Tomorrow is the day that the vote on Menhaden will happen. It is a big day for our ospreys and I thank everyone who sent their comments to the committee.
Great news about Snow – Flying Higher and Lifting Off. Mum and Dad would be proud.
Victor Hurley was concerned about the female at 367 Collins Street. The adult female has been feeding her and she is eating better and both looked good a few minutes ago.
Adult on nest with prey – eaglet on the branches earlier at the Olympic Park WBSE nest in Sydney.
M15 and F26 were seen mating on the old nest at the Pritchett Farm in Fort Myers, Florida.
Egg watch continues at NE Florida nest of Beau and Gabby.
Thank you so much for being with us on this quick update. There is one other thing – Mary Cheadle is holding a final fundraiser for The Woodland Trust and the Loch Arkaig nest of Louis and Dorcha.
Thank you to everyone advocating for the Ospreys tomorrow – what a great image. Thank you to SK Hideaways and to everyone who else who posted information, images, or both. I am grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch these incredible birds.
Toby and I have had a lovely walk today and are preparing to meet our friend, Connie, and her dog, Izzy, for a longer “sniffing meet” tonight at 1800. The weather is not so bad. Yes, I need a light wool coat and a toque, but the sun is shining, and the sky is blue, and we are feeling joyful!
Dylan and Seren (Blue 5F) lost their three chicks this year at the main Llyn Clywedog nest in Wales. Seren appeared to have been frightened and bolted, leaving the chicks uncovered during a cool night. All died from hypothermia. Dylan and Seren recovered, and today, Seren was photographed on her favourite post in The Gambia. She has arrived safely.
There are now only two surviving eyases on the 367 Collins Street ledge. The eldest died of either Trichomoniasis or HPAI, falling off the ledge during the early hours of the morning. I hope that the carcass was found and taken for testing so that the results can be known. The other two chicks appear to be fine. Let us hope it stays that way! These are excellent parents.
Congratulations for SE38 who fledged and returned to the nest several times before being seen on camera on the ground.
Jack and Jill were together at the Achieva nest today.
The Woodland Trust published their video summary of the 2026 Loch Arkaig ospreys. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/jKM7mRL0iaQ?
Thank you so much for being with us today for this quick report. Please take care. We will be back with you at the weekend.
Thank you to everyone who posted images and information on FB, to RT at Raptor Persecution UK for constantly seeking the truth, to Jeff Kear and the group at UK Osprey Info FB, and to everyone else – we are grateful for all the news you share. To the owners of the streaming cams, we owe you a great debt as without your service we would not be able to watch these incredible lives.
It is heavily overcast and 14 degrees C in Winnipeg. Incredible. We have had drizzle all day, but it didn’t keep Toby from wanting to go out for a walk and then – to run all over Melissa’s clean floor!
The garden has been full of birds. I think the Starlings beat the Crows today. They are so beautiful. The squirrels have thick fur for the winter and everyone is caching.
We have videos!
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 25 October 2026
Channel Islands: The Extreme Sport of Eagle Nest/Cam Maintenance ~ Dr. Sharpe, IWS, and explore are ROCKSTARS~ 2026 Oct This was extreme sport at its most extreme. The incomparable team of Dr. Peter Sharpe and his team ventured across hill and dale, scaled craggy hillsides, and helicoptered in to spruce up the Two Harbors, West End, Sauces Canyon, and Fraser Point territories of our beloved Channel Island Eagles. Enjoy the adventures of these superheroes, thank your lucky stars it wasn’t you, and consider donations to the amazing organizations that make it all happen. Video: https://youtu.be/CYKma9rOOKk
Sadly, we are likely to lose at least one of the female chicks this week, as previously reported. Glad to have been able to capture some happy times last week.
M24 Declares GUTTER STOMPING Kickoff with Food Lure ~ 2026 Oct 30 The chicks have been content lounging in the northern wing since they discovered it 12 days ago. But dad M24 decided it was time they got some exercise, so he lured them back across the gutter with food. (OK, I made that up, but it did get them moving.)While it wasn’t a full-blown gutter stomp, it was a great start, whetting our appetite for more to come. Video: https://youtu.be/fPE_FIXZFqQ
Wingers, Mini Gutters Stomps & Ledge Heart-Stoppers ~ 2026 Oct 29 At nearly 4 weeks old, the chicks are nonstop entertainment. While gutter stomping hasn’t begun in earnest, there are plenty of wingers and beak nibbles, as well as laying on the ledge, which causes older viewers a bit of heartburn. Grateful to Dr. Hurley for zooming the north camera such that we have a closer view of all the antics. Video: https://youtu.be/xdgJN1A6VC0
Little Man Scrambles Up to Nest ~ Cuddle Puddle Threesome Unites ~ 2026 Oct 25 Three cheers for this determined, feisty Little Man. He scrambled up to the north nest with his sisters like a champ. All is right with his world. Video: https://youtu.be/e1BXSwcR5ao
Eagles, Eagles Everywhere ~ A Busy Day in the Habitat ~ 2026 Oct 31 There was a stream of eagle traffic in Shadow’s habitat this afternoon. Not sure if there were two or four eagles perched on two of Shadow and Kaydee’s favorite trees, but they were all a joy to see whoever they were. Video: https://youtu.be/SrEcbiUurA4
Chase Catches a WHOPPER ~ Not Too Interested in Sharing with Cholyn ~ 2026 Oct 29 Chase arrived at the Two Harbors nest with a massive fish ~ tailless, which was a surprise ~ and began chowing down. But all the while, he kept an eye out for Cholyn, who has been known to swoop in and steal his meal. Well, she did swoop in, but Chase was ready and flew to the Overlook nest to finish eating. He continued to guard the fish till he’d had enough, then moved aside at which point Cholyn arrived and enjoyed the leftovers. Those two ~ what a joy to behold. Video: https://youtu.be/eNwjTR-gktk
‘J’ sent me a good news story from Switzerland. Ironically, it is from the area where my family live/d. My great-great-grandfather, Johannes Simeon Bruesch (and many before him) helped to govern the area around Chur. This is about the Bearded Vulture.
“During this year’s breeding season, 30 young bearded vultures fledged in Switzerland. Of these, 29 came from wild broods, and one young bird was released into the wild. This brings the total number of young bearded vultures that have fledged in Switzerland since the reintroduction project began in 1991 to just under 300. About 80 per cent of them came from wild broods.
A New Record The international project to reintroduce the bearded vulture has set a new record for 2026 with 72 wild broods. The bearded vultures were most successful in Switzerland, with 29 wild broods, followed by France, Italy, and Austria, which recorded 18, 17, and eight wild broods, respectively.
Reintroductions Remain Important Since the project began in 1991, a total of 299 young vultures have fledged in the Swiss Alps. Of these, 242 came from wild broods and 57 from reintroductions. This illustrates that, in terms of numbers, reintroductions now contribute less to the growing population. Nevertheless, they remain important because the risks of inbreeding are increasing. For this reason, young bearded vultures continue to be released into the wild, contributing to the genetic diversity of the still-small population.
Hotspots in Graubünden and Valais In Switzerland, the bearded vulture population density has so far been highest in Graubünden and Valais. In these two cantons, eighteen and seven young birds, respectively, have fledged this year. Two breeding pairs were also successful in the canton of Bern, while one pair each in the cantons of St. Gallen and Ticino raised a young bird.
Bearded Vulture Count, October 10–18 Once again, we are organizing the annual count of bearded vultures living in Switzerland. Volunteers are invited to help with this effort.”
According to the Vulture Conservation Foundation, “The Bearded Vulture is Europe’s rarest vulture. Still, the population of the species on the continent is on the rise thanks to extensive reintroduction and conservation efforts. It is an unmistakable bird, both for its breathtaking features and its unique behaviour.”
“Bearded Vultures were once found in all the mountain ranges of southern Europe from western Spain to the Balkans. Over the 19th and 20th Centuries the Bearded Vulture was intensively persecuted and combined with a decline in wild mountain herbivore population and changes in farming practices, the population becoming extinct across nearly all of its European range.
Efforts to reintroduce the Bearded Vulture began in the late 1970s with the Alpine Reintroduction Project and in the space of just 40 years the population of Bearded Vultures in the Alps is firmly been reestablished, making it one of the world’s most successful wildlife comeback stories. Following the success of this project efforts began in Spain to bring the Bearded Vulture back with the Andalucia Reintroduction Projects in 1996 followed by the Valencia Reintroduction Project in 2018.
Whilst today the species occupies a small percentage of its former range, in the Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada and Alpine mountain ranges and small populations on the islands of Corsica and Crete, the population in western Europe is increasing.”
Genus
Gypaetus barbatus
Common name in other languages
German Bartgeier; French Gypaète Barbu; Spanish Quebrantahuesos; Portuguese Brita-ossos; Swedish Skäggam
IUCN Red List Status (Europe)
Near threatened
Left in the wild
1,675-6,700 mature individuals worldwide (BirdLife International 2021)
Pyrenees, Sierra Nevada and Alpine mountain range, Corsica and Crete (Europe)
Habitat
Remote, mountainous areas, with precipitous terrain, usually above 1,000 m
Size
100-115cm
Wingspan
2.5-2.85m
Weight
4.5-7.1kg
Diet
Feeding on carrion, with a large proportion (around 85%) made up of bones, usually of mountain herbivores such Ibex, Chamois, Red Deer and domestic animals like sheep
Life expectancy
up to 40 years in captivity
An adult Bearded Vulture from the e-Bird archives:
The Olympic Park eagles are getting ready to fledge!
At 367 Collins Street, the sick chick is keeping itself to the north end of the ledge while the two, hopefully healthy, babies are at the south end flapping.
Diamond and Gimbir aren’t giving up on those eggs. So sad.
Liberty and Guardian are working on their nest in Redding, California today.
Eagle having a meal at Little Miami Conservancy:
Beau and Gabby are working hard at the NE Florida nest.
Some sad news coming out of Latvia from Maria Marika:
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourselves and thank you, as always, for your love and support. Toby, The Girls, and I are coping with a horrible situation but we are alright. The key is to not try and go back but move forward – and find joy in ways you might have forgotten or overlooked.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, to eBird for the image of the Bearded Vulture, to the Bearded Vulture Conservation Society for their information and to ‘J’ from Berlin for sending me the good news story. Thank you to everyone else who posted information and images on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams, I am always grateful, always.
I just caught this post by Victor Hurley, the Peregrine Falcon researcher in Melbourne.
Good morning Falcon Watchers,
I have been concerned for a little while now that one of the larger nestlings has been looking a bit off colour and not feeding adequately. Diagnoses from this distance is always challenging. From what I have seen both at this site and other urban sites it appears as if this one has a Trichomoniasis infection. This is a contagious disease that attacks the mouth, crop and oesophagus. It occurs in a range of bird species with adult pigeons and doves often acting as resistant, sub-clinical carriers. Its transmission to young Peregrines in the nest is through direct contact via being fed infected prey.
The rules at this site are that we do not interfere. These are wild birds in an urban environment. No correspondence will be entered into on this matter.
P.S. it is unlikely that this one will transmit it to the other siblings. The adults could bring in further infected prey and those too could become infected. Only time will tell.
P.S.S. I could be wrong and it is bird flu. How this one is presenting seems much more typical of Trich and not Bird Flu. However, bird flu presents differently and faster acting leading to death.
P.S.S.S. Yes this will be fatal.”
Let us hope that this does not spread to the others. Sadly, we have seen Trichiminosis at this nest in earlier years.
Thank you to Dr Hurley and to the owners of the streaming cam at 367 Collins Street.
It is a beautiful day! It is my day ‘off’ from hospital visits. toby and I are supposed to clear out the winter coats today. We will see. The weather is so nice. The sun is shining through cotton-ball clouds, and a brisk breeze is blowing.
Toby and I had a long, gentle walk. He loves to go to the little park at the end of the street in the mornings. A lady is always doing Tai Chi, and another is with her toddler. Toby loves toddlers!!!!!!!! It seems that the little girl also anticipates Toby’s arrival. It is so sweet. She always starts clapping her tiny little hands when she sees him crossing the street.
The Blue Jays are so busy – along with the squirrels – caching peanuts. I love that the Blue Jays call when they fly into the feeder, announcing their arrival. I am watching them from the conservatory – there is nothing like the garden animals to lift one’s spirits!
Hopefully, in a week or so, I will have some really good images of them for you. Last year I sold my professional camera and five telephoto lenses. The D850 was simply too heavy, and adding an 800 mm lens on top of that, well…you get the picture. I thought the P1100 would work well, but I am finding I have to use a tripod to capture the fine detail in the feathers, and it is not always convenient to carry a heavy tripod. Well, at least it isn’t for me as I always have Toby and Don with me. I am hoping to change that, so I take one of Ann’s days and use it to go photograph wildlife. I am realising how much self-care is important since the last time Don was in the hospital. So another hint to everyone out there caring for someone – and I know many of you are – you must take time to do something fun for yourself. Whatever that is, you need to do it. You cannot take care of another person and not become resentful if you do not also care for yourself. that means special little treats – they could simply be a visit to a local dessert shop, the most luscious-smelling shower gel, allowing yourself to have someone clean your house (here it is a necessity with four cats and Toby), flowers, chocolates, or used camera equipment to get you outside looking at the flora and fauna. One day I mean to write a post simply on what I have learned, in the hope that it is of value to you at some time or another. I knew nothing when I started this journey with Don – nothing. We have learned together by the seat of our pants, and it has paid off. I do not know when he will be strong enough to come home – remember, the hospital thought he was an invalid! He is now getting physiotherapy and is really being hydrated. You also have to watch that. If we are not properly hydrated, we can present as delusional when we definitely aren’t. Of course, you need to do this at home, too. I found something nice: sparkling water mixed with watermelon juice and apple juice. It’s been very refreshing on days when our days have decided to stay hot.
The good news is that Don was in a wheelchair today, using his feet to go up and down the hall. He heard Ann and started waving and saying, ‘Hi, Ann.’ Ann telephoned me and put the phone on speakerphone, and Don and I had a full conversation for ten minutes. I cannot tell you the last time that happened. We recorded that conversation and sent it to his doctor. I will see him tomorrow- I am wondering if blood thinners help??? I think it is the only change in his medications. We will see. But the news is good – one day at a time.
I put the word out to a camera company in Canada that sells excellent used equipment and found a used Canon R7 with fewer than 8000 shutter clicks. In other words, it is like new. The cost of the camera and the telephoto lens (also used but like new) is less than a new camera body. I am very pleased. I always recommend checking with reputable shops or even the companies themselves for refurbished, like-new, previously owned equipment. Canon Canada does that, and I am certain it is the same everywhere.
So, little M24 at the 367 Collins Street scrape flew in late yesterday like he hadn’t been away, causing everyone to worry beyond belief! I wonder if he is dealing with intruders?
Well, that is a huge relief.
Viki has updated news for us on the only osprey to fledge from St. George’s Island in Maryland. I want to add that this single family, out of a possible 20+ nests, survived ONLY because they were fed by a compassionate human.
“I believe Junior stopped by this morning and called and retrieved the fish I threw!!! He started to eat on the nearby branch but by the time I returned from putting the fish bag to the freezer he’d headed out somewhere with it. It might be him still sleeping in the very few remaining green boughs in the loblolly copse to my north (where New House 1 is being built).
Mr. Perfect is still in the copse as well, since I don’t see him securing the nest for the winter, I feel he remains so to watch over the construction diminishing his copse. But these are the only two I’ve heard or saw on my walk this morning.
I’m convinced the trawlers need to stop to save the osprey. And believe humans have harmed the Chesapeake watershed to the tipping point. I moved to this island in 1986 and see a tremendous loss of trees, land, turtles, birds, ducks, otters, foxes …. the list goes on. I believe the heron rookery is gone.”
Connie Dennis, the founder of the Nova Scotia Osprey FB group, posted this article this morning. Thanks, Connie. Please note the area at the bottom. Please send a comment asking them to stop the gillnet and industrial trawling of ospreys. Tell them about the osprey nests you have watched that have failed! We have to fight this – I am embarrassed that they are a Canadian company, but that might work in our favour in protecting the ospreys right now, speaking as a Canadian.
Elsie is the only juvenile still at Dyfi and Idris is being a fantastic dad, as usual.
Will Elsi break a record? She is 105 days old. The record appears to be 110. See data chart below – thank you Emyr Evans and team.
This is only part of their data and I wish we had this for every live-streaming nest!
Look at these images of her. She is gorgeous.
Mary Kerr has posted some amazing images from the Pont Cresor nest at Glaslyn. There are many more on their FB page. Have a look.
SE38 continues to do well – look at that crop!
Now this is interesting!
Toby is rubbing my arm, wanting attention. Just like a toddler.
Thank you for being with us. Please take care – see you soon.
Thank you to everyone who posted information on FB along with those great images, to the owners of the streaming cams we are very grateful. If not for them, we would not know anything about these amazing raptors. I am so grateful to Viki for keeping an eye on her osprey family and helping them survive.
It’s raining – again. We had 114 mm of rain, and some large commercial and apartment buildings near where I live had more than 60 cm of water in their basement. My daughter still does not have power after the storm hit last night. I was lucky. I have power and no water or sewer in my basement (I finally checked). Toby and I went out for a last walk. Toby just amazes me. He is smarter than many humans that I know.
He wanted to be in bed with his ‘daddy’ today. Don is doing well, but he will have to do a lot of physiotherapy to get him strong enough to walk again. Please take a page out of the phrase, ‘If you don’t use it, you will lose it’. Besides nature being good for our mental health, walking is essential to keep us moving!
Thank you for all your good wishes. They keep me going.
There is concern growing for the male mate of the female incubating four eggs at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne. This is the message from Victor Hurley:
C22 is still at Charlo! Then Charlie must still be home, too.
Iris is still home, too! One of the individuals saw her and posted it on the website so we would know she was still around.
Idris continues to deliver to the girls at the nest. I was only able to catch Elsi on the nest today for two fish (flat – flounder?).
Fish are still being delivered to 0U0 by Dad at the Usk Valley nest in Wales.
Frankie and Angel are on migration and a pine marten visits the nest.
Viki sends news on Junior. “After calling and calling last Friday and watching Dad retrieve a fish (two times in the course of the day) to eat himself, but NOT retrieving any fish I threw for him to take to his chick, Junior finally left the nest, and no one has been in it since.
Dad tried with every unretrieved fish I threw to show Junior how to fly over the fish – but Junior wouldn’t get off that nest. Until finally we all gave up and left. Then he did too.
Junior never tried to retrieve a fish that I threw for himself, so I’m not so sure that the live fish I saw him with a couple times didn’t actually come from Mom or Dad. I don’t know.
Dad was still flying about this morning – Monday – and also the male of the nest next door (Mr. Perfect) is still guarding his territory which is being completely disrupted on shore by new home construction – but no Junior or food calling since Friday.
So, I am assuming the best !!!”
I think this is good news from Tweed. I worried about Christopher, but both juveniles (his sister is Kirsti) seem to be doing well and fighting like siblings! Both have protected the nest from intruders who want their fish.
Thank you so much for being with us. Toby and I are going to watch a movie and relax. Take care.
Thank you to everyone who posted information and images on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us glimpse into the challenging lives of our raptors. I also want to thank Viki for her great reporting and for keeping an osprey family alive so that their one surviving chick could live and migrate. She is my hero.I am always grateful to SK Hideaways for their great videos.
Wow. It got up to 28 C today. There are supposed to be thunderstorms tonight but, there was a breeze and it was a nice day for some walks with Toby. Autumn is definitely feeling a long way away but, from the leaves on the trees, it is coming!
This is the story of the day – and it is about a raptor!
A single male hen harrier successfully reared a chick to fledgling status in Germany’s Zülpicher Börde region for the first time in 135 years, performing parenting duties previously undocumented for the species.
The Historic Event
Location: The Zülpicher Börde, an agricultural plain southwest of Cologne and Bonn in the Rhineland, Germany.
Timeline: The milestone occurred in mid-summer 2026, marking the first successful hen harrier fledging in the region since 1891.
The Situation: Shortly after two chicks hatched in a local wheat field, the mother mysteriously vanished.
Unusual Single-Father Behavior
Normal Behavior: Male harriers typically only hunt and drop off food, leaving brooding and direct feeding strictly to the females.
The Exception: Captured on nest camera, the single father took over full-time parenting out of pure instinct. He protected the surviving chick from extreme summer heat and cold nights while directly feeding it.
Human Support: Officers from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) assisted by dropping extra mice near the nest, while local farmers cordoned off the area during the wheat harvest to keep the site safe
That is fantastic!
The RSPB describes the Hen Harrier thus:
“The Hen Harrier is the most intensely persecuted of all the UK’s birds of prey. It once preyed on free-range fowl, which gave it its present name. But, in recent times, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot has lead to conflict and a threat to its survival in some parts of the UK. It’s most at risk on the driven grouse moors of England and Scotland. While males are a pale grey colour, females and young birds are brown with a white rump and a striped tail which give them the name ‘ringtail’. They fly with wings held in a shallow ‘V’, gliding low in search of food, which mainly consists of Meadow Pipits and voles. The Orkney population is famous for being polygynous, with males sometimes mating with multiple females on the island. They are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.”
It has been an unusual year because many of the female ospreys have had to provide the fish for the osplets. This is what is happening at the Osprey Environment Centre in Australia and it is challenging for the chick to get fed. What is going on?
Teifi is still feeding a fledgling at Glaslyn.
Juveniles still at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. A nice hawk would like to share their dinner, maybe.
SK Hideaways captures Mum at 367 Collins Street laying the 4th egg! Good thing there are lots of pigeons in the CBD in Melbourne! https://youtu.be/3lP6i-JjETw?
This is very short but I really wanted to let you know about that miracle in Germany.
Two updates. Don was alert today, and his appetite is back. He asked for a sandwich before I arrived at the hospital, then ate his lunch (I fed him) while I read to him. I do not know what the future holds – it is one day at a time. His brain scans show that he did not have a stroke; he has no swelling, no fracture, and no tumour. His infections are improving with antibiotics.
Toby has proven just ‘why’ he is such a good therapy dog.
My daughter and grandson, Carter, came to visit and had curry dinner. While they were here, my neighbours showed up with gifts from the entire street – wonderful sourdough bread, soups, and big confetti cookies. I always say that I live on the most amazing street in my city! Their kindness warmed my soul and tummy!
Take care everyone. We hope to have you with us again soon.
Thank you to OpenVerse, UK Osprey Information, those who posted on FB and posted information, and SK Hideaways for their video about the Collins Street Falcons. I am grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to glimpse into the lives of these amazing birds.
Oh, it is a gorgeous autumn day on the Canadian prairies. Technically, it is still summer, but it feels like fall. We have had our walk and Don has gone with Ann to get a blood collection (he also has hemachromatosis) and a walk in the park. Toby and I cleaned up the laundry room, cleaned the bird baths, and made sure the birdfood was filled. There are so many! Last night we were shocked when, after sitting on the deck for at least half an hour, a hawk flew out of the huge prairie rose bushes! He had been sitting hoping for some dinner. I think we ruined those plans when Toby when down the steps.
This is the time in Bird World when we have a bit of a lull. The newest babies are the little sea eaglets at the Olympic Park nest in Sydney. Iris, Clarke, and Wensi are still at Hellgate Canyon. Blue 33 is the only osprey at Manton Bay, I believe. C22 and Charlie were fishing at Roger’s Place. Beau waits for Gabby’s arrival.
She is a beauty just like her great-grandmother, Maya, mate to Blue 33 at the Manton Bay nest at Rutland.
Even Geemeff’s reports for the Woodland Trust are getting shorter and shorter as the ospreys disperse.
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 25th August 2026
The RAF sent five aircraft flying down the loch, they were nearly as noisy as Juniper, whose voice seems to get more strident by the day. That will stand her in good stead when she has her own nest, for fish calling and warning intruders away from her chicks. Louis brought her two fish today, taking the Nest Two tally to four hundred and sixty, and she managed to protect both of them from the marauding Hoodies, one of whom was bold enough to nip her tail feathers. The weather was mostly dry and settled today with sunny spells and it should be dry and calm overnight with a low of 13°C continuing bright and clear tomorrow with a high of 22°C.
Second egg at 367 Collins Street as we await the arrival of the first egg at Orange. SK Hideaways has it: https://youtu.be/kRjyyXG3krA?
Osprey babies are being rescued worldwide as they struggle to find food and stay healthy.
#2 at Boulder County is a beauty and she is heading south. Great image, Holly!
Hope and George are not getting any breaks this year. Now dangerous fishing gear – . Needs to be removed from that nest!
I love this tribute to the Usk Valley male osprey in Wales.
Thanks so much for being with us today. It is ‘Dog Day’ and I cannot tell you how much I adore my Toby. He came as a tiny little puppy and has grown and grown. He is the light of my life and the beat of my heart.
With his much loved and chewed Lamb Chop!
Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to Geemeff and SK Hideaways for their summaries and videos, to those who posted information on FB with or without images, to Raptor Persecution UK, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch these amazing birds.
What a day it has been in the world of raptors. Eyes have been glued to the streaming cam for the 367 Collins Street Falcon scrape in Melbourne for several days awaiting fledge – and now we have it.
One of the females flew at 09:27:26.
Adult arriving.
Female preparing for her first flight:
Congratulations. There might well be at least one more fledge today in Melbourne. Well done.
Thank you to Dr Victor Hurley and Mirvac for their streaming cams that allow us into the wonderful world of these very much urban raptors!
The sky is gradually turning blue and there are 57 European Starlings in the trees and 49 Old World Sparrows. Two Blue Jays have also already been to the feeders. There is so much snow. It was blowing and coming down hard around midnight and in certain places in the garden it is more than a foot deep. Winter has set in.
In the Mailbox:
Oh, I get the most marvelous mail but today ‘A’ reminded me of a very poignant moment last year. The 4th eyas at 367 Collins was dying. The entire family – including the siblings that had fledged – returned to the ledge to spend the night and keep the wee one warm as it passed. So, yes, the Collins Street falcons can fly back up to that ledge! Thanks, ‘A’. I remember that moment well. It is one of the finest examples of caring and grieving in Bird World. Do you remember?
I also received a fantastic letter from ‘K’ that reminds us of just how one single invention from an Ornithologist at Cornell saved the Peregrine Falcon population after its demise because of DDT. Do any of you know what that invention was? Think about it! I will bring it in to tomorrow’s newsletter.
Australian Nests:
Friday has been a very eventful day in the Australian nests and it kicked off with Indigo’s fledge at 0700:34. My goodness what a beautiful flight and it appears that Diamond and Xavier kept a good eye on Indigo and may have just delivered a nice piece of prey to her in the trees – prey that Rubus thought might have been coming to him!
Off she goes. Rubus did not notice – too busy eating his breakfast.
An adult almost immediately comes into the scrape and feeds Rubus. This is a great strategy. Rubus is no where near fledging. Keep him full, keep him in the scrape. No premature fledging.
Oh, Rubus is clearly starting to look like a little falcon. Look at those eyes. Rubus stayed facing the camera when Xavier came in with the prey. Having no screaming Rubus, Xavier immediately departs with food and flies down into the trees where Indigo is.
Sleeping standing up. Notice the beautiful barring coming on Rubus’s chest.
Moderators RECAP: 06:42:35 X w/prey, Indigo takes; 07:00:33 Indigo fledges; 07:00:38 D follows Indigo; 07:01:33 D feeds leftovers; 07:25:43 juv star, X feeds; 09 26 07 D feeds scrap; 10:10:51 D w/prey, feeds…12:44:00 D with prey, Rubus takes; 15:54:13 X with prey, Rubus takes; 18:48:54 D with prey, Rubus takes.
There is a storm forecast for Orange on Sunday. Let us all keep positive thoughts flowing to Indigo. It will be day 3 after fledge.
When the excitement of the fledge at Orange had settled a wee bit, it was time for Melbourne and, much to the delight of everyone, a gentleman who has a view of the ledge from his bathroom actually filmed one of the eyases fledging this morning! Brilliant. It was quickly removed from the FB page but, the more than 500 viewers who saw it knew that there were no only 3 or, perhaps, 2 left on the ledge of 367 Collins Street. Two could be seen clearly. IF one was in the gutter, flat, loafing, then maybe three were left but, it is probably save to say that two have fledged in Melbourne.
For all the fledges may you always be safe, maybe your crop always be full, and may you feel the wind beneath your wings for decades.
At Port Lincoln it is a question of ‘where is the fish’. The water around the barge is a little choppy. A fish came on the nest at 0835 and Mum, thankfully, ate her fill. She gave some bites to Big. Dad has not been up to his usual standards in terms of delivery numbers. Did the storm stir up the sediment and is the visibility poor for fishing? is it the choppy water? is Dad not feeling well. I noticed the other day when they did a close up of Dad’s talons that he had a lesion on one of them. All of know that he was unwell when eggs were being incubated. Let us hope that this is just passing and that all will be back to normal at Port Lincoln. This family has faced enough challenges this season. Big is not scheduled to fledge for at least another 8-10 days at least.
Ah, a fish has come in. Mum caught it and is eating her good share before taking it over to Big who is fish calling on the nest. Hold your horses Big – the order is: territory protected, parents fed, offspring fed.
And, if you are wondering, yes, this is Mum. She has gone out and caught the fish. Dad left earlier and has not returned. She is sure going to eat her share before she hands it off to Big. Just do a drop and dash – Big needs to self feed! Gosh. It has been 15 minutes. Wonder if Mum will eat the entire fish?
At 1509 Mum flew to the nest with the fish to feed Big. So far she has kept control of the fish and is feeding. Maybe she will eat some more herself.
Gosh, that fish is tough to get the flesh off. Mum is really working at it giving Big a few bites and some that she could eat on her own.
Mum is feeding slowly and she is eating fish, too. At 1546 Dad flies in with a headless fish to the nest. Mum is in the background eating fish as fast as she can. Big and her will have enough fish for today. Let us hope that Dad had a good portion, too. It is so nice to see Dad. He was gone for awhile. I hope he was out fishing with Ervie in those choppy waters.
Mum in the back eating the rest of her fish as fast as she can. Dad’s is not big. He could have just eaten it but, he doesn’t. He leaves his small offering for Big and Mum. Thanks, Dad! I do hope you ate. Big has a crop and is fine.
Port Lincoln has said there will be no banding on Saturday. So, perhaps, the banding will take place on Sunday or Monday.
Mum went over to cover her only surviving osplet when the rain started. What an amazing parent she is! Little Dad is down in the shed. Let us hope that these two are alright. Everyone was so worried about Dad yesterday. He was away for so long.
Right now it is pitching down rain at Port Lincoln. The forecast I am seeing so a high chance of rain all morning at Port Lincoln.
In some countries, birds are of least concern while, in others, they are vulnerable and, in the case of the Cirl Bunting, on the Red List in the UK. It is of LC in the United States.
This lovely little bird is a relative of the Yellowhammer. Just pause for a moment and look at the image above. How would you describe it? First, it is difficult to understand the size of the bird without any reference. Normally they are approximately 15 cm or 6 inches in length. During the breeding season, the males have a distinctive black chin. Below is a drawing of a male and female. In this you can get a better feel for how the male should look with its two yellow eye lines, black chin and crown, yellow line at the neck with a grey-olive collar and yellow underbelly. The female is much more striated with a vertically barred chest and a touch of the same olive-grey at the top of the wing. They are lovely little birds.
So why are the Cirl Buntings under threat of extinction? Farming practices is the main issue. The bird was once common all across the southern half of the United Kingdom. In the 20th century their population numbers began to spiral downwards when farming practices switched from spring sown cereal crops to autumn sown. Habitat intrusion and the use of pesticides also impacted the population numbers.
The RSPB worked with farmers in south Devon to switch back to traditional farming practices. The result was an increase in the numbers of Cirl Bunting along the cost. What had once been only 118 pairs in 1989 became 1000 pairs in 2016. This is fantastic news and all it meant was a return to the traditional sowing practices of farmers, the growth of shrubs and hedges, etc. Here is an excellent article from a farming on line journal that speaks to the challenges and what can be done for the Cirl Bunting to save it. Think rewilding!
There is still cause for concern. Farmers across the rest of the UK and elsewhere need to heed the use of pesticides and they need to pay particular attention to how their cycle impacts wildlife. The decline could lead to extinction just as quickly as the population numbers climbed over the past 30 years.
Other Nests:
I am so grateful to ‘B’ for alerting me to Indigo’s fledge but he also sent me a note telling me that Samson and Gabby were in their nest as Tropical Storm Nicole plummeted the area near Jacksonville. Well done you two. Riding out the storm together like Harriet and M15.
Jackie and Shadow are another power couple. They have really worked on this nest and they sure didn’t want a storm to take it away!
B’ wrote me first thing to say that both Gabby and Samson are fine and so is SWFlorida. Nicole has now passed through them. Fantastic.
Samson and Gabby
Sunrise over Samson and Gabby’s nest near Jacksonville, Florida.
Everything looks intact at the NEFlorida Nest. Maybe we need to get the Eagles to be our designers. These nests are amazingly strong.
Harriet and M15 have both been seen at SWFlorida and this looks like Harriet aerating that nest getting it ready for those precious eggs.
As Nicole moves out of Florida, there is sunshine on the nest of Harriet and M15. It is so good to see that they are fine and so are Samson and Gabby. The camera is still offline at Big Bear. It could have been damaged during the storm but, let’s all hope that it wasn’t.
Thank you so very much for being with me this morning. It is time for me to do some shoveling and fill the feeders! The Starlings are waiting for their Butter Bark. Take care of yourselves. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and posts that make up the screen captures in my post: Farm Life, Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, NEFL-AEF, and SWFL and D Pritchett Family.
