Oh, it was a grand day today. -15 at noon. Toby went for a walk with Ellen and I got to attend to some much needed recycling. The decluttering/downsizing continues at a rampant pace which makes me feel rather happy. Less really is more! It will get colder but by next Monday, we are going to be looking at -5. One of our favourite places, Pineridge Hollow, has been closed for renovations and I plan to make it a day for Ann, Don, Toby, and me. Monday is our wedding anniversary and an outing on Tuesday to feed the chickadees and be out in the country without freezing to death is in order. Oh, I can already smell the conifer trees and hear the chickadees sing!
A few quick announcements. I had not expected to be back with you til the end of the week but…
Gosh, those eagles just keeping laying eggs and hatching and doing well!
Good news, really, at the Winter Park, Florida Bald Eagle nest. E2 seems to be figuring out how to survive, and the parents are doing well. There have been some good feedings without any rivalry. If the food keeps coming – and there is a huge hunk of fish on the right side of the nest, all should be well. (I am being positive because siblicide is RARE on Bald Eagle nests compared to other species).
Jackie and Shadow now have their second egg. So egg 1 on the 23rd and egg 2 Monday, the 26th. Whoooooooo yeah! I am really hopeful as these eggs are ‘early’ like last year. Last year, the first egg of 2025 was laid on Jan. 22. The second and third eggs came a few days later on Jan. 25 and Jan. 28. Their first successful chick to hatch was Spirit in 2022.
CBS LA announces the moment! (As well as so many other news agencies – Jackie and Shadow are truly loved!). https://youtu.be/fMlh1KuSPvA?
News of Royal Albatross:
Life at the E1 nest of Anna and Louis II is going along nicely.
Sally and Harry have their second egg at Moorings Park on Monday the 26th. Thanks, Heidi!
The Abu Dhabi Cams on four nests:
The second chick has hatched at John Bunker Sands Wetlands Centre!
I want to remind you that there is now a streaming cam at the Kakapo nest. This is a first, and it is a real treat. Please check out these amazing flightless parrots that are nearly extinct. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/BfGL7A2YgUY?
Thank you so much for being with us. Please take care of yourself. So many people are in storm areas. Stay warm, stay safe. We hope to have you with us again soon.
Thank you to Heidi for sending me the note about Moorings Park, to the owners of the streaming cams where we watch our favourite raptor families and use screen captures to tell their stories, to SK Hideaways and others for their videos to bring those lives to life, and to those who post announcements on FB. I am very grateful to each of you. My blog would not have all the news it does without your input.
‘A’ is keeping me on tenterhooks as we waited to see how long it would take that little sea eaglet to get out of what appeared to be a crushed egg!
“No time to chat now but the hatch was well underway this morning when Lady got up from the eggs. The little one can be seen working away (see 09:58 this morning, 13 August) but the shell is very crushed and it is looking like it could be a long hatch. By 10.20 the top half of the egg looks to be crushed almost entirely. At 11:11 not much progress appears to have been made. A glimpse at 13:06 and still no hatch. Another glimpse at 13:23 and the little one has still not made an appearance though nearly half the shell has been crushed.
At 13:46 the eaglet appears to be breaking out through the crushed shell. It is now 2.30pm and I am hoping to see a hatch very soon. The wee one has been working for quite a while now and it appears to be getting very tired, though I hope I am wrong. Mum has remained on the nest during the day so far, though Dad has been nearby a lot of the time, ‘singing’ his half of a duet, though Mum is preoccupied and has not joined in.
I will let you know when we have a hatch – as I said, I’m hoping it will be free within the hour or even sooner. It is so close to breaking out.
14:50 and we can see a large hole in one side of the egg. But I can’t see the chick working inside the egg and it can’t have broken out of that hole yet. I do hope the little one is alright. I suppose it has plenty of oxygen and mum is keeping the egg and chick warm, so there is no reason why it can’t take a bit of a rest without it being a disaster. But I didn’t like the look of that eggshell. There has been so much rain during the incubation of these eggs, and they have got wet on several occasions though they haven’t really been soaked. The chick was working hard from inside the shell this morning, so we know it was fine at hatching time. There should be no reason for concern here, so why am I feeling so worried? I suppose it’s the first hatch on the Australian cameras for this season so it’s all a bit nerve-wracking. I will keep you posted.
15:27 and still no hatch. The shell is completely crushed on one side and the shell is ‘breathing’ so we know the chick is alive inside. But still it hasn’t managed to get out of the shell. The crushing has not pushed inwards onto the chick, so it has plenty of room. It is just tired, I think. But it’s been working for a long while now. Theoretically, it should be fine. Enough oxygen. Enough warmth. Still absorbing the last of the nutrients from the yolk sac. So all should be good if it just has a bit of a rest and then completes the hatch. Of course the nights have been very cold and it would have been better if the wee one had been able to dry and warm up and perhaps even have a snack before dark but there’s plenty of time for all of that. I just want to see the eaglet safely out of that shell. It’s nearly 4pm here (and in Olympic Park) so it’s been a long day for mum and chick. There has been a close-up of the second egg that suggests the beginnings of a pip. In this nest, it’s always hard to tell because of the thinnish long dark damp leaves which can look like a crack or pip (and which can also stain the egg), but there was some delayed incubation practised so it’s possible that the second egg is no more than a day behind the first. Fingers crossed for two safe hatches close together. “
Thank you to ‘A’ and to the Sea Eagle Cam for the screen captures above.
Thank you for checking in. Head over to the cam and watch the action in the Olympic Park. Let’s hope Dad catches those fish and other prey on that nest. These are going to be close hatches, we hope.
If you are a Royal Albatross fan, who isn’t???? RLK came in to feed the Royal Cam chick! Cornell Bird Lab shares that moment with us: https://youtu.be/Bpv85jcHWf4?
Dr Greene just posted his fond farewells to Iris and family!
The garden feels intensely wet still. Hopefully today’s wind will help dry things up. Every tree and shrub got a good start to getting ready for their hibernation!
We have a full day on Friday. It started with a visit to the Japanese exhibition at The Leaf made possible by the local bonsai group. This was followed by a good old walk at the nature centre, and a birthday party for the oldest grandson. At the end of it all, life felt good. Still alive. Not ready to whither like the vines and leaves are doing.
The exact origin of torii is uncertain. “torii” means “bird sitting,” possibly referring to birds perching on the crossbeams. Torii gates are used to separate the ordinary world from the sacred, and they can be found at both Buddhist and Shinto sacred sites in Japan.
A Zen dry garden.
Cranes. Tsuru. Symbols of longevity and good luck. Thought to live 1000 years, the birds mate for life and also symbolize loyalty. They are a common motif in Japanese art.
By the time we got to the nature center, it was 21 C. There were some ducks on Devonian Lake and a few ducks at the other ponds. Songbirds included American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadees, and White-throated Sparrows. Geese were heard overhead.
Good News. Firefighters save Willow and Scout’s Bald Eagle nest from the Airport fire in California.
Niagara Bee looks sad and empty. This osprey platform needs a predator baffle—feel free to message them on FB! If a Raccoon killed that Osprey, as indicated by the camera footage, then this is a must, an absolute must.
The osprey on the perch at Charlo is eating a fish. It is either Charlie or C16. I cannot tell. C16 was 100 days old on 20 September.
Jack was on the perch at Achieva in St Petersburg.
Beaumont comes in with a magnificent fish for one of the fledglings.
And another delivery!
Deliveries still coming in Latvia.
Quiet at Hellgate Canyon.
Thanks, ‘PB’ for the latest update from Dr Greene:
The season is really coming to an end except for Australia and Florida.
Two difference choices of Spanish fledglings to get to Africa!
The Olympic Park Sea Eagles are doing really well. Just look at them lined up so nicely.
Were you watching the Royal Albatross in 2019? One has just been seen off the coast of South Africa!
You are probably sick of listening to me about the need to control the commercial fishing of Menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay if our Osprey are to survive. Please send your comments to the individual in the posting below before 2 October if you think that watching Osprey chicks starve to death because a Canadian company is taking every last one of the Menhaden is wrong. Thank you. Please do it for Cobey, the Colonial Beach Osplet who starved to death on his nest along with 99% of the other chicks in that area.
In the latest issue of The Journal of Raptor Research (vol. 58, no. 3, September 2024), an article looking at window strike had some interesting information:L. “Raptors occupying urban environments may be more vulnerable to window collisions than rural raptors because of the greater density of buildings in urban areas. Although large buildings such as skyscrapers cause the greatest number of bird collisions per building, the vast numbers of residential homes across urbanized landscapes collectively pose a far greater risk (399).” Please put up window collision stickers, use window paint markers, Feather Friendly strips, whatever it takes! Thank you.
Calico’s Tip of the Day: Dryer Balls. “Dryer balls are most commonly made of tightly compressed wool, but can also be made of plastic or rubber. They help prevent laundry from clumping together in the dryer by tumbling between layers and separating fabric. This action allows warm air to circulate better which can even help reduce drying time. (Maytag)”. We discovered that with an average load, using four dryer balls, the amount of drying time was cut in less half and at a lower temperature. All towels were fluffy.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourself. Have a lovely weekend. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘PB, SP’, The Leaf, Ft Whyte Alive, CBS News Los Angeles, Niagara Bee, Charlo Montana, Achieva Credit Union, Newfoundland Power, Nesting Bird, LDF, @Hellgate Osprey, Progretto Falco piscatory, Gregorius Joris Toonen, Olympic Park Eagles, Growing Home Ospreys, Jerinelle Wray, NEFL-AEF, Androcat, Sharon Dunne, Thomas Lilly and Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal, and The Journal of Raptor Research.
We hope you had a wonderful weekend, could breathe in fresh air, and maybe hear birds. I was at the nature centre on Friday and Sunday – the air was crisp, and there were Nuthatches, Chickadees, Woodpeckers, and a few Sparrows. And, of course, lots of squirrels – Red and Grey – running everywhere. Temperatures went down to -14 C Saturday afternoon.
The girls kept me on my toes at all other times!
Hope listens to the story about Red-tails in Love (about Pale Male in Central Park) from the top of the chair.
Missey was listening to story time from the top of the tansu or Japanese step chest.
Hugo Yugo and Hope were playing in the twinkle tree.
Afterwards, someone got a good washing from their Mamma! Hope follows Mamma Calico around and copies everything she does, including stretching out her back right leg when she gets up. It makes my heart skip a beat seeing them together and not worrying about them being out in the cold snow.
The news from Bird World is rather thin this Monday. There’s not a lot of drama as compared to December. Maybe this is a good thing!
‘A’s continued news of WBSE31 brings us all great joy: ”
It’s watching her soaring high in the sky that brings tears to my eyes. She seems to be doing so very well, and hearing of her first observed fish catch last week was just brilliant. I cannot imagine how Lady and Dad feel about all this – I suppose it’s just natural for them, but it’s a new experience, and they seem to be continuing to take good care of their girl. That, too, makes me so very happy, though of course we cannot know what it does mean to them.
Here is today’s report – there’s been a lot of rain in southeastern Australia over the past week or ten days, so most birds are keeping dry and the fishing would have been difficult I suspect.
January 8: Our early watcher reported one adult and the juvenile nearby on River Roost at 7:30am – then again later. A quiet morning. Both moved a little between roosts, but there was no hunting or feeding seen. Some light rain. Around 3:30pm, SE31 was on Mangrove Island but there were no adults in sight. A quiet day. The picture of SE31 in flight is from yesterday . A gull is “yelling” at her in protest as she passes.
Isn’t she just glorious? Look at that wingspan. And look at that gull – so close to her, harassing her. Whether it’s crows, currawongs or sea gulls, there are always smaller birds accompanying her when she flies, and she has simply learned to ignore the irritating little buggers. That’s a huge relief, knowing that she is above it all and can handle their presence.”
Deb Stecyk, a fellow Canadian that used to work with the Dave Hancock Wildlife Foundation, wrote a summary of the events at the NCTC nest of Bella and Smitty.
“The post season was going well for Bella and Smitty, both looked well rested after a busy nesting season. Jefferson had been gone for a couple of months and the adults were spending time on restorations and getting the nest ready for winter. Things were good at the NCTC nest.
Unfortunately, on Sept 22 Smitty went missing for an extended period of time, which brought various young males to the nest. There was fierce competition for this nest, which was common at this nest. The NCTC eagles have a long history of defending the nest from intruders. The area is rich in resources with the nearby Potomac River and forested area, attracting lots of attention from other eagles. The first floater/intruder male showed up on September 23. The intruder was the first of many that showed up at the nest. Bella and Smitty did their best to defend their territory but Smitty’s extended absence created an opening for other males. Smitty did return for brief periods in October and November and on one occasion he returned with what looked like blood stains on the left side of his face. It looked like Smitty had been in a fight with another eagle. There were four or five different males that visited during the fall all demonstrating interest in Bella and this nest. Sadly, Smitty was absent for weeks and/or days at a time providing the opportunity for displacement. We do not know what happened to Smitty it is a question that will stay with us for a long time. We assume he was injured and that is why he could not return to his Lady Bella.
After a few months one male stood out and his persistence paid off with Bella accepting him as her new mate. The new young male was later named Scout. Scout is recognized and identified by a patch of dark feathers at the back of his head. Based on plumage we think he is about 5 years old. The patch of dark feathers blends in with his mostly white head feathers. Eventually those dark feathers will be “flushed” out and replaced with white feathers.
Our hearts continue to miss Smitty, we watched him grow and mature over 13 seasons. There were many firsts at this nest as Smitty grew and matured into a handsome mate. A loving and devoted partner to Belle (2011 to 2018) and Bella (2018 to 2023), and an amazing loving Dad to his eaglets. Smitty you are forever etched in our hearts Thanks for the memories Smitty you are missed!
As the nesting season approaches we keep our fingers crossed that Bella and Scout will have a successful nesting season. Many firsts are once again underway for this new young male, which rings so many bells for those cherished past seasons with Smitty. It truly is bittersweet …. it’s the life cycle after all
Thanks, Deb, for that great report. Smitty is seriously missed, but we hope that Bella thrives with her new mate.
Some do not think that the eaglets are so cute when they have their Mohawks, when only a few dandelions are left on top of the grey thermal down, and when their feet and beaks seem to be disproportionately large – but, gosh, aren’t they gorgeous?
Jackie and Shadow are working in earnest on their nest in the Big Bear Valley. I wonder if we might be expecting eggs later this month?
Beautiful Gabby. Looking for Beau. Needs a Break. She has, save for a period of less than three hours, single-handedly incubated her precious second egg. How much has she eaten? How could she hunt in the short time she is off the nest? Is Beau stashing prey for her? If the egg hatches, will he help her? Too many questions.
Seriously. Too cute.
The egg tooth that E23 chipped out of the shell is still there. Soon – as the fuzzy natal down gives way to the thermal down – it will disappear.
A post showing the change in E23. How quickly we forget. Happy one week birthday.
An eagle in the trees at the Decorah Hatchery nest. Is snow on its way to Iowa?
At Port Lincoln, Dad came in with a fish at 0718. Brad took that one. Gil took the fish from Mum at 0948. Those were the only fish delivered to the nest up to 1400. The pair are on the nest at 1414 wishing and hoping.
At Orange, beautiful Diamond has been in the scrape sleeping on the Cilla Stones and looking out at her domain.
‘A’ adds: “At Orange, there has also been a lot of rain – Diamond came into the scrape today absolutely sodden and headed for her Cilla Stones. Marri was seen flying past the scrape this afternoon at 15:51:32 and was heard, squeeing very loudly, seconds beforehand, and again for several minutes from 20:37:39. There was also a gorgeous bonding session between Xavier and Diamond at 06:32 this morning. So all appears to be well for our girl at Orange and her wonderful parents. “
“Finally, at Taiaroa Head, the first hatch is approaching and ranger Sharyn Broni has given a little blurb on what to expect.
‘We are now 10 days away from visual checks of LGK and LGL’s egg at Top Flat. When hatching begins, the developing embryo moves into the air cell of the egg. Sometimes, sounds like scrunching can be heard as the membranes are broken through. There may even be a chick call. When the shell has a crack or pip in it for the beginning of hatching, we will remove it to the incubator. We hold the parents on the nest with a dummy egg until the chick has hatched. The nest will be sprayed with Avian Insect Liquidator* to ensure that flies are not living in the nest when the chick is returned.’
The live streaming camera for Milda, the White-tailed Eagle from Durbe County in Latvia is now operational. There could be eggs the end of March! Fingers crossed. Milda and her mate Voldis fledged two eaglets in 2023.
The decline of birds of prey, including vultures, in Africa could lead to human deaths. Why? Have a read.
Do you travel to Aruba? Here is a reintroduction story and a reminder to be mindful when seeing birds in the wild.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, streaming cams, and articles that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’A, J’, Deb Stecyk, NEFL-AEF, Window to Wildlife, BaiBai, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Laura Davis Nelson, Explore, PLO, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Biruta Lap, Aruba National Park Foundation, NZ DOC, The Guardian, and Audubon.
Thank you so much for joining me this morning. It is lovely to have you here. I want to say, right off the top, how inspiring each of you are to me. Osprey season, for me, begins in Australia and it has been a particularly devastating start after the great breeding year of 2021 that produced Bazza, Falky, and Ervie. Fortunately, I did not share that sadness alone and I thank you again for being such an empathetic and caring community.
As migratory season winds up in Manitoba, the wetlands and estuaries that were teeming with ducks, geese, swans are silent. There are no skeins of geese flying over my conservatory and already, I am missing their loud honks. Soon our time will ‘fall back’ and it will be dark by 1615. It appears, however, that the Blue Jays and Crows are staying on. Today, one of the Crows was able to tap hard enough on the bird bath to get some water. I must now find the water heater for them. It is very important to have water when you are giving seeds. Here, during the winter, the birds and squirrels will eat the snow but, they do not get the quantity needed so a heated source is very helpful.
It is 5 degrees. There are European Starlings in the trees in the back. Last year they came and ate and filled up before moving South. This year I wonder if they are intimidated by the Blue Jays. The weather report is for snow to arrive in three hours. It has been falling north of the City for hours.
Lewis and Missy are never apart. You would think they were litter mates. I just looked down and each was eating out of their hard food dish with Lewis straddling the water bowl so they could be parallel with one another. I have not seen kittens behave like this. It is literally like they are joined at the hip.
In the Mailbox:
‘C’ sent me a very long discussion with lots of good links from the Looduskalender English Forum about siblicide or cainism. I have skimmed some of the contents and have several parts thoroughly. The information provides good definitions and also alerts you to species that practice ‘obligatory’ siblicide. It is extremely stressful to watch a nest with two healthy chicks that have hatched knowing that the eldest will kill the youngest. If this troubles you, then please avoid those species or wait to start watching.
It is, perhaps, too early to read about this particular type of avian behaviour having lost Middle but, put the link aside and educate yourself.
This late summer, we were blessed with a Great White Egret in our City – indeed, eight or nine of them on a single tree at dusk. Here is a lovely story coming from the UK about walking in the marshes and discovering this amazing bird.
It is unclear if was fireworks that frightened F22 at the 367 Collins Street scrape last week but, something loud that sounded like fireworks echoing between the tall buildings of the CBD in Melbourne, scared this first time Mum off her perch.
Today, The Guardian is carrying an article demonstrating how fireworks causes geese to become stressed.
Many are choosing to use drones to light up the sky but, has anyone looked into the direct damage hundreds and hundreds of drones might have on birds? If you see anything, please let me know.
Sharon Dunne has posted some information about the new season at Taiaroa Head. It is getting off to a great start!
Pentobarbital Poisoning. There is at least one Bald Eagle in the US struggling for its life because it found a euthanized prey. It laid unresponsive but not dead and was taken to a rehabber who is posting information and working hard. How did this eagle get in contact with the euthanized animal?
So far, it has been a relative quiet day in Bird World. Every nest had prey deliveries in Australia and the last time I checked there were still four eyases on the Collins Street ledge.
At the Orange scrape of Xavier and Diamond, it appears that Cilla Kinross has changed her mind and believes Indigo to be a male. Is this size? legs? lack of aggression? I have not seen her statement and only noticed this latest information when one of the chat moderators included it today.
An unplucked Starling was dropped off inside the scrape box. Indigo began plucking it. It appears that Indigo’s very active plucking frightened little Rubus for a few seconds. Rubus ran and stood on the Cilla stones and then, watching and well, Rubus is always hungry, s/he begins to think about helping.
Rubus decides s/he will go and help.
The chicks made a good effort. Indigo was very good at plucking and little Rubus helped her by holding down a part of the Starling with the talons. But they did eventually give up despite their early morning hunger.
Rubus was really working on that Starling’s head.
Rubus twisted and turned and pulled getting some bites.
Looks like Diamond came and saved the day! Both chicks reasonably aggressive but, squealing Rubus slightly more so.
When I finished watching 367 Collins Street today, there were still four eyases on the ledge.
Oh, this one wants to fly so much!
They have been watching the adults fly. It is to lure them off that ledge. ‘Hey, look, you are a bird. Flap those wings and fly’ – Mum and Dad are telling them. ‘You can do it!’
It is 12:21 and all of the Melbourne Four are accounted for – there is one that is blending in well with the scrape box and one in the gutter looking like a piece of prey!
Sometimes Mum – who is now slim and trim – can look like one of the eyases. To tell the difference between an adult and a juvenile Peregrine Falcon, look at the bars on the chest. If they are vertical, the bird is a juvenile. If they are horizontal, they are an adult.
All present and accounted for at 1417. Just look at how much the youngest one has changed. You can easily see which one or ones are hungry. See the sunken crop of the one on the ledge and the full crop of the one in the gutter. Falcons do not need to eat every day and…of course, all of us want them to have banquets but, a day will not harm them. These four have learned how to pluck and are preparing for what they are meant to do – fly! So proud of these first time parents. They overcame so much to be able to fledge these four healthy eyases – and that fledging will be soon. I hope they all wait and fly off together.
Here is a very short video of a pigeon delivery to the Melbourne Four. They are sooooo loud. Once you know that sound you will never mistake it for anything else! Poor parent. Besieged.
Mum and Big have been eating. All of the nests have had food – at least one prey drop or more.
Big is big.
Big had a monster sized crop.
Big is very aware of her surroundings and around 1322 pancaked in the nest. A few minutes later she was looking around as if there was ‘something’ or ‘someone’ about.
Mum got a chance to eat some fish on her own — in the middle of the night while Big slept. Thank goodness. Big will eat everything unless the fish is huge. We are now within 5-7 days of banding.
Brief Eagle News:
If you are a Decorah North fan, Mr North and DNF were working on their nest this morning! There is hardly a Bald Eagle nest in the US that is not now going through nestorations.
Muhlady laid her second egg. Pepe was there at the Superbeaks nest in Central Florida giving support. Muhlady was the first Bald Eagle to lay an egg this breeding season. She will have the clutch finished before most even consider an egg!
Migration News:
Waba is still in the Sudan feeding at the Nile River while Bonus remains in Turkey. There will most likely not be any transmissions from Kaia or Karl II as they were already at their wintering grounds. This is typical. In past years there has been no transmission from Karl II until he began his return journey to Estonia. This is the first year that Kaia has a transmitter.
Thank you for joining us today. I hope that your weekend has been good. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures today: Raptor Education, Royal Albatross Cam and Sharon Dunne, The Guardian, Looduskalender Forum, Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Decorah North, and Superbeaks.
Some snow fell last night and it was still here – not melting – until half an hour ago. Everyone has been in the garden this morning and Canada Geese have been flying overhead. Everyone is visiting the garden. The number of Dark-eyed Juncos has increased, and the Starlings are here waiting for me to go and get Meal Worms and Butter Bark. I plan to do that shortly. They do cause chaos, but they are such beautiful birds and they also deserve a good feed on a cold day.
Making News:
Oh, I adored Rosa and Martin’s 2022 eaglet, Orion, at the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle nest. What a gorgeous chick. Orion hatched on the 13th of March. Well, guess what? Orion returned to the nest! But it gets better ———— Martin and Rosa were there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is the video:
Harriet and M15, the famous Fort Myers Bald Eagle couple, have made The Washington Post with their rebuilding activities! The raptors can show us all the way. Don’t grumble about what life throws at you, just get on making it better!
Abby and Blazer from Eagle Country are on their nest tree. Just look at what Hurricane Ian did to their wonderful nest. I wonder if they will rebuild in the same place?
Do you adore the Kakapo, the charming green flightless parrots of New Zealand that are so threatened? Well, I do and am always thankful for the care they are given. They were New Zealand’s Bird of the Year for two straight years but, because of that, they have been struck from the ballot this year. Some are wondering if that is fair.
Today, at Port Lincoln, Big is 27 days old, Middle is 26, and Little Bob is 23 days. Those four days and, perhaps, a gender difference with Big Bob certainly being a female, sure set those two apart. According to Port Lincoln’s data chart, there were 4 fish delivered with 5 feeds. That does not tell us much about what happened on this nest. I was, however, delighted to see that Little Bob had a feeding around 0100 Friday morning. That is interesting as the night before, Middle had been the recipient of those precious bites. I could not rewind to see how much fish Little Bob got but, on Friday in Australia, Big ruled the roost in frenzied attacks on all the siblings. Little Bob had some fish around 10:45 before it was attacked by Big three minutes later. That feeding was highlighted in my last blog.
There was a feeding at 12:36. Little stayed rolled up tight and did not get any. The third feeding at 16:28 Middle got some but Little did not. It was the break through very large whole fish that helped Little Bob. It arrived at 17:17:45. Little Bob moved up to eat with Middle at 17:36 getting its first bite at 17:37:58. After that Mum worked that fish tail again giving Little huge bites at the end. Little Bob went to bed full of fish. That is a good thing.
There was not a late fish delivery like there had been the night before. It sure would have benefitted Mum and Little. Big is out for the count so full after gorging all day. I remember the second hatch at Achieve Ospreys in 2020. That osplet would eat and eat and eat so that Tiny Tot could not get any food. We wondered how it could even hold another bite.
Looking at Port Lincoln and the age of the Osplets, let us remember that the beaking started on day 8. The late and only fish delivery that day came after 1500. It was also the onset of the Reptilian phase. We are now moving out of the Reptilian Phase and this nest should settle —- if it is going to. It is why the ages of the osplets are now important as the development of their juvenile feathering. Oh how I wish we could measure their hormonal levels leading up to that Reptilian Phase and then coming out of it.
The chicks at Melbourne were once again left out in the hot sun yesterday. I am mystified at the female at this scrape. I have never seen a female consistently leave her chicks for an hour and a half or longer every day. They were so hot. Hopefully in another week – when, according to the Melbourne weather reports it is to get hotter – they will be able to run to the other end of the gutter for shade. I want to say ‘should Mum leave them alone in the hot sun again’ but, it seems that a pattern has formed and that is precisely what Mum will do, sadly.
Indigo and Rubus are being well fed and taken care of. Rubus now gets lots of food and you can see that it knows precisely where Mum’s beak is. The eyes are open and they are focusing. When Rubus is an adult it will be able to see a prey item a mile away. There were six feedings yesterday at Orange.
Rubus and Indigo are just cute little buttons of things. Indigo is so calm and Rubus seems to be a live-wire. I do love watching Indigo take food out of Rubus’s mouth – but, only if, Diamond replaces it for Rubus!
There is no news about SE29 or SE30. I will be back with updates on migration later today along with the breakfast news from the nests. For those watching the Finnish Ospreys, Salli left Finland on August the 25th and she arrived at her winter home in Rwanda on the 13th of October. She is now feeding at Lake Llaema. Fantastic. The adult Royal Albatross have been arriving on Taiaroa Head. Some have been around Lillibet’s nest. Check it out.
Thank you so much for being here with me. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their news, their posts, and their screen cams where I took my screen captures: ‘A’ and ‘H’, Dulles-Greenaway, Osprey Friends, Eagle Country, Kakapo Recovery, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, and Port Lincoln Ospreys.
Oh, goodness. One area of my City had its first snow last evening and the temperature for the rest of us is 1 degree C. (Think of 0 as 32 degrees F). We had our first heavy frost last night. This cold snap will surely put some of the birds that are arriving in our City on a path south!
The active nests remain in Australia while the Bald Eagles work on their nests for egg laying later in the year in the US. Rain is the issue at some of the nests. Melbourne received 3 inches of rain or 7.5 cm. Mum worked so hard to keep those eyases dry. Sadly, the Collins Street scrape will have more rain today – perhaps an inch – starting at around 0800. My weather report says that should end around 1300. It has really rained in Sydney and there are some areas that are flooding. Rain should begin in the Olympic Park where the Ironwood Tree nest of the Sea Eagles is located at around 1100 and then stop. Port Lincoln could be dry today! Yippee. It looks right now that Orange could be dry as well. We wait and see how the forecasts hold up BUT regardless, these amazing raptor families are doing well despite the heavy downpours that are occurring. That is simply wonderful.
There is word that Friends of Osprey – think Janet Foster, Ian Falkenburg, Fran Solly – from Port Lincoln and all those who donated or joined Friends of Osprey – have received four sat pack transmitters for this year. There will be one available for Port Lincoln and one each going to the three other nests should they have fledglings. Calypso has been seen numerous times and is flying well. She is the 2019 fledgling from PLO. Ervie is, of course, out and about being the man about town in Port Lincoln. This is excellent news. More platforms are planned for South Australia as well as the number of Ospreys grow in the area.
Friends of Ospreys has a new website and they are grateful for all donations. All funds go directly to the camera, etc at Port Lincoln, new platforms in the area, and those precious transmitters. This is their new site and it is packed with information. Not a member? Consider donating. Membership is $20 Australian.
An announcement came out of the Royal Albatross Centre on Taiaroa Head yesterday that a decision was made and accepted by all members that the Royal Cam Chick known as QT be officially named ‘Lillibet’ after Queen Elizabeth II.
I was worried about Little Bob at Port Lincoln yesterday. Big and Middle continue to go at one another and well, I will sound like a broken record but, it is a real blessing that they stop fighting and act nicely at the fish table. ‘A’ noticed yesterday that Little Bob’s lack of a long neck is hampering him if he is not at the right position during feeding. That said, he walked away with several nice size crops later yesterday when larger fish came to the nest.
In the image below, have a look at Middle Bob. Notice the dark woolier down that is now replacing that light grey coat of down the osplets had when they hatched. They will retain this thermal wooly layer to help them regulate their temperature. Feathers will begin to appear. You can already see the rusty-gold ones on their head and nape. These will be followed by the wing, tail, and body feathers until they get their full juvenile plumage. They are going to be very itchy and will spend much time preening.
Remember that the feathers are often called ‘blood feathers’. The feathers grow from blood quills which will disintegrate and fall off as the feathers grow.
Little Bob looks great with that big crop of his. You will notice that all three chicks are in the full reptilian phase including having ‘clown feet’.
We all wondered if Little Bob would be another Ervie. He certainly does his best to get up front and at the beak for feeding. The beaking between the two older siblings does send him into safe positions and it does appear that he is often afraid of them — and for good reason. He is still very small. Let the older more evenly matched siblings take their angst out on one another!
Dad continues to provide lots of prey for the Melbourne eyases and he does his best to feed them and keep them covered from the sun. It is difficult for him to brood them – even last year, Old Dad has a huge problem when it came to four chicks. They all seem to be doing well including the smallest one.
Mum has been notified that prey is delivered. She has flown off to have a break and eat.
Dad arrives and stays with the eyases til Mum returns.
Some chatting and bowing and Dad is off!
The older chicks can see well. It is hard to determine if the 4th has its eyes fully open and focused yet. Oh, how I wish there was a zoom on that camera!
The wee one at Orange is getting some food while Big Bob is growing like crazy. Everything is going well at Orange for Xavier and Diamond and we will all get to see how these two manage as parents of two this year instead of one.
There have been lots of feedings and Xavier has been able to feed and brood his family! He so loves being such an active part in everything instead of just providing prey.
SE30 has not fledged yet. The heavy rains in the forest should slow down any flying but, SE29 does not seem to be bothered flying in and out of the nest. SE29 is roosting elsewhere. SE30 is so excited to see its sibling when it flies in. They seem to have such a special bond with one another this year.
Fish have been coming to the nest and Lady often feeds SE30 and also SE29 should s/he show up on the nest. SE29 is often more interested in what is going around making one wonder if s/he is not also being fed elsewhere.
All of the nests are as quiet as they can be in the middle of the night in Australia. Despite the weather, all of the parents are able to feed and keep their little and not so little youngsters fed and warm (if needed).
Migration:
Checking on Karl II family for 5 October. Bonus continues to stay in the same area of Romania. Tracking shows that he flew a lot. This is a map of where he is and an image of the area.
Waba is still in Moldova at an area around Glodeni.
Waba seems to be enjoying a pond in the landscape. You can see by the blue dots that he visits there often. How wonderful he has found a source of fish and frogs.
Karl II has just astounded people with a 450 km flight. He is now in Turkey!
I see that there are no tracking reports yet for Kaia. On 4 October she was 31 km from the Mediterranean Sea. She is perhaps in areas where there is little satellite transmissions available.
Don’t forget that 8 October is Big Bird Day at Cornell Bird Lab. Go to their website to register for the bird count if you are not already a part of eBird. It is free. Here is the information to get you started:
Thank you so much for joining me this morning. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and posts where I took my screen captures: Friends of Osprey, Cornell Bird Lab and NZ DOC, Port Lincoln Ospreys, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, and Looduskalender Forum.
Thanks for the memories Smitty you are missed!
