’s tree’, and she was obviously scoping out the water below for fish.  Both Audrey and Tom have previously been seen diving from that tree.  The video went to ‘highlights’, and when the livestream returned, Audrey was seen on a dock eating her catch.  Later, Audrey was seen in the same tree in the afternoon.  There are times when the camera is focused on the nest, and an osprey can be heard nearby, but the cam does not pan in that direction.  Many bird nest cams online do not have PTZ capabilities or a dedicated camera operator.  No matter what nest we are watching online, we are always grateful for what we are able to observe.  We only know what we can see, and we learn what we can.”

Barnegat Light – “There were significant livestreaming issues once again on 9/12, especially during the afternoon and evening.  In the morning, Duke was seen in his tree at the north tree line for a while.  There were a few hours in the morning without livestream glitches, and during that time we did not see or hear Dorsett.  Because of that, it is thought that Dorsett may have left the area.  We will continue to follow today, and hopefully the livestream will behave.  Dorsett is the only chick to have survived the storm in late June.  I am sharing a photo from 6/8/23.”

Gabby and V3 were at the nest early on Tuesday. Later Gabby had to deal with the female intruder that has been showing up – she ushered her out of the territory (or so it seems). Wouldn’t it be nice if this nest could just be quiet and boring this year?

These two were chortling back and forth. A chortle is a form of communication between Bald Eagles. It is a series of short rapid chirps which might mean several things. You have to look at the context. In the image below it is a greeting between Gabby and V3. It could, at other times, signal that eagles are going to engage in a dispute.

At the nest of Anna and Louis in the Kistachie National Forest, Louis has brought Anna the first fish gift on camera of the season. This is the couple’s fourth year together. The nest that they use was vacated in 2013. They did not have any chicks for the 2019-20 season. In 2020-21, they fledged Kisatchie in 2021-22, a female, Kincaid. What a great moment it was when Kisatchie hatched – the first eaglet in the forest for 8 years.

M15 and his new mate are working hard on the Fort Myers nest on the Pritchett Property that M15 shared with Harriet for 8 years.

Checking on Australia:

367 Collins Street: It is hard to get those four big falcon eggs tucked. Gosh, this ledge in the CBD of Melbourne is going to be busy in about a month. The nice thing about incubation is it gives Mum time to rest up before caring for the four – and Dad will be able, nearing the time of hatch, to stock up the pantry.

Sydney Sea Eagles: Breakfast was served early – followed by some nice wingersizing. The eaglets are getting stronger and stronger, standing for longer, and walking with much more confidence.

‘A’ was watching adding, “The sea eaglets had a good early breakfast (around 06:07 I think). It was feathered, minus its head, and a really good size. It looked afterwards as though SE31 had the larger crop but both ate enough breakfast. It was a large piece of prey. SE32 was like a toddler teething this morning. He nibbled at mum’s face and beak when she was aerating the nest in front of where he was lying. He nibbled at her wings. He nibbled at her breast. He nibbled at her underfluffies. Then, he turned around and began nibbling SE31. I have no idea what he was doing, but it was too cute. No-one else objected – it was exploratory and perhaps some level of allopreening was involved, but certainly it was not aggressive. The parents continue to be obsessed by the need to bring in more big sticks (kiddie rails, not just sticks) and lots and lots of greenery, as well as dry leaf material to lay on top of the greenery. They are very diligent in their nest work……Oh those eaglets are GORGEOUS. They are starting to get that beautiful russett colouring on their breasts, shoulders and wings. Lunch came in at 14:21, and both eaglets were interested in the food, which looked like another of the large eels (Dad brought it in and Lady quickly came to manage it). SE32 was first at the table, and got the early part of the feeding, but there was plenty of meat on that eel and both eaglets ate well. They were, as is always the case these days, perfectly behaved at the table, patiently waiting when the other was eating, with no beaking or intimidation or acts of submission or fear. It was a lovely thing. These two are doing so well and they are rapidly beginning to look like juvenile sea eagles. Their colouring is just exquisite. The perfection of their camouflage is amazing. They are truly beautiful at this age are they not?” 

Port Lincoln: Dad2 brought in at least three fish before 1400. He took turns incubating so that Mum could eat. Ask me how much I am liking this new male.

‘A’ adds: “At Port Lincoln, dad brought three or four fish today and mum had some or all of two of them. She is doing the vast majority of the incubation time. Interestingly, the eggs were left unattended for just 1% of the 24 hours on Tuesday (and incubated for 99%) but on Wednesday were left alone for 19% of the time (incubated 89%). This may relate to the weather, but I found it interesting. “

Orange Peregrine Falcons: Xavier brought in a nice chunk of prepared prey for Diamond at 06:27. At the time I am writing (14:14 Australia time) no other prey items had been delivered that I could confirm.

What a little sweetie Xavier is…I love this gleeful way he rushes over to incubate those eggs in the morning.

Like so many, ‘A’ has been missing Manaaki, the Royal Cam chick since he began to get his juvenile feathers. Now..he is ready to fly she adds, “Here is the evidence that we are about to lose Manaaki to his destiny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghTGyX8-ADg. I know it is what he is born for and I know it represents a fabulously successful season for everyone at Royal Cam and for parents L and GLY. But oh how I am going to miss this gorgeous creature, with his adventurous mischievous personality and his obsession with gardening and excavating and exploring. 

Now he has cast his bolus (or boluses), he is pretty much ready to leave. There is little fluff left now, and the next windy spell should see him on his way. Treasure these last hours. We may never see him again. I am so sad, but happy too.”

One of those lovely happy endings – a successful rescue of an Osprey caught in fishing line posted on The Joy of Ospreys by D Lambertson.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We hope to see you again soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog this morning: ‘A, B, H’, BirdCast, NYTimes, Cal Falcons, Kent Island, Wildlife Conserve F of NJ, NEFL-AEF, Tonya Irwin and KNF E-1, Real Saunders Photography, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac Sydney Sea Eagles, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, NZ DOC, and D Lambertson and the Joy of Ospreys.

Mini is home…Tuesday in Bird World

12 September 2023

Good Morning,

First up. My e-mail and FB Messenger ‘lit up’. The messages were mostly ‘Mini is Alive’…’We knew Mini was a survivor’..’Mini wanted to show us that she is alive and doing well’. Gosh, she is a survivor and it is fitting that our dear fourth hatch came to the nest to show everyone who loves her that she is well and living her life and eating fish!

After being MIA for two days, Mini flew to the nest in Patchogue and spent a couple of hours showing us how good she had done since we last saw her. She stood well on her left leg, she played with her cardboard, and before she flew off, she did what all raptors do – a ‘ps’. This was a grand one – at 1929. She has been eating well. Mini is living the life of an osprey off the nest. Is this our last sighting? or will she come again? Whichever it is, treasure those images. She is well! She is beautiful! And she is eating.

Saying goodbye to ‘cardboard’?

That is a great ‘ps’ – one of the best I have seen. This girl has eaten fish!

Mini went from perch to perch but, at the time I am writing, has not settled on the nest to rest her leg.

Thank you for all your good wishes for Calico. We so appreciate them! She is, indeed, a very special presence and I am so happy she is part of my life.

Calico has her surgery today. She will be home around 1830 or 1900. Everyone is hoping that the lump that appeared on her side, which turned out to be mastitis, is gone (seems like it) and if that is the case, the surgery will be simpler with a much smaller incision. Tattooed, microchipped – hopefully never to be lost outside again – ever. While Calico is away having her luxury spa day (the vet gives them heated blankets), Hope will go through an intensive get-to-know-me routine that will ‘hopefully’ include more petting. She is soooooo fast and alert. The slightest movement in the wrong direction, and she bolts. A good nickname might be ‘Usain’ after Usain Bolt, the Jamaican 8-time Olympic Gold Medalist! She might challenge him for some of those 100 m times!!!!!!!!!! Hope has no idea how determined I am that she will not be ‘wild’. In fact, ‘wild’ is not an option. Do you hear that Hope?

Hope and Calico are so much alike. The tiny little black tears on their left eye, the liners of dark fur on their left sides, kohl-like eyeliner around their eyes. Hope does have a couple of differences. She is white in the front, her legs, chest, and throat. She has a tiny, white, almost graph-like line right between her eyes. She has a single white dot of fur on her back, and her head is a slightly different shape. Calico is ‘fine boned’ as my grandmother would say. Hope isn’t.

Hope often waits for Mamma to finish eating before she begins even though there are always two dishes.

The laundry has been going over time and the conservatory is going to have to be ‘aired’. It smells like sardines. Did I ever tell you that I dislike fish so much? Hope loves sardines. T hey got her into the little kitten trap and they are good for her. (There is little chance that she is a he – from all appearances – but when I get close enough to fully confirm will let you know).

Lewis continues to be slightly insecure and in his own Lewis way gets himself in trouble. Calico protects the space that Hope is in and she is not going to let anyone harm her kitten. While Calico is away, Lewis and Missey will get time in Hope’s company to ease the transition. They are all lovely kittens and each has their own story of being found under a deck with 5 siblings and a feral mother (Lewis) or Missey being found alone under a truck. They have much in common!

But look at Missey. Missey decided that she was going to try and open the door to the Conservatory! She seriously almost made it. I am going to have to lock that door. Cats are super intelligent.

Hope and Calico will be glad when the integration process is complete. Calico looks sad to me – wanting out but not wanting anyone to harm her baby she chooses to stay in the conservatory with Hope – their ‘safe’ place together.

Two days ago Hope was afraid to look through the glass of the Conservatory into the kitchen. Now she copies her Mamma only she gets closer! Soon, little sweetie. Not sure what it is about her but Hope just melts my heart like the first time I got to stroke her Mamma.

Photographs of our favourite Port Lincoln fledgling, Ervie, fishing. Remember when he lost a talon? When we thought he would have to survive on Puffers? Just look – great technique. Ervie, we adore you! This is why I support banding and satellite trackers. It is the joy when they survive. Like Mini, Ervie was a survivor.

It is bachelor days for Richmond – of Richmond and Rosie – at the Richmond Shipping Yards in California. Rosie appears to have departed for warmer climates on the 4th of September. Richmond prefers to spend the winters in the Bay Area.

‘H’ brings us up to date on Kent Island and Barnegat Light:


Kent Island – “Audrey had spent the night at the nest on 9/11 and she flew off the nest at 0625.  It was thought to be Audrey preening on a pole at a nearby dock at 0905.  There were no more sightings of ospreys until 1820, when an osprey landed in a tree. Some thought it was an adult osprey, but others thought they saw juvenile plumage.  It was difficult to say.  Unlike the previous four nights, Audrey did not spend the night at the nest on 9/12.  Molly was last seen on 9/5, and Tom last seen on 9/9.”

Barnegat Light – “As with the previous couple of days, the camera feed omitted several hours of time throughout the day due to buffering issues.  The technical issues are making it very difficult to chronicle Dorsett’s last few days before she leaves her natal area to begin her first long journey.  Dorsett was seen on the 24th Street pole with a fish tail at 0614.  At 0750 it was thought to be Dorsett on a boat mast.  That was the last time we were able to observe her on 9/11.  Dorsett is 104 days old, and she fledged six weeks ago.”

Pa Berry is home and starting to work on that nest at Berry College in Georgia.

KNF-E3: Alex and Andria working away.

Superbeaks: Pepe and Muhlady remind me so much of Jackie and Shadow. Big sticks come to the nest and the two have a lovely disagreement over placement!

Someone is supposed to be on holidays! It is incredible how these peregrine falcon families can draw you in…and don’t you love those Dads that try to feed their eggies?!

It looks like there are three eggs at Port Lincoln. Hiding in the midst of some moss, Mum laid another egg. The last. Hard incubation will begin now in earnest. Oh, please pinch me and tell me that this really is Dad2. No offence Dad1 but we worried about your health and we only want the chicks to thrive!

The Sea Eaglets are particularly beautiful…notice the ‘in style’ brick brown-rust colour and peach that is beginning to colour their plumage. Lady slept on the nest and at 0524 she found a piece of leftover fish (?). After the two got up for their morning stretch – hopefully more prey will arrive shortly.

‘A’ brings us up to date: “The day began at WBSE with an early (pre-6am) breakfast from the leftovers of the eel brought in late yesterday afternoon. SE32 had the better of the first breakfast, so when the next food was brought in around lunchtime, SE31 claimed the small-medium headless fish and ate most of it by herself. SE32 watched those last few mouthfuls carefully, and made a grab for the last bit of flesh and the tail. He had to grab four times to pull it out from under SE31 and the eaglets then had a tug-of-fish. SE32 eventually won the battle and horked down that tail piece in short order, flesh attached. Brave and determined. 

The next food item was another fish, and this one was fed to the eaglets and shared out fairly evenly between the two. It wasn’t long before another food item came in, this one feathered. SE32 got the majority of this rather large prey item and by the time he was finished, his crop was enormous. So when another chunk of prey (it looked like a part of the previous piece) arrived shortly afterwards, SE32 could not even be bothered getting out of the nest and allowed SE31 to sit and be fed 

Both eaglets went to bed with full crops, and the parents both ate well too. It was a good day at WBSE. “

At the Royal Albatross colony, Manaaki gives us a beautiful skycall while a beautiful Albie comes to visit.

‘A’ adds: “In New Zealand, nine of the 33 chicks are confirmed to have fledged. More may have left this afternoon and are yet to be confirmed. Manaaki is still on his nest. He was weighed around 11:30 this morning and weighed 9.2 kgs. He is readying for departure and has probably cast his pre-fledge bolus. UQ is still there, as we think is Quarry.”

At the WRDC nest in Miami, recent fledgling R5 returned for a quick visit around 0659 Monday. Wonder what he thought of the reinforced nest and its paint?

Quess what? There are eagles back on Farmer Derek’s land in Kansas!!!!!!!! You might recall that there was a young Bald Eagle pair on Farmer Derek’s property. Their nest got taken over by a pair of GHOs who raised a couple of clothes of cute little owls. This might be interesting.

Migration makes me nervous especially when it involves crossing through countries or resting. We anxiously await news of Karl II, the Super Dad from the Karula National Forest Black Stork Nest in Estonia.

I feel sick. At the same time I am hoping that this is only the same issue with cell coverage in some areas of Ukraine where Karl II likes to rest. Last year we held our breath also. I forget how many days it was.

Kaia:

Kalvi:

Bonus:

Waba:

Another reason to get rid of leaf blowers (besides the noise and the pollution) and allow the leaves to stay overwinter (until after May):

I am so happy to receive my Friends of Loch Arkaig Ospreys 2024 calendar! Thank you to Mary Cheadle for all the fundraising she does for the Woodland Trust so the streaming cam continues to operate at Loch Arkaig!

If you live in Winnipeg or Southern Manitoba, why not take in Wildlife Haven’s Annual Open House? Tickets are $10 for adults. You get to tour the facilities and meet the ambassadors and learn why they would love to have you grow some vegetables in your garden for their patients or what else is needed in terms of care such as clean old towels, sheets, hand tools, bleach, pet food. — So many of you live elsewhere – we are an international family – but, please check out your local wildlife rehabilitation centre and find out when they have their open house. It is always a day for learning and admiring the work these dedicated individuals undertake.

I will being you highlights of the tour on Sunday!

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

Thank you to everyone who sent good wishes to Calico and to all who wrote to tell me Mini was on the nest! Thanks also to the following for their comments, notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today” ‘A, H’, PSEG, Julie Lovegrove and Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Bay Ospreys by Golden Gate Audubon, Wildlife Conservation F of NJ, Kent Island, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Superbeaks, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, PLO, Sea Eagles, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, WRDC, Trudi Kron and KNF-E3, Trudi Kron and Farmer Derek, Looduskalender, and Wildlife Haven.

PLO has their first egg…Wednesday in Bird World

6 September 2023

Good Morning and what a grand morning it is!

I finished reading to the kittens – yes, did you know that reading aloud to your pets is also soothing for them? Calico’s kitten is now learning about ways to save our vanishing birds by listening to A Wing and a Prayer. The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds by Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal. You can find time to squeeze in a good book by sharing with your pets!

The book is well written and insightful. I am learning so much. Did you know that more than 8,000 species of plants and flowers in the Americas depend on hummingbirds for pollination? Or that productivity in apple orchards goes up 66% if there are insects? The book is about finding ways to keep the birds alive because human life depends on that. In Kauai, there are only a few hundred Puaiohi Thrushes. These birds spread seeds around the island, creating the rainforest. “Without forests, we have no flood control. We have no drinking water.” (219) Baby Cal is learning what we all need to – first, how important our wildlife area to our existence, what problems we have created for them, what a lack of balance means to our existence and theirs, and how some talented individuals are figuring out ways to save some of these fragile creatures. So how will they save the Puaiohi Thrush? By releasing lab-bred mosquitoes. AI is being used in the Sierra Nevada to track and protect the Spotted Owl.

I had just finished a chapter when I noticed a note from ‘H’. Was I surprised? Then another note about Collins Street. Thanks so much, ‘H’

Port Lincoln has their first egg!!!!!!!! I am overjoyed and I am hopeful that we might see a big change in the behaviour of this nest unless, of course, the fish supply is limited. From Ernie’s recent catches that does not appear to be the case.

I am so happy for Mum. Nesting material had been brought in so this new couple had some idea that yesterday was the big day.

Dad was there by her side. I am going to like this guy if he is a good provider and there is no siblicide.

We are expecting an egg at 367 Collins Street and guess what? It arrives. We have lift-off in Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spotting Ospreys: Blue 550 hatched at Llyn Clywedog in 2020 was seen and is believed to have a nest in mid-Wales. Fantastic.

Migration continues in the US. These are the latest numbers from Hawk Mountain.

Checking on some of the Osprey nests – who is home and who is not.

Patchogue: Mini is home and Dad has been seen down by the lake. Someone mentioned that Mom might still be around as several Ospreys were seen flying. Mini continues to adapt as she struggles with that left leg – often late in the day. She certainly does better after having a long rest on the nest! She is flying, she is eating – whether or not it is dad feeding her, Mini catching fish or both – she is eating. She is not lethargic. Mini is doing what this spunky independent determined fourth hatch always does – she gets on with it. She is living her life as a fledgling osprey the best she can with the issues that she has.

Mini landing at 1909.

Beautiful Iris is still home at her nest in Missoula Montana. Iris maintains one of the most splendid Osprey nests I have ever seen. Just like some of the others she is adding a few sticks to continue to lay claim to the nest. Soon, she will fly south – thought to be the oldest osprey in the world – we live in the hope that she will return in late March or early April and maybe, just maybe, have one of those young men waiting for her that she met this summer.

Iris demonstrated her great fishing skills even when there were flood waters. What marvellous fish she brought to the owl pole. The result, if you look carefully, is a fat little bottom. Eat up, Iris! We want you to make it to your winter home in southern Texas (??) safely and in good shape.

Of course, Iris is not ringed and no one knows for sure where she over winters but it is believed it could be the southern part of Texas and not further afield in Central America or Mexico.

Glaslyn: Aran is still home and so is 0H1 as of the time of this writing. OH1 is 98 days old. OH2 has not been seen since 4 September when he was 95 days old. That nest looks rather empty! Waiting to see if OH1 is still home on the 6th of September.

Harry is still delivering to Chirpy as of Tuesday. Chirpy was 103 days old. Both siblings and Mum have left on migration from Alyth.

Here comes Harry!

That amazing Dad is bringing fish to Mum on the nest at Boulder County Fairgrounds. What a loving couple and what better way to help your mate with a safe migration than to help her eat well after raising three strong osplets this season to fledge.

Snap and Crackle are both eating fish at the Dunrovin Osprey nest. T hanks, Swoop!

Fledgling fish calling at Collins Marsh – and still being fed! It was a really windy day in Wisconsin. You can’t tell the trees are blowing but look at the feathers of the juvenile. Fantastic.

‘H’ brings us up to date on Molly and Dorsett:

Kent Island 9/5 – Molly flew to the nest at 0625, fish-called a bit, then she flew away 20 minutes later.  That was the last time she was seen at the nest.  She was soon spotted on a nearby boat lift.  In the evening, the cam focused for a long time on an osprey in the distance on a pole, but it was unclear if it was Molly.

Barnegat Light 9/5 – At 0735 Duke delivered a fish to Dorsett at the nest, and she flew to Duke’s perch to eat her breakfast.  Dorsett did return to the nest a couple of times, but sightings of her were scant throughout the day.  Dorsett arrived back at the nest early to wait for her much anticipated 7 p.m. dinner fish, but her dinner never arrived.  As the sun was setting over the bay, Dorsett resigned herself to going to sleep hungry, and she spent the night perched on one of the camera braces.

Do you live near Cornell University at Ithaca NY? Have children aged 8-18? Check this out! What an amazing opportunity for young people. In the book, Lead! Finding your Voice a Chaotic World by Barry Dore, Tim Mackrill, talks about the opportunities he had as a young person to volunteer and learn about raptors. It changed his life and led him to create opportunities for young people through his charity Osprey Leadership Foundation.

This event at Cornell is another super opportunity to get young people involved who might become our future conservationists.

The seat eaglets were up for an early morning walk about and then back to the duckling resting position waiting for breakfast.

‘A’ comments on part of the day including the self-feeding of 31: “

At 15:38, as Lady is looking around in a very agitated manner at something near the nest tree, at about the same height as the nest, SE32 starts eating the food she has in her talons. He is giving this self-feeding thing a try, having closely watched his sister eating prey that looked the same as this (he was just TOO TOO funny – ducking down with his head under her tail to peer between her legs and watch her doing very well indeed at her first self-feeding). 

SE32 pecks at the food a few times but all he can reach is a leg, and no matter how many times he picks it up, he cannot work out how to eat it. So he moves closer. SE31 is paying close attention to this – she has reached out for the food once or twice herself but is not in as good a position now as SE32 is. Lady is very upset by something and paying no attention to the food or the chicks. SE32 has moved further forward. He is up on his feet now, self-feeding on the meaty bit. Lady resuming feeding him, even though she continues to be distracted by something. SE32 remains right up on his feet while he takes the bites. 

Shortly before 15:40 Lady resumes feeding SE31. SE32 turns and moves away from SE31 a little but then turns back to face the table and Lady. He just wanted space between himself and his sister. But he gets offered no bites. At 15:41:24 he tries unsuccessfully to steal a big bite, but overbalances and falls forward, correcting himself with his outstretched wings. Lady still feeds SE31. At 15:41:30, he tries to steal another bite. Again, he fails. The next bite, he grabs incredibly fast. No-one else had a chance. He got given the one after that, then his sister gets a bite. The one after that is a big piece and destined for SE32. He grabs it and works hard to swallow it. 

Lady is still very distracted. Periodically, she gives SE32 a bite. Both eaglets have good crops now. At 15:42:34, SE32 grabs a really big piece. He swallows it with relative ease, as Lady doesn’t even bother trying to retrieve it from him. There is still an amazing amount of meat on this carcass. The two have eaten well. Both have good crops but both are still keen to keep eating. SE32 is very brave, diving for every bite and winning most of them, especially all of the really big pieces. Lady occasionally gives a bite to SE31, but she is not competing with SE32 and is largely just watching him grab and swallow. 

At 15:44, SE32 grabs a large piece of meaty flesh with a longish leg and a foot attached!! He horked the lot with no trouble at all. By 15:44:30 he is back competing for and winning bites. Lady is feeding both eaglets plenty of food but overall, SE32 is getting the better of the feeding at this point. He is winning most of the bites that are competed for and Lady is offering him way more bites than she is SE31, who is sitting back a bit by now. 

At 15:46, SE32 swallows the second leg and foot, also with flesh attached, though not as much as was attached to the first leg. Still, he swallows it without difficulty. Within 10 seconds, he is taking the last few bites from Lady and cleaning the table of leftovers. The feeding is over by 15:48. Both chicks have very large crops, and SE32 has already done a couple of small crop drops during the feeding to fit in extra food. That second piece of prey had a really large amount of flesh on it. The head was gone, but the body provided a great deal of food. Both eaglets have had plenty to eat today. 

There may be more food – I will check. But they did well for the day – eventually – and both will go to bed with full crops. “

‘A’ reports on the Royal Albatross Chick, Manaaki: “GLY may have been in today to feed Manaaki off camera but we’re not sure. We know GLY has fed Manaaki behind the camera at least once recently. The chicks are a lot more mobile now and are doing a lot of exploring as they prepare to fledge. It is starting to get scary when Manaaki is off camera for six hours or more on occasion – we think he might have fledged and we missed it! He still has about a fortnight to go until he reaches 240 days, but of course at least four chicks have already fledged from the 33 at the colony and Manaaki is one of the oldest (and though he does have a lot of fluff remaining, QT did too). He has not done enough wingercising, in my opinion, and still needs to be doing a lot more practising. We need to see much better hovering, and face-planting is an undignified landing for an albatross. I think he has quite a lot of work to do before he is ready to fledge. Let’s hope he doesn’t leave before he is good and ready, but often, it is the winds that determine the timing. As with Lilibet (QT). “

Beautiful Gabby. What a lovely couple – I miss Samson. But life moves on and we have the most amazing memories of him. Gabby mourned last year and took her time selecting a new mate out of the many contenders. Let us hope that V3 is up to the task. He has big talons to fill.

Lady Hawk caught Gabby bringing in her breakfast.

No one is home. Louis, Dorcha, and Ludo are on their way with only Sparrowhawks visiting the nest. Look at this beautiful capture over the nest as the sun rises. Stunning.

Visiting Sparrowhawk.

We always need to be reminded, especially with there still being hot days in many parts of the world, of how we can help wildlife. Please read and keep them in mind. Water is essential. Water and some shade.

Let’s see how much you know about Condor numbers! (Answers below)

  1. How many California Condors were alive on 6 September 2023? a) 208; b) 91; c) 214; d) 345; or e) 559?
  2. How many California Condors live in the wild? a) 76; b) 345; c) 214; d) 93; or e) 54?
  3. How many California Condors live wild in Central California? a) 93; b) 65; c) 214; d) 23; or e) 75.

Do you want to know more about the efforts to protect and grow the California Condor community? In 2022, the Ventana Wildlife Society commissioned a documentary to be made to introduce people to the Condors of the Big Sur. They are working on another film in 2023 called Condor Canyon. It isn’t finished but, for now, why not check, out Part 1 of the 2022 film. You can find the other segments on YT by doing a search or checking on the side panel.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: “A, Geemeff, H’, PLO, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, John Williams and Clywedog Osprey Group, Hawk Mountain, PSEG, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Alyth, Boulder County Fair Grounds, Dunrovin Ranch, Collins Marsh, Kent Island, Conserve Wildlife F of NJ, Cornell University Bird Lab Raptor Program, Sydney Sea Eagles, NEFL-AEF, Lady Hawk and NEFL-AEF, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Ventana Wildlife Society, and Durham Wildlife Trust.

Answers to the three question Condor number quiz: 1. The answer is e. 559 total number of Condors. 2. The answer is b. 345 live in the wild. 3. The answer is a. 93 live in the wild in central California.

Eggs, migration, the impact of hurricanes on raptors…Tuesday in Bird World

29 August 2023

Greetings Everyone,

It is 28 degrees C on the afternoon of the 28th of August on the Canadian Prairies. On Saturday, it is expected to be 34 degrees C. That is hotter – by several degrees Celsius than where my son lives in the Caribbean.

Our summer weather began to change 5-6 years ago. I joked and said it was time to put in a swimming pool – “If it is the shot next year, I am getting a pool!”. Before 2017, people would have laughed at the thought of a pool. Our summers never got hotter than 20 degrees C, and they were short, with the first frost normally in August, sometimes early August. The last snow might have been 15 May. Well, it is all different. I didn’t put in the pool, but I might build a pond for the birds and small mammals late next spring. Remember – water is essential to their lives. Leave out containers of water. Ensure they are topped up at night – many critters are nocturnal.

The weather has caused so many problems this year for the Ospreys. The storms and flooding led to starvation at many nests. The overfishing of Menhaden was another, but the weather has just thrown everyone for the proverbial loop. It has led to the infamous wildfires and played with the birds’ arrival and departure dates. In Manitoba, we have had the type of weather that I grew up with in Oklahoma as a young child. Large hail, winds ripping trees out, and tornadoes. The displacement of wildlife from the affected wildfire areas will have a lasting impact for decades until those old, big, beautiful – trees can regrow.

Missey, Lewis, and Calico continue to do well. The biggest shock has been Lewis. I know to open the office door – enough for cats to put their noses through. Whenever Lewis gets close to Calico’s nose, he leaps backwards. It is hilarious. Missey is more reserved, preferring to sit on the top of the wood stove playing with pussy willows and acting like she is not interested in her new sister. We have moved Calico’s appointment date to this Friday, 1 September. That way, she can be integrated into the family a little earlier. Today, she has been playing with me and with toys by herself. Perhaps she can recapture some of her lost kitten hood.

Our giggle of the day comes from Osprey House in Australia posted by Linda McIlroy. Wouldn’t we love to see crops on all the osplets like this one?!

A blast from the past!

A recorded Webinar from Cornell Bird Lab on the race to save our vanishing birds.

As many of you are aware, there is a category 3 or 4 hurricane heading towards the western shores of Florida that is expected to cross the entire state. Weather systems such as hurricanes can cause such harm to raptors and other wildlife. We have celebrated in the past when we discover they survived Hurricane Ian, for example. Lost nests but not lost birds! Here is some information if you are wondering how hurricanes can impact our beloved feathered friends.

How-do-hurricanes-affect-migrating-birds-All-About-Birds-All-About-BirdsDownload
Flooding-Hurricane-Season-and-Extreme-Weather-Impacts-on-Wild-Birds-Association-of-Avian-VeterinDownload

Fledglings getting fed well at the Dunrovin Ranch Osprey nest of Harriet and Swoop. Indeed, fledglings continue to be well fed around the world as the adults – mostly but not exclusively the males – fatten them up for migration.

Idris continues to fill the fledglings to the brim at the Dyfi nest in Wales.

At Glaslyn, Aran is bringing in the fish. His new mate, Elen, has left. She took the place of Mrs G, the oldest osprey in the UK, this year. Mrs G was 21-24 years old (unringed so not known for sure how old she was) and did not return from migration. Elen proved she was a very worthy successor taking amazing care of the two fledglings this year.

Dad has not delivered fish to the Patchogue nest for either Sunday or Monday. It is 1730 nest time there. Everyone is missing seeing Mini. Maybe she will come and rest her leg. She is, no doubt, being fed off nest like many of the other families are doing.

Mini flew in at 1800. Oh, what a strong flyer she is and she did not look like she was starving even thought she was really doing a lot of fish calling!

You can see her coming in near the top left.

‘H’ gives us her report on Fortis Exshaw: “The action started early.  At 0614, we heard Banff calling as she approached the nest.  Two minutes after Banff landed, she was buzzed three times by the male intruder. The intruder flew to the tall pole, and then landed on Banff twice.  Then the intruder stood on the nest, and proceeded to jump on Banff three times, then flew away.  But the intruder wasn’t done, he soon returned and hit Banff on the fly, and Banff was knocked overboard.  For the next several hours the intruders were on and off the nest, the horizontal nest perch, and the lookout post.  The male even brought in some nesting material.  At 1306 Banff was calling, then she flew under the left side of the nest toward the pond, turned toward the road, and then flew back east, and all the while she was being chased.  At 1654 Banff landed on the nest and was immediately dive bombed then jumped on by one of the intruders.  Banff managed to fly away.  Banff was involved in another chase at 1858, and she briefly landed on the nest for a few seconds, but was not hit.  At 1918, Banff flew over the nest being chased.  At 1948 Banff flew toward the nest being chased and she immediately diverted rather than land on the nest.  She seemed to clip her right wing on the nest as she passed by.  At 2054 Banff was again being chased.  She touched down on the nest and was immediately hit by an intruder, then she was dive bombed, and Banff flew off the nest.  Are you noticing a pattern here?  Banff is definitely eating, and is most likely still being provided fish by Louise.  If Banff has managed to catch some fish, it may be supplemented by Louise.  We do not see Louse on camera.  Louse knows that the entire area around the nest has become hostile.  It seems that young Banff has yet to fully come to that realization.  I wish Banff would stay completely away from the nest area, hang out near Mom, and perhaps practice fishing.”

‘H’ catches up with some other nests:

Forsythe – The last remaining fledgling, Ollie, has not been seen since early on 8/27.  On 8/28 Oscar landed on the nest briefly at 11:11.  He made a quick survey of the nest, and then he flew away.  That was our only osprey sighting of the day.

Osoyoos – There were at least four fish brought to the nest by Soo and Olsen. They and their fledgling are doing well. 

Barnegat Light – Duke continues to provide fish for his hungry fledgling, Dorsett.  Daisy was last seen on the nest the night of 8/27.

Kent Island – Audrey was at the nest on 8/28.  She helped Tom with nest defense, and she brought a fish for Molly.”

Thank you so much ‘H’ – we appreciate your continuing reports on these nests knowing that FortisExshaw is a very difficult nest to observe.

There should be no more concerns about SE32 at the Sea Eagles nest. 32 appears to have caught up in size to 31 and the meals are very civil. Both eaglets stuffed at the morning feed. It is a wonder they could even move.

‘A’ remarks: “The civility continues at WBSE. The breakfast fish (another nice large one, minus Dad’s breakfast) around 07:45. SE32 was slow to get up to the table, but started his breakfast first. SE31 was busy organising her morning PS. When she eventually dealt with that, she was keen to practise her walking. Her balance is improving and she got up to the table, then flopped down. She soon got a bite, though Lady was concentrating on feeding SE32, giving SE31 a bite here and there. SE31 is happy to sit beside her little brother and watch. Once again, no bonking or intimidation. Just two happy eaglets in the morning sun, knowing there’s plenty of fish for both.”

“Oh my. Just look at the size of the thighs on those sea eaglets! And those extra-round little bottoms. Just darling!! And those tails are really coming along now – especially SE31’s. It looks like lace. Dad and Lady are doing one of their raucous duets around 13:33:30 (usually reserved for around 6am). “

“SE31 is getting much steadier on her feet. She seems to enjoy practising her walking. She sits up looking very pleased with herself afterwards. Both these two have really large crops. Lady coaxed each of them to eat until they could eat no more. Somehow that big fish has been devoured. Have a look at their relative sizes now. It is as though SE32 has caught up to SE31 in size. I presume he is still the smaller of the two but not by much. I am now wondering whether the genders I had assumed all along are in fact correct. Maybe we have two males here, one of which was younger and went through a state when it was more nervous than the other. Unfortunately, as they do not band these eaglets, we won’t know unless they end up in care (which I suppose is highly likely, based on previous seasons). But certainly, SE32 has grown quite dramatically over the past three or four days, since he began eating his fill several times a day. Just lovely to see how healthy and happy they look, with their gorgeous feathers sprouting on their shoulders and wingtips and their little tails growing. “

‘A’ also checked on Xavier and Diamond for us. “At Orange, Xavier has just come bouncing into the nest box with a starling, which surprisingly, Diamond takes and flies off with. This buys Xavier some precious egg time, and as always, he chats to his eggs as he settles down to brood. Oh he is the sweetest little falcon. These little males are adorable, aren’t they? Like Alden and then Lou at Cal Falcons, both similarly small but gorgeous. Diamond and Xavier had another of their lengthy half-asleep bonding sessions this morning, from 04:54:52 to 05:39:08. These two are SO cute. “

‘A’ also adds: “We are worried about an intruder at Orange. There has been an unknown falcon upsetting Diamond and Xavier at exactly the worst possible time. Of course they would not desert their nest box and their eggs. This is their territory and they will defend it. But of course the very last thing this scrape needs is the loss of a parent. Diamond is a very large, powerful female, but we would not want her risking her safety. And Xavier is essential to the provisioning of this scrape, so he too cannot be injured. There are suggestions that this might be a previous fledgling – Indigo or even Izzi! These two have tended to have male eyases and it is the males who return to the natal nest area, is it not? So far, the intruder is not causing major problems, but s/he is hanging around. If it is a female, of course, the problem could become more serious. “

Thanks, ‘A’.

There are no eggs at Port Lincoln, but I quite like the new male. He is good to bring Mum fish, and they are trying. Let’s all send them a wink, nod, and some good positive energy. We might be surprised! I cannot think of anything nicer than this Mum having a nest full of osplets but also full of fish – and everyone living to fledge!

It is to be noted, as ‘A’ reminded me this evening that none of the other Osprey nests in South Australia have eggs either – so either they are all late (at least historically) or we won’t see any osplets this year! I prefer to think that they know something we don’t and the eggs are just late.

There are no eggs at 367 Collins Street yet. This is the latest update.

The death of a single Kakapo rattles the world. There are now only 247 of these gorgeous green non-flying parrots alive in the world.

It is that time of year when window collisions are happening more frequently. Here is a good little article to help you or someone you know understand how to deal with a bird that has hit a window.

We are experiencing Hummingbirds on their migration from the north to the south. If you are also, please provide sugar water for them. Do not purchase this at the shop with the dye…make your own. The recipe is simple: 4 cups of water to 1 cup of white sugar. Heat to dissolve the sugar only. Cool before putting in your hummingbird feeder. These little ones need all the energy they can get, and right now, some of the flowers no longer have nectar. They are dried up due to the summer heat!

Thank you so much for being with me today. For everyone in the area of Hurricane Idalia, please take care. We hope to see everyone with us soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, H, PB’, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, Susan Butler and FOBBV, Cornell Bird Lab, ATV, Dunrovin Ranch, Fortis Exshaw, Kent Island, Osoyoos, Forsythe, Wildlife Conserve Foundation of NJ, Ian Dragnet and Friends of Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, PSEG, Sea Eagle Cam, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, Nazz Derbz and Peregrine Falcons Melbourne, Kakapo Recovery, and Maureen Eiger.

First egg for Diamond and Xavier…Saturday in Bird World

26 August 2023

Good Morning!

Friday was a particularly cloudy day on the Canadian Prairies with some drizzle. The birds, all of them, have been more than frantic today. The ground quivers with the hundreds of sparrows looking for seeds that fell from the feeders. They are great clean-up crews. The Blue Jay siblings – the four that survived (there were originally six) – have been here all day eating and bathing or just squeaking in the lilacs.

“Splish splash, I was taking a bath, Long about a Saturday night, yeah
A rub dub, just relaxing in the tub” – that is precisely what the youngest of the Blue Jays did most of the day. This is that little ‘rather round’ one that has grow up but it still retains that sweetness when I first laid eyes on it sleeping on the two clay birds.

If there is a peanut on the property, Mr and Mrs Little Red will have their claws on it. My wood box is going to be so full of peanuts by the end of September these two should be able to sleep in the home I built in there (and insulated) two summers ago near their food source.

Everyone is accounted for…including Calico, who was here Friday morning for food and who was brushed til my arm got numb because she had gotten into burrs.

I wish I could tell you that I have a kitten in hand. The food left under the deck was not eaten Thursday evening or Friday. The kitten is alive. I could tell by the slightly dry fur around the one teat, and Calico was sunken in like the old mules and donkeys that used to be on some classic television Westerns. Calico ate well Friday evening – 4 small tins of food. I sat on the step and fed her in front of me instead of placing the food under the deck for her to eat alone), pushing the food up with a fork now and then removing some more burrs. She did not want me to leave and kept rubbing my legs and pulling me back to the step so I could hold her. Calico loves having her cheeks and head scratched. Then, a van stopped suddenly on the street, and she became fearful. It is a quandary on what to do. There are pros and cons to every approach. The kitten is now 57 days old. It should be eating kitten milk and gruel and some solid food. Perhaps it is out hunting with Calico at night. The trail cam was removed, and I will put it in a different place – aimed at the area in front of the deck where Calico comes and goes on Sunday or Monday. At the moment I dream of a ccrow bar and dismantling that deck!!!!!!!!

You might recall that I stopped going to the ‘bird seed’ shop and began purchasing Black Oil Seed, Chicken Feed, and Mixed Birdseed at a farm supply. Mixing them in a ratio of one to one was ideal. Then I found a farmer who sells seed directly to customers. The farm is 60 km north of Winnipeg. They deliver – this is seriously wonderful. The driver carried those 50 lb bags of seeds into the house for me. The only thing they did not do was open the bags and put the seeds in their metal storage bins. What a joy. The birds are enjoying the first of the new seeds.

I love this – farm-to-feeder -without all the middle businesses. I desperately try to live as ‘local (within 100 km)’ as possible and forego plastic when possible. The birds have taken to the seed, and the total cost of their food will be 30% less per month. It is a win-win as farmers try to monetise their land and crops differently than previous generations. Many are setting up their farm shops, and one is advertising pet food. Must check that out! If you use a lot of bird food, you can check it out. You could also have a farmer-to-feeder situation where you live.

Oh, jump up and down for joy. We have lift off in Orange. Diamond laid her first egg while Xavier was on the ledge Saturday morning in Australia. Oh, how brilliant. She had been looking a little ‘eggy’. Congratulations!

Xavier was there cheering Diamond on – time was around 0435.

Xavier got some eggy time at 0636.

We always welcome news of Ervie, and is it possible that he is looking for a forever home and mate? Will Ervie get a platform? And a camera? I cannot imagine a more worthy osprey – and for the life of me, I cannot imagine that it won’t happen once he settles down. Everyone loves Ervie, the third hatch from Port Lincoln in 2021.

‘A’ has a snapping report on the Sydney Sea Eagle nest: “This morning was very strange at WBSE. Somehow, they have demolished that gigantic fish/eel (what did you think it was?) overnight, although the table is scattered with some sort of leftovers and there are fish flakes galore. The first breakfast arrived soon after 06:28 and it was a small fish. SE31 ate it all, with SE32 not even bothering to get out of bed for it. The pair lay about on the rails, stretched a bit and were generally convivial. The second small fish (almost identical to the first) arrived at 09:56. This one was for SE32, who confidently headed up to the table, sat up happily, and ate the lot without a single grab or cringe. He didn’t turn away as he took the bites. He just ate. Normally. At 10am SE31 got up, turned around and stretched, and started watching the feeding. She then moved towards the table, but stopped when she got level with the back of SE32, who continued eating. At 10:00:25 Lady reaches forwards to give SE31 a bite. She then returns to feeding SE32, who keeps eating. SE31 stays where she is, looking around her, not at all interested in intimidating SE32. At 10:00:50, SE31 shuffles up to the table, next to SE32, and Lady leans forward to give her half a dozen more bites. SE32, though not in submission, is no longer sitting up. His head is up though and he is watching mum. SE31 seems hungry. SE32 had already eaten about two-thirds of the fish before SE31 arrived so is not as hungry (it has been three and a half hours since SE31 ate the first small breakfish). But he is now not as confident as he was, very aware of SE31’s proximity. Will be be brave enough to accept the next bite he is offered?That bite comes almost immediately, with a very large piece of skin and flesh from near the end of the fish. SE32 grabs it, turning his head away as he does so. This could well be to stop Lady trying to retrieve it, as she often does with such large pieces, and SE32 is well aware of this and does his best to thwart her – he is not scared of SE31 or he would not have risked taking the bite with her right next to him in perfect position to beak him for eating it. The fact that he took it without hesitation was very exciting. Yesterday was not an alternate reality. It seems to have persisted! The fish is now gone and Lady is looking for leftovers and table flakes, which she is either eating herself or feeding to SE32, who grabs them without hesitation. At 10:02:10, SE31 shuffles closer to the table. SE32 shuffles his position slightly, turning towards Lady a little, letting her know that he is still up there in the foodline. Lady surveys the scene and decides now would be a good time to leave. The two sit there for a minute or so, looking around, looking at the table. Around 10:03:30, SE32 stands up for a good PS and then considers the leftovers. He stands up on his feet, stretches his little wings out and flaps them, falling flat on his face onto the table at 10:03:44!! He is quickly up and tries it again, with slightly more success. He sits down, looking pleased with himself. Both chicks are looking very interested in the leftover scraps on the table. They are sitting side by side in front of it, wondering whether and how to approach eating it. When SE31 reaches out to nibble at it, SE32 (gently) pecks her, then again, on the top of the head!! He then stands up and does it again. Twice. SE31 rears up and goes to beak him back but SE32 remains standing and just leans back to avoid her. She withdraws and both stand their side by side. SE32 was definitely the dominant chick in that interaction. I think you see what is going on here from my description. SE32 is still a little cautious if he is eating with SE31 touching him. but it is not stopping him from eating and he has not been beaked or intimidated for a day and a half now. He is getting his share of the food, as is SE31, and he is doing so without having to pay for it with beakings from SE31. This is wonderful to watch. I do hope the food supplies remain as good as they have been recently (yesterday, I think, SE32’s crop was bigger than I’ve ever seen it) so SE32 can consolidate his newfound confidence and SE31 can get out of the habit of automatically intimidating her little brother, hungry or not.”

Thanks, ‘A’. This is certainly a terrific change of behaviour.

 

The season is kicking off at SouthWest Florida as M15 and his Lady begin pair bonding! OK. How excited are you that this amazing male is with us again this year with a new female? Oh, is she one lucky Bald Eagle!

https://youtu.be/15jN8EuzleY?si=YGgEfg6C_D6GWwKm

Eagle on the nest at Superbeaks Friday morning in Central Florida.

At Glacier Gardens, Hope loves to sit on her favourite branch just out of view of the cam. (to the left). An adult flies in with prey and she is there in a hop and a jump. Oh, a beautiful eaglet.

Mini snags a fish at 0904 that was on the nest and squawks at Sneezy (Three) when it lands on the perch. No one is taking that fish – or her nest! Oh, she is a spunky gal. Mini returns later to the nest to get the tail that was left. Lucky girl – no one spotted it. Not the Crows and not Sneezy. Mini returns for the tail that she left on the nest along with all manner of little scraps, which she cleans up like Dyson! She appears to be putting more weight on that left leg – not completely but looking better. Mini had at least three fish on Friday. She ate them in fine spirits not wanting to share with anyone and not wanting to lose any overboard.

Mini has scratched her head a few times with her left talon. For all the talk about capturing her, this will not happen unless she is desperately dehydrated or ill. She is doing better, and like it or not, she adapts to whatever situation that injury throws her. Was it ever a fracture? We will never know. Was it only a serious infection? We will never know. We are only armchair observers of her life – and each of us wants her to succeed. Would we have liked her to have help immediately? Of course, No question about it.

Maya was still at the Rutland Manton nest on Friday morning. Her mate, Blue 33, continues to not only protect the nest but is working to get it in ship shape for next spring. Just look at that beautiful abode. Many are falling apart with fledglings going in and out. Incredible Blue.

At the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn, Idris was busy bringing fish to Cennen and Seiont. Telyn was last seen on Saturday the 19th of August.

At Glaslyn, Aran and both osplets OH1 and OH2 are still home. It also looks like Elen is also here. She is believed to have been seen perched on the lone pine. I do not have a screen capture of Elen and cannot confirm that she is still in the Glaslyn Valley. We wait to see if she shows up on the nest or the perch.

At Poole Harbour, 5H3, 5H4, and 5H5 are still home as are Blue 022 who is busy delivering fish and CJ7.

The Alyth Male still delivers fish to at least one fledglings. Mum Flora, HKO, was last seen on the 10th of July.

Loch of the Lowes is so desperately silent. Here is the latest season summary for the nest!

Earliest-arrival-and-departure-of-webcam-ospreys-Scottish-Wildlife-TrustDownload

Geemeff gives us our last glimpse of Ludo at Loch Arkaig. Mum Dorcha was last seen on 17 August with Louis last seen delivering a fish on the 24th. Safe travels!

At Sandpoint, Coco is 67 days old. Three fish were delivered on Friday up to and including 1530.

Despite some rain – I mean seriously: does an Osprey have a problem with water? – things are fine at Boulder County Fair Grounds Osprey platform.

Mum and the male at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge in South Australia are a striking couple. Many people think today might be the day for the egg, while others believe there will be no egg for this newly paired couple this season. We will see.

Things continue to be upsetting at the platform of Louise and her mate, feared dead, Jasper, and their only surviving fledgling, Banff. ‘H brings us the news, “The intruders must have been off fishing in the morning, and Banff decided to try her luck at her nest.  She flew to the nest at 0649.  She called for fish.  There was peace . . for a while.  At 0816 there was a close intruder flyby, and several seconds later the intruder landed directly on Banff and attacked her a couple of times, and then Banff was dragged off the nest.  From 0836 to 0856 the male and female intruders spent time at the nest together.  At 1226 we could hear Banff calling, and she flew over the nest being chased.  A few seconds later Banff landed on the nest.  She was immediately buzzed by one of the intruders and then dive bombed.  Banff flew off the nest.  At 1228 the female intruder landed on the nest.  Another adult landed on the nest at 1252.  There was a controversy as to the identity of that bird.  We had a side view of a slight necklace, and the bird seemed to be about the same size as the female intruder.  The female intruder jumped on the 2nd adult’s back, and then began to push it off the nest.  The 2nd bird resisted, but did not fight back.  After several tries, the intruder was successful in pushing bird #2 off the nest.  We did not get a look at the top of the head, but the necklace seemed to rule out the male intruder (and why would the female intruder have treated her mate that way?)  O’Hara was ruled out.  Could it have been a new rogue intruder?  Or, could the 2nd adult at that time have been Louise?  The back of the head was similar to Louise.  Over the next hour, the female intruder was on and off the nest.  After that, for a couple of hours we would occasionally hear Banff’s calls, and we would also see a few osprey chases in the distance.  Banff came back to the nest at 1526, and after a few minutes she began intruder-alerting.  At 1533 Banff was buzzed twice, and she flew off.  At 1637 Banff was chased over the nest, then the intruder pair both landed on the nest. Within seconds the male flew off to chase Banff, followed by the female.  Banff landed on the nest at 1639, and was immediately dive bombed twice, so she flew off.  From 1701 to 1724 the female was at the nest.  At 1757 Banff flew to the nest.  Then at 1807 an intruder approached from the south and landed directly on Banff, and grabbed Banff’s head with its talons.  Banff managed to break free and she literally staggered over to the side of the nest.  The intruder jumped on Banff’s back.  Banff tried to fly away, but she was attacked again.  Then Banff managed to fly from the nest, but the intruder was right on her tail.  The female intruder was back in the nest from 1844 to 1857.  We noticed that the intruder had a very hollow crop, and before she flew from the nest she did a very small PS on the nest that only projected a few inches.  Why hasn’t intruder-F eaten?  A chatter that lives near the nest informed us how the intruders keep the nest in their cross hairs.  One of the intruder pair hangs out in a tree near one side of the nest, and  the other one perches on a utility pole across from the other side of the nest.  So, that way they can keep a constant eye on the nest and the surrounding air space.  We did not see Banff with much of a crop today, but it wasn’t exactly hollow like the intruder’s had been.  Banff is doing a great deal of flying, so she obviously has hydration and calories to burn from ingesting fish.  She is most likely being supplied fish from Louise, but we don’t know how much.  Most of the time when we saw Banff today, she seemed to be hungry, and tired.  And, she would stand on the nest with a hunched posture, looking forlorn and defeated.  The primary key to Banff’s survival at this point is for her to stay completely away from the nest.  She is going to be seriously injured or killed from a violent attack by the intruders.  “But, it is the only home she has ever known, and it is her instinct to go the the nest,” is heard repeatedly on the chat.  I’m sure there is a learning curve for Banff.  But hopefully, she will come to associate her nest with DANGER.  Banff must come to that realization, or she may not survive to migration.  “Please do not come to the nest any more, Banff.  We are worried that you will be hurt.  We are very sorry sweetie, but the nest is no longer your home.  Go hang out with Mommy, and eat lots of fish.  You don’t know it yet, but you will have a very long journey coming up soon.  And, Mommy does too.” 

‘H’ so has reports for us on Kent Island and Forsythe.

Kent Island – Audrey did not spend the night at her nest for the first time, and she was not seen throughout the day.  Molly spent a lot of time fish calling, but she was off the nest a good bit as well.  Tom brough Molly a nice fish in the afternoon, which she took off the nest to eat.  Tom may have also taken a fish to Molly at the nearby dock or a tree as well.

Forsythe – I only saw Oscar bring one fish to the nest for Ollie, at 1613, but perhaps I missed one.  It seems as though activity at the nest is tapering off for Dad and his girl.

Thanks ‘H’ – we all hope that the situation at Fortis Exshaw calms down so that Banff and Louise can spend their remaining time in the area getting prepared for migration.

Things could not be better for the Royal Cam chick! Manaaki has had feedings for 5 days in a row! Thankfully this means that L is not have to venture so far to find food for both of them.

The Condor Chat with Ventana Wildlife Society. One good news item is that none of the California Condors that have received the HPAI vaccine have shown any adverse effects. There are currently 93 California Condors and there are 5 active nests.

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

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘ A, H’, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, PLO, Sydney Sea Eagles, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Superbeaks, Glacier Gardens, PSEG, LRWT, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, SSEN Alyth, LOTL, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Sandpoint, Boulder County, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Fortis Exshaw, and the Ventana Wildlife Society.

The curious happenings at Fortis Exshaw…Wednesday in Bird World

23 August 2022

Good Morning to each of you!

It was a drizzly sort of day in the garden. The sun never came out and everything felt cold and damp. Everyone was here, at one time or another, including one of the Crows. Calico had her tracker on during the day. In the early afternoon, she was here, and when I went outside to freshen up the table feeder, she lept to the deck. It startled me as I am so used to her meandering in from the back of the lilacs. She ate her food, chased a moth, and then had a siesta under the lilacs. It was different behaviour, but in a bit, she went back to the place where she has her kitts. She returned at her usual time in the evening, and while she ate, I removed her tracker for charging. Once in a while, I will check to ensure she has not moved the Kitts.

Dyson was here chasing peanuts and trying to get as many or more than Little Red.

Dyson was smart. She had dumped the covered feeder and then when the drizzle began she decided to go inside the feeder!

This is one way to get a drink!

In the frenzy between Little Red and Dyson, the Black-capped Chickadee swooped in and occasionally grabbed a seed!

There is some celebrating going on!

Jane Dell posted (on a couple if FB websites) a really good document on Western Osprey identification. This will be a very helpful resource – maybe put it in a file with useful articles, etc. for when the time comes.

Western-Osprey-–-Raptor-Identification-–-The-complete-raptors-guideDownload

‘H’ has one report for us today and that is about the intrusions that continue at the Fortis Exshaw nest in Alberta, Canada.

8/21 had been an unusually tranquil day for the fledgling Banff.  The first half of the day was also very peaceful on 8/22.  Banff took a couple of early morning flights, and she was out when Louise delivered the first fish.  Banff flew in quickly at 0715 to claim the large whole fish.  At 0729 Louise delivered a tiny whole fish to Banff.  Banff managed to swallow the last half of the fish in one big gulp!  For the next three hours Banff enjoyed numerous out-and-back flights and spent some time on the big T-perch and the nest perches.  At 1032 Louise brought the third fish of the day, a medium sized whole fish.  After she ate that one, Banff resumed her brief fly-abouts.  Fish #4 from Louise at 1155 was a huge live fish.  Louise wanted to keep the fish, and there was a brief tug-o-fish, but Louise gave in.  Banff was eating intermittently, and had eaten about 1/3 of the large fish, when, at 1313 a female intruder landed on the nest.  At 1316 the intruder made a move for the fish, but Banff fended her off.  Then there was a long standoff.  At 1334, the intruder moved aggressively to take the fish.  There was a struggle as Banff tried to hold on to her fish.  Both birds ended up going overboard, and it looked like the intruder had the fish in her left talon.  At 1335 Banff flew back to the nest, and was almost immediately dive bombed three times by the intruder (apparently the intruder had dropped the fish).  Banff flew off the nest.  An aerial chase between ospreys could be seen at 1409, but we don’t know who was involved.  At 1438 Louise landed with a partial fish, but Banff was still off the nest.  Within seconds, a different intruder landed on the nest.  Some thought it was O’Hara, but the markings didn’t seem quite right.  Louise was not happy at all, and at one point she flapped at the intruder, but that had no effect.  Louse flew off with the fish at 1447.  The intruder starting moving some sticks around, and that really confused us!  At 1458, as Banff flew toward the nest, the intruder flew off, but it immediately circled back and dive bombed Banff a couple of times.  Louise immediately returned with the partial fish and Banff grabbed it.  The intruder dive bombed Banff three more times while Louise was on the nest.  That was a first.  No intruder had ever attacked while Louise was on the nest.  We were dismayed that the intruder had become more brazen and had elevated its aggressiveness to a higher level.  Banff flew off the nest at 1459, leaving the fish behind.  Louise waited for Banff to return, but she flew off with the fish at 1545.  At 1553, the intruder brought a stick to the nest, and left.  That was so bizarre, and so confusing for the viewers, who were trying to make some sense out of everything.  Louise landed on the nest with a different headless fish at 1655 (fish #6).  Banff quickly flew to the nest to claim it and Louise departed.  Banff was nervous, and mantled the fish, scanning the sky.  At 1702 the intruder buzzed and dive bombed Banff at least six times, and at 1703 Banff hurriedly flew off, leaving the fish on the nest.  The intruder departed.  Banff flew back to the nest at 1734, and grabbed her fish.  This time, she got down to business and ate without hesitating.  The latter part of the evening was intruder-free.  Banff took a couple of short flights, and she landed on the T-perch at 2026.  Dear, sweet Banff elected to roost on the T-perch overnight.  It had been a very complex, and stressful day for Banff, but she was well fed.  Onward, Banff.

Thanks so much ‘H’.

As of Tuesday, Elen was still at Glaslyn and Aran had delivered a double-header at 1735 – there were more fish during the day despite some windy periods. Aran you are amazing. Everyone is home and safe, eating well thanks to this amazing dad – and well, what a great year with new Mum, Elen. So happy for Glaslyn!

Elen eating a flounder Aran brought for her. She will be gone very soon. are travels, return to us!

Maya and Blue 33 were still on the nest on Tuesday 22 August. You can always tell Blue from that look in his eyes before you see the Blue Darvic band.

That is one brave Hoodie going after Ludo! Good thing Ludo is an osprey and not an eagle.

What is happening with Bird Flu? It was big news and then something else takes over and the impact of this deadly disease is put aside. What is going on and what is happening in Africa where our beloved European and UK birds will spend their winter. Mark Avery brings us some of the latest data to his blog on Monday, 21 August. “In 2023, up until 14 August, 45 species have tested positive. The last month has seen a bunch of colonial seabirds adding their names to this year’s casualties. Here’s the list (with additions in bold): Gannet, Cormorant, Shag, Fulmar, Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Greylag Goose, Barnacle Goose, Canada Goose, Mallard, Teal, Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Herring Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Kittiwake, Roseate Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern, Razorbill, Guillemot, Puffin, Curlew, Ringed Plover, unspecified heron (!), Grey Heron, dove/pigeon, Wood Pigeon, Red Grouse, Sparrowhawk, Goshawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Reed Warbler and Carrion Crow.  Last year will be remembered as the first year when impacts on seabirds in the breeding season were noticed. This year the disease spread to many colonial gulls, in particular Black-headed Gulls, all over the UK.”

Mini has been eating well, resting her leg, and using the right foot more.

Early morning.

0815. Beautiful. I think this one will deserve a spot on the bulletin board. She is so lovely.

1605. Looking up and expecting a delivery?

She was slightly wonky on that leg with that 1609 fish.

1908

Mini flew into the nest with a huge drop around 1957! Gracious. It looks like our girl had a nice fish meal off-camera.

At Dunrovin, Harriet is still home and there was at least one chick at the nest today – possibly all, I did not watch or rewind. This nest of Swoop and Harriet has done well this season! So happy for them.

Boulder County: Throughout the day I only saw two fledglings at the nest at any one time. It is impossible to know if they are the same two each time.

At Orange, Xavier came in with a Starling for Diamond. What a guy. She doesn’t always want them! Eggs should be coming before the end of the month. But then later Xavier comes in with a Red-Rumped Parrot (thanks ‘A’) to the delight of Diamond who is looking a little eggy these days.  

In California, Annie and Lou continue to come to the scrape in The Campanile. They also bond in the scrape but we won’t be seeing any eggs until spring of 2024. Stay safe you two!

It is sometimes painful to watch the early feedings at the Sydney Sea Eagles. Even after 31 was full and 32 had finally gotten itself up to Lady’s beak, Lady had to try and try to get this very intimidated little man to eat. ‘A’ provides a complete narrative for us: “The little one gets up to the table by about 06:45 but he cowers away from Lady’s beak when she tries to feed him. She keeps feeding SE31, even though SE32 is right up to the table – she tries periodically to coax SE32 to eat but he just won’t accept the food, no matter how patient mum is. He finally takes a bite at around 06:50:45, just before dad arrives at 06:50:50 with yet more food. Surely there wasn’t another nestling in that nest. It is a fourth! At 06:54 mum finally manages to get him to start eating, albeit very gingerly. He is so nervous that even though SE31 is full and nowhere near him, he is still not confident about taking a bite from Lady, who is only inches from him. He is facing her, watching the food, but still cringes each time she tries to feed him. It is SO frustrating to watch. But there are still at least two nestlings on that nest and SE31 is full, so surely SE32 will get a decent breakfast. Lady is doing everything she can but she cannot force-feed SE32! She is certainly being as patient as she can. By 06:56 he is eating with a bit more confidence but SE31 is moving back towards the table, considering a second helping. She stays back for now. SE32 continues to eat, very nervously. Lady is now feeding them alternate bites. SE32 grabs at each mouthful, turning away as he does so. He is SO scared, even though he has not been bonked at all during this feeding and SE31 is sitting back, not leaning over him or making any contact with him. He should be gaining confidence and eating faster but he is still cringing with each bite. Lady returns to feeding SE31, offering SE32 a single bite for every four or five she gives his big sister, whose crop is now huge. Around 07:05, she returns to feeding SE32 bite after bite. This is fresh juicy red meat and should be very nutritious for SE32, who is slowly developing a crop. And surely, out of four nestlings, there is enough food for both to eat plenty. Lady is also eating. Dad is the only one who seems to have missed out on breakfast, so I would suggest he is currently out fishing. Mum was certainly not letting him take any of the four chicks he brought in for his own chicks to eat! She made that very clear, physically and verbally, when he delivered the fourth. At 07:08 she is still feeding SE32 bite after bite, some of them extremely large. He is eating everything he is offered, no longer turning away from Lady but confidently staying at her beak at last. He has a good crop and has eaten a lot of food quite quickly (he is grabbing huge chunks and swallowing them all). At 07:10 she gives SE31 a few bites, then returns to feeding SE32, whose crop is still only half the size of his sister’s. At 07:20, she is still feeding SE32 the last remnants of the nestlings. He now has a very large crop, though nowhere near the size of his sister’s, which is so huge that she actually refused a mouthful a few seconds ago.”

 

Another prey delivery and ‘A’ notes: “Dad brought in a small whole fish just before 08:38 but by the time the little one got up to the table, the fish was all gone. He is still SO nervous, he cannot eat, even with a full crop and SE31 not being aggressive. He did take one small mouthful and was beaked in the head (just once) for doing so, which of course sent him straight into submission for the remainder of the feeding. This attitude is so worrying, but then occasionally, when he is hungry enough, he suddenly finds some courage and stands up for himself and his food.”

Port Lincoln: Mating but no eggs yet.

Taiaroa Head: ‘A’ reports: “In New Zealand, there was no weighing of Manaaki yesterday, but he has had six or seven parental feedings since last week’s 9.8 kg so is no doubt at a healthy weight! Mum arrived around 09:54 this morning to feed her little man yet again, leaving again at 10:01. It’s great to see you, mama. We missed you so much. We adore Manaaki. He is such a special little person, very laid back but also very confident, having spent his childhood living on a crowded street corner. He has been the most entertaining chick to watch, excavating and gardening as he engages in his endless nest-building, as well as exploring his surrounds and visiting his many neighbours. We will miss you, Manaaki. We have another fortnight or so with him, but that fluff is fast disappearing, and he will fledge in the not-too-distant future.”

He found the camera!

 

Karl II’s mate, Kaia, who had not been at the nest since 23 July but had been out foraging to regain her strength for her long travels, came to the nest to say goodbye on 15 August and began her migration on the 22nd. Thanks, ‘PB’ for the confirmation. Here is the information from Looduskalender.

Maria Marika reports that Timmy has also begun its migration. Soon they will all be on their way and we will be fingering our worry beads until we know that they are safe and sound in their winter homes.

Karl II continues to feed the three fledglings at the nest. All three were present on the night of 22 August. They, too, will begin their migration shortly.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. Hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to compose my blog this morning: ‘A, H, PB’, Megan McCubbin, Jane Dell, Fortis Exshaw, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, LRWT, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Mark Avery, PSEG, Dunrovin Ranch, Boulder County, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Cal Falcons, Sydney Sea Eagles, Lady Hawk and NZ DOC, Looduskalender, Maria Marika, LizM and the Eagle Club of Estonia.

Banff has a great day…Tuesday in Bird World

22 August 2023

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that you are all well.

It was a grey drizzly day on the Canadian Prairies. All of the garden animals are present and accounted for. None of the Blue Jays appear to be thinking about leaving on migration. The Chickadees have been out in force and as I am writing, Little Red is busy stocking away all the peanuts he can get his little hands on and the duvet is out – signalling that it is beginning to feel a little hippy in the evenings now. There is a tinge to the top of the trees, just a hint of chartreuse with a soft yellow in places that signals a change of season is on us..

For all those wondering…I found Calico’s hiding spot with her kitten or kittens. Ironically it was the first spot where I believed she was- it was ideal – lots of piled up things and a huge deck that was difficult for anyone to get under – including any dogs or foxes (yes, there is a fox that lives in a garden of Tiger Lilies in the summer near to where Calico is hiding). A neighbour had informed me that a raccoon was living under that deck, but that was untrue. It was Calico! The young man who owns the house has given me full permission to come and go in his garden. Sadly, I cannot get under the low part of the deck to get to her, and there is no access to the higher part without cutting into the structure. So we wait to try and lure this kitten out. It will not be for lack of trying, but one day that kitten will play with the laser pointer, see the fluffy feather toy, smell the sardines and come walking out. It is certainly in a safe place – and I am no longer worried except for car traffic. Calico comes to eat and scurries back – quick as a wink she is away. Patience and more cunning than her mother will be required…and I am not sure the latter is possible. Calico is one smart Mama. The score is now Calico 10- Mary Ann 2.

The storm in California has passed. Checked on four nests. Just because I did not see the eagles on the streaming cam does not mean there is a problem. I have not seen eagles often at the West End or recently at Fraser Point. The amount of rain and flooding has been considerable, but the nests and the trees appear to have survived fine. I hope that is the case and that they have not been weakened.

Jackie and Shadow are safe.

Chase & Cholyn are alright.

Did not see Andor or Cruz.

The West End Cam at the ‘old’ nest is now up and running. Did not see Akecheta or Thunder.

Did not see anyone at Sauces.

Beautiful Mini. She was not bothered when Three (Sneezy) joined her on the nest except when Sneezy was trying to rearrange ‘Mini’s nest and move her cardboard. Mini did give her sibling ‘the look’ a few times. Mum even stopped in. We have not seen her for a bit. Did she come to check on Mini and say goodbye as she leaves on migration?

Mini had at least three fish on Monday and when my friend ‘R’ writes that he is now ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Mini, the smile goes across my face from one ear to another. Like many of us, he has noted that Mini is using her right foot to hold down the fish and eat them quickly, a tool she will need to survive in the wild. No more fiddling around the nest. I love the term ‘R’ used – ‘she was able to rip through them’. ‘R’ also noticed that the swelling in the left knee is “diminishing, and at times she even bears weight on it” adding that the rest on the nest has meant that she has been caring for her leg very well. We hope that this young lady is one of the luckiest osplets in the world. She is certainly one of the most strong-willed ones I have met. ‘R’ says it is too early for any prognosis but she appears to be healing. — What a wonderful note to wake up to. Thanks ‘R’ for keeping an eye on our gal.

Mini had a bit of a crop and one good ‘ps’ was observed.

Mini had a good breakfast and was flexing that left talon this morning. Keep sending your good wishes. As I finish writing this, two fish have been delivered by Dad!

The fledgling at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is doing very well. Flying around, returning to the nest to rest and eat.

Dyfi Osprey Project: Telyn has not been seen since Saturday. She ‘might’ have started her migration. Sometimes she takes some time and returns to the nest before departure. We wait to see. Lots of nice fish coming for the fledglings -Seiont & Cennen. Idris is doing a fine job fishing.

Glaslyn: OH1 and OH2 have been on the perch and in the nest eating fish from Dad Aran. The weather is raining and it is thought that Elen might have started her migration Monday morning. We wait to see.

Poole Harbour: CJ7 and Blue 022 are still home and providing for all three fledglings who also remain – coming and going off the nest for fish. What a great year it has been at Poole!

Rutland: Blue 33 found himself defending the nest against intruders and Maya was on the nest too – at times – helping. .