The big news this morning is the first hatch of the Achieva Credit Union Ospreys fledges at 7:38:24 on 28 April EDT. It was a beautiful flight. By my way of counting, this beautiful sleek bird was 55 days old. Congratulations #1 – and Diane and Jack!
Warming Up.
And s/he’s off. Ironically, Diane and Tiny Tot were preening and #2 was looking elsewhere. I wonder when they noticed there are only two in the nest now?
And s/hes off! Beautiful take off.
Traditionally the fledglings come back to have some meals. If you watched the Port Lincoln Osprey Nest in Australia you might remember this. #1 will need to hone her flying and fishing skills. Will keep an eye out and report back if she returns to the nest.
Have a great day everyone. It is going to get busy. Looks like hatch watch for some of the other Osprey, Big Sur Condor Nest, and Big Red and Arthur at Ithaca.
Thanks to Achieva Credit Union for their streaming cam – that is where I get my screen shots.
Redwood Queen is keeping an eye on that egg. If this is a successful hatch – and there is no reason to think it won’t be – it will be the first chick for Redwood Queen and her second mate, Phoenix. The egg is believed to be laid between 26 February and 3 March. What a wonderful event for this giant Redwood scorched with Iniko, Redwood Queen and Kingpin’s chick from 2020, inside. Both of the parents of this fortunate chick have survived major fires in the area. We know that Redwood Queen survived the Dolan Fire last year and Phoenix survived the Basin Complex Fire in 2008, the year he hatched. Redwood Queen is much older, having hatched in the Los Angeles Zoo, in 1998. She might have survived other fires. Let us all hope that the entire population of Condors – a little over 500 – is safe from any wildfires this year.
The Ventana Wildlife Society issues the following statement on 26 April:
“Redwood Queen and Phoenix are still incubating and we are hoping their egg will start hatching any day now. The hatch date of 4/24 was our best “guesstimate”, we could be off by as many as 2-4 days. We first observed the egg on March 3rd and estimated the egg was laid on 2/26. This was based on radio telemetry data and movements of the pair from the week prior. If Redwood Queen actually laid closer to March 2nd, which is possible, then the egg wouldn’t start hatching until April 28. So we have a 3-4 day hatch window.”
Speaking of eggs, an intruder eagle came to the nest of Milda and broke her remaining egg and made a mess of her nest. It is one of those blessings in disguise. It is believed that the egg in the nest was the first one that Milda had laid on the 12th of March and that it was non-viable. I am not an expert and cannot tell. The intruder eagle ate most of the insides of the egg. Now Milda can forage for food for herself and build up her strength. She is not a mate of Mr Chips (Cips) yet – they did not mate. I hope that she finds a really extraordinary mate and that she will have a successful clutch next year.
Grinnell has his hands full today. It looks like the little fluff balls of his and Annie’s are growing so fast that they will not fit under him anymore. Look how they look at their dad. Grinnell, you are so cute!
Isn’t Grinnell handsome? 27 April 2021
And talk about cute – have a look at this adorable little Moli waiting for its parents to come and feed it. This is a special Laysan Albatross chick. It is the 39th chick of the oldest banded bird in the world – Wisdom. Wisdom is 71 years old and her band number is Z333 (Red and White). Her mate is Akeakamai. Her baby has a temporary band so it is easy to recognize and that number is 33 in honour of its mother.
A bit of relief over at the Savannah Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island. The dad has brought in a fish and both are getting fed. Maybe this will ease the food competition and let these two get on to growing and enjoying one another’s company.
Yesterday it was a feast on the Achieva Osprey Nest in St Petersburg, Florida. Today it is hot, 29 degrees C, and there has been only one delivery. That came at 7:02:16. Tiny Tot got enough of that fish that he had a nice little crop. Still, he is at the quick growth stage and he needs more food more frequently. It is 4:30 on the nest. Fingers crossed for a couple of late night deliveries.
Tiny is grabbing the shade from Diane around 10am in the image below and Diane is calling. Chicks thought it might have been a delivery for a bit.
You can still see Tiny Tot’s little bit of a crop.
At 13:38:31 on 27 April 2021, a mysterious stranger with a metal band on its right leg landed on Iris’s nest at Hellgate. Well, now. This could get interesting.
I am going to say ‘he’ in the hope that ‘he’ might be a fantastic mate for Iris and claim this part of Louis’s plot.
Everything is just fine on the Red Tail Hawk Nest on the Cornell University Campus of Big Red and Arthur. There are three eggs being incubated and we are heading into hatch watch.
Thanks for joining me today for a peak at the nests. All of the Osprey Nests are doing grand in the UK except for the Loch Arkaig Nest. Hope that Aila will return from her migration to raise a family with Louis is quickly dissipating. Louis has been bringing fish to another female on platform 1 and they have been mating. It is an arduous migration. Many hope that if Aila did not arrive in Scotland that she settled somewhere else – she was loved by so many. And there is news that there are now three eggs on the Osprey nest in Urdaibai, Northern Spain. Take care. I hope it is nice where you are. The weather is grand on the Canadian Prairies and it is time to go and take care of the birds in my garden. The water bowls need filling. Everyone is enjoying a good bath today.
Thanks to the following streaming cams: Ventana Wildlife Society, Explore.org, Cornell Bird Lab and Red Tail Hawks, Cornell Bird Lab and Montana Osprey Project, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, UC Falcon Cam, Achieva Credit Union, and the Latvian Wildlife Fund. Thanks also to the Midway Atoll FB Page where the image of Wisdom’s Moli was posted.
You need to sit down for this. Seriously, you do. Louis brought Iris, the oldest breeding Osprey in the world, a fish! This is such a big deal that I almost didn’t believe it when I saw him land on Iris’s nest, fish held tight in his talons, on Monday 26th of April. It was 10:04.
Incoming. Could Iris believe her beautiful eyes? 26 April 2021Iris is happy to accept Louis’s fish. 26 April 2021
Iris will enjoy the fish. Of course, we all know that Iris can catch her own fish – she is a pro. It is the simple act of doing something nice for her. You see, Louis has two nests. This is Iris’s nest. If she had a ‘solid, full time mate’ they would help her restore the nest each year. The nest was in a particular state this year. Last year Iris’s egg got eaten by a Raven and then a squirrel dared to climb up. Iris practically tore her nest apart getting rid of that critter. Iris has been diligent, working hard to get the rails built up and a fine moss cushion on the top. The nest that Louis shares with Starr is at the baseball park. Both nests are in Louis’s territory. He is in charge of protecting the area from intruders, especially Bald Eagles who also hunt for fish. Because Iris’s nest is in Louis’s territory, it also means that she will never have another mate – for the simple reason that it is Louis’s territory. That is the long and short of it. Louis does not help Iris in the way that a normal mate would – he won’t help with the nest, incubate the eggs if any are laid, protect the eggs, relieve Iris, or bring food to her and the chicks. Iris is, in reality, a single parent with all the problems we have seen the females have that are alone. Daisy the Duck had her eggs eaten by the Crows. Milda starved and had to leave, her chicks dying from hypothermia. The list could go on but it takes two active parents to be successful. Louis helps Starr and normally brings her the fish. Apparently Louis brought Iris a fish last year – I missed that. And, for whatever reason, he took it back! This year he didn’t. Maybe he is growing up.
Iris is a beauty. She returns every year from her winter migration in top form. This year she arrived on 7 April. Louis has been over ‘visiting and mating’ since her arrival but so far, no eggs have been laid.
The issue at this nest is very similar to that faced by Milda. The female needs a good mate who will provide her fish while she incubates the eggs and who will bring loads of fish for her and the hatchlings. She cannot leave the eggs or the chicks unattended. Louis has failed to provide food for Iris and the chicks. Because of that, there has been only one chick fledge since they bonded. That was in 2018.
Many would like to see Iris raise a clutch of osplets. She is, after all, the grand dame of Ospreys. Even I fell into that mindset but, I changed my mind. Iris has fledged 30 or 40 chicks into the world -with Stanley, one with Louis and perhaps other partners before Stanley. Iris has paid her dues to the Osprey DNA lineage. I would like to see her live healthy and happy for many more decades. Raising chicks is very hard on the female (and the male if he does his job). Iris needs to sit in the sun and enjoy her summer vacation in Montana.
Nature is very difficult to observe and it is even harder not to be impacted by it. As humans we might not ever understand the level of hunger Milda had or what it is like to see your child or chick starve in front of you. Iris has seen both. Perhaps while her body is telling her to breed, maybe nature will have another idea. We wait.
Iris is beautiful. 26 April 2021
Iris enjoying her fish as the sun sets.
Everything seems to be going well over at the Fort St Vrain Bald Eagle Nest in Colorado today. The little one is growing and getting bigger by the day. Here it is getting ready to have lunch. Blink and this baby will be totally covered in thick thermal down with lots of pin feathers!
I want some lunch Mom! 26 April 2021
Just take a close look at the image below. Just imagine that each and every one of the triplets has a crop like the one in the middle. Imagine a food coma so heavy that you simply fall flat on your face with your legs spread. Then look at the picture again. These are the Pittsburgh Hays Bald Eaglets.
Sometimes Mom or Dad still decides to do the feeding over at the Duke Farms Bald Eagle Nest. Wow. Can you tell Li’l from Big? I can’t.
Time for lunch. 26 April 2021
These two will be banded and fitted with satellite transmitters shortly. It is a great study to find out how far the eaglets migrate from the natal nest. We should also find out their gender!
Li’l seems to have caught up with Big. 26 April 2021
Over at the Minnesota DNR Bald Eagle nest, the two have been enjoying some gourmet meals – such as duck. Today, it is hard to tell what is on the menu. It doesn’t seem to matter. These two have really grown. More often than not, these kiddos have bulging crops, too. Harry is a great provider and Nancy and him have made a wonderful team.
Nancy is feeding the two little eaglets. OK. Not so little anymore! 26 April 2021
There have been lots of fish deliveries for Kisatchie at the Kisatchie National Forest Bald Eagle Nest near Kincaid Lake in Central Louisiana. The Alligator Gar has been there for a week or more…Bald Eagles don’t seem to like them!
Kisatchie really does not want that Alligator Gar! 26 April 2021
Anna still likes to feed her ‘baby’ as dad, Louis, looks on. You can see a few dandelions hanging on. Kistachie will be ready to fledge along with Bib and Li’l at Duke Farms – too soon.
Louis and Anna are with Kisatchie on the nest. 26 April 2021
Oh, the winds have been blowing in Kansas today. Tiger and Lily did get a food delivery. Right now Lily Rose is in the natal nest and Tiger is holding on tight up on a big branch near to the right of the camera.
Lily Rose is all alone in the natal nest. 26 April 2021
Can you find Tiger?
OK, where are you Tiger? 26 April 2021
Food has been on the nest at the Savannah Ospreys but it looks like the day they had the powerful rain and the osplets couldn’t eat caused the oldest one to be food insecure. This morning he was extremely aggressive to the youngest one. Here they are standing together. I worry about this nest as the food deliveries are not good.
Lunch time – and time for the little one to get some food! 26 April 2021Peeking out. 26 April 2021
It is finally dark in St Petersburg, Florida and Jack deserves a break. Honestly, I don’t know what got in to him today. Did he find a stash of fish somewhere? Jack made SIX fish deliveries to that Achieva Osprey nest on Monday, 26 April. Incredible. The last one was at 7:30:48.
Here is that last delivery. Tiny Tot is right there cheering Dad on! Look at those nice legs on Tiny. He is really growing. It looks like he is wearing stilettos.
Tiny Tot didn’t get the last delivery of the day. But that’s OK.
Tiny Tot had one of his infamous beach ball crops. He looks so silly standing in the nest preening. You can only see his crop but not his head. And his legs look hilarious. Tiny Tot is not hungry.
Nearing the end of the fish, Diane and Tiny Tot seem to think they might just want a little taste. They move in on sibling #1. Tiny Tot steps right in front of sibling #2 and doesn’t even bat an eyelash. The kid is getting more confident every day.
At 8:25:14 Tiny gets his first bite and that is the end of the story. That fish is finished around 8:32. Sleep well everyone!
Monday morning at Achieva. The first fish comes in at 7:02:16. Tiny Tot looks for an opening and Mom Diane has the fish. Tiny gets fed for about fifteen minutes and then sibling #1 pulls the fish away from Diane gently. Later, Diane feeds #1 some of the fish and then feeds Tiny Tot at the end – in front of 2. It was a pleasant morning. Again, 2 is not so interested in the morning. Sibling 2 gets more food aggressive after 11am.
27 April 2021. The end of the first fish delivery and Tiny Tot is getting fed by Diane in front of 2.
It wasn’t a fish delivery but it was a delivery. The little marshmallows are growing up. No rivalry. Annie and Grinnell feed until there isn’t a beak open. No one pecks another one – they know that they will be fed. Oh, how I love falcons and hawks. It is so different. So reassuring.
Thank you so much for joining me today. There is certainly a lot going on in Bird World. Sometimes it is just too much to try and fit in a single blog. Some of the nests and these amazing birds deserve more attention than they are getting. Oh, for more hours in the day. Have you noticed how fast time passes since the pandemic started? Blink and another week has passed. Take care. Stay safe!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I get my screen shots: Achieva Credit Union, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, KNF Bald Eagle Cam, X-cel Energy, MN DNR, Duke Farms, Farmer Derek, Cornell Bird Lab and the Montana Osprey Project, Pittsburg Hays Bald Eagle Cam, and UC Berkeley Falcon Cam.
The grey skies and the cold to the bone weather on the Canadian prairies just added to the sadness at the Latvian White-tailed eagle nest. Parallel with the events of the two chicks dying from hypothermia came a wonderful letter from the LDF answering many questions I had about Milda and the nest. I will write up that information in a couple of days.
Milda was starving. She is a devoted mother but she had no food for her or her chicks and Mr C appears to be an on again, off again mate. It is unclear if there were intruders in the area. Mr C is on the branch watching the nest while Milda eats a nice big piece of fish – this fish arrived 24 hours after the nest ran out of food when Mr C removed the few remains of the Crow Milda had been feeding to the chicks. Sadly, she is now incubating the unviable egg.
The fourth egg at the UC Berkeley Peregrine Falcon nest in the Campanile must have been removed. The three little marshmallows are getting some pin feathers. It is hard to believe! They are consuming vast amounts of pigeon and transforming it into the fastest raptor on the planet. Here Annie is saying, ‘Open Wide!’
Annie and Grinnell are such devoted parents. Look at those little ones all tucked under mom right after their feeding.
Sometimes ‘open wide’ does not necessarily relate to food and a feeding. In the case of N24, our beautiful Legacy, it meant open your wings and fly. Legacy fledged this morning at 9:01! All of the aunties and uncles and grannies will be crying tears of joy and sadness. Legacy is a magnificent fledgling Bald Eagle now. She overcame Avian Pox and is the pride of Samson and Gabby and her grandparents, Romeo and Juliet. Look at the gorgeous profile of that head! And that deep, deep espresso plumage. Stunning.
There she goes at 9:01:54.
Lady Hawk put a video together from the three separate cameras. You can watch this historic event in this eagle’s life here:
In the case of Tiny Tot on the Achieva Osprey Nest in St Petersburg, Florida, we can talk about opening wings and mouths. Tiny Tot loves to open his wings like a Lamborghini. Wonder if the car designers looked at the birds for inspiration? Certainly those that built the bullet train in Japan did – they used four different birds to help them get the fastest train on the planet (at the time).
Tiny Tot had a crop all morning. There were three fish deliveries before 11am! Jack has really been working to keep this pantry full. There were deliveries at 6:50:30, 9:35:05, and this is the third delivery at 10:59:18:
Tiny is really growing with all the food he has been eating. Sometimes you have to look really close to figure out which chick he is now. His ‘whiskers’ are settling down and he is getting the white plumage on his chest. There he is in the middle. You can see his nice crop.
Tiny had a good feed last night and had lots of fish from 2 out of the 3 deliveries before 11 am on 26 April. The trio are waiting for delivery 4!
Tiny Tot ate lots from fish 1, none from fish 2, and plenty from fish 3. In the image below he is being fed from fish 1. Sibling 1 had some bites and sibling 2 had a couple but, as is typical first thing in the morning, the older sibs are not as interested in eating then as they are later in the day. Tiny will eat anytime! Open wide, Tiny Tot!
Here is Tiny running to get up to the fish!
Tiny does not get anything from the second delivery but he does in the third and has a very nice crop.
Tiny is really full when the fourth fish arrives but he goes up and gets some nice pieces anyway – not a lot but remember, he is full.
Tiny Tot opens his wings wide!
Tiny Tot has eaten well today and no doubt, since it is only 3:30, there will be more fish to come. Jack, you are amazing. Diane has had some fish and everyone is doing great!
And speaking of opening wide, all eyes are on the California Condor nest in Big Sur where the egg of Redwood Queen and Phoenix is between pip and hatch.
The burnt tree in the centre is where the nest is located. The Dolan Fire ravaged this area from August to the end of December in 2020. Iniko survived the fire – he was the 2020 chick of Redwood Queen and Kingpin. Iniko is at the Los Angeles Zoo and is set to be released with a group of captive bred birds later this year.
Sadly, Redwood Queen’s mate, Kingpin, did not survive the fire. She bonded with Phoenix and this is their egg in the same nest that Iniko hatched.
Redwood Queen has just returned from having a short break. There is a stream close to the nest and she might have gone for a cool drink. It is fine to leave the egg for a short amount of time.
Thank you to each of you for joining me today. I know that we all wish that the situation at the Lavian White-tailed Eagle nest were different. I will be writing a history of the nest and looking into the weather in the area. Normally the birds time their hatches to when the animals will be coming out of winter hibernation so there is lots of food. I am curious if the cold weather has caused issues with getting prey for Milda and Mr C.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams – that is where I get my screen shots: Ventana Wildlife Society, Explore.org, Latvian Wildlife Fund, UC Berkeley Falcon Cam, Achieva Credit Union, NEFlorida Bald Eagle Cam and the AEF.
It’s Sunday on the Achieva Osprey Nest in St. Petersburg, Florida. The oldest, 1, was hovering this morning before breakfish arrived at 7:53:53. Tiny Tot managed to snag that first delivery and hang on to it long enough to get some good bites. 2 stole that fish and Tiny Tot was fed by mom later. Diane brought a catfish in at 12:01:22. Tiny Tot got a little of that fish and worked on the carcass for quite awhile. Tiny’s crop was bigger than it was after the first fish – but it wasn’t big enough! A third fish delivery came in at 6:30:07 and #2 ate almost all of it. Tiny Tot did not get a single bite of that fish that I could see.
At 8:49:23 Diane brings another fish to the nest. It is dark and the camera does not have IR. Tiny gets himself up by 1 next to Diane. 2 is in the back and does not seem interested.
In the image below, Diane has the fish. Tiny Tot is next and #1 is standing in the front. #2 has its back turned towards us. It is looking off the back rim of the nest.
In the image below, 2 has turned around and is facing Diane who is feeding Tiny Tot and 1.
It was a reasonably sized fish and Tiny Tot got a really good portion of it. Diane will clean her beak at 9:19. I always sleep better when Tiny has had a good feed.
In Latvia, cold weather, high winds, and pelting snow along with an intruder caused some havoc on the White-tail Eagle Nest at Kurzere in Durbe County, Latvia. Mr C, the surrogate father delivered a Hooded Crow and plucked it before feeding the little ones.
At one point, Milda was almost blown off the nest by the high winds.
When there was a break, Milda fed the little ones from the Hooded Crow that Mr C, the surrogate father, had delivered to the nest.
Mr C stayed near the nest to help protect Milda and the chicks from an intruder. By now there is not much left of that crow for either Milda or the chicks. Oddly Mr C comes and removes what is there from the nest.
Milda left the nest and the chicks uncovered twice that I could see today. At one time she left at 17:29 returning at 18:12. She had been calling for Mr C to bring food. It is so cold that the risk of hypothermia to the chicks is high. That is a long time to leave the babies but she is hungry and so are they and there is no food on the nest as you can see in the image below. She has no choice.
At 21:19, the sun is going down. Milda is keeping her babies warm. There are some snow pellets falling. Let us hope that in the morning there will be a food delivery. The chicks were last fed around 15:00 on the 25th.
The sun is just coming up in Latvia. Milda is doing some meek little calls. I have not seen Mr C. Could he have been injured by the intruder? He has been good to relieve Milda, to incubate the chicks and bring them food and feed them. There could be a tragic ending to such a miracle if something happened to him.
It is a real bind for Milda who stayed on the nest for 8 days without food incubating these two little miracle eggs that hatched. Mr C was a big boost to the happy ending every wishes for this White-tail Eagle nest. It is too cold for Milda to be away. The babies are too young. Let us hope for food for them.
Take care everyone. Send off your warm wishes for Milda and her chicks, please. They helped with Tiny Tot. Now we need a miracle on another nest.
Thank you to the Latvian Fund for Nature and Achieva Credit Union for their streaming cams. Those cams are where I grabbed my screen shots.
There is a conservation zone in Wisconsin on the Fox River near Kaukauna. There are four healthy eaglets in a Bald Eagle Nest in that zone – four! Just look, they appear to be getting their thermal down. My goodness those parents are busy! Amazing. I always get nervous when there are three. How do you coordinate feeding four?
There are four! 24 April 2021
Down in Fort Myers, Florida E17 and E18, Harriet and M15’s eaglets of 2021, are enjoying playing in the pond this morning. They had baths and had great fun splashing one another. That pond is near their nest and the Pritchett family stocks it with fish for the eagles.
Wow, This is fun. Their first taste of water. 25 April 2021
The egg on the Big Sur California Condor Nest of Phoenix and Redwood Queen is pipping. The Ventana officials say that it takes 2 to 3 days from pip for hatch, if all goes well. Keep watching! The little condor started using its egg tooth yesterday to work its way out.
Pip started 24 April 2021
The downpour during yesterday’s storms over Savannah and the Southeast US have given way to a cloudy dry day. The two little eaglets on The Landings Nest on Skidaway Island were kept warm and dry by Mom. Here they are enjoying their lunch today.
Lunch and the two osplets are healthy and hungry. 25 April 2021
There was an intruder or intruders at the White-Tailed Eagle Nest near Durbe, Latvia today. The winds are blowing and it is 1 degree C. Mr Cips has brought in food for the little ones but, for the most part, he has been protecting the nest while Milda has been incubating. It is so cold the little ones can’t be left out in the weather long or they will get hypothermia.
Mr C is protecting nest from the intruders.
There is still no sign of Aila at the Loch Arkaig nest. Local spotters have seen Louis with another female at platform 1 mating. Louis has also been bringing fish into that nest. A slim version of Aila – that had everyone wondering and comparing photos – appeared at the Loch Arkaig nest with the camera (below). Louis did not bring her any fish. He attempted and failed at mating twice. I wonder if this beautiful nest is going to be empty this year?
Beautiful nest feels so sad when it is empty. 25 April 2021
The following nest news is wonderful. When Ospreys are ringed and fledge making their first migration to southern Spain or Africa (more likely) it is an arduous journey. The survival rate varies but no more than 50% make it. Normally the juveniles will stay there for 2 or 3 years before returning to the UK.
For the birds that are ringed people wait patiently – sometimes forever – for news of a sighting. At Loch Garten near Abernathy, Cairngorms National Park, Blue AX6 was spotted with an unringed female. Blue AX6 was ringed on 1 July 2016 at Glen Affric. He was the only survivor of the nest of three at that time. This is the first reported sighting of Blue AX6 since he fledged. Just splendid.
Loch Garten is one of the important nests in the history of Osprey introduction. The nest was opened to public viewing in 1959. The belief, at the time and promoted extensively by George Waterston, was that an educated public would help protect the Ospreys. 14,000 people visited the site that first year during the seven months it was open. The most famous and formidable Osprey on that nest was EJ. She fledged 25 osplets off the Loch Garten nest in fifteen seasons. She was 21 years old in 2019 when she did not return from migration. Grass grew on the nest with the hope that a new pair might locate here. Fingers crossed for 2021 -.
This is EJ in 2018. Gosh, she is beautiful. Those dark eye markings are amazing they way they dip and go down her shoulder to her back.
@ RSPB
The image below was taken yesterday. It is AX6 and the unringed female. Oh, there will be so many cheers if they stay and raise a family! Thanks to Mary Kerr who posted this on the Friends of Loch Arkaig FB page.
Loch Garten might have a new couple. 25 April 2021
And everything is pretty much as usual at the Achieva Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida. The nest and the chicks survived the winds from yesterday. Typically, Tiny Tot grabbed the first fish delivery of the day at 7:53:53. He protected himself and got some good bites.
My fish! Tiny gets the first delivery of the day. 25 April 2021
Six minutes later, 8:03:21 one of the older siblings (I think 2) got its talon in the tail and took the fish away from Tiny. That was a good lesson. 2 hasn’t bothered earlier but Tiny will need to learn to dig his talons in that fish and stand on it like 2 does.
Tiny Tot lost its fish to 2. 25 April 2021
Mom will take the fish from the older sib and Tiny will be watching. Tiny grabs a bite meant for 2 and at 9:13:27 mom feeds Tiny.
Tiny Tot enjoying some of the fish. 25 April 2021
He has a little crop.
Diane went fishin. She brought in a catfish with its head on at 12:01:22. You can always tell if Diane catches the fish because Jack always eats the head before he delivers dinner.
Diane caught a catfish for the kids. 25 April 2021
Tiny Tot will be fed from 12:28:34-12:54:49. Tiny will also command the carcass which he is still eating at 2:02.
Two other interesting things happened on the Achieva Osprey nest this morning. Chick #1 is now hovering. 6:50:44 They need to practice their take off and landings – it is amazing watching the Ospreys and the Royal Albatross hover.
1 is hovering. She has been flapping and Tiny Tot has his head down for protection. Too bad helmets aren’t issued on these nests! 25 April 2021
That chick had a grand time! This chick is also the one who stands at the rim of the nest and extends her wings to catch the air. It is lighter in weight (or appears to be) than 2 and more interested in flying than eating. Just a beautiful strong Osprey. Lovely.
The second thing was an intruder or two – Blue Jays. I caught one of them flying by the nest at 8:01:53.
Blue Jay is flying out of the frame on the left. Been tormenting the nest all morning. 25 April 2021
I will close with two more images of the Achieva Osprey Nest. The first one is Tiny Tot with food coma (totally oblivious to anything 1 and 2 are looking at) and the second shows you how healthy he is beginning to look.
Wow. Flying. Let’s do that soon!!!!!!! 25 April 2021Tiny is in the middle. He is getting really healthy and confident. 25 April 2021
Thank you so much for joining me today. There could be a hatch at the Big Sur condor nest tomorrow. I will keep you informed. Stay safe, stay warm. Smile.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Achieva Credit Union, Latvian Fund for Nature, Ventana Wildlife Society, Explore.org, SWFL Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Loch Garten, Wooldland Trust, People Postcode Lottery, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, 1000 Islands Conservation area FB, Loch Arkaig FB, and the RSPB.
Congratulations to Redwood Queen #190 and Phoenix #477 on the pip of their egg. It came at 2:44 pm PDT on 24 April 2021.
Redwood Queen is one of the captive bred California Condors. She hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo on 10 May 1998. Redwood Queen is a survivor. As many of you know, my interest is in the social behaviour of avians. In particular, the long term survivability of birds – large birds like raptors, condors, and vultures – who have been treated marginally by their group. Redwood Queen was just such a bird. She was forced by her flock to eat last and then only if there was anything left on the carcass. However, the most dominant male Condor, Kingpin #167, chose Redwood Queen as his mate and her status within the group went from the bottom to the top! The pair raised five biological chicks together. One of those was #1031 Iniko, a female, who survived the Dolan Fire of 2020 in this very tree where Redwood Queen’s new chick will hatch. Sadly, Kingpin #167 has not been seen since the fire. Phoenix survived the Basin Complex fire of 2008 as a young hatchling; he hatched on 22 April that same year This will be the first chick for this new bonded pair.
Condors are very susceptible to lead poisoning. They eat the carrion or dead animals as well as the innards of the deer and other animals that hunters leave behind in the woods and forests. The Ventana Wildlife Society along with many wildlife rehabilitation and FB groups are working to get lead banned from hunting and fishing equipment. Here is a safe alternative promoted by the Ventana Wildlife Society:
There are thunderstorms brewing in the US Southeast today – many areas are expected to have heavy rain and baseball size hail and there could be tornadoes.
One Osprey nest that got hit hard was Skidiway Island. Mum has got those little osplets tucked in nice and dry.
That rain continued and ten hours later you can see all of the water and the nest still soaking at The Landings.
Weather was on the agenda in Durbe, Latvia, too, with snow falling on Milda and the White-tail Eagle Nest.
The balance to keep the babies fed but dry and not suffer from hypothermia must be a real challenge for these amazing bird mums.
Heavy winds whipped the Achieva Credit Unions artificial Osprey nest around in the afternoon. Someone thought Tiny Tot might have gotten sea sick! The winds did stop but the local weather shows they could get a thunderstorm later tonight or tomorrow.
Tiny Tot managed to snag that fish away from #2 this morning and have a good feed but #2 remembered that incident later in the day when he bonked Tiny aggressively. Tiny lost out on the afternoon fish but he will be fine. Tomorrow is another day!
From the looks of it I am going to have to stop calling him Tiny Tot though. Look at that young lad standing nice and tall. Amazing what a little food can do! (Tiny is the one at the back. Look at those nice pantaloons he is getting).
Tiger and Lily have had a good day on that Bald Eagle Nest their parents, Bonnie and Clyde, commandeered. Look at them standing on that branch having a chat! They are now flying from the branches to the nest. Oh, my, they are growing fast.
We haven’t checked on Solly for a week or so. Will she surprise us and be somewhere besides Streaky Bay? Let’s check! Ah, our girl loves this area. The fishing must be fantastic. Solly is 217 days old on 25 April. Amazing. I am so grateful that she has a satellite tracker. Just wish we would get some news of DEW.
This is nothing more than a quick check in. I wanted everyone to know about the pip at the Big Sur Condor Nest. It is really exciting. Take care of yourselves.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams; this is where I get my screen shots: Farmer Derek, Latvian Fund for Nature, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidiway Audubon, Achieva Credit Union, Ventana Wildlife and Explore.org. I would also like to thank the Port Lincoln Osprey Project and their FB page for the graph on Solly’s travels.
Saturday morning started out like any other on the Achieva Osprey Nest. Jack brought in a fish and sibling #2 got it. It was predictable. As I sipped my coffee it seemed that Diane and Jack really needed a meat saw somewhere to cut those fish into chunks so each of their three chicks could have a nice chunk for breakfast.
There they are: #2 with the fish on the front left, #1 behind mum, Diane in the middle, and Tiny Tot smiling out at us with his sort of ‘beard’ on the right front.
#2 sibling loves for Mum to feed it and for some reason she didn’t get the message that you should stand on that fish and mantle if you don’t want to lose it.
Tiny, looking all innocent, decides he will just edge a little closer to that fish.
Gosh. I would have loved to be inside Tiny Tot’s head for the split second it took him to steal that fish from the big sibling that has caused him so much grief in his short life.
He must have been so excited as he worked to mantle and pull that fish over to the side.
Could sibling #2, the biggest on the nest, really believe that Tiny Tot had taken her fish?!
#2 must be thinking, ‘What just happened?’ Clearly, Tiny Tot is not nearly as intimidated by #2 in the last few days as he was earlier.
Maybe Diane told #2 that she would never be able to fly if she kept on eating so much! I honestly don’t know what happened but #2 didn’t beat, bonk, battle. Maybe it was still full from the night before.
The two older sibs are 52 days old by my counting. Fledge watch begins at 60 days. And remember, fledging is just the first flight. It doesn’t mean they are gone forever. They have to perfect their flying skills and fishing. You can expect to see Diane and Jack supplementing their fishing, too.
Wow. You can’t get much cuter than those fluffy little marshmallows over at the UC Berkeley Falcon Cam. That fourth egg is sitting there. Maybe it will be a threesome for Annie and Grinnell. They are so cute and growing so fast. There is a third one, tucked between the two.
The cam at the Big Sur California Condor nest is solar powered and it is currently down. We have no idea what is happening with that egg of Redwood Queen’s and Phoenix. Will report back later.
It is hot in Wales and Mrs G has been doing some food calling from the Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife Nest. Aran came in but there have been intruders about. Hopefully he will get her a nice fish before the sun sets. She must be awfully hot on that nest.
Arthur is on incubation duties on the Red Tail Hawk cam so that his mate, Big Red can have a break. It’s a sunny 18 degrees in Ithaca, New York today. It is a nice change from the snowy-hail these two had the other day.
Toni Castelli-Rosen has kept a laying and hatch chart for Big Red. It was posted on the Cornell Hawk Red-Tail FB Page today. I don’t think they will mind if I share it with you.
Looks like it won’t be long til we are on pip watch! Can’t wait. These two are the most amazing parents and in the entire world there are only a couple of RTH cams. We are so privileged to get to watch their lives unfold.
And before I close, another miracle. Milda, Raimis, and step-dad Mr Cips, have two! That second egg has hatched. I was told the time was 20:30:34 on the 23 April. Oh, aren’t they adorable! I hope the older sib is kind to the little one.
All of us are tired of the pandemic. I don’t even like to say that word anymore. The birds have brought us such joy. It was nice to begin the day with the Tiny Tot miracle and end it here in Latvia with the second hatch for Milda. She believed in those eggs – enough to not eat for eight days. I am so grateful for Mr Cips who has brought in food and even fed the little eaglets. Milda has a new mate that will support her. Tears.
Thank you for joining me. It is a cool but sunny Saturday on the Canadian prairies. Take care everyone.
Thank you to the Achieva Credit Union, Cornell Bird Labs and the RTH cam, Latvian Fund for Nature, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, UC Berkeley Falcon Cam for their streaming cams. That is where I picked up my screen shots.
You know those parents that are always bragging about their children’s accomplishments? I did that eons ago and continue to brag about them and my grandchildren but…today, I need to brag about Tiny Tot! His cheering squad is a bunch of aunties and uncles so proud of each and every accomplishment he makes. This little one has been bonked, beaten, twisted, and starved and he is still with us and I continue to say that he is going to be formidable out in the wild.
Tiny missed out on early fish and had some bites of the 2:50:37 delivery. During the 6:04:15 delivery Tiny Tot gets some bites but needs to keep re-positioning himself. Beginning at 7:01:59 Tiny Tot dominates the back part of the fish feeding. He goes to sleep but gets up again because he wants the tail! In the image below, Tiny has the tail and Diane is feeding 1 some of the fish that is left.
This fish is not even finished and Jack comes in with another at 7:51. It is not a catfish. #2 initially gets the fish.
In the image below, #2 is eating the fish, Tiny Tot appears to be resting but awake in the middle, Diane is at the back, and #1 is flapping its wings on the left.
At 7:59:59, Diane surveys the situation. How are you doing with that self-feeding #2?
At 8:00:10 Diane takes the fish from #2. Seriously #2 has eaten all day and Mum needs to eat. This is a tactic she has used in previous evenings to feed Tiny Tot and herself.
There is a bit of chaos because #1 continues to wingersize across the front of the nest. #2 is like: what happened? And you will notice that Tiny Tot has moved his body.
At 8:00:20, Tiny Tot steals the fish from mom! Look at that nice tail of Tiny Tot’s that is growing with all this good food.
All of this happened so fast that #2 on the right still doesn’t seem to fully understand just what happened. Mom does and Tiny Tot is protecting himself and his late night dinner by mantling. You are a brave little one Tiny. Braveheart.
Tiny Tot continues to enjoy his dinner. Every once in awhile Diane will help him with a tough spot – she is teaching him – but she lets him self-feed. He sure earned that fish! Diane has to be proud of her young lad.
As the sun goes down in St Petersburg, Florida, Tiny is still eating. It is 8:13:09. Diane is watching over him.
By 8:17, Diane is feeding the last bits to Tiny Tot. #2 has moved up hoping to get some bites.
At 8:25:41 Tiny Tot is being fed the last of the fish by Mom. Well done, Tiny Tot.
Good night everyone. I hope that you all sleep as well as our little Tiny Tot is going to tonight! What an amazing steal. Tiny is quick on his feet and clever! Maybe in another life he was a famous baseball player, good at stealing bases.
Thank you to the Achieva Credit Union in St Petersburg, Florida for their streaming cam. That is where I pick up my screen shots.
Just a few glimpses into some of the nests at the end of my Friday.
Over at Pittsburg Hayes Mom is bringing in sticks to work on the nest when the chicks take an interest.
The sun is setting over Durbe, Latvia. Milda is feeding her miracle chick and the sun is shining. Oh, it must feel good not to be soggy after yesterday’s soaker.
Annie has the eyasses cuddled up along with that fourth egg. She is brooding them. Oh, if it is viable we should be ready for pip and hatch.
Tiny Tot finally got a few bites of the catfish delivery that came at 2:50:37. Sibling #2 pretty much monopolized the entire feeding but Tiny did get some bites after 4pm. Not many but was fed this morning some. I wish that the parents would break up the fish in pieces so they could self-feed. Anyone have a meat saw?
And just look at those darlings over at the Savannah Osprey Nest on Skidiway Island. Nice full crops, standing up tall and behaving. And, no, that third egg has not hatched. Let’s continue to hope that it sits there unviable. Two healthy chicks to get to fledge is a big job. If Ospreys are like Red tail Hawks the more food they can eat and the longer they are on the nest the better their chances of survival. It is not a kind world out there – they need all the tools in their tool kit they can muster. Sounds like what I used to say to students when they asked for advice.
Phoenix has finished his incubation duties and we are waiting for the arrival of Redwood Queen back to the nest to have her lunch. There is the egg that everyone’s eyes will be on tomorrow! One more California Condor would be so welcome and it would surely be heartwarming for these two survivors to have a successful hatch. Stay tuned. If you want to keep an eye on this important event, I have posted the link to the camera.
Look high on the branch. The two Great Horned Owls born in the Bald Eagle Nest on a farm near Newton, Kansas are sitting on a branch with their mom, Bonnie. Tiger and Lily were born on March 7 and are branching. First flights could be anytime.
The single surviving eaglet in the Fort Vrain Bald Eagle Nest in Colorado is hoping for a bit of lunch.
It rained earlier today in Minnesota and Nancy is making sure that she keeps her two eaglets dry.
And those two precious eaglets on the Minnesota DNR nest are exploring. They have their beautiful charcoal thermal down and you can just see some of the white dandelions of the natal down hidden by the thermal. Harry our first time dad at the age of four and Nancy have done great. Wonder what they are looking at so carefully?
Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis will know that I am extremely interested in the social behaviour of the birds in their nests. I am particularly interested in the survival rate of a third hatch on Osprey nests. Today, Tiger Mozone shared with me his favourite video of all time and it gave me such a smile that I want to share it with you. I don’t think Tiger would mind in the least. It is of the 2011 Dennis Puleston Osprey. You need to watch the entire video. It is short, 3:41 minutes. Keep your eye on the little one. Before you start, if you have been watching the Achieva Osprey Nest, think of this small one as Tiny Tot. Thank you, Tiger Mozone. This is fabulous!
May 8 is Bird Day in North America. That is when Cornell Bird Labs ask everyone to do a count in their gardens and at the parks. It is a way of collecting migration data. I will give you more details so you can participate next week. That is it for Friday. Have a fabulous weekend everyone.
Thank you to Tiger Mozone for sending me the link to that fabulous video. I laughed and laughed. We all need that these days.
Thank you to the following streaming cams where I took my screen shots: MN DNR, UC Berkeley Falcon Cam, Farmer Derek, X-cel Energy, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidiway Audubon, Ventana Wildlife, Achieva Credit Union Osprey, Explore.org, Pittsburg Hays Bald Eagle Cam, and the Latvia Wildlife Fund.
