I had not intended to write a blog today and I am actually sending this out before it is midnight on Thursday. It has been a very long day with many challenges. My arm and hand are, however, healing and I appreciate all your good wishes. Those gel bandages do the thing. Some people asked and the brand name here in Canada is NuSkin.
All of us are very saddened by the death of Garrama. It comes so quick on the back of Nox and SE24 that we feel gutted still. In many ways, I see a huge cultural divide in attitudes. There are so many rehabbers in North America who might have given Garrama a chance to be an ambassador bird or to have at least seen what this lovely little falcon could do. Several persons from Europe and the US wrote to me with examples of birds that were deemed unable to fly or walk, but who are doing precisely that right now. They stressed, as I do, that it takes the right person who looks beyond. I was so pleased this year when I visited our wildlife rehabilitation centre with the new vet from Arizona. Her attitude is – attitudes are changing and there is not enough research into wildlife rehabilitation. The focus for vets earlier was farm animals, then pets, and now wildlife. Indeed, there are few qualified wildlife rehabilitation vets. She says as a science and as vets, they don’t know enough and there is still the need for much more research. She is the first one to let the 3 legged turtle live its life in the wild. She said she admired how it figured out how to do things to survive. There were many other creatures with only 3 legs that were given the chance, too, including a deer who can run and eat with the bet of them now. So, I wish that Garrama had a rehabber who saw the potential not the problem. There, that is said. I am not a vet and I am not a wildlife rehabber, but I like the attitude of our young vet from Arizona at Wildlife Haven who says we don’t know enough and we need to give the animals a chance to show us what they can do.
Cilla Kinross has posted a statement with his x-ray showing the deformity of the spine – and it is clearly deformed. Here it is:
Mum brought in a huge pigeon for her third hatch to pluck and eat. She is preparing it for its life in the wilds of Melbourne.
Dr Greene is reminding everyone that if they want to get in on the Crowdfund raising, 15 November – today – is the last day.
This video by Heidi of Wilko and Kasse trying to self-feed on the fish left by the fairies is simply too funny. https://youtu.be/o5UdX2lc9zo?s
It sure is a good thing Mum is around.
Today they are practicing on some nesting material.
SE33 is resting and recovering according to Ranger Judy who uses the pronoun ‘he’.
Please send me some good news!
In Scotland, every attempt to protect wildlife seems to fall flat. “NatureScot, a government agency, has decided to greatly reduce the area of land affected by a new licensing regime for grouse moors after legal threats from shooting estates and land owners.”
Thank you for being with me for this short update. Let us all send positive wishes to the two eyases left to fledge – Yira at Orange and the third hatch at Melbourne – as well as to SE33 who we hope to hear will be trained to fly and hunt and eventually released into the wild. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: Holly Parsons, Cilla Kinross, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street, Montana Osprey Cam and Dr Erick Greene, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Heidi McGrue, and The Guardian.
The following information has been provided by my friend, Holly Parsons, who has been following Cilla Kinross’s comments in the chat The latest news on Garrama is that he has been taken into care. Holly wrote me earlier that Cilla Kinross had located Garrama and was able to hold him and remove the sheaths from his tail feathers. As we know, if you can hold a raptor without them tearing off your arm, they are not well. Kinross contacted WIRES for advice.
I am over the moon. Garrama fledged early and the weather almost immediately turned to rain with possible thunderstorms. I cannot tell you how my heart sank in those circumstances. In the past, similar combinations have resulted in the death of the fledgling. So now Garrama will have a chance!
It was a drizzly Wednesday morning on the Canadian Prairies. The bare trees, grey sky, and snow north of us were enough to send us walking in the Chickadee forest while we could.
I just love these little songbirds. They are so precious. It is hard to imagine that stay in Manitoba even in the coldest of winters.
I am so glad that we did that!
Around 1800, I accidentally tipped over a pot of boiling water on my right hand and part of my right arm. Calico will provide you with tips on what to do if this happens to you, but for now, I’m keeping this post brief. I’ll be taking a day off to allow my injuries to heal.
In Bird World:
Good news coming from Montana. Thank you, Dr Greene!
Dad came in with a small partial fish (an appetizer for the two kiddos and Mum) at around 0629 at Port Lincoln. The local herons had been fishing off the barge and walking around with their catch. I wish they had given it to Wilko and Kasse. Maybe the Fish Fairies will come today.
Wilko did some hovers. Everyone is guessing their genders. What do you think? I am going to vote for Wilko as a male and Kasse as a female.
It is now past 1300 and no other delivery but that tiny partial fish. I hope the fairies come or one of the adults gets a big fish on the nest to these cuties.
Would you like to guess the gender of Wilko and Kasse? If you want to, then you must put your guess in the chat in this format: Gender guess: Wilko XXXX, Kasse XXXX.
Yira is 41 days old and would benefit from a few more days in the scrape. Seriously, the longer they stay at home the more success they have in the wild. They are just that bigger – and hopefully full when they fly in case they don’t get fed right away.
Yira had a prey delivery and Garrama has been seen and the staff member at Orange said they were doing well. That is excellent news.
The oldest from Orange:
There is only one eyas left on the ledge at Melbourne. One flew, the other fludged, and is believed to have righted itself. Images of remaining falcon and video of the fledge! https://youtu.be/MoyS1jlbgd8?
A note from Victor Hurley:
I asked AI to provide me with information on the survival rate of fledgling falcons in urban areas. This is what AI generated:
“Peregrine falcons can survive well in cities, and some say New York City has the largest urban population of the species. Here are some factors that help peregrine falcons survive in cities:
Nesting: Peregrines nest on ledges of tall buildings, such as church towers. These ledges are similar to the cliff faces and rock outcrops that peregrines would naturally use for nesting.
Food: Peregrines feed on the large populations of pigeons and starlings in cities.They dive and catch their prey in mid-air.
Fewer predators: Peregrines have few predators in urban areas. In remote areas, great horned owls, martins, and some snakes prey on young falcons.
Nest boxes: Nest boxes can help reduce weather-related mortality.
Rescue: Rescuing grounded fledglings can increase survival.
Some other things to know about peregrine falcons include:
Peregrines are known for their fast flying, diving at speeds of over 200 mph.
The most common cause of death for peregrines is exposure to wet and/or cold weather when they are very young.
Collisions with human structures and vehicles are another common cause of death for peregrines in human environments. “
Post-fledge survival and dispersal of peregrine falcon chicks – some information you might find interesting despite it coming from a different region.
It is more detailed, more scientific, but some of you will appreciate this article on how falcons choose breeding spots with the question of urban versus rural.
There has been no word on the state of WBSE 33 who is in care.
Do you live in Northumberland?
It made my heart skip a beat and put a big smile on my face! Big Red was spotted. Her and Arthur should be checking the nest soon if they already haven’t.
Calico’s Tip. If you spill boiling water anywhere on you, the first thing you need to do is to begin running cold water over the burned area. Leave the water running for 20 minutes or until the ‘burn feeling’ has gone away. Then get plastic wrap (Glad Wrap, Cling Film, etc) and wrap the burned area. This is to stop any infection. If you have any blisters, do not pop them. Take something for pain. If you are concerned, seek medical attention particularly if you have blisters. Blisters means that the burn has gone deeper.
Thank you for being with us. Please take care. I will see you on Sunday morning!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘EJ’, Holly Parsons, Montana Osprey Cam, Port Lincoln Osprey Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Victoria Hurley, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Holly Parsons, AI, Digital Commons, Journal of Urban Ecology, RSPB Birders, Cornell Hawk Chatters, The Dodo
Thank you so much for being with us. It is nearly the end of October! Tomorrow is Halloween. The following day is All Souls Day, and when I lived in England, we were preparing to celebrate Guy Fawke’s Day on the 5th of November. I have lots of beautiful memories of ‘Guys’ in wagons, bonfires, and jacket potatoes in the back garden with friends. It marked fall. The back garden of our house on Gorse Road in Grantham had fruit trees, mostly apples and plums. They were delicious and by the beginning of November all had been picked and eaten or given to friends and neighbours. The ones that had fallen were left for the hedgehogs to eat. Shallow bowls of water were always left on the back step for them, too. When we first moved to the UK, hedgehogs were the stuff of children’s stories. Our son decided to bring one inside the house. Yes, those of you who are British will know what happened next! Fleas flew everywhere. It was a solid cloud. Our dear little friend quickly found its way back to the orchard – and if memory holds, not a single other hedgehog made its way into the house.
The past several years have been really challenging. I never know if I am waking up to a toddler or a teenager. It is difficult navigating through life with a partner whose Lewy Body Dementia is getting worse. I have learned more about dementia in the last couple of years than I ever imagined. Well, to begin with, I never imagined caring for a person with dementia a decade younger than I am, but it happens more often than you might think. There are beautiful moments, and then, in a blink, his world and mine change. I have learned to grasp onto those times and hold them tight. Thank you for bearing with me through these transitions. My reports are not as long and do not include as much academic information – Bird World is relatively quiet right now (thank goodness) and my real focus is always the ospreys. Thankfully, the Northern Hemisphere’s breeding season is not here yet and will not be in full swing until the new year. In the meantime, I am so grateful for the garden animals and The Girls and for the fact that I can go for long extended walks in the parks and forests near to where I live. It all helps keep my mind in balance!
I did have a laugh. One long time reader and friend thought that Missey had done Calico in. No, Calico was not eaten by Missey! Yes, I know Missey looks huge in the images. She is large; she is a Maine Coon, but she is also mostly fur. Missey does look formidable, something out of a medieval forest lurking with magical creatures. Calico is, however, very much alive and well. Both Calico and Missey like to think that they are the boss, but the real boss of the house is Hugo Yugo. She is the tiniest, bossiest little ginger female I have ever met. She will rush to finish her food dish and then leap off the counter and run to push Calico away from her dish so she can eat it. That single fact has helped Calico lose all that weight. Just look at how trim she is. The vet will be pleased when she sees her in November for her annual check up. When we brought Calico in from the cold outdoors, we did not know when she was born. The vet guessed how old she was and based on that we picked November 2 for her birthday. This, of course, means that we will be having another one of those wild parties on Saturday.
Sadly, as The Girls have now all passed the year mark, they do not run and play at night like they used to. I surely miss that!
The real boss of the house! And if you are wondering, Hugo Yugo did run and jump on Calico to get that spot in the purple chair.
I have said it once and I will say it a million times, Baby Hope is nothing short of the sweetest thing around. Look at her staring at Hugo Yugo as HY is getting ready to leap to the top of the cat tree.
Calico and Baby Hope never cause an instant of trouble. It is always Hugo Yugo and Missey. If things are falling down in the middle of the night, you can count on it being those two.
Two Crows were at the big tray feeder. I counted. This one carefully took six peanuts including this one, the seventh, in his beak. Incredible. The Crows are ‘off’ the cheesy dogs. I also find that very interesting. They started wanting only peanuts in early September. We start out with huge piles on the tray feeders – big and small – and scattered on the deck for the squirrels. They will be gone within an hour! I am not kidding you.
Junior and the Mrs were also after those peanuts. Just look at that pile of peanuts on both those feeders. These Corvids are busy! They are in competition with three grey squirrels and two red ones.
Just a quick note. Yesterday I included the day’s sightings at some of the Bald Eagle nests. I did not mean to imply that eagles had not visited ETSU-Johnson City. I had just not seen them yesterday. Boone and Jolene have been regularly visiting the nest and refurbishing it!
Wildlife groups and rehabilitation clinics continue to plead with people not to use the fake spider webs. Here is another one:
What is going on in Bird World? Well, the focus is on the Sea Eaglets at the Olympic Park in Sydney. And the questions that are on everyone’s mind are these: Are the eaglets eating (either being fed or getting their own prey? OR Will they wind up grounded near the Discovery Centre and wind up in care – which if they are not so emaciated, would not be so bad. As far as I can tell the only bad scenario is that these fledglings are not seen fed and are not grounded by the Discovery Centre so they can be rescued. So fingers crossed. I will post all the news that I can find.
“October 29: Eagles were seen on the river around 7:30 –then shortly after on the mangroves – one with a fish. While doing surveys in the wetlands nearby between 7am and 8:30, there was no sign of either eaglet. Around 8:15, an eaglet was seen flying across the Armory grassland, being chased by the usual swoopers. It was seen on top of one of the old Navy-era mounds, then flew off again. One eaglet was reported by a member of the public along one of the pathways, but was gone when we investigated. We think this is SE34 and it is flying strongly and moving about. There were more sightings during the day, and one of the eaglets was seen from the ferry, flying along the river. Early evening, Dad was seen with a bird, taking it to River Roost. Neither eagle returned to the nest today. At dusk, the adults were at River Roost. The picture is from a sighting yesterday.”
‘A’ remarks: “I can hear those damned currawongs from the open WBSE tab, which I check regularly in the hope that one time, I will see an eaglet back on the nest, eating some fish. But all I hear are currawongs. It’s worrying, and oh so sad. I really thought this year might be different, due to the lengthier time the youngsters spent dealing with the swoopers while still having the nest as their ‘safe spot’. But it seems not. And what is really worrying to me is that it seems to be the parents who are letting the eaglets down. I was hoping that, like last season, the parents would help the eaglets by feeding them and showing them where the fish were. Watching their parents hunt would surely have helped immensely. But apparently this is not happening. “
In the Central Business District of Melbourne, there is a peregrine falcon scrape. Everyone held their breath as one of the chicks got a little too close to the ledge. https://youtu.be/0nKnS5II4rU?
They are getting their juvenile feathers as you can see clearly in the images below. They will be walking soon, tall and strong. They are learning to pluck by watching the parents who are bringing the prey to the nest and plucking it before them.
‘A’ remarks: “At Collins Street, the littles are self-feeding, and at least from dad’s point of view, it may well have reached the dump and depart phase. He brought some prey early, about 06:12, but one of the humongous fluffballs grabbed it from him and dad considered, then thought better of trying to retrieve it. The triumphant chick took its prize down into the gutter to eat it in peace, so dad retrieved what looked like a very long leg (or perhaps a piece of wing) from the scrape and began feeding it to one of the others.
The third chick sat motionless, intently watching the scene unfold, from the back corner of the scrape. Eventually, it moved forward and into the feeding line. When dad responded by offering it food, it stole the entire piece and took it back into its corner of the scrape, where it proceeded to self-feed. Dad continued feeding what was left of his leftovers to the remaining chick.
So in the end, everyone ate breakfast, but it was hardly the most organised or coordinated of feedings. Everyone ate in their own place and in their own time. Dad just went with the flow, handling the situation with aplomb. These three are already a massive handful for their parents, especially poor little dad, who is dwarfed by his offspring. This family is just TOO funny. “
These kids at Collins Street are so precocious. They are developing right where they should and one decided to take the prey from Dad and high tail it to the other end of the ledge!
Oops. Dad arrived Wednesday morning on the ledge and those triplets let him know that he can only come with his talons full! https://youtu.be/ej47XnKN9JE?
At Port Lincoln, Wilko eats first but Kasse wants some fish and gets some! He scoots up and Mum notices. ‘A’ comments: “At Port Lincoln, there was a bit of bonking at 06:32, but dad brought in a small whole fish at 06:41 and everyone was happy. Kasse is up off hisd tarsi and onto his feet today. He seems to have a fascination with feet that reminds me of a sweet girl called Lindsay. She too had to be reminded that other people’s toes were not toys. But Kasse is playing with Wilco’s toes and with mum’s. Just adorable. “
Diamond feeds Yira and Garramma their second breakfast. Xavier had a good go for a few minutes!
Black Stork Migration. Here is the Bird Map chart for the 30th of October. Waba still appears to be in the very south of Egypt at his last transmission.
Despite the fact that ospreys are what make me wake up in the morning, I love all birds and there are some that pull at my heart strings more than others. Jackie and Shadow are one of those couples. Jackie was at the nest looking at it and out over the territory while Shadow was finding the best sticks for cot rails. This couple lives in hope – the eternal hope that maybe this year they will be able to raise another eaglet together.
Polar Bears. The Canadian province where I live is often called the world’s Polar Bear capital. At our local zoo, three live in a large open space with pools and dens built a few years ago. In the north, in Churchill, the bears are hungry. If they come into the town three times, they are shot. Not tranquilized, but killed. They are hungry. The sea ice has retreated, and there are fewer seals they rely on for food. It is hot in Churchill and parts of the Arctic. It is unclear when the entire ecosystem that supports them will collapse, but there is evidence to show that it is beginning to happen sooner than expected. So what about captivity, like our zoo? What are the pros? And cons?
This is a good read. It asks a lot of important questions.
What a great post from Connie Dennis in Nova Scotia. How often do we hear people say or read that our dear feathered friends, mammals, and fish do not have feelings? They are sentient beings; their behaviour towards these beautiful creatures will surely change once people recognize this. For a good read on animals and birds as sentient beings look no further than Marc Bekoff, The Emotional Lives of Animals.
The trailer for the documentary on California Condors from the Ventana Wildlife Society: https://youtu.be/dgCVAA-NNig?
Geemeff sends us some really good news. Don’t we wish we could get together and buy the Chesapeake Bay and stop the fishing? They say, “One more parcel of land for nature, one less for the #IdiotsWithGuns who like to kill in the name of so-called ‘sport’.
While that is a good thought-provoking read about polar bears, we are going to close today with a good news story about a juvenile rescue. We need these good stories!
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care everyone. Stay safe out there.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, J, SA’ Valerie Wright , Judy Harrington, Kerry Allen, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Deborah Victoriana, SK Hideaways, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Falcon Cam Project, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, Charter Group Birdcams, The Guardian, Connie Dennis, Ventana Wildlife Society, Tamarack Wildlife Centre.
It is a gorgeous, albeit windy, fall day on the Canadian Prairies. I noticed about thirty-five Canada Geese feeding on the soccer field at one of our nearby high schools while five flew overhead. At last count, thirty European Starlings were feeding on the suet at the big table feeder. Mr Crow was also getting peanuts, sometimes, he would take six at a time, swallowing them (seemingly) while the Blue Jays retrieved theirs. The squirrels were eating the ones left on the deck. It was a bit of a feeding frenzy. The temperatures dropped to 0 C last night, and the birds, being more attuned to weather than most humans unless you have arthritis, must feel the end of fall is coming soon.
Notice how, in the space of a few minutes, the suet cylinder is reduced. The Starlings really peck away at it. Their beaks can only eat certain seeds so no Black Oil Seed or peanuts for them. We get this suet especially to give them energy. Tomorrow I plan to put out apples and oatmeal. We will see who is happy!
The days for our nice walks without heavier clothing are swiftly coming to an end. Tomorrow we hope to get out to the park for a goose count!
Nox. When he went back into rehabilitation three days after being released, he was emaciated and required a blood transfusion. Was he not able to hunt? I hope they keep him in and give him more training at hunting! He has had a complete blood transfusion and his condition is now stable.
The triplets at Collins Street are healthy and becoming quite independent. Not sure what the Mum F23 thinks about all of that, but they are growing and we can look forward to a lot of running back and forth and gutter-stomping it seems. It is wonderful they are so healthy! Dad slipped in and even got to feed his little ones. They look like snow people but that cotton ball coat is going to shed itself just as we are beginning to see a change in the plumage around their eyes. https://youtu.be/rucHRHj2VQ4?
There was a nice breakfast feeding with the triplets quickly falling into food comas.
As it got hotter in Melbourne, the kiddos stopped their gutter stomping and she protected them from the hot rains of the Melbourne sun. It is 16 C but hotter up on those top floors of the concrete buildings with the sun beating down.
There were three feedings at Orange before 0800 on Thursday!
More feedings at Orange and the kiddos explore the scrape checking out the Cilla Stones!
Seriously cute with its little bloody beak. Just look at those sparkling black eyes. Adorable.
‘A’ comments: “Meanwhile, the falcon chicks at both scrapes are eating machines. All five appear very healthy and active. The parents are barely able to cope with their demands and are working tirelessly to do so. At Collins Street, the littles are into the gutter and the stomping season has begun. So far, there have been no problems and no-one has got themselves trapped down there. Mum is now leaving the kiddos to get up and down by themselves, as they are capable of doing.
Darling Diamond and Xavier are feeding their pair about eight or nine meals on an average day and the chicks seem to be growing before our very eyes. At every feeding, they seem larger than at the last. Similarly, the trio at Collins Street appear to have permanently bloated crops. “
More osprey nests with eggs in South Australia.
Many will have noticed the netting that Mum brought in to the Port Lincoln nest. So many were concerned that the osplets could get caught in it and be pulled off the nest. We have seen this many times before. Pitkin County comes first to my mind where one chick died and the other spent a year in rehabilitation before being released. The fish fairies came quickly removing the netting and leaving some nice fish.
This happened on the 21st – the removal of the netting so a few days ago.
Wilko had breakfast with Mum at 0611 on Thursday. Kasse slept through all of it. It looks like a rather small fish or partial fish arrived at 1340 and had not been clocked on the obs board when I checked. Both osplets fed. They do need more fish!
Geemeff sent us an article about the Coobwie Osprey nest with the four chicks. I have yet to confirm that the fourth has made it. It was not eating when I left for Nova Scotia and I have not seen any information. If you have, please let me know.
Judy Harrington gives us a good report on what SE33 and SE34 were up to. Notice that they are way up on the branches and could fly any moment save for the fact that currawongs send them back to the nest. Personally I think this is a good thing. They need to get used to and ignore those pesky birds. Hopefully spending more time on the nest watching Lady and Dad deal with them will help.
The two could easily fly Thursday morning. They certainly have me sitting on the edge of my chair and it looks like several hundred more! They were way up in the branches. They came down to the nest several times, went higher, and then down lower. They are very aware of the Currawong. This is a good thing – the longer they stay on the nest the more they should develop skills to either fly out when the Currawong aren’t around or ignore them and follow the path Lady and Dad take to the river. Once at the River, they will be fine. They will be trained to hunt and fish by Lady and Dad. They just have to get down there, not somewhere else!
They are still in the nest at the Olympic Park in Sydney, being harassed by the Curras. That might keep them home so that they can mature more…
‘A’ sends us the latest report from the nest at Sydney: “October 24: An early quartet to welcome the day [don’t you just love the eaglets joining in the morning squawking?], then Lady was off chasing a currawong. Both eaglets moved out on the limb together, side by side. The eaglets were resting – waiting – and Lady brought in a gull just before 10am, along with swoopers. SE33 self-fed well and both were fed a little by Lady. After a quiet late morning, Lady flew in at 12:15. She must have seen Dad coming with a fish. This was grabbed by SE34, who took a long time to break into the flesh. Lady tried to join in, SE33 ate a little, until finally they left it at 2:30pm. A long feed. Dad finished off a few scraps. Both eaglets were then resting on the nest and venturing up the perch branch – flapping and exploring a little. Both eagles were seen down on the river at 16:40. At dusk, the eaglets were standing on the rim of the nest, with a magpie swooping.”
‘A’ continues with her own thoughts which parallel mine – the sea eagles do not eat the chicks of the Curra so why bother one another? “October 24: An early quartet to welcome the day [don’t you just love the eaglets joining in the morning squawking?], then Lady was off chasing a currawong. Both eaglets moved out on the limb together, side by side. The eaglets were resting – waiting – and Lady brought in a gull just before 10am, along with swoopers. SE33 self-fed well and both were fed a little by Lady. After a quiet late morning, Lady flew in at 12:15. She must have seen Dad coming with a fish. This was grabbed by SE34, who took a long time to break into the flesh. Lady tried to join in, SE33 ate a little, until finally they left it at 2:30pm. A long feed. Dad finished off a few scraps. Both eaglets were then resting on the nest and venturing up the perch branch – flapping and exploring a little. Both eagles were seen down on the river at 16:40. At dusk, the eaglets were standing on the rim of the nest, with a magpie swooping.
…
I continue to gain confidence in the eaglets gaining confidence from repeated successes in dealing with the swooping birds. It simply HAS to help, doesn’t it? This has not happened in any season I have seen previously. This is the first time they have had a substantial pre-fledge period where they have self-fed and been fed on the nest while seeing off the swoopers and using the nest as their ‘safe spot’.
You can see the difference between the magpies and the currawongs – the currawongs have totally black heads and a white band across the end of their tails. They are also noticeably larger than the magpies. From my knowledge of these birds, neither attacks in pairs or groups like the smaller birds (such as the noisy mynahs, who attack in twos and threes, repeatedly swooping at the target bird, either simultaneously or in rapid succession, from different directions). These larger birds swoop individually at the target bird, as the magpie is doing in this photo. (The white on the back of the neck in this pic shows the swooper to be a magpie not a currawong, who has no white on its head or neck.) The magpies also have white (or light grey for females and juveniles) on their backs, unlike currawongs, whose backs are black. The magpies have longer, slightly thinner beaks. Apparently, both magpies and currawongs will often steal both eggs and chicks as prey, though I personally have not seen it. They also attack fledglings of smaller birds as prey but presumably not fledglings of the size of the sea eaglets.
They continually say in the literature that the currawongs are merely protecting their young, but if this is the case, why is it that we never see the sea eagles bring in currawongs or magpies as prey? In all the years we have watched the WBSE nest, how many have you seen being eaten? No, me neither. Not a single one.”
At NE Florida, Beau and Gabby slept on the nest tree and then did some great nestorations. This is becoming a beautiful spot for eggs.
Across the state of Florida from Gabby and Beau, M15 and F23 are working diligently on getting their nest ready, too! They have been working on the crib rails and bringing in moss to make everything soft and nice for F23 and her eggs.
It was a scary moment. M15 working on sticks and F23 nearly hit by a car! This is when we are more than grateful for boots on the ground with their cameras like The Real Saunders Photography. Their images are incredible. I urge you to follow their FB feed to see all the action you miss because it is not on the cams. https://youtu.be/5AVTQD7d3Z8?
I have been helping Brian Collins get fish count figures for all the osprey nests that I can. Geemeff sent me the count for Loch Arkaig for this past year and a few earlier. Poole Harbour raised four to fledge. Blue 022 and CJ7 were really busy fishing. I was sent their count today by Jenny Moore. Thank you to Geemeff and Jenny. The individuals overseeing the regulations for commercial fishing of Menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay have no idea how many Menhaden exist in the Bay nor do they have any notion of how many fish osprey take for various size nests. We hope to educate them. If you or if you know someone who did fish counts at a nest for 2024 or earlier, please have them get in touch with me with that data. It will really help our approach.
Here is the count for Poole Harbour. This is amazing information. Notice they even include the time of day and which parent was most active in deliveries.
The fish count from Loch Arkaig:
These are the actual figures with a brief explanation of chick and egg numbers. The vast majority of fish deliveries are Brown Trout, with Mackerel and Flatfish coming in next but in low numbers, and a couple of other species in insignificant numbers eg one eel.
G Fish stats for Loch Arkaig:
2024 Male delivered 255 and female delivered 1 fish: three eggs, three chicks hatched, C3 starved to death at 23 days old due to weather making fishing difficult, C2 died before fledging at 62 days old as a result of weakness due to semi-starvation due to weather, and C1 survived to fledge after being placed on a translocation programme.
2023 Male delivered 396 and female delivered 1 fish: three eggs – one lost in owl attack, one unviable, C3 hatched and fledged
2022 Male delivered 546 and female delivered 0 fish: three eggs – C1 and C2 hatched and fledged, C3 died at 7 days old,
2021 unknown fish: female failed to return and male moved to a non-cam nest with new partner therefore number of eggs and hatches unknown, two chicks hatched and fledged
2020 Male delivered 553 and female delivered 26 fish: three eggs – all hatched and fledged
2019 Male delivered 407 and female delivered 7 fish: three eggs – C2 dead in shell, C1 and C3 hatched and fledged
Calico and Baby Hope always make sure that we take good care of ‘The Boyfriend’ by providing him with food and water, special treats, and several choices of outdoor accommodation. It is not his fault that his owners ‘dumped’ his mother and/or him to live on the streets. He is too frightened to come and live in the house so we do the best we can for him, giving him options which he can choose or not knowing that one day, we will put the food out and not see him again. Life is short for the urban feral cats. Many asked me if I think he will go in the little container home. I don’t think he will. I believe he lives under the deck where Calico had Hope (and maybe some other kittens who did not survive that litter). Calico and The Boyfriend were together before she moved into the house. They were always in the garden and at the feeding station. Although the vet felt that Baby Hope was a kitten from Calico’s first litter, I am unsure. It is possible that he is actually a surviving kitten from Calico’s very first litter (if Hope wasn’t in that litter). It is just my gut feeling. When we lived in the UK, we rescued a small Calico cat and her kitten, a tuxedo. Because he stays where Hope was born, I wonder even more. The neighbours look out by giving food and any time anyone makes a remark about trapping him, we all go crazy so that talk has stopped. He is not adoptable. But he is a gentle soul nevertheless. We do the best we can for him knowing that under that deck he is dry and away from the weather. He has now survived at least two winters there.
Baby Hope always watches The Boyfriend when he eats and, in return, he sits and looks longingly at her for several minutes before leaving. He now comes if I call ‘Kitty, Kitty’ really loud. I try to manage that he gets all the food put out at the beginning and if he wants seconds he can have it. I pick up the deworming medication this week! He is a lovely tuxedo and is now part of our family although not inside with us.
He was intently watching Little Red from a perch on the barbecue table.
Calico’s Tip for the Day concerns feeding the birds outdoors. Look over the list. There are some items that you might not have considered. That said, I disagree with ever feeding birds bread despite even the leader of our bird house building workshop saying that everyone does it after admitting it is unhealthy. So please, no bread. I always give the Crows and Jays cat kibble but I do not soak it.
Calico also found a poster about feeding ducks. The majority of the ducks resident in Manitoba during the spring and summer are now gone. Many will be showing up in ponds near the southern US (if not further). Please keep in mind what to feed them.
Calico would love it if we had hedgehogs in Canada. She reminds everyone in the UK to please leave the leaves. The hedgehogs might need them!
Cockatoo finally rescued after being trapped in shopping mall!
‘J’ has been monitoring the situation at the US Steel Plant where there is the nest of Claire and Irvin. It appears there is a new female there. We do not know the status of Claire. We will continue to monitor. Thanks, ‘J’.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. We hope to see you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, Jenny Moore, L’, UC Berkeley News, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, SK Hideaways, Heidi McGrue, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Friends of Osprey Sth Aus, Australian Rural & Regional News, Judy Harrington and Sea Eagle Cam, Olympic Park Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, The Real Saunders Photography, Jenny Moore and Poole Harbour Fish Count, Geemeff and Loch Arkaig Fish Count, Backyard Bird Lovers, For Fox Sake Animal Rescue, Hope for Hedgehogs Woodside, The Guardian.
We hope that you are all well, and for those living in the path of Helene, please stay safe. We are thinking about you and keeping you in our warmest thoughts. Send your warm thoughts to all our feathered friends in the hope they have found their safe places. SW Florida streaming cam is down this morning. Swaying happening at NE Florida.
It is hard to believe it is fall. Gosh, golly. Wednesday was a beautiful morning. The sky was a clear blue, not a whisker of a cloud. No wind. No forecast for rain. The temperature is set to rise to 27 C. We have to remind ourselves that it is really the end of September and not July.
Mr and Mrs Junior were in the garden very early looking for peanuts. There are three Crows that come regularly together, nest mates. When there is a problem with other species, such as the GHO in their territory or a cat in our garden, there will be eight of them around the back of the garden. At one time, the combined count for the two families and their nestlings was eighteen. Did they disperse? I only saw one killed on the road. We must remember to have a small portable shovel in the boot of the car. If you see a dead animal on the road or street, take it to the boulevard so that the carrion eaters are safe to feed.
Junior has always stayed over during the winter. I have said that before, and we feed Crows all year along with the sparrows, woodpeckers, and chickadees (the others that remain). I wonder about their food sources outside of our garden. The area around me is getting denser and denser with little green, save for a few small parks. Indeed, the loss of habitat for our wildlife is truly concerning.
Speaking of food sources, we were shocked when we went to the country on Monday. Next to our acreage, there are now two HUGE reservoirs. They are about three stories tall, 1/6 of a mile by a 1/6 of a mile. The flood waters from the Boyne River are pumped into the holding ponds to irrigate the potato crops in the summer. There was no need for irrigation a few decades ago, and now the potato farmers have to store water. What happens if the rain and the snow in the Pembina Hills that feed the river dry up?
I have spent part of the day working in the containers on the deck. The pepper plants that show no sign of any more produce are in the compost pile. The soil is now heaped around the cherry tomato plants that are loaded – heavily laden – with tomatoes. The Curry leaves and Sage need to be dried along with the mint and the Rosemary. There is enough celery for everyone to have some for their Thanksgiving dinner that lives in earshot of me. It wasn’t a great year, but it was a good one. Now, we will try to grow lettuces, boy chop, green onions, etc. in the house for the winter. I sure hope Hugo Yugo stays out of that grower!!!!!!!! She is into everything these days. Is it because she is so tiny? Baby Hope sleeps atop the highest cabinet to see what everyone is doing—her private spot. Hugo Yugo cannot get up there! And neither can Calico—just Missey.
It is market day. Will the dumpling lady be there or will we be disappointed again? I must learn how to make these! At one point in my life I did know, but I need a refresher course. The last market day is approaching soon and it would be nice to have some more of the local honey. It is delicious – and, thankfully, the vendor was there.
Calico gave each jar of honey her ‘sniff’ test and voted on the honey from the downtown hives. How interesting.
Speaking of Florida…
The weather in Florida is going to be bad for all the nests with Helene potentially plowing through the State as a cat 3 storm. Everything is set to intensify beginning today. It will hit Captiva and Fort Myers first and make its way northeast hitting the nest of Gabby. Send good positive energy to all the birds and let us be thankful that there are no eggs or chicks in the nests.
Evacuations are now underway in various areas of Florida.
Jackie and Shadow have ousted the Ravens from the nest as they make plans for the 2024-25 season. https://youtu.be/5WxWE0iweQg?
Looking out over their territory of Big Bear.
You need to know that your voice can make a difference. If you believe strongly about our wildlife and their quality of life, then we cannot be silent. As a child, I love the little circus and all the animals. I cannot imagine, for a second, supporting any or watching any animal do tricks for humans! How barbaric. Disney has now stopped its animal shows.
I hope that our voices will also ensure that any company, no matter its country of origin, will never be allowed to conduct industrial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Can you imagine seeing the little ospreys eating lots of fish instead of starving to death? That is what you are fighting for! I was notified today that my letter has been received and will be read to the Committee meeting today. I made it short and to the point – commercial fishing of Menhaden has, according to the research that has been conducted on nests on either side of the Bay, in both Virginia and Maryland, seen only osprey deaths. ‘H’ and I are still entering the statistics but there will be more than 100 nests recorded – every osprey chick perished. Every one. I compared that to heat in other areas including Osoyoos where Olsen pulled a rabbit out of a hat and 2 out of 3 of his chicks lived despite the 40 C heat and lack of fish. That tells you how bad it was in the area of the Chesapeake. And the boats cannot be allowed to fish at the mouth of the Bay either. We will not give up and will continue to fight to stop Omega.
Despite the date passing, if you did not send a comment, but wish to do so, then please write to the individual below that acknowledged my letter:
‘MP’ writes that Jack is on the Achieva Osprey nest several times a day. Stay safe, Jack! Winds are beginning to pick up.
I really hope that Gabby and 24E1 will fill that egg cup sufficiently so that the eggs do not get lost or fall.
The pair at NE Florida flew off the nest as rain and wind began. Stay safe out there Gabby and 24E1.
At least one eagle at the SW Florida nest on Wednesday. M15 has seen many hurricanes. The nest that he shared with Harriet did not always survive the fierce winds, but they did! Let us see what happens in the nest few days.
M15 and F23 were working on the nest late Wednesday night.
‘MP’ caught one of the adults at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest on Wednesday near Dallas.
A really nice summary of a bittersweet year for two Newfoundland osprey nests by Ian Winter. Please pay attention to his comment about how Newfoundland Power refurbished the nest of Hope and Beaumont and the belief that this was the contributing factor in Hope caring for these two dark plumage osplets that lived to fledge. Years past I have wept as her chicks died early on. So, if this is true and that caused her maternal instincts to kick in, then I am suggesting that the people who care for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest get up there and fix the most beautiful nest that could be imagined! Then let’s see what happens there.
Eyes continue to be on Malta with all its illegal poaching right during migration!
A good news story! We need them all the time and a vet that can save a wing problem so a stork can fly again is gold.
A wonderful post from Dunrovin Ranch with a tiny summary of the successful year of the ‘JuneBug’ at the osprey nest with new female, Winnie.
Just look at how big that White-tailed eaglet is getting! And oh, so cute. 38 days old in the picture…39 days old today. It is so hard to tell how big it is. That crane is huge where the nest is located.
You might not have seen Tim MacKrill’s presentation on Osprey migration. I posted it in previous years. You can grab a cuppa and learn so much from this talented young man. https://youtu.be/JXWgoSF-Yrk?
Goodness. That Calico is smart. She heard me complaining about having 53,000 digital photos in my phone. She started reading ‘Wirecutter’ when an article about decluttering photos in your phone popped up. She even read it with having a ‘winkie’ in her right eye. Calico thinks that you likely have so many photographs in your phone that you won’t be able to find your favourite one of her! She says you can thank her later!!!!!!
Wirecutter: Your Phone’s Camera Roll Is a Mess. Here’s How to Clean It Up.
Thank you for being with us today. We will find out what Top Flat chicks name will be. Voting closed on the 26th. I wonder what it will be. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, images, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J, MP’, noaa, Sunnie Day, The Weather Network, NEFL-AEF, The Guardian, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Rita the Bald Eagle, NestFlix Memories, PIX Cams, JBS Wetlands, Ian L. Winter, CABS, Maria Marika, Dunrovin Ranch News, Nesting Birdlife and More, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Osprey Leadership Foundation, Menhaden Defenders, Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, and The New York Times.
Well, after three irritating days, the end of the ads is nigh. Thank you again to everyone who helped me spot those pop-up ads. WordPress assures me there should not be any, but…
At 1900, 38 Canada Geese flew over the conservatory in a line, not a wedge or V. Normally, geese fly in a V or wedge to conserve energy. When the leader gets tired, s/he falls back, and the next one takes its place. Being the leader is hard work; they are breaking the wind – creating a slipstream – for the other geese so that they can fly without expending so much energy. As they flap their wings, each bird helps to create a ‘lift’ for all the other geese in their formation. Research shows that flying in this type of formation also allows the group to communicate better. Talk about teamwork and cooperation. Humans have something to learn from our honkers.
Those V formations are quite extraordinary. You can’t tell from the ground, but the lead goose is the lowest of the bunch. Each goose behind is slightly higher than the one in front of it, all the way to the last goose, which is flying the highest. They do this because of the aerodynamics of their wings. The only goose that is using all its wing power is the lead goose… the point-man, so to speak. When that goose flaps its wings, it causes a certain turbulence of the air that’s following the wing. The next goose in line benefits from this swirling air, and doesn’t need to apply 100% of its wingpower. The next goose, again benefits from that one, and so on down the line. Flying in formation this way adds 71% more distance that they can fly than when flying alone!
So who gets chosen to be point-man? You’d think the one with the map! Or the leader? Or the new-guy? No. None of these. They actually take turns. When one gets tired, he will drop back so he can rest a bit and benefit from another goose’s turbulence. When migrating in good weather with favorable winds these guys can make up to 1,500 miles in a single day! That’s crazy, man! Hard to imagine, but it’s been done. They are migration masters.
So the flying at night thing … I’ve already touched upon one of the reasons they prefer the night. It has to do with that turbulence I just mentioned. You see, many other large birds (and these are large birds!) use thermals to gain altitude and to soar on. Raptors do this. Hawks, eagles, etc. During the day, the landscape is riddled with all kinds of thermals rising from the ground, all depending on what the surface looks like below; how much heat was absorbed and stored from the sun; if it’s dark or light … or even water. These thermals are great for raptors! Lots of vertical air movement all over. But geese don’t soar, and they don’t have need to fly in circles. They have somewhere to go. And all those daytime thermals are a pain in the butt; they don’t make for smooth sailing. Plus, they interfere with the aforementioned wing turbulence that they use to keep from tiring. At night, several hours after sunset, the Earth cools and those pesky vertical thermals disperse.
So that’s one reason they like the night. Another reason for night flight is to prevent over-heating (makes sense, right?) Nights are cooler, so birds that expend a lot of energy with constant flapping (as opposed to soaring) take advantage of the cool of the night.
A third reason is also something I’ve already mentioned. Hawks! And eagles! And falcons! All those guys are diurnal hunters, meaning they hunt during the day. Which goose in its right mind would want to share the not-so-friendly skies with something called a “raptor”? Now, if you’ve ever seen flocks of geese on the ground and tried to get among them or feed them or something, you may already know how mean and nasty they can get. People have used geese instead of watch-dogs. They are tough! Especially on the ground. But falcons, hawks, and eagles, hitting them from the air often spells doom. In other words, their goose is cooked. During the day, they often rest and feed and rejuvenate in the water where they are safe from raptor attack. As long as they stay in the water.
So given the choice, they take the red-eye.
Why Do Canadian Geese Fly At Night?, Forbes Magazine, 1 March 2018 (updated).
So why were the geese flying in a straight line over my house? I can’t find an answer. Maybe you know. Perhaps they were readying to land at Fort Whyte or at the river a few blocks away???
The other day Calico and Baby Hope watched ‘The Boyfriend’ as he ate at the feeder. I wonder what Calico was thinking. This was her little friend when she lived in the wild. They would come and eat together, but he always let her eat first. They would often rest under the lilac bushes. He will not come into the house; he runs away. I have tried frequently to get him to soften to me. So we make sure his food is out by 0900 and, again, at 1700. He also comes at other times, including in the middle of the night. Another animal, a raccoon, comes at night, eating everything still available and dumping the water from the bird baths. That means we must ‘jump’ in the morning to prepare everything for The Boyfriend’s arrival.
Dr Erick Greene and others around Missoula are keeping a close eye on Iris, Finnegan, Sum-eh, and Antali. It appears that all four are still fishing in the Clarke-Fork River. As far as I am aware, this is the latest that Iris has ever remained in the area. Her usual date for departure is 8 September. She must relish being a mum again to two such fine fledglings and having a mate like Finnegan.
Iris came to the nest at 0838 without fish. I did not see a delivery at the nest by 1100 on Sunday despite Antali’s persistent calling.
This person had a first hand view of Iris and family — have a read!
Iris was at the nest at 0738 Monday morning. She was calling loud and seemed to have a piece of fish in her talons (??). She is looking for Antali and he did not come. She waited three minutes and when Antali did not arrive, she flew off towards the river.
At Charlo, is C16 catching its fish? Our fledgling observes the water below the nest and has returned wet, once, perhaps, with a fish. This is one gorgeous fledgling! That full crop sure makes me think he had an excellent breakfast.
C16 is always watching that water – unless he is sleeping! Can’t see those stunning eyes.
When I checked on the nest of Junebug at Dunrovin Ranch – which was several times including re-wind – I did not see anyone. Did you?
Just look at the fish that Beaumont delivered at the Newfoundland Snow Lane nest. Good gracious. There is enough for both of the fledglings. Will the winner share?
Still eating three hours later!
Niagara Bee Dad still delivering!
River was at the Sandpoint nest, but I saw no fish deliveries from Keke. Perhaps Keke is feeding River off the nest. River has been seen ‘wet’, and he flies back and forth to the river. Is s/he catching their fish dinner?
At the Golden Gate Audubon nest in SF Bay, Tully was last seen on the 14th of September.
Some more great information from the Dyfi Osprey Project in Wales, home to Idris and Telyn.
Hartley and Monty continue to bond – and then bond again – at the San Jose City Hall scrape. Love is in the air. https://youtu.be/pjskOK2DcNc?
Xavier. What can we say? Isn’t he the cutest little Peregrine Falcon? He always wants time to incubate his eggs, but…Diamond often has different ideas. They have been together for nine years. Today, he demanded squatter’s rights on those eggs!!!!!! https://youtu.be/fygxtkCjkwA?
Beautiful Sea Eaglets.
‘A’ remarks: “Both chicks did well out of that breakfast, and afterwards, they settled down together, side by side, to rest their giant crops (especially SE34!) and do a bit of preening. They are very companionable, the best of nest mates, and even when food is around, they have been behaving beautifully. Observing the pecking order seems to ensure peace at meal times – Lady is aware of the need to feed SE33 first if both chicks are at the table, although SE34 is now confident enough to accept food before its sibling has eaten if their relative positions create this situation. They are pretty much equal in size now and SE34 is confident and able to get himself fed. He moves forward if he needs to get closer to mum’s beak and he is not showing any behaviour that suggests that he feels intimidated at meal times. So all is going swimmingly at WBSE. “
And more from the morning of the 16th from ‘A’: “Lady was up early this morning (05:29). She found a substantial piece of feathered prey on the nest, so started feeding the littles, who roused themselves and got to the table despite the fact that it was still dark. Lady started by feeding a bite to SE33, as per pecking order, while SE34 found which direction the table was in (he had his back to it and turned around very clumsily, inconveniencing SE33 in the process). Once both eaglets were settled in their places, breakfast proceeded peacefully, with both nestlings behaving beautifully.
Oh, I adore these two. I love what good nest buddies they have become, sometimes even allopreening and nibbling gently at each other’s facial feathers. They are so cute. I love these few short weeks on the nest, being cared for by doting parents and having little to do other than eat, sleep, grow and play. Their lives will be very hard, and their chances of successfully managing as juvenile sea eagles are not great based on previous years. Although of course they don’t realise it yet, these peaceful days in the nursery, as it were, probably represent some of the happiest of their lives. It is lovely to share them. “
I love storks. Even if you can’t speak German, you can enjoy the amazing images in this documentary. Click on the link above the image or copy and paste into your browser.
There is news from Portugal. I have signed up, but this file is thanks to UK Osprey Information and Jeff Kear, who kindly attached a translated version. Please scroll down and see the map showing where the ospreys have their spring and summer breeding grounds and travel to Portugal for the winter.
Real Saunders Photography has posted some images of M15 and F23. There is action at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest. The streaming cameras are to be operational on 1 October. https://youtu.be/3wJeooaW6oI?
‘A’ comments on the Royal Cam chick: “At Taiaroa Head, both TF and TFT are still there, though TFT in particular has been moving around a lot, going down the hill and perhaps seeking out a suitable spot from which to fledge. He may just be exploring – he’s always done a lot of that. No parents came in today, as far as I am aware, but of course the chicks will be emptying their stomachs before their big take-off. (That doesn’t make sense to me – surely they would want to keep any remaining nutrients they were given by their parents, as they have never done any fishing of their own and the next meal they get once they do fledge may be some time away – I have no idea how they understand where and how to find their own food, having never been taught how to do so nor even witnessed the adults doing it. So to leave home with an empty stomach seems to me a risky thing to do. I suppose getting and staying airborne is the most important thing, and that, too, they will be doing for the first time. It’s an awful lot of difficult things to be doing for the first time when their survival depends on getting it all right on the first try essentially. The thought of it worries me terribly.”
I caught a feeding. How wonderful!
‘A’ also checks on the falcons incubating on the ledge of 367 Collins Street in the CBD of Melbourne: “At Collins Street, Mum left the eggs just before 11:17 for a morning break, but she is back quickly, at 11:18, and repositions herself on the eggs. Dad flies up to the middle of the ledge, chupping as he arrives, soon after 12:47. He has not brought food, though he may have stashed some for her somewhere nearby. He’s such a cutie and so chatty. F24 chats back as she gets up from the eggs, so hopefully, he is telling her where he has left her breakfast. But no. He dives off the ledge, which she watches with some shock it seems, gazing after him for a while before settling back onto the eggs. I’m still not sure about food deliveries at this scrape, tbough mum does not appear to be starving so there must be some (or, more likely, she is eating off camera from a stash spot where dad is depositing food).
Dad is back at 14:46 to relieve mum, who flies off the ledge. Again though, he brings no food. He doesn’t settle down to incubate, instead flying off the ledge at 14:46:30. The eggs lie uncovered in the mid-afternoon. sunlight.”
Calico’s got two Tips for the Day: Help Stop Bird Strike and if you find a bird that has hit a window, helpful tips on how to help them.
Migration is a time for bird strike, sadly. Calico wants everyone to protect the birds from breaking their necks on windows. The most economical way to do this is by using window paints available where crayons, markers, etc. are sold. We found the white worked the best. Just scribble. After migration season, you can easily clean the window paint with white vinegar. We purchased Feather Friendly dot strips. The company says they last ten years. Calico wonders about that but they have been very effective in preventing any birds hitting our conservatory or the windows in the sitting room.
Calico asks that you read this helpful advice:
The Geese that have been breeding in northern Canada and in Winnipeg are starting to migrate. They face many challenges but the other one is BREAD. Do not feed waterfowl bread!!!!!!! It causes ducks to get ‘Angel Wing’ and that also impacts Geese. If you see others feeding ducks and geese bread, be kind, but educate them. There is nothing more fun for children than feeding bread to ducks and geese, but that is not what they should be eating! It will kill them in the end. So, please help my beloved geese. Thanks, ‘PB’ for this article. It is so timrely.
If you have the time, please check out Amy Tan’s talk on line about backyard birds. I have so enjoyed her book and her journey to learning about the feathered friends that visit her garden and her creation of special areas for them.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Have a fantastic week! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, reports, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, J, PB’, Forbes Magazine, Montana Osprey Cam, Montana Osprey Project, iNaturalistUK, Owl Research Project, Dunrovin Ranch, Newfoundland Power, Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, Golden Gate Audubon SF Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, Olympic Sea Eagles, SOS Tesla Maria Marika, Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Information, Real Saunders Photography, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Virginia Wildlife, Kelli Knight LeVan, NZ DOC, and Amy Tan.
Gosh, it is almost the middle of August, and the French are well into their annual August vacation. The entire month is taken off with businesses in Paris closing and everyone (owners and staff) heading off to enjoy the countryside, time with their family and friends, and good food. I was fortunate to spend an entire month a few years ago in a pottery village (Le Borne) and it was there that the French taught me ‘really’ how to slow down and chase after the joy of life – finding a balance and not letting work take over everything. Sitting and tasting the best bread with a good cup of coffee in the morning in a garden could not have been matched by anything. Lunch with vegetables, local bread, and goat cheese could have come from a Michelin-star restaurant – it was that good. Walking through the forest, time to smell the wood burning in the kilns and touching centuries-old ceramics were simple but profound joys. Those memories and the people who I met have never left me. Calico suggests that everyone stop and smell the roses, turn off their cell phones, grab a good book, and pet a cat!
Hugo Yugo is precious. She continues to sleep under my chin during the night. She has grown some, but, in comparison to the others, she remains rather small.
Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope continue to play fight all day long. They keep their nice figures due to all the exercise. Hugo Yugo will have her first birthday on 2 September. Baby Hope came to live in the house on the 4th so we shall have a nice party to celebrate both.
Missey just loves parties. She wants lots of squeezy treats while Hope has ordered 5-grain bread with peanut butter, and Hugo Yugo wants a grilled cheese sandwich! Baby Hope will run you down for peanut butter. It makes me think that while she and Calico were living ‘wild,’ someone fed them bread and PB. Hugo Yugo loves cheese and every evening has to play ‘hockey’ with small pieces of a nice old cheddar. She knocks the piece off the countertop onto the floor and then knocks it about before eating it. I have always believed she needs calcium.
Yesterday I had images and for some strange reason, no text from ‘H’ despite her sending it in the same e-mail. It was like half of it was cut off on my computer and then, this afternoon there were 2 more e-mails with all the information. I am including the text now. It will give you good background on what is happening at the Fortis-Exshaw nest – which appears to be a repeat of last season’s dramatic and devastating year. ‘H’ did a great job in her report – apologies it is late.
“8/9 Fortis Exshaw osprey nest: There have been some intruder issues the past few days, but today was the worst so far. At 0700 Harvie delivered a fish and one of the three juveniles grabbed it. The female intruder showed up early. Initially she was passive, but by 0800 she started attacking the chicks. Over the next couple of hours the intruder dive-bombed the chicks at least 30 times. Sometimes she made significant contact with her talons, and a few times she was able to flip the chicks onto their backs. She landed in the nest several times, and would jump on the chicks. Only the two oldest osplets have fledged. Nakoda has yet to fly, and we were worried that Nakoda was going to get pushed off the nest. At 0851 the intruder flushed one of the fledglings off the nest and she gave chase. The intruder was establishing control. The two remaining chicks in the nest stayed tucked in submission. Any time they would so much as move a wing, the intruder would flap her wings at them. At 1003 Harvie brought another fish and the intruder grabbed it. Harvie jumped on her, the intruder flew out with the fish, and Harvie followed. After eating her fish, the intruder returned. She was in and out of the nest a few times, and jumped on the chicks a few times. At 1050 Harvie delivered another fish, a chick grabbed it, the intruder fought the chick for the fish, Harvie jumped on the intruder, Harvie left the nest and the intruder chased him. The intruder returned and took the fish.
At 1142 the intruder saw Louise approaching the nest and she immediately flew away. Louise is the only deterrent for this female intruder. Louse had brought a fish for the chicks. Louise stayed for about 10 minutes, and then she left. At 1154, the fledgling that had been flushed from the nest earlier returned to the nest. For the next few hours the family had some peace. Nakoda was practicing wingers, and getting some nice wind-assisted lift, and was even hovering. The intruder returned at 1524, and started doing her usual thing… dive-bombing, jumping on chicks, and flapping at the chicks. Harvie delivered a fish at 1621 and the intruder took it. Harvie dropped off more fish at 1700, 1720, and 1817, and thankfully the osplets were able to eat those. At 1843 the intruder was back, jumped on the chicks, and may have left with a piece of leftover fish. With the glare of the afternoon and evening sun, it became increasingly more difficult to see because of the dirt on the camera. At 1931 the intruder was back, and she appeared to arrive empty taloned. But, she soon started to eat. She must have found some more leftovers in the nest. While she was eating, she was intermittently flapping at the kids. Harvie brought another fish at 2006, and one of the chicks grabbed it. Harvie and the intruder stared at each other for a while, then Harvie left. The intruder continued to harass the chicks, but finally at 2127 she left for the night.
What a terrible day this family had. Louise’s presence is needed to keep this female intruder away. But, we only saw Louise once today. Is it possible that Louise is already curtailing her involvement with her family to begin her rest and recovery phase? Would she do that before they all have fledged? Well, we certainly hope to see more of Louise tomorrow. “Your kids still need you, Mom.”
8/9 Osoyoos osprey nest: Chick 2 was doing some nice wingers early in the morning, including some flap-hops going about 3/4 of the diameter of the nest. The first fish I saw was brought by Olsen at 1505. It was a large partial fish, and Chick 2 acquired it first and ate for about 4 minutes before Chick 1 took it from him. Chick 1 had the fish for a long time, finally leaving it at 1628. There was still a good size piece remaining, and Chick 2 started to work on it. By 1727, Chick 2 had accomplished all he could, because the remainder had a lot of dangling tough skin. Soo took over and fed both of her juvies. But, even Soo had a difficult time with the skin. At 1927 Olsen dropped off a small whole fish. Chick 2 grabbed the fish, and mantled strongly. Chick 2 ate the fish, and was able to rebuff Chick 1 each and every time Chick 1 tried to steal the fish. Nice moxie, Chick 2 ! “
Today’s post from ‘H’:
8/10 Fortis Exshaw osprey nest: The intruder was still around today, but she wasn’t nearly as aggressive toward the chicks as she was yesterday. She spent a few long periods of time at the nest. She would flap at the kids now and again, but there were only a few times that I saw the intruder jump on them. And, the intruder did not do all that dive-bombing like she did yesterday. I have 6 pages of notes on the day’s events, and I will summarize to spare you the minutiae. Harvie brought 9 fish to the nest, and the intruder managed to acquire 3 of them. The chicks didn’t make it easy for her, they fought the intruder for those fish. There were a couple of times when the intruder did not make a grab for the fish. She would simply ‘let’ them have it, and then she would just stand there and stare at them while they ate. Strange. But, it seems that poor Harvie is fishing for four. Sometimes when Harvie would make a delivery with the intruder on the nest, they would have a staring contest, and then Harvie would flap his wings at her, but he always flew away. One time, Harvie buzzed the intruder on his way out and made her duck. Harvie knows that he cannot afford to get hurt fighting her. The fact that we saw the intruder less often today may mean that Louise is helping to monitor the airspace in their territory. And, we did see Louise today. At 1211, an adult carrying a fish landed on the t-perch beside one of the fledglings that was believed to be Peyto. Then, the adult provided a nice long feeding to the juvie on the t-perch. It had to be Louise. The youngest chick, Nakoda, ate two whole fish today. Nakoda is no push-over when it comes to battles for the fish.
Nakoda branched today! At 1003 Nakoda flew up to the nest perch…wow! At 1040, after figuring out how to turn around on the perch, s/he hopped back down to the nest. Later on in the afternoon, Nakoda did several hovers that were out of our view lasting several seconds each time. Yesterday, those hovers by Nakoda were 90% due to the wind, but today the height and hang-time was 90% due to Nakoda’s skill. Prediction: Nakoda will fledge on 8/11, at 56 days of age. The three siblings are very difficult to differentiate by their appearance. We will do our best to determine when Nakoda fledges and when s/he returns to the nest.
In my opinion, it does not seem that this intruder wants to take over the nest. She is hungry, and wants some easy meals. Last year it was Louise against a male/female pair of intruders, and they definitely wanted to take over the nest. This year, it is Louise and Harvie against one intruder. Perhaps the intruder will decide to move along soon.
8/10 Osoyoos osprey nest: The live stream was frozen for about three hours today. But, we did see plenty of fish at the nest, including some really big ones. Some of the fish were obviously recycled… that is, they had previously been removed after everyone was full, and those same fish made return appearances. There were lots of feedings and self-feedings. A couple of times this morning, Chick 2 was seen doing some flap-hops all the way across the nest, from rim to rim… that’s progress! Unless I’ve missed it due to recent cam issues, I have not seen Chick 2 perform hovers with decent hang-times. Chick 2 is 64 days old on 8/11. Weather forecast for 8/11: partly cloudy with smoky air, high temp 90F/32C, winds gusting to 11 mph.
8/10 Fenwick Island osprey nest (Captain Mac’s Fish House): Johnny delivered two good sized fish today, and June did not disappoint when she caught her daily striped bass. ‘Fen’ ‘branched’ to the perch this morning, and hopped back down to the nest after about an hour. Fen will be 58 days old on 8/11, and I think he is ready to fly!
More than a few letters have come to the inbox about donations. We cheer, clap our hands, wish hard, pray, and jump up and down in support of our birds, especially those in distress. It is natural to want to rush and help fund their care and food. It just makes you the wonderful people who you are! This also happened after Meadow went into care and subsequently died. To begin, wildlife rehabilitation centres rely on donations. I know this because of our local rehabilitation centre, Wildlife Haven. They depend on volunteers and donations of all things, from bleach to large buildings, for flight training. But when to donate and what? This is going to depend on your personal circumstances. Having had many of you pour your hearts out after Meadow and Cobey passed, I think I have come up with a simple suggestion. If you wish to donate following a rescue, you might want to wait 48-72 hours. The wait period would allow insight into whether the bird might survive. Remember that anything can happen anytime – a bird looking as if it is improving might suddenly pass. We don’t have crystal balls. You might also want to save up and give to a rescue/rehabilitation centre at the end of the year. I like to watch what these centres are doing all year and like to help those that rise to the occasion to try and do anything to save the birds.
Speaking of rescues and rehabilitation, the Denton Homes fledglings are in flight training. Isn’t this marvellous. All survived. Thanks, ‘PB’.
The two osplets from the Green Ledge Light Preservation Society were holding on tight as the remnants of Debby hit Connecticut! I am waiting a post to see how they fared during that violent storm.
Geemeff’s summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Saturday 10th August 2024
Both nest cam livestreams were restored by 09.30 this morning after yesterday’s shutdown which was due to the internet connection for the local area going down. Actually, in such a remote area where it’s very challenging to provide services, being able to watch the nest cams is a bit of a miracle. Therefore tonight’s bonus is about how the nest cams work with no wifi and no electrical plug points nearby. Today was wet and windy again with no sign of any Ospreys, but Nest Two did get some colourful visitors in the form of a pair of Crossbills. More rain is forecast for tonight, but there is the prospect of sunny intervals tomorrow.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.30.33 (04.45.22); Nest Two 22.23.05 (04.52.51)
A gorgeous image of Lady feeding her babies from the Olympic Park Eagle Cam:
As is typical, these little bobbleheads have begun to do some bonking. It will stop! It always does.
The Australian Museum describes the White-bellied Sea Eagle and how these fluffy little white nestlings will change: “The White-bellied Sea-Eagle has white on the head, rump and underparts and dark grey on the back and wings. In flight the black flight feathers on the wings are easily seen when the bird is viewed from below. The large, hooked bill is grey with a darker tip, and the eye is dark brown. The legs and feet are cream-white, with long black talons (claws). The sexes are similar. As in other raptors (birds of prey), Males (2.5 kg – 3.7 kg) are slightly smaller than females (2.8 kg – 4.2 kg).The wingspan is about 1.8 m – 2 m. Young Sea-Eagles are brown as juveniles than slowly become to resemble adults in a patchwork manner, acquiring the complete adult plumage by their fourth year.”
Iris, Sum-eh, and yet-to-fledge Antali.
Finnegan is very busy catching and delivering fish – Uber Dad!
‘A’ remarks: “Little Bro is getting lonesome on his own on that nest, but it so far has not prompted him to copy big sister Sumeh, who has been flying confidently for nearly a week now. C’mon Antali, you can do it! He’s having a pleasant nap in the late afternoon sun. Around 19:32 he begins looking around, and at 19:32:45 Finn arrives with a nice fresh fish, Sumeh hot on his tail.
Antali is fish begging and considering self-feeding but dad keeps moving the fish. He is looking around for Iris. Antali already has a noticeable crop and Sumeh is not asking for fish, so dad eats a bite or two himself. By 19:35, however, he has started feeding Antali. Sumeh just watches the feeding. She is very used to watching Antalia being fed, after all! He has always been completely confident about getting to the table and accepting bites of fish. I have never seen him intimidated at a feeding. Sumeh has been an amazing older sister. She is very laid-back indeed. Around 19:38 she begins to show some interest in the fish, but still waits to be offered a bite.
Finn begins feeding Sumeh and Antali stands up as tall as he can, turning away from the table. He has very long legs, which is the most obvious proof that he is a male. He is too cute. It’s Sumeh’s turn. Antali has a good crop.”
It is mid-afternoon Saturday at Charlo Montana and C16 could fly at any moment. Got so much height on its hover you couldn’t see it on camera!
C16 has not fledged as I write this Saturday evening but he could still fly as there is some time difference. Charlie delivered a fish and C16 had a nice fish dinner.
It was painful. The wind was gusting around the tree below the nest and C16 kept hovering. The sticks in the nest aren’t helping the matter. C16, you are going to fly soon – probably today or Sunday morning.
River and Keke continue to return to the nest waiting for some fish – just like nests all around the world. Chicks wait and watch for Dad flying in with a fish and they have a singular focus – nevermind who gets in the way! In that instance, being an Only Bob has an advantage.
The fledgling comes and goes from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest wanting a fish dinner, too.
On the eve of the Inglorious 12th, there are more and more calls for regulations and the policing of the Red Grouse Moor shoots.
Pam Breci brings us up to date on the Fort Calhoun osprey family:
It is always reassuring that fledglings returning to the nest to get their fish. The Fab Four at Poole Harbour keep Blue 022 very busy! CJ7 is also delivering fish and some are being fed off nest because they show up on cam with a huge crop but have not been seen eating on camera.
Osplets fledge, on average, at 55-56 days after they hatch. They should return to the nest over and over again as they remain dependent on Mum and Dad until they migrate. Many say they stay until they can fish for themselves, but much research in the UK indicates that they actually don’t normally (there is always an exception) catch their first fish until they are on their way which is generally in September. The Mum will migrate first leaving the Dad behind to do the fishing for the chicks. In one year, I forget which one, Monty (Dyfi Ospreys) remained until the 20th of September til his chick fledged! The Dads and fledglings generally leave 2-3 weeks after Mum.
Please remind everyone you know that fish to please try their best not to leave lines and hooks. I know that lines break and there are snags on trees on the shore – if that is the case then everyone should pitch in to do bi-annual clean ups to protect the birds.
White Storks continue to move south throughout Europe feeding on the seeds left after harvest in places such as Lithuania and Croatia. Some have already made it to Europe. Black Storks are moving as well. Waba continues to feed in Ukraine near the Moldova border.
‘A’ reminds us that Xavier is getting excited for the possibility of eggs at the Charles Sturt Falcon scrape in Orange: “We are getting ready for egg watch at Orange. Certainly, Diamond and Xavier are in parental mode, with Xavier bringing food gifts, and the pair doing lots of bonding and mating frequently. The first egg was laid on 26 August last year, so we still have over a fortnight to go. We would be very happy with just the one, Diamond. I don’t want this pair worn out – they are not young falcons. Xavier has just come into the scrape, chupping away. There is no sign of Diamond, who is no doubt perched on the microwave or along the roof. Xavier is looking his usual handsome self. Adorable little falcon that he is. What a man. Remember his first season? Saviour, he most definitely was. “
Xavier brings breakfast and it is not a Starling to Diamond’s delight.
The Dorsett Hobby branched Saturday afternoon but did not fledge. Look to the top left. That is coming swiftly. Such a strong, beautiful little Hobby! (see further below)
Fish deliveries at the Muonio Osprey nest in Finland.
Did you know that Rita has her own FB page? Rita of Ron and Rita and the WRDC Eagle nest? Thanks, ‘J’.
There are no reported sightings of Blue at HWF-BBCentral area. We hope that s/he has found fish and will be heading north to Alaska to enjoy the salmon.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourself!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, questions, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, PB’, Fortis Exshaw-Osoyoos, Fenwick Island, Fortis-Exshaw, SOAR, Greens Ledge Light Society, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Sea Eagle Cam, Australian Museum, Montana Osprey Project, Charlo Montana, Sandpoint Osprey Platform, MN-LA Ospreys, The Guardian, Pam Breci, Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Looduskalender, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam Project, Nesting Bird Life and More, Osp, Rita the Eagle FB, Dorsett Hobby Cam.
Be sure to read all the way down. There is some terrific news waiting for you today.
Oh, Friday started out with a trip to the wildlife rehabilitation centre for this little fellow. The baby is one of the Blue Jays with a nest in a tree across the lane. He was in the garden trying to eat a cheesy dog. He appears to have a problem with one eye, and his tail seems to have some issues as it was turned to the side, not straight. He could not fly. The rehabilitation centre said they would happily take him into care as they agreed on both issues after seeing a photograph. Send him good wishes!
It is not clear what caused the issues/injuries or how he will do but it was unsafe for him to be hopping around on the ground with the feral cats and the hawk about.
Next was a visit to check on the American White Pelicans at Lockport. There were a few there along with about forty Double-crested Cormorants on the other side of the dam. (Taken with iPhone at a great distance so not the best!)
Since it is now the 10th of August, the Pelicans will be making their move to go south in about a month or five weeks.
Bird World is fairly quiet. It is a good thing. As the weeks went by ‘H’ and I got wearier and wearier and at times just couldn’t wait for osprey season to end.
I was very grateful for a comment by ‘DV’ on my blog post on FB. They write: “Discussing the rescue of the chick of Saaksilive #4 nest on the chat of #1 nest, I thanked them for responding so quickly, and was told, “It’s in the law in Finland, you need to help an animal who can’t keep up or is struggling”. In view of the procrastination of the ‘permission authority’ in the Colonial Beach rescue, maybe we should do something about such a law, here. No wonder Finland is rated the ‘happiest’ country in the world….they seem to be the most sensible, as well.”
What do you think about trying to get the laws changed for immediate intervention like they do in Finland in Cobey’s name? I am certainly willing to lend a hand to try and get the archaic Bird Migration laws changed in North America – and attitudes around the world. Thank you ‘DV’.
The person who might be able to help is:
Mr. Jerome Ford, Assistant Director, Migratory Birds Program, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. Via Email: jerome_ford@fws.gov
Paraphrased from a letter regarding the Dale Hollow Nest to Ford in 2023: Citing article 50.CFR.22.76-22.80 of the Migratory Bird Act, a “take” anticipates a rehabilitation permit will authorize the rescue, or take, and further expects the temporary possession of and/or transportation of an eagle and/or eaglet to an authorized and permitted rehabilitation facility. The guidance from USFWS advises take permits will not be issued to address “interference with the natural course of events at the eagle nest”, however, a take would be authorized if such a take “is necessary to protect an interest in a particular locality. The Dale Hollow situation had to do with harm done to the eaglet through manmade materials – fishing line. In the instance of Colonial Bay and other nests in the region, I believe it can be argued that the lack of restrictions on the taking of Menhaden hgas caused the ospreys to starve to death. That coupled with an extreme heat situation – also caused by human activity – should be grounds for an emergency ‘take’ in the instance of starvation, etc. Something can be argued. Evidence can be gathered.
That adorable Dorsett Hobby is about to fledge. What a darling.
Nox (Annie and Archie’s 4th hatch that got himself into a bit of mischief has some company).
Tuesday was a special day for our Heidi (aka ‘H’) as she got to Mispillion Harbour. She runs the Mispillion Harbour Osprey Nest FB group and reports on Warren and Della whose platform is at the DuPont Centre.
Richmond and Rosie’s two chicks have now fledged. Pax on July 24th and Tulley on 7 August.
The late Toni Costello and I used to banter back and forth about which were the most beautiful juveniles of the raptors. Her pick was always the White-bellied Sea Eagles. They sure are cute as little bobbleheads, too.
Antali isn’t a little fuzz ball any longer and is getting those wings working towards fledging. Iris is such a proud Mamma.
Antali is one handsome boy with that pure white chest just like Finnegans’.
Iris just looks so proud.
The Dyfi Osprey Project posted a video of Idris delivering a fish and all of the chaos ensuing when the fledglings each want it! It was on the Dyfi Osprey Project FB page. Here are a few screen captures. There is no love lost when it comes to a much wanted fish and fledgling siblings. Reminds me of Ervie, Bazza, and Falkey.
In New Zealand, the Royal Cam chicks were ringed.
Geemeff’s daily summary for Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust.
Daily summary Friday 9th August 2024
Same as yesterday – except it was some Great Tits and Coal Tits taking advantage of the absence of Ospreys and spending time on Nest One. Nest Two had zero activity again. However, we did get some news and a photo of 1JW in Valencia – he’s doing well and enjoying exploring the Pego Oliva marshland, link below. The rain and wind continued as forecast today, with thundery showers expected overnight changing to light rain showers tomorrow. Both nest cams went down shortly before 21.00 and are still down now (23.45).
Season highlights for the Lodze Bociany Black Storks in Poland.
The trio at Blackbush at Old Tracadie wishing and hoping for fish.
At Charlo, Montana, C16 is really working its wings. Fledge is near. The chick ate all the fish Charlie brought in but lost the tail over the edge – and didn’t share a morsel with Mum Lola.
Two beautiful well-fed osplets at the Newfoundland Power platform in Snow Lane. Mum Hope and Beaumont have done a commendable job this season!
If your pet is treated for fleas and then gets to have a swim in a pond, a river, a stream, or a lake, the toxins in the treatment are killing wildlife.
The Storks are on the move, both Black and White -. This Polish stork is already in Egypt.
I promised to include some of the memories that were forgotten with the first listing. Have some more smiles!
‘B’: “hi Mary Ann — Thanks for compiling the wonderful list of birds and nests and events that made us all smile. There are so many things that have touched the followers of your blog and these nests, and we all clearly share many of the same happy experiences. If there is one that I kick myself for not remembering it is the SW Florida nest of M15 and his new mate F23 and their eaglet E23. It was so nice to see life go on for M15 with a wonderful new mate and the lively and joy-inspiring E23. I apologize to M15 for totally forgetting them when my eagle attention moved on to the midwest and western eagles — it’s inexcusable!
SE31 also definitely makes my list, and I even thought of him, but it was so long ago that I thought the fledge and remaining in the area must have all been before the first of this year.. It brought so much joy to see one of Lady and Dad’s sea eagles be able to stay in the area and remain with parents for a very reasonable amount of time. I still am sad (and mad) about the chick of several years ago who was euthanized after she had worked so hard to fledge in spite of their injured leg. I forget the number — SE26 or 25?
And I agree with “L” that pictures and stories of your “girls” — Missey, Hope, Calico, and Hugo Yugo — and your garden visitors always bring a smile.”
‘R’: “Thank you for all the memories today. Sorry I did not get my email to you sooner, my fav was Flaco 🦉🥲❤️ and of course, Iris’s prayers being answered by Finn 💕💞”
‘J’ : “Just read the newsletter and it made me smile, laugh out loud and cry. What a wonderful (can’t think of the correct word, “habit”) to do an “what made you smile” to end the season.
I thought of two more moments that really made me laugh.
M15, F23 and E23 all down by the pond. E23 flew away, both parents followed him with their heads, then, at the same time, lowered their heads and looked at each other. Precious!
Made me think of when Harriet and M15 were perched next to each other, Harriet looking at E15 from behind M15, and someone captioned it “honey, what are we going to do about our kid?” (that didn’t want to leave).
The other moment was Archie feeding his chick, trying to be all stealthy and then scampering out of there before Annie could have a go at him.
I have more great moments to share:
On the way back from the pond I watched a beautiful (as opposed to mangy and thin, which often is the case in the city) fox.
Unfortunately when I had no camera with me, all four swallow chicks were on the nest, next to each other and all four looking out. So my view were 4 little faces in a row. MELT!
Yesterday just before I left the cemetery, on the bench were I usually take off/pull on my shoes, was a squirrel eating a eh, what’s the word, pine cone? He made rapid work of it. Beautiful bushy tail, he was very small, so I think it was a baby.
I went to a hardware store that also sells garden stuff, and it always makes me smile that birds are flying about inside. But this time I laughed out loud, to see a pigeon stand in front of a sack with bird feed. I have no doubt that he’d managed to open it.”
‘V’: “OMG. I forgot M15 and his new lady! How could that happen?”
A miracle? Is it possible that these are the two osplets from Cowlitz PUD? Thanks, ‘PB’.
No words from ‘H’ this morning. We all remember last year and the intruders at Fortis-Exshaw with Jasper and Banff.
The intruder is now on the perch.
And at Osoyoos!
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to everyone who sent a comment, a note, to others for their posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post this morning: ‘AM, AMW, B, Geemeff, J, H, PR, RP, V’, SK Hideaways, California Raptor Centre, Heidi McGrue, SF Osprey Golden Gate Audubon, Cornell Bird Lab, Montana Osprey Project, Dyfi Osprey Project, Sharon Dunne, Lady Hawk, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Polish Osprey Cam Highlights, Blackbush at Old Tracerie, Charlo Montana, Newfoundland Power, The Guardian, SOS Tesla-Save the White Storks, Raindancer Wild Bird Rescue, Fortis Exshaw, and Osoyoos Ospreys.
It is grey and very windy today. The only animals in the garden are Dyson and her kits waiting for me to put out new peanuts. Some of the larger container pots of tomatoes were blown over during the night and I have a thick jumper on with wool socks this morning. It feels like fall!
We hope you enjoyed a little trip down memory lane with the events at the nests and the birds that gave us hope and smiles so far during the 2023-24 breeding season. I enjoyed reading every list that you sent! Thank you again. Some of you have sent in more memories than reading the lists triggered. I will include a mini-listing tomorrow or the next day. I am so happy that you enjoyed that post. If you forgot someone, feel free to tell me.
‘H’ sent me a note saying little Cobey at Colonial Beach was rescued. Tears. Thank you to the owner of the cam who persisted in requesting help, to the DWR who came to the rescue, and to Dominion Energy, which brought in the bucket truck to help get little Cobey down. Cobey’s condition was described as ’emaciated’.
And her report: “8/7 Colonial Beach osprey nest: This morning David delivered a partial fish to Cobey at 1131, and he also chased away an intruder. Cobey worked on the fish on and off for a couple of hours before David removed it, thinking that Cobey was done with the fish. Mom Betty had been missing for over four days. And, David was not providing enough fish, nor was he feeding his 44-day-old youngster, Cobey. Cobey had to take a crash course on self-feeding the past few days. But, Cobey wasn’t getting enough to eat, and he was declining. Everyone knew it. The weather forecast was predicting a few stormy days, and Cobey would not have had any protection from the weather. The nest owner continued to consult with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, and the earlier decision to not intervene was reversed. We were notified on the chat at around 1430, and within a half hour, we saw the bucket being raised and someone with gloved hands reaching across the nest for Cobey. Many of us were crying. It was a miracle. We owe a debt of gratitude to Colonial Beach Osprey Nest Cam, and VA DWR, that Cobey now has a chance to live. Cobey was taken to Alton’s Keep Wildbird Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, and will be under the care of Mr. Harley Thomas White. “Now, you listen to Mr. White, Cobey, and do what you’re told… and he will make you better… And one day you will fly.”
Screen captures from a video Heidi posted on FB of the rescue:
Harley Thomas White is caring for Cobey. He made a fish gravy and fed Cobey some fish pieces, emphasising Cobey’s critical condition. Cobey is thin and weak. There will be daily updates. These images came from a video on the website of Altons’ Keep Wildbird Rescue and Rehabilitation Center Inc. Check out Harley Thomas White’s FB page for the videos and updates for Cobey as well as the website of the centre. (Want to show your support for this rescue from the nest? Have a spare tenner? I bet they would appreciate it).
WordPress Media Storage. Once again, I have hit 99.95% of my storage capacity. Tuesday afternoon, I spent some time deleting educational and information files, videos, and images from posts in 2022 and 2023 to make room for Wednesday’s post. I will gradually go back through the Memorial Walls and try to leave the single best image for the deceased bird instead of including several. Moving forward, you will see that I am putting in links to articles and videos instead of inserting the video or the PDF file. It all goes to saving space. I pay the top subscription fee for WordPress, and they will not sell me any more storage, so this is the only alternative I have discovered. There will be images, but fewer of them, sadly. If you know any secrets to getting around this issue, please let me know!
I am getting extremely excited about the upcoming trip to Nova Scotia. There are three reasons for this. You might recall that we were in Toronto a few weeks ago. It was a trial run for a longer vacation. Two years ago my husband (at the age of 63) began having memory issues. This was followed by hallucinations beginning in March 2023. All the while, I could not get a doctor! With the help of an old friend, we were able to see a specialist in December of 2023. That visit, MRIs and trips to a neurologist confirmed a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia. Some of you might remember that the American comedian Robin Williams had LBD. It is a terrible illness – not the memory issues. They come and go and never disappear like those who have Alzheimers, but it is the hallucinations that are tormenting. Thankfully, the pharmaceutical cocktail Don is taking is helping, and after Toronto, we got the green light to travel a little further and stay a little longer. (Please do not worry or fret. Believe it or not, we are doing great. Being outside on long walks fits me perfectly and it is also good for those with dementia. Nature heals and changes everything! We are living a good life – and enjoying every moment that we can). We are excited to return to a place we called home for so long but haven’t seen for 26 years. The second thing is that Nova Scotia is a birder’s paradise. While we will miss seeing the osprey chicks in the nest with the adults because they have now fledged, we hope to see them fishing and getting strong before they leave on their migration. We also hope to look out our windows in the morning and see Bald Eagles flying and get to add some shorebirds and waterfowl to our life lists. Meeting the Dennis family, who organised people throughout the province to observe and record the osprey nests, will be an honour. Last, luck found us the perfect place to stay. It is an Animal Sanctuary for rescued farm animals – pigs, goats, cows, etc. The entire property is Vegan, and we will be staying in a new apartment above a gallery. Across a quiet country road is the estuary where the eagles fly and the shorebirds scurry. What a wonderful change from living in the middle of a growing Prairie city! We are even hoping to ride bicycles!
‘CG’ reports on the search for Blue at HWF-BBCentral nest in Boundary Bay, British Columbia: “No reports yesterday of hearing Blue or the parents after Blue left the nest. Also, the parents were not seen later in the day. Normally, Mere would come back to the nest and be perched above from around dinner time until Blue was tucked in for the night. At 1251 hours today a parent was seen on a post near the water. Departed.”
In the United Kingdom, the fledging of two White-tail eaglets is causing a stir.
Beaver kits in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland are also putting smiles on the faces of those who worked so hard on their reintroduction. You may be aware that beaver activity is essential to establishing thriving wetlands and biodiversity.
In Finland, all chicks at Saaksilvie #1 have flown.
USU is on the nest with Mum at nest #4 in Finland. The status of its wing is unclear or what might happen to the chick.
Beautiful osplets in Latvia waiting to fly.
Hollywood movie crew members watch Iris as she feeds her chicks. They should be considering making a movie of her life! Sum-eh fledged and returned to the nest after practising flying. She is flying around the parking lot and Dr Green reported she had also gone up and down the river. Antali is yet to fledge. S/he is five days younger than Sum-eh.
‘A’ comments: “When a lovely big fish is brought in at around 16:55, the only one home is Antali, who does not try to claim the fish or self-feed. Iris, in response to the constant begging for fish, soon begins feeding Antali. who already has a healthy crop. He can see Finn and/or Sumeh flying above – watching from below but not at all alarmed as he would be were the osprey above an intruder. Sumeh flies in at about 16:59, eager for fish. Iris obliges. She feeds both osplets, but Sumeh is hungrier and more demanding, so she is given more food. This is a very big fish – there is plenty for the whole family. By 17:39 Iris is feeding primarily herself, although occasionally, one of the osplets (usually Antali at this stage of the feeding) decides one more bite could just fit. Dad arrives just before 18:04. Sumeh is closely studying the leftover fish mum is standing on. Iris is not pleased at the arrival of Finn, although he has BYO fish. It looks like a chunk of fish but may be something of the smaller variety. Finn takes it to the perch – the remainder of the earlier fish is still on the nest (about half of the fish) so there is still another meal for Iris and the kids.”
Beautiful osplet at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on a cloudy day. Waiting to fly. The chick has officially ‘perched’.
It really is not a coincidence that so many ospreys are dying in the Chesapeake Bay area. The extreme heat arrived, and there was no fish to hydrate the ospreys. Adults and chicks are being found dead. It is interesting to note that the Pacific Northwest had the extreme heat – even hotter in places – as did Iris – and the deaths were much less. So think about the lack of fish! The overfishing of the Menhaden needs to stop, and so does the rescue of starving osplets. We need a healthy population of fish hawks.
Mark Avery reminds us: “The Inglorious 12th – the start of the grouse shooting season is approaching. It’s one of the few issues that brings animal welfare, climate change, nature conservation and law enforcement together so clearly.” So what is the Inglorious 12th those that do not live in the UK ask? (12 August)
PETA UK says: “Traditionally, the Glorious Twelfth – or the “Inglorious Twelfth”, as it should rightly be named – marks the start of the red grouse shooting season. But this year, many estates have been forced to delay or even cancel it after human-induced climate change saw unseasonably hard sleet and cold rain, resulting in fewer birds for hunters to blast out of the sky…About 700,000 red grouse will be killed between now and December. According to a report by the League Against Cruel Sports, 40% of birds shot are wounded rather than being killed outright, causing intense and prolonged suffering. Grouse are low-flying and difficult to shoot cleanly, and hunters need no formal training or competence with a gun to go on a shoot – it’s a free-for-all. These are just a couple of reasons why this barbaric “sport” should be banned.
Grouse are charming, sensitive birds who are devoted parents to their chicks. They deserve better than being killed in cold blood for someone’s twisted idea of entertainment. And it’s not just the grouse who suffer at the hands of the hunters. To preserve the interests of their own sick pleasure, hunters remove the grouse’s natural predators, meaning foxes, stoats, weasels, squirrels, and birds like hawks, falcons, owls, hen harriers, and eagles are trapped, poisoned, or shot or their nests are destroyed.
All this cruelty and destruction so that a tiny minority of bloodthirsty people can wander through the British countryside gunning down sentient animals – it’s a senseless massacre, not a hobby.”
When you sibling wants your other slipper!
In a comment to a post about migration and if the males ever leave a chick on the nest (the question was in regard to nest #4 in Finland where the sole surviving osplet appears to have a wing injury), the author of Belle’s Journey and many papers on Osprey behaviour and, in particular, migration, Rob Bierregaard says: “Adult females almost always leave first, usually a week or two before the males. In the northeastern US, it’s usually mid-August for females and the first 2 weeks of September for the males and young. This information is based on 107 satellite-tagged birds, so I know when birds start migrating, as opposed to leaving the nest and hanging around somewhere, which they’ll do, especially after a nest fails. When young leave the nest, they are not necessarily starting their migration. Some wander all over the place and and delay the start of their migration until, exceptionally, November. I had one young from Martha’s Vineyard, an Island off the east coast of Massachusetts, wander 1,200 miles all the way to the Great Lakes! I had one male linger into late September when a young couldn’t get its act together and was constantly on the nest begging. The male finally gave up and left before the young did.”
The Eurasian Hobby in Dorsett is becoming a Hobby instead of a ‘baby chick’. Don’t you just love those strong legs of the falcons?!
Geemeff sends both a happy and sad story of Ospreys at the Cape which has grown from a few pairs to now over 500 they estimate.
Geemeff also sends the daily summary from Loch Arkaig and The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Wednesday 7th August 2024
No action whatsoever today, not even a visit from a little bird. It’s not yet the middle of August, but with night cam switching on ever closer to 10pm and staying on until almost 5am, and no chicks flying around demanding fish from Louis, the season feels suspiciously like it’s over for this year. Affric152 and Prince should still be around as they have a young fledgling to look after, and with luck we might even see their chick testing his wings on or near one of the cam nests. Garry LV0 was the last one to leave last year so perhaps he’ll do that this year too but it does seem as if the star pair, Louis & Dorcha, have already headed south. With the weather being wet and windy today, and more of the same forecast for the next ten days, moving south seems the sensible thing to do.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 22.21.45 (04.41.53); Nest Two 22.14.31 (04.49.20)
Today’s videos: none – not even a visit from a little bird!
Bonus read – a free ebook by W. H. Majoros Season with the Osprey:
The wind appeared to be strong at the Port Lincoln barge. Both Mum and Dad were tucked in and then Dad flew off and left Mum hoping he was going to bring her a nice big fish for brekkie.
Jackie and Shadow were at the nest for morning chortles on Wednesday.
Ceramic nests save the life of little seabirds and they are coming to Alcatraz to save birds. Thanks, ‘EJ’ – a very engaging story of people figuring out solutions.
But this is good news. It is time for some serious consideration about taking all the Menhaden that keep our ospreys alive (and other birds and mammals).
Atlantic menhaden board votes to study more restrictions on controversial Chesapeake Bay fishery
The measure passed this week is meant to help protect birds and fish that rely on menhaden as a key food source. But researchers say more data is needed to understand the dynamics in the bay.
I really hope that my readers living in this area and loving the Osprey will speak up – and anyone else that feels it is important for Osprey to have fish to eat! The commercial fishing of Menhaden has to stop – inside and outside of the Chesapeake Bay.
‘H’ reports:
8/7 Osoyoos osprey nest: Unless I missed one, it seems that there were only 4 fish brought to the nest, all delivered by Olsen. There were two good size fish from which Soo provided nice feedings. And, the two very small fish were acquired by Chick 1. Chick 2 was doing much better with his wingercizing today. At 1749, Chick 2 was so high that s/he was almost completely out of view for a second. Keep exercising those wings #2! Weather forecast for 8/8: Partly cloudy with smoky air, high temp 92F/33C, light winds.
8/7 Fenwick Island osprey nest (Captain Mac’s Fish House): Everything is going well for Johnny, June and 54-day-old ‘Fen’. Today was the first day in a few weeks that June did not catch a large striped bass, but the wind and rain may have had something to do with that. Fen was wingercizing with some nice hops today.
8/7 Fortis Exshaw osprey nest: There was another fledge today. Due to the dirty camera, it is still difficult to see details of the birds. But, at 1200, we believe that chick 2, named Peyto, fledged at 54 days of age. Peyto landed on the nest perch at 1240, and dropped to the nest when a fish arrived. Congratulations Peyto!
A wee peak at WBSE 33 and 34. They always look like fluffy little snow people to me.
Hugo Yugo wishes everyone the best Thursday (or Friday) depending on where you live. She is a sleepy girl waiting to get her eyes cleaned, poor thing.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, CG, EJ, Geemeff, H, J, PB, RP’, Heidi McGrue and the Joy of Ospreys, Henry Thomas White and Altons’ Keep Wildbird Rescue and Rehabilitation Center Inc., Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, Sea Eagle England, Cairngorms National Park, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Montana Osprey Cams, LDF, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Osprey Cam, Chesapeake Mermaid, OpenVerse, PETA UK, Dyfi Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, CBS News, SFStandard, The New York Times, Mark Avery, Brian Collins and Menhaden- Little Fish, Big Deal FB, Osoyoos Ospreys, Fenwick Island, and Fortis Exshaw.
Thank you so much for all your notes and photographs and news! I really do appreciate it and I love hearing from you. I might not be able to answer back straight away, but I will!
It is that time of year when overlooked nests are being entered into our data forms and when fledges and deaths continue to have to be inserted. Today, after thinking we had anything and everything that could predate an Osprey, we discovered that Canada Geese ate the eggs of one nest in Maryland. Thankfully, ‘H’ is much better at working magic with this programme that Claudio designed and we now have a category of Predation – Other. We can fill in the odd happenings. I have 43 more nests – and at least 86 more eggs/chicks – to put in the forms. So far, 37% of all osprey eggs have either failed to hatch or the chicks have died. Siblicide still accounts for the seond highest causes after DNH, then predation by owls at 11% and weather events at 11%. I did note a section ‘indirectly by humans’ and it seems to be that these weather events might fall under that as well. If we can get the authorities to recognize human caused climate change, then we might convince them to help with our ospreys. I note that a list was growing under a posting of one FB group – a wish list that included: woven and wired rails like the good folks at Glaslyn do for Aran and Elen, netting below the nest to catch chicks that fall over the edge, predator baffles, stocked ponds, strobe lights and grates to try to ward off predators such as owls and eagles, intervention with fish when required, etc. These were thoughtful listings of ways that we can help without breaking the bank. Is it too much to ask?
Speaking of stocked ponds, Anne-Marie was able to establish that the lake where Olsen is fishing has lots of fish. With the heat those fish have gone deep and he is not able to catch them as Ospreys only go less than a metre deep in their dives.
Some images of the not so wetlands yesterday. Despite the rain, the reeds seem to have taken over lots of the area.
Can you find the eagle’s nest? It is difficult with all the foliage.
It is 1939 Thursday evening and the sun is beginning to get low in the West. The day was not as hot as it has been, but it was warm enough and quite humid still. The birds have been busy coming and going. I have noticed that there has been not so many Blue Jays and my neighbour came to tell me that the local hawk got 2 of them. I took a breath. Everyone has to eat.
I really did think that there was something wrong with Hugo Yugo when I saw her.
Why would a cat nudge herself between two pillows and a hot cover on a hot day in a glass room? I have no idea. It is possible that she was hiding from Baby Hope because a few minutes later she was tearing all over the house!
Thankfully, nothing has happened to the Crows. Can you tell I adore these characters? They rest on my backlane neighbour’s shed. He said that even their bellies are covered with soft down.
Everything is getting quiet. Most of the birds are going to their roosting spots for the night. Hugo Yugo is fixated on a fly that has gotten into the house and now Baby Hope is joining her. No doubt they will have quite the time tonight chasing it and knocking things over in the meantime.
‘PB’ clicked on the McEuen Osprey nest feed just in time to catch Mum delivering a monster fish for her and the baby! 25 C so a bit cooler for them on Thursday. The high heat will return on Wednesday.
The triplets at the Osprey Centre in Australia are doing well.
Iris and her chicks survived the storm that raged through Missoula Wednesday night, but many nests were not so lucky. ‘PB’ informs me that Louis and Starr’s chicks are alright. Their nest is at the Baseball Park or near to it. (They have moved house).
In fact, Louis and Starr’s three chicks have fledged and there are five ospreys flying around the ball park. This is fantastic. Maybe both of these nests by the Clarke-Fork River in Missoula will fledge all of their chicks. That would really be something this year!
Iris is going to have a lot to put in her 2024 diary. Finding Finn, having babies, sweltering heat and then hurricane-force winds. Regardless, Finn just keeps bringing in the fish.
Beautiful Iris.
Finn and Iris have obviously been talking about the need for some small fish to come on the nest so the kids can start to self-feed! Or did they? Finn: ‘Iris, where are you? I don’t feed chicks!!!!!!!!!!’
‘Is it OK for this one to have the whole fish?’ Check out the look on Finnegan’s face.
Tug-o-war with Mum who arrives just in time.
Of course, Iris took charge. She will make sure that both chicks get fish in the heat and storms.
I guess Iris got tired of waiting for Finn to bring in a big fish so she went out and got her own for her and the kids!!!!!!!
Rest assured now that Iris is fishing no one is going to go hungry on this nest. Her first two chicks in six years. She isn’t going to let them die of starvation or Finn slowing down.
Iris has been feeding the chicks and herself for several hours. Finn is on the perch. I wonder what he is thinking?
Three hours into the feeding. Isn’t Iris getting tired? No. She is making sure that there will be no bullying from older to younger and that her and the chicks are well fed. I wonder if there is anything left if she will share with Finn?
Don’t you love the way that Iris pulls back the skin revealing the soft fish flesh? It is much easier to feed the chicks this way!
Finnegan came in with a late fish. ‘PB says it wasn’t as big as Iris’s but big enough to keep these babies well fed for the night!
‘H’ is going to be reporting on Osoyoos, but right now there is a huge fish on that nest and I hope that everyone eats and gets full.
The breeding programme for Hen Harriers in Scotland is doing well. The question is – can we keep the gamekeepers from shooting them? If you do not know about these amazing raptors, I am including some great books below this blog by Raptor Persecution UK.
I posted these audio stories of the plight of the hen harrier last year. I want to do that again for those of you that might not have found my blog then or who didn’t have time to listen. This will give you a really good idea of why the attempts to increase the population of these gorgeous raptors is ongoing and the challenges that everyone faces.
So please listen! You also get an explanation of the Inglorious 12th of August which is coming up in three weeks. I hope you understand why stomping on a nest of innocent Hen Harrier chicks makes me ill and causes my anxiety to rise. The wealthy pay 1000s of GBP per day to shoot grouse but they also stay in hotels, eat at restaurants, and spend money in the villages. The fines and punishments mean nothing because killing birds is big business with the Driven Grouse Moors seen to be a ‘part of traditional Britain’ – which they are. We live in the 21st century and our attitudes towards killing have changed since medieval times.
There are three episodes. Educate yourself and listen to all of them. Imagine the vast expanse of Scotland because this is where this happens.
This is my favourite book. It gives us a ‘true’ insight of the live of a Hen Harrier – from hatch – to being shot and what their life was like. Before you read any of the others, I highly recommend this one. It is extremely well written and pulls at your heart. Not fancy coloured photographs, just the first hand account of this magnificent female harrier and her short life.
The other excellent book is A Hen Harrier’s Year. The gorgeous watercolours of the birds are a real winner!
We are all concerned about Blue at the Hancock Boundary Bay nest. Check out the feathers. This eaglet really needs to be rescued and taken into care. I honestly do not understand why nothing is being done for Blue.
At the US Steel nest, we have video footage of Lucky living his life in the skies! Wish this was Blue.
The Janakkala pair are learning to self-feed as fledge dates approach in Finland.
Kristel is 81 days old today. It is the same age as Diana at the other Golden Eagle nest in Estonia fledged.
Kristel had breakfast on Thursday – a Eurasian Collared Dove.
The reintroduction of Ospreys into Ireland begins with the arrival of the chicks today. Here is the latest information:
Only one osplet remains at the Ferguson Museum osprey platform. The other two have died from lack of fish.
This was the whole family at the Middle Farm nest on Fisher’s Island, NY, on the 28th of June. Tragedies can begin to happen without our knowing and within less than a month a family of five is now a family of three.
Cowlitz PUD fledgling returns to nest for a fish meal!
The wind has hit Sandpoint Osprey nest and Keke and River are holding on tight.
Lola at Charlo Montana needs to pick up her talons and go out fishing like Iris. The chick is 43 days old today.
Royal Cam chick news:
Geemeff sends us her daily report about Loch Arkaig for The Woodland Trust:
Daily summary Thursday 25th July 2024
Today we received the wonderful news that the surviving Arkaig Osprey chick 1JW has fledged! All eleven members of the Scottish cohort took to the skies over Valencia today, more info in WTS George’s comment, link below. A bright spot in an unusual season. His dad Louis was also around today, visiting his nest bringing a stick and doing a little nest work, good to see him after an absence of a few days. Nest One also had Osprey visitors – Affric 152 arrived moments after Garry LV0 did. Neither stayed long, and both flew off in the same direction. With an identical broken feather spotted by LizB on both the blue-ringed Bunarkaig female and on Affric when she landed on Nest One, it’s almost certain they are one and the same. With an unfledged chick still on the Bunarkaig nest, what’s Affric doing on Nest One with Garry? The forecasted rain was much in evidence today, and more expected tonight with thundery showers overnight easing off to light rain tomorrow.
Bonus photos – 1JW on a feeding platform near to the aviary:
#ArkaigOsprey in Spain, 1JW is a wild bird once more!
He fledged today just before 3pm.
Here he is on one of the feeding platforms near the pen that has been home for the last couple of weeks. Now he will start exploring the marshes of Valencia. pic.twitter.com/t2jUfcAK6l
— Woodland Trust Scotland (@WTScotsocial) July 25, 2024
Watch the Loch Arkaig Osprey livestream 24/7 and join in the conversation here:
Special blast from the past: On July 25, 2020, the world came together to tell the story of a single day on Earth, hundreds of thousands of members of the public responded sending their typical day to Ridley Scott. This was my entry:
A simple solution that can be done right at the factory. Paint one blade black and save the lives of our birds.
Mum and Dad are having ‘some fun’ on the barge at Port Lincoln!
Just look at this!
News on Luna’s necroscopy at Redding:
There has been no word about N1 who appeared to have an accident Wednesday morning during a streaming cam event at Cornell. She was seen sitting peacefully but no one has seen her since.
There are concerns about Little who fledged on the 18th at Patuxent River Park and has not been seen on camera. People want to know why they support boat tourism and do not care for their chicks. Does anyone know what is happening here?
In Poland, the life of the Black Storklet was saved. When rescued the storklet weighed only 1500 grams when, at this age, it should have been at least 2500.
Maria Marika gives us the background information on why this little storklet fell into such poor conditions.
‘H’ reports:
7/25 Osoyoos osprey nest: The osplets are 47 and 48 days old. The temperature was lower today, and Olsen brought four fish to the nest. The first three fish were small to medium in size, and Big was able to acquire all three of them to self feed. Big had meals lasting 10 minutes, 30 minutes, and 9 minutes. The last fish arrived at 1817, and it was very large. Although it was big, it was obviously not a 3-hour fish, but it took Soo 3-hours to feed from it. Big was in rare form and she was a complete tyrant on the war path for almost the entire three hours. Big was intent on preventing Middle from eating, regardless of whether Big was hungry or not. It would take too long to provide details, so I will try to summarize. Over the course of the three hours, Big ate the equivalent of at least 4-5 meals. Big was almost constantly beaking or otherwise harassing Middle, even when Middle was not anywhere near Soo. There were numerous times in the process of beaking Middle, that Big nearly pushed Middle off the nest. There were even several times that Soo was nearly forced off the nest by Big diving over her to try to get to Middle. In fact, at 1929 Soo did have to leave the nest briefly when she had to jump to the extension bar. The aggressiveness of Big caused many distractions and delays as Soo was attempting to feed. To make matters worse, the fish was very tough, and the few times when Middle was in a good position to eat, it would take Soo too long to offer fish bites. Instead of receiving multiple bites in rapid succession, Middle would only get a few bites before Big attacked again. There was not a single period of time when Big actually retired from the meal to rest, so that Middle and Soo would have some ‘alone time’. I counted fish bites for Middle, and there were a few times when I could only surmise bites based on the movements of Middle and Soo. Middle ate at least 140 bites of fish during that 3-hour ordeal, and Middle did have a moderate crop after the meal. Due to cam downtime issues, we don’t know how well Middle ate yesterday. Weather forecast for 7/26: Sunny, high 84F/29C, light winds.
7/25 Patuxent River Park osprey nest: Big had spent the night on the nest so that she could guard her leftover fish, and she had a nice breakfast early in the morning. She was joined in the nest a little later by Middle. They both came and went from the nest throughout the day. We did not see Little at the nest. At 1443 an adult intruder landed in the nest, and a minute or so later, a juvenile osprey approached to land. The intruder jumped up and intercepted the juvie, talons to the face, and flew away. The young osprey fell below the nest out of our view. Based on certain characteristics, we thought that the juvie was either Big or Middle. At 1502 Middle was in the nest when Dad delivered a large partial goldfish. Dad had been followed in by the adult intruder who immediately engaged in a battle for the fish with Middle. Dad jumped on the intruder twice to try to help out, but his efforts were futile. The intruder ended up with the fish in its talons and sort of fell/flew off the nest dragging Middle with him. Middle landed back in the nest a few minutes later.
After a while we started to hear loud rustling noises and ‘wing flapping’ below the nest. The flapping sounds were heard intermittently in spurts, as if the bird would need to rest at times. As the tide came in, the flapping efforts started to sound more ‘watery’ like flapping in water. We believed there was an injured osprey struggling below the nest out of our view. The nest is 10 feet above the marsh. If the incident at 1443 involved Big, and if Big had landed awkwardly in the marsh, she could have been injured. Or another possible scenario, was that the adult intruder may have landed in the marsh and been injured when it went off the nest somewhat awkwardly holding a large goldfish, with a juvenile osprey attached. A ten-foot height does not allow much time to recover and fly before landing in the marsh.
We were convinced that there was an osprey needing help…and soon! We had a gut feeling that it was Big below the nest. Some chatters called the park office, some called a local raptor rehabber who said she’d try to find someone with a boat. And posts were also made on the chat to the attention of the park. We needed help. After many long hours, no help came. As high tide hit, and as darkness fell, we no longer heard the flapping below the nest.
Annie is moulting and loafing!
Yesterday, Koa was seen on the West End cam at the old nest of Thunder and Akecheta!
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, posts, questions, articles, videos, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘EJ, Geemeff, H, J, PB, TU’, McEuen Park, Osprey House Environmental Centre, Hellgate Osprey, Wild Skies Raptor Centre, Montana Osprey Project, Osoyoos, Raptor Persecution UK, The Guardian, HWF-BBC, US Steel, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Eagle Club of Estonia, Gregorious Joris Toonen, Berkeley News, Ferguson Museum, Cowlitz PUD, Sandpoint Ospreys, Charlo Montana, Bird Cams, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Factsdailyy, PLO, Heidi McGrue, Celia Aliengirl, Bocianimy, Maria Marika, Osoyoos, Patuxent River Park, and SK Hideaways.
