It could be a very busy day at the UK nests and in the western part of the US as favourable winds are blowing in the ospreys.
It has been confirmed that our dear Iris is, indeed, the osprey that landed early this morning on the Hellgate Canyon nest. I hope everyone had a good cry – a joyful one. Now let’s get that young male osprey back that was courting her last season!
Louis and Starr are already back. Starr was the first to arrive in Missoula. Their nest is at the Baseball Park – and despite all we think, Louis is a good mate to Starr and they raise 2 or 3 chicks to fledge every year.
Gosh, Iris looks good.
Blue 35 has returned to Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve in Cumbria and is reclaiming her nest after Blue 717 got a little friendly with White YW.
We are waiting the arrival of Louis at Loch Arkaig Nest 2 in Scotland. His mate Dorcha will be delighted to see him land with a nice big trout.
Busy day at the Glaslyn nests:
Lots of action at Loch of the Lowes.
Thanks, Alison Copland. BoPH have created a genealogy chart. The Carey nest is the one for CJ7 and Blue 022, and it has a streaming cam.
One of my favourite males, Tegid Z1, Monty’s son, who breeds on a private nest, has returned safely.
So the males are starting to show up in Wales, too. Come on Louis!!!!!!!!!
The feeding is going very well at the Achieva Osprey platform. My goodness, if I didn’t know better, I would think this was a new male. (Maybe it is – I am not trying to start rumours here, just pondering the fish deliveries. I was never that pleased with Jack’s deliveries for Diane and the kids. Has anyone truly identified head markings?)
Bella and Scout’s two eaglets are doing just fine although there was a choking concern for the baby earlier on Monday.
Nature chat’s banner:
Interloping Common Buzzard laid 2nd egg today at Lesser Spotted Eagle Cam, as usual LSE pair hasn’t arrived for the season yet.
Peanut has branched at the Winter Park, Florida Bald Eagle nest. Best be watching this energetic second hatch. She is going to take off fast!
News about California Condors:
Stop over and see the two little cuties that Jackie and Shadow are feeding and brooding. They are two little round teddy bears! So very happy for our darling couple.
Take care everyone. Iris’s arrival has made this day much brighter! We are all delighted. If Louis returns, I will be posting again. Otherwise, I will see you later in the week.
Thank you to ‘PB’ for her messages, to the owners of the streaming cams for my screen captures and for allowing us to witness the life of these incredible birds. I am grateful to everyone who posts on FB with information. Without your eyes, we might miss something!
Oh, my goodness. I can’t keep up. Everyone knew this week was going to be a madhouse but we have osprey arrivals, eggs being laid, pip and hatch watches, hatches, fledges – and you name it. It is absolutely wonderful.
Jack and Jill have their first hatch at the Achieva Osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida. Please send them extra love – they need it! There is a lot of competition for Jack’s fish from other species and that platform has not given us much confidence. I hope this year goes wonderfully well for this couple – send the love!
Thanks, MP, for alerting me and sending the images. Time: 15:46:41
If you have not watched Tim MacKrill’s presentation on osprey migration, I urge you to do so. You will learn so much! Then you can teach others. https://youtu.be/wlJoNyKapfc?
Dad might have brought in a huge male Tilapia to the Moorings Park nest, but these three are now well into the Reptilian Phase, and they are not having that feeling of ‘love’ with one another – at least not when it comes to food! You might see some unhappiness once in a while. Hopefully, this will all settle down once they get their juvenile feathers.
They can be nice.
Nice evening at Pitkin!
Heidi reports that both ospreys are at Seaside – Bruce and Naha. They have a chat and there is a great observation board to check out current and historical information.
Thanks for being with me. Please take care. See you on Monday if not before. Have a great weekend.
Thank you to ‘MP’ for the notice and images for Achieva, for Geemeff for reminding me about Tim Mackrill’s talk and now it is archived, to all who posted notices on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to partake of the lives of these wonderful birds.
Just a quick check in on some nests and the garden as spring arrives.
The first Dark-eyed Juncos of the season have arrived! Thank goodness the whole seed area is a mess and there is lots for them on the ground.
The big news (as far as I am concerned) is that Kai, Beau and Gabby’s baby, fledged about an hour and a half ago caught on video by Netflix Memories. https://youtu.be/VnmSSSODa6M?
Ospreys are arriving at the European nests including those in Germany.
Blue NCO calls for a mate from her nest at Loch of the Lowes.
She might be 23 years old but she is still gorgeous. Big Red.
Chichester’s Peregrine Falcon newsletter has arrived.
We have at least one osprey on the Pitkin County nest in Colorado.
On pip watch at Achieva. I hope that Jack steps up provisions. Many of you might wonder about the fish he brings in – this couple recycles fish just as Jack and Diane did. A fish comes in, part is eaten, it is taken away and. brought back. The ospreys have a place where, like the squirrels in my garden, that cache food. We saw this clearly at Captiva when there was a tree near to the platform that served this purpose.
So when you see a fish, don’t count them as individual fish – that is not the case. Jack will need to provide more. Diane supplemented the fish with her great catfish. Will this female have to pitch in for her babies to survive?
Thank you so much for being with us. Take care! See you soon.
Thank you to all the individuals who posted videos that I am sharing, information on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams, we are all grateful to be able to watch our beautiful birds.
We are in the midst of an unexpected blizzard, while thousands of miles to our southeast, it is green, and geese are enjoying the grass on a golf course. Thank you, ‘L’, for letting me share this lovely image of spring! We love our geese, but there is no place for them here, and yet, many arrived several weeks ago! The ponds have frozen, but there remains some open water in the two rivers that wind their way through our City. It is supposed to warm up beginning tomorrow, but I will believe it when I see it. We were not expecting this much snow today!
It doesn’t look like much, but the snow is blowing and accumulating so quickly! The lad who shovels or us thought snow was finished – he is going to get a real surprise! It is more than 30 cm deep on the walkway he cleared a few days ago, and is within 45 cm of covering the large bird table feeder. Unbelievable.
Toby loves it. He bounces through the snow if there is even a whiff of a ‘cat’ in the garden. My plan is to have a tall wooden fence built to match the one constructed a few years ago. I had not planned to put a fence on that part of the property, but the theft of dogs in our City has become quite troubling. Of course, ‘the cats’ – distinguished from ‘The Girls’ – come in from that back corner, so it is important to close it in. Toby loves his sisters, ‘The Girls’. He plays with them, but those that make their way into his outdoor territory will be ousted unless they are Brock (who now still spends 99% of his time at the neighbour down the street)!!!!!!!!!
I hope, after all these years, that each of you knows that I love all animals, but there is a special place in my heart for Big Red and Arthur, the late Annie at The Campanile, and ospreys. I have posted this song before, but I want you to get in the mood. Osprey season is starting in the UK – and has already begun in the US. Here are those wonderful school children with the Osprey Song (2011): https://youtu.be/KoOQK6ejuXY?
At the Lake Murray Osprey platform, Lucy has laid her second egg with a new mate. Please, please put up the owl defences for this family Lake Murray!
Company for Brutus. Storms are tearing down eagle and osprey nests around the US including an osprey nest that Penny Albright monitored near Sanibel that lost two chicks when the nest collapsed. These eaglets made it through…
Blue 25 has made another visit to Blue 33 and Maya’s nest at Manton Bay – Blue 33 normally arrives a few days prior to Maya, and Blue 25 enjoys his company! Geemeff caught her time on the nest: https://youtu.be/HU_XGU3NTro?
We have an osprey at the MNSA Osprey nest in Oceanside’s Jay Cool platform.
“WYL greets his chick upon returning to the nest in New Zealand. The adult male arrives from a foraging trip over the Pacific to feed his growing chick at the Plateau nest site. As the chick gets bigger, the parents will take longer foraging trips to collect enough food for both themselves and their chick.” (Cornell Bird Lab)
Peanut defended the Winter Park Florida nest against a RTH! Nestflix Memories (Gracie Shepherd) caught it on video: https://youtu.be/cQksMDubVEc?
Tonight, Wink is taking now chances. She is right in the nest with Peanut if that GHO returns – and, of course, it will – they never give up! Wink is an incredible mother – I am truly amazed and thankful for her diligence.
Gabby with her babies, Kai and Eve, at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest in Florida. Best keep a close eye on these two – they could fledge before you blink.
At the Johnson City nest of Boone and Jolene in Tennessee, snow arrived. Jolene kept those two babies warm and tried to feed them at the same time. Like Wink, she is an experiened and an exceptional Mum.
Huge crop on JBS 24. Mum and Dad are delivering food and leaving it for self-feeding on occasion.
Harry and Sally are up there in my list of osprey parents. Three babies, three little fat bottoms. Large fish coming in and Harry on guard as it appeared there could have been an intruder around today during a fish delivery. If you haven’t been watching Moorings Park, then check out this osprey family. It is a success story – and believe me when I tell you that there will be few such stories in the NE USA this season unless a miracle happens.
Rutlands Lagoon 4 nest is trying to keep the Egyptian Geese from laying eggs while everyone waits for the ospreys to arrive. This is a second nest with a camera amongst several nests at Rutland Water. AI says: “Based on 2025/2026 sightings, the Lagoon 4 nest at Rutland Water is often occupied by male 359 (a 2021 Rutland-born osprey) and female 3H9 (a 2023 Rutland-born osprey). They have been observed investigating the nest and strengthening bonds. Note: 359 and 3H9 are a distinct pair from the main Manton Bay pair, Maya and 33(11).”
I am getting impatient – and it is a tad early – for Maya and Blue 33 to arrive at Manton Bay.
At the Whitley Crane nest known as the Golden Gate Audubon Osprey nest, Richmond has worked and worked. There is a new female at the nest with him. I do not believe Rosie will make an appearance. Why do I say this? Well, when Aila did not return, Louis moved his nest to another location when he bonded with Dorcha. We often think animals and birds are not intelligent. If I have said it once, I will say it again million times, my teacher about raptor behaviour, the late Laura Culley, taught me that they are smarter and use higher levels of intelligence and communication that humans have lost.
I noticed in one of the chats – it was the Winter Park Florida chat – that someone noted that ‘animals have feelings’. Dr Mark Beckoff and Dr Jane Goodall taught us this. There are several good books out there. I urge you or anyone who is interested in the behaviour of non-humans to read any or all of the following.
Saddness at the Two Harbours as Chase & Cholyn lose their last egg. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/8vmMpnkNsh4?
Big Red and Arthur have snow on their nest at Cornell University.
Suzanne Arnold Horning caught Big Red relaxing on the lights!
Cameras are now live at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022.
We have an osprey at Threave. Is it Black 80?
At Achieva the third egg was laid on the 25th of January. Can someone who is watching this nest tell me if Jack is delivering enough fish to his mate? I did not see deliveries today, but I might have missed something.
In fact, start checking out all your favourite UK and European nests as the cameras are being turned on faster than I can keep a list.
The Pitkin County Osprey nest in Colorado is live.
I have such a soft spot for this White-tail eagle in Durbe County Latvia. Milda. Her current mate is Zorro. There was sorrow and now Zorro has proved to be a good mate and provider.
April 7. Hellgate Canyon. Iris’s favourite day to return to her nest in Missoula, Montana. Count the days – 20. Less than three weeks! The snow has melted.
There is evil in the world. I cannot imagine how anyone could harm an animal and yet, every day I find myself telling people not to give their kittens away to anyone. Russell Mason beat a Goshawk to death – how in the world can someone do this?
Large estates, with no eyes around in Scotland (and elsewhere), allow many horrific things to happen to our beautiful feathered friends. What can be done to stop this?
The Cornell Bird Lab gives us hope that people around the world are increasingly engaging with nature and birds. Yes, there are incredibly vicious people anywhere in the world that will harm birds and other animals, but there are more, I hope, that love and help them.
Thank you so much for being with me today and for your patience, as my posting is often irregular. I had hoped to keep to Fridays and Mondays til the UK osprey season began, but every day there is something new and exciting! I will continue to post at the oddest of times, sometimes two or three times a day as news comes in. As you can imagine, my life is anything but routine. We do have a schedule, but it all depends on my husband’s mood, which can vary. I am impatiently waiting for spring to arrive. What I miss most is reading. Yes, we have story time, but it isn’t the same as sitting quietly on a park bench with squirrels dashing around, the wind gently blowing, with a good book in my hand, reading in silence. So, no promises other than there will always be a Monday blog, often coming out late Sunday, until we have osprey chicks on the nests in the UK and Europe.
Thank you to everyone who created videos, wrote informative FB posts, to Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us informed, and to the Cornell Bird Lab for continuing to support education. I remain forever grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to venture into the challenging lives of our feathered friends. To all my readers who are now long-time friends, I appreciate your support. Your letters and comments mean the world to me.
I am starting to write my post Saturday evening. It is 1733 and the conservatory is filled with light. The days are much longer and that is truly welcome. Everyone feels good. The weather will, however, continue to get cooler until next weekend when they are predicting we will drop to -30 C.
Today, we put another area rug in the conservatory. There is a reason for these rugs – they are for Toby. He chases Hugo Yugo throughout the house or Hugo Yugo chases him. There is a real issue regarding the legs of these Cavaliers. Like Toby’s food, I am doing everything I can to protect his health and physical well being. This means there is one more rug to get for the library area. At the same time, these rugs must be secured so that Don doesn’t trip on them. Talk about a balancing act!
Hugo Yugo and Toby helped with the rug.
We need to send some good energy to Duke Farms. One of the three eggs broke Friday night. The other one appears to not be viable. There is, however, one little eaglet working hard to get out of the last egg!
The siblings at the Winter Park Florida Bald Eagle nest are doing fantastic.
Jazz is getting a private feeding. Things on this nest, the E3 at the Kisatchie National Forest have turned around just as everyone had hoped. Nola still has first rights, so to speak, but Jazz is eating well and there is plenty of food coming on the nest. The little one looks great.
So far the food deliveries on the E1 nest of Anna and Louis II have been low on Saturday.
There is a second egg for Jack and Jill at Achieva.
Decorah Mum protected her precious egg scovered in snow. There are two of them.
Owlvira and Hoots two of the four owlets that survived are doing fantastic.
Little Miami Conservancy now has three eggs.
There are now 10 Kakapo chicks. This is going to be a brilliant year! There was a daytime egg check a few minutes ago. Here it is on video: https://youtu.be/bkNQWALZ9mw?
Bella has laid the third egg for her and Scout. Wish them luck! Deb Stecyk has it on video: https://youtu.be/PCAOOIIyBVM?
Baby Hope wishes everyone a wonderul end to their weekend.
Missey hopes your weather is warmer than ours.
Brock had several meals and slept on my neighbour’s porch for about three hours. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
Thank you for a quick check in with some of our nests. We will be back again with you on Monday with more news about our wonderful feathered friends. Please take care. Enjoy the end of the weekend. Get outside if you can. It is revitalising!
Thank you to those who created videos, to the owners of the streaming cams who let us peek into the lives of our feathered friends, and to the authors of the FB posts who keep us informed of all the action! I am truly grateful.
I bet you didn’t expect to hear from me today. Geemeff reminded me that the Big Bird Count starts this coming Friday and I wanted everyone to be ready to do a count of the birds in their gardens. It adds to our knowledge of how our avian friends are doing – and where they are being challenged and where not.
Friday the 13th – make it a lucky day through the 16th. Please take part. Information below on the history and reason and the link to join in.
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), organised by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada, is an annual four-day event in February where volunteers worldwide count birds to track population trends. The 2025 event runs from February 14–17 and requires participants to count birds for at least 15 minutes.
Key Details for the Cornell/Audubon GBBC:
When: Annually, usually over President’s Day weekend in February (Feb 14-17, 2025).
How to Participate: Count birds anywhere for at least 15 minutes, once or multiple times, and report them via the eBird website or the Merlin Bird ID app.
Purpose: The data helps scientists understand global bird population changes and health.
Global Reach: In 2024, over 640,000 participants from over 200 countries identified 7,920 species.
Accessibility: Open to everyone, from beginners to experts.
Key Data & Findings: The project, launched in 1998, was the first online, citizen-science project for collecting bird data. It is a major source of data for understanding bird population declines, such as the loss of 3 billion birds, including common species like sparrows and juncos.
In 2025, the event recorded 8,078 species.
For more information, visit the official site at birdcount.org.
A four year old Golden Eagle has been found shot at the Scottish Borders.
‘MP’ sent me a note. It seems that Jack and Jill are trying to repair their own osprey platform at the Achieva Credit Union in St Petersburg, Florida. It has been the site of much sadness due to eggs and healthy chicks falling through holes in the platform in the past. Jack has been bringing in large pieces of bark. Brilliant idea. He needs something to hold them down as the wind blew off one of the first attempts. We wish him and his new lady well this season if there are eggs.
Thanks for dropping by. Please take part in the count!
Thank you to MP for their note, to the author of Raptor Persecution UK who keeps us informed of the dispicable acts to the raptors taking place, and to the owners of the streaming cams, like the Achieva Credit Union, that allow us to observe our beautiful birds.
It’s Sunday, not Monday. I have the week’s videos from SK Hideaways, and it is a wrap of a review of what is happening in Bird World.
We have been under an extreme cold warning for more than a week now. It is currently -35 (Saturday night). The vets have said that if it is too cold for humans then it is decidedly too cold for dogs to be outside. Their paws can freeze and crack! There is no evidence that frigid cold causes arthritis but dogs with arthritis suffer pain because of constrictions if they are out in this cold. Toby, hopefully, will never have arthritis, but his little incident the other day means he needs to stay inside. We have played a lot of fetch – he loves it – but he discovered that he also likes to play ‘fish’ with the Girls! We were decluttering the pantry as part of an overall downsizing of all our stuff and we found a fishing pole toy with feathered ends. Oh, all of them had such a good time. It was wonderful!
I have not spent as much time on the computer watching the nests as I did a year ago. This has not been a bad thing! In a recent blog, the lovely, talented cookbook author Mimi Thorisson said, “Over the years, living on this planet has taught me something important. It is imperative, from time to time, to detach slightly from the social world and enter a phase of semi-hibernation. It is healing. It is comforting. It brings you back to yourself.” I hope that each of us is taking time to watch the birds and animals outside – I often add that they are such an important part of my life that I have felt paralysed to move to a different house. Our day begins, as it always does, with breakfast in the conservatory and a ‘count’ of the visitors to the nest. Another count occurs around 1530, along with continuous checks on Brock’s dish. These birds and animals bring such joy to my life, along with The Girls and Toby, who have proven to be loyal companions. So, please, embrace the wildlife that is around you. Do what you can to improve their lives – a dish of water, some food. It all helps.
The second eaglet on the Winter Park nest in Florida has been receiving both food and attacks from its older sibling. The size and age difference along with food availability are key here.
Send good positive energy for lots of prey – the parents have to eat, too!
Research indicates that siblicide on Bald Eagle nests is 5% or less – meaning that it is rare. (The osprey mortality rate is often higher than 17% in the nests we have monitored.)
Here is a good article on various Avian Siblicide to help you understand which raptors are more likely to have one nestling kill another. It is very informative.
SK Hideaways sent their videos for the week of the 18th for your enjoyment.
Channel Island California Eagles Livestreamed nests: ~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor ~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak ~ Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase ~ West End ~ Catalina Island ~Resident in flux
Two Harbors Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Cholyn & Chase Do Nesting Season with Class ~ Mating & Fish Gift (2026 Jan 23) Chase has embraced nesting season with much enthusiasm as he continues to woo Cholyn with fish between mating activities. 22 years of “wedded” bliss and romance is still very much alive for this royal couple of Catalina Island. (2026 Jan 23) Video: https://youtu.be/2OEWiuQ9ZxM
Chase Wants Eggs ~ Tests Nest Bowl as Cholyn Watches + Mating (2026 Jan 20) Despite the fact that Chase “knows” that Cholyn almost always lays eggs at the end of February or early March, he’s trying to hurry her along by showing her how comfy the nest bowl is and frequent mating. Here, Chase lays in the nest bowl 3 times to Cholyn’s zero times. Cholyn seems to give him a “what’re you doing?” look, but in her typical Cholyn way, just goes with the flow. Always in sync even when it means humoring the other. Video: https://youtu.be/SZZAkQ0D9z8
Cholyn & Chase Nesting Season Kickoff ~ 2x Mating & Fish Gift (2026 Jan 18) Cholyn and Chase had their official nesting season kickoff ~ at least from where we could see them. They mated in the morning, then Chase brought Cholyn a nice fish for lunch. They had long conversations off camera and then returned to the nest in the late afternoon to mate again. Here’s hoping for a fruitful season for this beloved couple and royalty of the Channel Islands. Video: https://youtu.be/bNEHHlGDCQ4
Couple ID Markers & More Mating ~ Need Nestorations to Seal Deal (2026 Jan 22) The new West End couple (aka masked and unmasked; and VE1 (male visitor) and VE2 (female visitor)) continue to take steps towards being a bonded pair. While they have accomplished mating quite well (!), they have not embraced the nest repairs that would indicate their intentions to start a family this season. It’s early, though, and things can change (as they always do). (2026 Jan 22) Video: https://youtu.be/acrvEOup90E
Masked Female & Unmasked Male Mate for 1st & 2nd Time on Camera (2026 Jan 21) The visiting eagles have been at the West End for about 2 weeks and seen together most days. While mating sounds have been heard off camera, this was the first (and second) observed mating. So the bond is there, but will they remain here to lay eggs and raise chicks? Stay tuned for the next episode of As the West End Turns. Video: https://youtu.be/Z1z28PuQFTs
FOBBV Eagles ~ Big Bear, California ~ Jackie & Shadow Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley
Morning Chortle-Snortles & Shadow’s First Incubation Stint (2026 Jan 24) Jackie laid her and Shadow’s first egg late the previous day, so this morning was Shadow’s first opportunity for some incubation time. From what we have observed, he really, really seems to enjoy this part of nesting. So much so that he took his time heeding Jackie’s fish calls. Video: https://youtu.be/jcIPh9l19aQ
Shadow delivers FEEESH ~ Jackie Stumbles on Nest Rails Trying to Collect (2026 Jan 24) When Jackie saw Shadow deliver a whole, big fish (aka feeesh) from her perch on the Cactus Snag, she squealed with glee and made a beeline for the nest. As it turns out, she and Shadow have constructed such a robust fortress, that Jackie stumbled trying to get in the front door. She, of course, did prevail and enjoyed her meal with gusto. Video: https://youtu.be/nTcUFmY6Dxw
JACKIE & SHADOW WELCOME FIRST EGG OF SEASON! (2026 Jan 23) A quick labor for Jackie as she laid the first egg of the season. Shadow quickly came to meet his egg and seemed pretty smitten already.
The Bald Eagle nest on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas has its first egg.
Rose and Ron have two gorgeous eaglets with so much juvenile plumage!
Quinn is the cutest little eaglet over at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive.
Girri is flying strong with Diamond and Gimbir. This is just incredible. How many years have we followed this nest, hoping for such an amazing outcome? This is wonderful – a strong, big female.
Duke Farms’ female looking at the trio of eggs she has laid.
SK Hideaways caught Shadow delivering a fish to Jackie as she has been incubating their first egg of the season. https://youtu.be/nTcUFmY6Dxw?
There are no concerns at the nest of Gabby and Beau. NE32 and 33 are growing strong with their thermal down and pin feathers. Lots of food and great parenting make a difference – Beau and Gabby are well-bonded, experienced, and work together like a nicely oiled machine. (Watch them using cam 2: https://www.youtube.com/live/hQrJv_Dt4tY?
At the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23, E26 is getting those gorgeous deep black juvenile feathers. Doing so well!
Anna II is a valiant mom in the cold and rain of Louisiana. Not much nourishment for everyone – let’s wish for a sunny day tomorrow.
Jack and Jill have been seen at the Achieva Credit Union osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida.
Gimbir, that cute Dad that fathered the dynamic Girri, is getting his adult plumage!!!!!!!
My lad and lass – besties forever.
It’s 2:46 minutes long. There is a bit of a pause in the middle but stay to the end. I hope these two make you smile.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you for your e-mails and your comments. It is so nice to know there are others out there who love our feathered friends and who will do anything to make their lives better! I am sorry if I am not able to answer the comments or your e-mails as quickly as I did in the past, but I do appreciate each and every one of them and will, I promise, get around to responding!
We will be back on Friday, if not before – depending on action in the nests.
Please take care of yourself. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
We all owe a great debt to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to monitor the lives of our raptor families. I am indebted to all those who create videos (which takes a lot of time), such as SK Hideaways, and to the authors of the FB posts and the articles that I have included in my blog. We learn from one another, and I hope we share what we know with others. Thank you all. My blog would not be the same without your contributions.
I could not wait to tell you the good news. Yesterday, ‘RM’ sent me the phone number and contact information for Birds in Helping Hands, the local wildlife rehab in the area of the Achieva nest. ‘LK’ got on the phones, I got on the text and messages and well…today, Middle was rescued.
So very happy. This osplet will now be fed well and get healthy. It will not be returned to the nest.
Thank you to everyone at Birds in Helping Hands! Tears.
Middle in the carrier on the way to a second chance at life.
I hope that you have had a fabulous first half of the week. It is the end of May. The lilacs are blooming and the garden is so fragrant. The Baltimore and Orchard Orioles ‘flew the coop’. I have not seen one in the garden since late Monday evening. The Cowbirds are gone and the Grackles have arrived. Mr Crow was here for peanuts along with his mates and Mr Blue Jay, Dyson and family but, other than those, it was rather quiet. And cooler. Down to 11 C tonight – Melbourne weather. It feels cold.
I wish I could send a big bouquet to everyone. The lilacs were planted 24 years ago. They were just sticks that autumn. Now they are so tall – of course, the big bunches of blossoms are at the top. These are lovely, and a tiny little sprig in the conservatory makes the entire space smell grand.
As I am writing this, Bobby Horvath of WINORR who cared for Pale Male in his last hours, told me he would happily go and clean up the Patchogue nest if a bucket truck can be obtained. People are willing to help. Let us hope that permits come through. Bobby said, “It’s a matter of resources. A bucket truck capable of reaching the site and if there’s live electric involved or not. Then permission is a whole other issue. If a truck can be secured I offer my assistance removing any material I can.” I am so grateful, and there are others..it is getting all of this in place that is the issue. Fingers crossed. Thanks, Bobby!——— The power company is telling callers that they ‘will take care of it’…..let’s hope that someone does. I have to say that I worry about that little osplet but so far so good. Look at them lined up like so nicely having fish…is it possible that they are all males like Bazza, Falkey, and Ervie and this Mini will survive? One day at a time. One day at a time. I live with hope. Bib Bob is at least six times the size of Mini and the older two are just entering the Reptilian Phase. It makes monsters out of them for a short time…not sure why. Would love to see the hormone levels in their blood – the aggressive ones.
Thank you to everyone who reached out to get help to this nest. You are fantastic.
Mini-Bob looks unwell this morning and may be dying/dead. It is difficult to tell – deep sleep. Mum has been looking curiously at the poor little thing while she was also trying to remove some rubbish earlier.
This should put a big smile on your face! Wonderful, generous people really made a difference to this wildlife rehab sanctuary.
What does it mean when people donate even the tiniest things? This! Thank you to everyone who reached out for Murphy and his eaglet…this is amazing news. Windfalls like this do not happen all the time. Murphy got a lot of publicity. Just remember that every wildlife sanctuary requires items from clean used towels and sheets to those unused power tools in your garage. Go out and look. See what you have. Offer it locally!
Read all of the lines…your help for a year and more. See what is there that is needed – and then keep your eyes open for anything on this list. Is someone moving and clearing out their space? Are they leaving laundry supplies? See if they will donate them!
Gosh. I almost need ear plugs – Rosa, Zephyr, and Luna are sooooo very loud. Lewis goes running when he hears them…he is frightened.
Gorgeous Mum Annie leaves the kids to the prey – good idea, self-preservation.
In case you are missing little fluff balls starting to get rather loud, check out this feeding at Cromer Peregrine Falcons.
WRDC has announced that both of Ron and Rita’s eaglets this year are males. No surprise there! They were a delight all year, very civil…Thanks, ‘H’.
Oh, it is so nice when a fish delivery comes in and your big sibling is out flying around seeing the world. That is what happened to Middle at the Achieva Osprey nest on Wednesday morning at 0745.
Little Bob at Severna Park can be seen to get right in there when there is fish despite the huge size difference. Another nest of three that we are keeping tabs on…with hope.
Lucy flew to her nest at Lake Murray and was making the tiniest little cheeping sounds. To go to sleep and wake up and find that your only surviving chick is gone…where did it go? who took it? what happened? My heart aches for her. She lost her entire family.
Bridgette has confirmed what ‘H’ reported to me that the third chick was dead when it hatched or shortly after and Harriet consumed it. “Unfortunately #3 was not alive and was eaten up by Harriet at 5:30 a.m. Yes, that’s how it is in nature. Let’s hope for a healthy development for #1 and #2.
All is well at the RTH nest of Big Red and Arthur in Ithaca, New York. No one is hungry, no one is injured, no one has fallen out of the nest and there are no predators around those babies.
Arthur bringing in another delivery! The deliveries keep flowing. Big Red is now leaving the chicks for longer on the nest and taking breaks at a nearby light stand where she can ‘sun’ herself. She is within a quick distance if there are any problems at the nest.
Come on, have another bite! I know you are hungry! LOL. No one is ever hungry on Big Red’s nest.
Everything is good with Angel and Tom and RTH5. Tom continues to deliver, Angel picks up and feeds RTH5 who is growing fast just like Big Red and Arthur’s chicks. Remember those Blue Jays dive-bombing Angel, Tom and the nest? Well, RTH5 had a Jay nestling today. That is why they were so upset!
Both chicks at the Dahlgren Osprey platform of Jack and Diane in Virginia seem to be doing fine. There is such a difference in size. We wait and hope…
There was a second hatch at the Carthage TN Osprey platform in the early morning Wednesday the 24th.
Will there be only two little osplets for Idris and Telyn this year. We wait to see. This is what Dyfi thinks..as you look at that image I want you to remember that in four months or less, this baby will be flying alone to West Africa where we hope that H5N1 has been contained and eliminated as much as possible.
No shortage of fish for only Bob at Dyfi! Will there be another hatch tomorrow?
The first hatch for Mr and Mrs 69 at Kielder Forest hatched on the 23rd and was alert on the 24th ready for a fish feed!
Everything is going well at the Rutland Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya. The little ones can get into mischief but they are thriving. Late Wednesday Blue brought in another of his whoppers and Little Bob got its head stuck under it. He made it right…thankfully. While these big fish really do feed a lot of chicks, they are incredibly dangerous.
The baby took a whack. Let us hope it is alright. The others are up eating what would typically be either the last or penultimate meal of the day. Oh, yes, it is moving up to the food line. Lots of fish there. Mum will eat and all three will be stuffed.
It has been a rough year for many nests. Laddie and Blue NCO didn’t lose their first hatch but there have been so many intruders and it is having an impact on fish delivery. Blue NC0 had to fight off an intruder for over an hour. Imagine with two little babies under her. Brave Mum.
At Llyn Clywedog there was an intruder trying to land on its Mum, Seren Blue 5F. It was Blue 469! The big male from 2021. I don’t think Mum is too excited to see her big boy with two little ones under her!!!!!!!!!
A video has been posted of River taking the fish off the nest at Dale Hollow and presumably providing it to DH17 who you can hear squeeing in the background.
There are no breeding pairs of Ospreys in Ireland. There are ospreys that stop for a bit or others flying by but now the plans to reintroduce to our favourite raptor are in place.
Dr Sharpe and Amber continue to band all of the 2023 eaglets they can on the Channel Islands. You might recall the rescue of the largest one at Bald Canyon. All ringed today.
The three at PA Farm Country have done very well, indeed. I have not checked on them in so long. Just look.
Beloved E22 is still at the nest with M15. This is the longest that any fledgling has remained…aren’t we fortunate?
The latest news on the situation at Dale Hollow that I have seen.
The Raven came and took the third egg of Iris at her nest on the grounds of the Riverview Clinic in Missoula, Montana. Fingers crossed that she can now relax and enjoy her summer.
The Sydney Sea Eagles are getting busy on their nest.
A Place Called Hope is one of the wildlife rehabbers on my list to be cared for if I were found. They are telling a story and appealing to everyone in Connecticut to get back to the politicians on these much-designed rodenticides. Most of you do not live in Connecticut, but I want you to read this narrative anyway. Then, when you have the time, get on to your politicians (a sad lot to be handling something so dangerous – I hate when things become ‘political’) and find out what is happening where you are! Help..secondary poisoning is very real. You will know if you have a pet that dies from this in great agony. I did. Her name was Duncan, after my Dad. Thank you! We have to educate ourselves.
Recycled Plastic. More harmful than the original? The key is to not use plastic – ban it from your life, whenever you can, just like you would rodenticide!
“But … the toxicity of plastic actually increases with recycling. Plastics have no place in a circular economy and it’s clear that the only real solution to ending plastic pollution is to massively reduce plastic production.”
“Recycled plastics, the report says, often contain higher levels of chemicals such as toxic flame retardants, benzene and other carcinogens, environmental pollutants including brominated and chlorinated dioxins, and numerous endocrine disruptors that can cause changes to the body’s natural hormone levels.”
And now for some good news…don’t plant! Just leave nature to take over and do what is necessary!
“Forestry doesn’t get everything right,” he says. “But with huge areas to work with we can experiment – a bit of local disruption can supercharge an ecosystem. Scrape back here, block a watercourse there, or we can suspend planting and just step back. It might take decades to see the benefits, but fine. Foresters are used to long cycles.”
Geemeff reports that the Crowdfunder to assist in the clean up in The Gambia of the HPAI birds met is goal. Congratulations Conservation without Borders!
Thank you so very much for being with me today. I am off and running this morning so the blog is finishing up at midnight. There will, no doubt, be lots of osprey news happening in the UK while I am sleeping! It will not make it in for tomorrow…so please check to see if there are any more hatches! Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, tweets, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: ‘A’, Geemeff, ‘H’, Patchogue Ospreys, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons, World Bird Sanctuary, Cromer Peregrine Falcon Cam, WRDC, Achieva Credit Union, Severna Park Ospreys, LMO, Dahlgren Ospreys, Cornell RTH, Window to Wildlife, Dalhgren Ospreys, DTC Osprey Cam, Dyfi Osprey Project, Kielder Forest, LRWT, LOTL, CarnyXWild, RTE.ie, Gracie Shepherd and Raptors of the World, Sara MacDonald and PA Country Farm Eagle Cam, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Celia Aliengirl and Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, A Place Called Hope, The Guardian, Conservation without Borders and Crowdfunder, and @RSPCAChris.
If you live in the United Kingdom, Happy Mother’s Day! And what a fantastic day it is with Maya landing on the nest. Blue 25 is there, and our guilty male, Blue 33, comes in with a fish! Thanks, Geemeff, for the head’s up!
Look at Blue 33’s eyes – like, oh gosh, what do I do now? Too funny. Go home, Blue 25. You just wanted free fish anyway!!!!!!! This is such a relief!
Oh, you can almost ‘smell’ spring on the Canadian Prairies. The snow is melting, and we have reached the balmy temperature of -5 C. Incredible. the Pileated Woodpecker has decided the garden is a good breakfast stop, and I must remember to fill up the suet logs for him. The Sparrows are singing and one Blue Jay has returned. Meanwhile, the Chickadees are busy in a tree in the front where I cannot see them. Are they making a nest?
Lewis has loved watching the squirrels and birds out the garden door! So happy he enjoys looking outside and not getting into mischief 24/7. He has only been inside the fridge twice now, and I have discovered that the loose tea packets sound like cat treats. I could not imagine what was making him so crazy. Of course, then he just had to have some treats. LOL. Thankfully he runs it all off during the day and night. Meanwhile, Missy lets Lewis get into trouble. She waits til the middle of the night for her turn when no one is looking!
After all the running around watching the birds and squirrels from room to room, Lewis is exhausted! Guess who takes up the entire big dog bed? and who has to sleep in the little basket?
The first hatch of the 2023 season for Jack and Diane at the Achieva Osprey Platform in St Petersburg, Florida came Saturday morning! 10:22:21 seems to be about the time. These are Tiny Tot Tumbles parents and there are two more eggs to hatch. Congratulations to everyone at Achieva.
Jack looks down at his new baby – proud dad.
M15 seemed to be entered into some speed fishing derby this morning. He brought four fish to the nest for the Es, nice size fish, from 0927-12:54. I stopped watching after that, knowing that the pair were good to go for another 48 hours if necessary! M15 didn’t stop with those four deliveries, he kept on going! Are you trying to impress the new lady, M15, like you have impressed us this year?
So many fish and birds were landing on the nest today that 22 was eating one and had a spare! And 21 was so full he didn’t want it. My last count of deliveries was six.
At 17:54, M15 came down from his branch and fed the eaglets the bird that he had brought. Talk about sweet.
Lady Hawk gives us some close ups of the female and in the background you can hear E22 squeeing very loudly – if he didn’t we would think something was wrong, right? Gosh, I am going to miss that sound!
M15 has already brought in food to the Es on Sunday morning as I prepare to publish this blog. Amazing Dad and Mum.
We all love Indigo. We also know that Diamond and Xavier do, too. Alas, they are trying hard to suggest to Indigo that he is now old enough to strike out and find his territory, and it isn’t their scrape box! Poor Indigo. Oh, this reminds me of life with Izzi!!!!
Cute little Xavier. He will let Diamond take care of Indigo!
If you have been watching the Moorings Park Osprey platform, the beaking is sometimes very difficult. Abby is quite the aggressive young lady when she wants to be, and she signals to Victor she is the boss. You need to watch the feedings because Victor is getting fed. That is what we want to see. Victor eating. And he is!
The key is for the one being beaked and being submissive to never look the dominant chick in the eye. It seems to set them off. The feedings below were at 11:26 and 14:21.
The dominant chick needs to be reassured that they will get food. The younger ones learn, if necessary, to give in to that and wait their turn. Abby now has a darker, blacker head.
Victor does not always get fed at every meal. The key is that he is eating and this phase should pass. There is plenty of food and both Harry and Sally are good parents. It is part of growing up on an osprey nest. At the 1654 feeding, Victor was in an awkward position. I presume he wanted to stay out of Abby’s way. He did get some fish.
That is Victor up at Sally’s beak. He is getting some bites of the fish before Abby attacks. She is being extremely aggressive despite there being enough fish for both. Let us hope that Abby goes into food coma and Victor gets some more.
Abby leaves the feed with a nice crop and Victor wants Sally to keep feeding. Where is the fish, Mum?
Victor is fish-calling. There is nothing left. What we need, is for Harry to fly to the nest with another great big fish for the last meal. Fill Abby up, and then Victor can have a good old feed. That is what he needs.
The one thing I like about eagles is that they leave prey on the nest for the Mum to feed the babies. Ospreys do not do that. They do not leave anything that will attract predators or insects. So Sally and the chicks are heavily reliant on Harry for prompt deliveries. Any break in the pattern will set the dominant chick off into survival mode where they worry that food is in short supply.
These images are from an earlier feed in the afternoon.
If you were watching the Moorings, Harry came in right on time with a nice chunk of fish. It was 19:12. Abby was still full and Victor was right up at the table! Victor is the one that is lighter and with the more copper head.
Victor is still getting fed at 1937 – so a 25-minute dinner. Note that Abby is in a food coma and does not care what is happening. This is how you keep a nest from falling into siblicide. Good management of deliveries when things get ticklish. Over the years, I have seen the female remove fish from the nest and return with it to feed the little one once the dominant pass out. (A good example was Blue35 at Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria 2 years ago).
Victor is still fed at 19:45. Abby is now at the table. No worries for our little one tonight. He just ate a huge amount of fish!!!!!!!!!!! Throughout, Victor continued to do crop drops to hold more food. Smart.
Even with Abby there, Victor has not backed down and continues to be fed. This is all good. It is 19:48. There is also a lot of fish left. Thanks, Harry!
R4 and R5 each had nice crops when I checked in on a late-feeding Saturday. Rose is getting there. Just have patience. There is plenty of food for these two, and she has Ron as a backup as she learns her new role.
Ron giving them an early morning feed.
Rose feeding in the afternoon.
Evening meal compliments of Dad, Ron. I did not see one of the eaglets eat. Full from an earlier meal? Issues? We would expect both to have their beaks up. It has been difficult to see how much prey the little ones get on the one camera as the adult’s back is to us, blocking the view.
Jackie and Shadow are still taunting us with the thoughts of a replacement clutch. Jackie was in the nest bowl yesterday and both were at Big Bear again today. We wait.
Jackie wasn’t the only one to check out the egg bowl. Shadow joined in the action, too. Now we need something to fill that ‘egg’ cup!
At the nest of Martin and Rosa at Dulles-Greenway, the third hatch was underway Saturday night as the sun was setting. Last year they raised a single super-eaglet. This year the pair are going to be triply busy!
Worried about the two eaglets at Duke Farms? Don’t. They are both doing fantastic.
Sometimes you get lucky, and today was one of those days. Tico and Pearl were up on their nest at Superbeaks, getting fed by Muhlady! They are doing precisely what eaglets are supposed to do. Remember this. When they fledge, they should return to the nest where the parents feed them while they, the eaglets, get their flying and hunting skills perfected. This can be a month or a little longer.
Connick is no longer ‘little Connick’. Clive and Connie continue to sit on the branches on the natal nest showing Connick where he will branch.
At the nest of Trey, KNF-E1, the GHO attacked all night! Poor little eaglet. Listen and watch how well Trey protects itself.
Oh, how I miss seeing the action at the nest of Thunder and Akecheta. What a blessing it is that they come to the old cliffs and nest so that we can see they are alright. Both eaglets were there on and off today, early morning and at dusk.
What an amazing eagle. I would love to see you with those little ones this year, Akecheta. You were incredible with the trio last year!
As we all know, it has been a turbulent season at the Centreport Bald Eagle nest on Long Island. Dad is no longer with us and there were a number of suitors vying for Mum and the nest. There was even a death spiral between two of then – D4 and D5. Neither died. The winner appears to be D3! Now, it looks like there is an egg.
Why is Mum not incubating the egg 24/7? It is called delayed incubation. This helps all eggs laid to hatch closer together and ultimately helps stop siblicide on nests!
A visitor was at the nest of Gabby and V3 in St Petersburg, Florida. An Osprey! According to Gracie Shepherd, this osprey is a regular visit to this nest. His name is Bogey, and he is waiting for his mate, Bacall. Someone liked the movies that named these two! Time 16:57.
Big Red and Arthur have been mating and continue to work on their nest on the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York. L4, the feisty little hatch from 2022, remains in or near the territory of her parents. They have tried to suggest she move but it looks like L4 is staying put.
The storks are back in Germany. These storks are in Chemnitz-Wittgensdorf and have their nest on an old industrial factory’s chimney. The nest is approximately 28 m off the ground. Here is the link to their camera which is part of a research project with the Saxon State Foundation for Nature and the Environment (LANU Sachsen).
BirdLife International does not want us to give up. Their scientists want us to understand that there are conservation efforts that are being rewarded. The following articles remind us of this, “For example, in 2005, the Azores Bullfinch was Europe’s most threatened bird, with a population of just 40 pairs. SPEA (BirdLife in Portugal) helped to restore its native laurel forests, and it now numbers more than 1,000 individuals. On the other side of the globe, the Tahiti Monarch is recovering from just 19 birds through the hard work of SOP Manu (BirdLife in French Polynesia), who have managed to control not one, but nine invasive species.” We have to get out there and do what is necessary. What is good for our birds is also good for us! and our planet.
Migration is so dangerous. It is so hard to imagine the distance travelled in such a short time and the challenges that all the birds face. The other day the news carried a photograph of a kestrel that had flown from the southernmost part of Africa up to Northern Europe. Incredible. I am starting to use the other maps available to track the Black Storks of the Karula National Forest in Estonia as well as following the news on Looduskalender.
Still no news from Kaia or Bonus.
Remember to do what you can to protect their habitat, to save them from rodenticides, fly traps, song bird traps, shootings, monofilament line, lead ammunition and fishing gear, galvanised items, and the more than other 4o or more things that impede their lives.
We will be watching many places for a hatch, but Bella and Smitty at the NCTC nest – who have been fending off intruders – should have a pip on the 22nd of March. Getting ready for pip watch with Liberty and Guardian at Redding, too.
There continues to be no transmission from Zoe.
Thank you so much for being with me today and to those who wrote in hoping to help find out who banded Blue KW0. It is a considerable mystery with no records in Scotland, Canada or the US, but we hope to locate a bander in the Caribbean who did. Keep your fingers crossed. I will let you know if we are lucky! Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, and streaming cams that helped to make up my blog today: Geemeff, Geemeff and LRWT, Achieva Credit Union, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Hawk and SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Moorings Park Ospreys, WRDC, FOBBV, Dulles-Greenway, Window to Wildlife, Tonya in NO, IWS and Explore.org, Lisa Schwartz and the Bald Eagles of Centreport, NY, NEFL-AEF, Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters, LANU Sachsen, BirdLife International, Looduskalender Forum, and FORE.
