I hope that you are well and have had a wonderful week so far.
It is a bright blue sky with brilliant sun and a temperature of about -5 C. Ann and Don are at The Zoo! Toby, The Girls, and I are doing some spring cleaning. We cleared out a pantry yesterday that went to Ann’s son, and now I have a place for a chair so Don can safely put on his shoes and boots by the garden door.
Toby and I are both well. I feel like a new person after a round of antibiotics – especially when I didn’t really know that I was unwell, just exhausted. Seems the tiredness was attributed to the infection, so get checked out if you live in a place where this is affordable. I am so fortunate. I worked hard, paid my taxes (still do), and never see a bill from my doctor, who is the head of our university clinic. Maybe you are not really tired either!!!!!!!! Toby and I are going to finish patching some nail holes, change the bedding, and go for a nice walk.
That walk turned into a wonderfully long walk. We did change all the bedding – oh, to sleep on clean sheets and under duvet covers! We did not patch the nail and screw holes. We baked some Spelt buns so Ann can take some home along with a nice jar of jam and we walked. We walked and walked. 3.2 km according to the routing on the phone. We could have gone on for much longer but there remains enough ice on the walkways in places to make me nervous.
Toby is continuing to grow. He is long, with nice, long legs. His fur grows fast, as do his nails. Except for the HGE (due to the stress of what happened over the holidays), he is very healthy and will not have the issues that many of the Cavaliers do – breeders who sought out large heads and googly eyes over health. His ‘dog parents’, Mia and Myles, and 4 generations of their family have not had the trouble I read about in many FB groups, so, like the world news, I am going to take a long break from reading about them. Life is beautiful – it looks ugly at times when we see the disregard for life of any kind. So look for the good!
I wake up and am so grateful for so much. I have a home – a small home, the size that families raised three children in during the 1950s and 60s. We have good food and I can afford to have pets and take care of animals outside. I am grateful for my health at my age. I am tremendously happy that Brock is doing well. He spends much time inside the porch of the dear lady down the street. He loves sleeping on her chair and he will wait, as he did with us, for more food to be brought out if you tap on the door a couple of times. Brock is safe and eating well. Don has come around and I have adjusted his medications so that there are no acute flare ups at any time of the day. Every day I appreciate those researchers who developed these medications for dementia and other psychoses – they are helping me keep Don at home and our family together. I am hoping, however, to have a holiday – two of them, in fact. One to British Columbia to visit an old and dear friend. We will walk through the Old Cedar forests and cleanse our souls and the other to the UK to see the ospreys and meet up with a few lovely people. Of course, those are mere wishes now. Perhaps reality in the future.
Ah, so we hope that you can breathe the fresh air, listen for the birds—–remember this is the Big Bird Count this weekend! Please take part.
So what is happening in Bird World?
JBS 24 is still alive. As ‘MP’ reminded me, the little one is really now out of the woods as per HPAI for a period of 72 hours after the death of the first eagle. So we have almost another day. The eaglets that I have seen die in the same nest – well, it happened normally within 24-26 hours if not hours.
24 had a good feed early today. Keep sending good wishes.
We are looking for eggs for Bella and Scout at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest and also for Irv and Stella at the US Steel nest in PA.
At the Golden Eagle nest in Romania, the very first egg for 2025 was laid in early March – the 9th to be precise. So, we could be looking at eagle eggs in less than a month.
Francis and Franklin laid their first egg on the 26th of January in Tennessee. So, let’s count the days til pip watch – looks like we are on day 16. Two and a half weeks, at least, to go.
Ellie and Harvey laid their first egg on the 28th in Kansas. So three weeks away.
We leave branches and rotting wood scattered around the garden. Those old tree trunks and pieces of broken cedar planters have lots of insects for the garden birds.
These dead trees are also homes to my local Blue Jays as well as these little owls. Please protect them if you can!
Thank you so much for being with us. I had not expected to do a posting until at least the end of the week but the happiness that JBS24 is still alive just spreads over me. We are not out of the woods yet but after Thursday morning I am going to relax! And you should, too. Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to everyone who has sent me notes and news, and to the owners of the streaming cams, so that we can watch their daily lives. Thanks, J, for the news of the owl and the reminder of the dead wood, and to Christine’s Critters for their post.
We have another Osprey egg – the first one laid at Venice Beach for the season.
The latest Kakapo chart sent to us by ‘J’:
JBS24 remains seemingly healthy more than 18 hours after JBS passed. This is welome news. HPAI ‘normally’ takes siblings closer together – so, it would appear HPAI is not the COD for 25.
Family portrait late Tuesday 10 February.
News of the Laysan Albatross from Hob on the island of Kauai:
The USK Valley is in Wales. The region has recently had its very first osplet fledge. In 5 weeks we hope to be welcoming the adults back to the nest.
SPO posts about the anticipation of the first egg at the US Steel nest:
Jean-marie Dupart counted 61 ospreys in the Somone Lagoon in Senegal recently. They will be departing for their nests in the UK and Europe soon.
Scout and Bella have been so busy working on their nest. These wonderful pair lost their eaglets last year when their nest collapsed. It was a real tragedy – those beautiful babies had their juvenile plumage. Sending this pair good energy for a successful year.
SW Florida’s E26 stands on the rails in heraldic pose, is self feeding, and still loves to be cared for by Mum and Dad.
Eve and Kai are growing and doing so well. They are getting their ‘tails’ at the nest of Beau and Gabby.
That piece of fencing is still in the nest of Connie and Clive. Nothing can be done about it at this point. Notice where Quinn is standing. Quinn could have a pre-mature forced fledge. Let us just hope that this piece of human junk that made its way to the nest is not harmful to anyone and that it will be removed in the off season during camera maintenance.
R9 and R10 are doing very well at the Dade County nest, too. We have much to be thankful for despite the loss of three eaglets this season.
Gus and Willow laid their first egg at the Eagle Country nest in Florida on the 11th of January. Blaze has not been seen for some months. Skye was seen after Blaze went MIA.
Thank you so much for being with us tonight as we catch up with a few of our bird families. Take care of yourself. Spring is just around the corner! But our bunch have ‘Valentine’s Day’ on their minds despite the fact that Toby’s ‘bunny ears’ arrived today. (Toby wasn’t so sure about these!) They are supposed to be a bit of a hat with ears, but we need some alterations!!!!!
We hope to be back with you the end of the week.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams, the authors of the FB posts, the creators of the videos, OpenVerse for its image bank, and The Guardian. My blog would not be the same without your talents and generosity in sharing.
Current Status as John Bunker Sands: The second eaglet is still alive.
With the sudden death of JBS25, we are all feeling great anxiety. We will never know for certain what killed the little eaglet without a necroscopy – those take time and resources. The parents have now begun covering the little one. I noticed that someone on the chat wondered if the parents knew of the little one’s passing. The late Laura Culley – a friend and a great falconer – would have said very loudly: “And why wouldn’t they know that their child had died!” Laura trained and flew many raptors for at least three decades. She believed that they had higher powers – powers that we have lost including the ability to communicate without what humans know as ‘talking’. I miss her wisdom and yes, the raptors know. I have even observed their mourning over the death of their children and others leaving the nest having felt what we might call guilt for bringing in the prey that killed their children. The most vivid memory of that was Joe at the Captiva nest when Peace and Love died after he brought a rat to the nest that had died from rodenticide poisoning. He not only visibly mourned but left – and did not return.
It is 2230 as I am writing this, and if JBS 24 is to perish from HPAI, we will see this within the next 36 hours. I hope not. JBS 24 ate well Monday afternoon, even playing for a moment with dad’s tailfeathers. The little eaglet even had a late feed – unfortunately it was from the Coot on the nest that could have been the cause of the other’s death if it had HPAI.
HPAI happens suddenly. Several years ago, I reported on two White-tailed eaglets in Estonia that had died on a nest after being fed a crane. The two tiny eaglets died on the screen within half an hour of one another. In this instance, it was a crane that had come to the nest as prey. It turned out that these deaths were the first known instance of HPAI deaths in ‘spring’, sending alarm bells throughout the field of avian virology. Normally, HPAI happens in the fall, but this meant that migratory birds were affected. Thijs Kuiken is a prominent Professor of Comparative Pathology at the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus University Medical Centre (Erasmus MC) in Rotterdam, Netherlands. His research focuses on emerging infectious diseases, zoonoses, and influenza, with a specialisation in the pathology and pathogenesis of viruses in wildlife. Dr Kuiken contacted me after I reported the deaths on my blog and followed up with veterinarians in the area. He has written extensively on HPAI and its links to factory farming. The birds are the victims of this deadly disease that continues to kill around the world.
Here are some more recent articles showing the impact of this terrible disease.
Thank you so much for stopping in with us today. Keep sending your good wishes to the John Bunker eaglet.
Thank you to Mark Avery and the authors of the articles on HPAI as well as to the John Bunker Sands Wetlands for their streaming cam that allows us to look into the lives of these eagles. Our condolenes on the loss of the first little fluff ball.
It is always difficult to bring sad news, but I also want us to celebrate the survivors. There are many for us to cheer on – SW Florida, Captiva, Dade County, NE Florida, etc. Please send these nests your best wishes.
One of the eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands has died. I believe it to be the youngest but I stand ready to be corrected.
JBS 25 died around 1040 on Monday, the 9th of February. The eaglet hatched on the 26th of January – it was two weeks old and appeared to be doing well. The parents are excellent.
IF this is a case of HPAI, then, sadly, we will expect the older eaglet JBS 24 to pass as well as they were fed from the same prey brought to the nest. It would be the same situation as we observed at the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23 last year.
Thank you to ‘MP’ for alerting me to the illness on the nest and to the others who wrote to see if I knew the eaglet had passed. Yes, sadly. Let us all remain hopeful for the second who has had a good meal, and I hope they are in a food coma as I write this. Thank you to SK Hideaways for their video yesterday, which preserves this beautiful family before their passing. Thank you to JBS Wetlands for the streaming cam that allows us to view the lives of our raptors – the good and the sad.
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.
Oh, we hope that you had a lovely weekend – and were able to get outside and hear some birdsong! It is much warmer here. That is fantastic but it has meant that the walkways are icy, something that is difficult to deal with when Toby is so enthusiastic about being outside. He wears his boots with a skid pad on the bottom and they help him not to slip and slide. We have our boots with the big grips. Still, one worries a bit about falling so the walks have not been that long.
The skies are a cold, light grey. The leafless trees set against the sky like those Victorian shadow images we used to cut out of paper remind us, however, that it is still winter even if the European Starlings are getting their breeding plumage. I will be glad this year when the cold is all over. There is something that brings the spirit up when you can open the windows and walk down the street, not dressed like you are going on a Polar Bear expedition! But, I am not really complaining. The furnace is no longer churning out heat and there is the huge promise that the UK ospreys will be home in 5 weeks and on top of that Big Red will be thinking about laying her first egg. The days will speed by.
The Girls and Toby are fine, and so far, all of the regulars have made it through the winter that comes to the garden. We had thought that perhaps one of the Blue Jays was missing, but no, it appeared. What joy we had that morning. Brock makes his rounds and he was here at 0900. No doubt he will head down the street to have some food at Jane’s and sleep on her cushion. He showed up at her door when she got home from the symphony last night. I think he was watching and waiting for her to get home! You must be able to feel my excitement that he has another place to go for food and safety.
There are still 33 or more European Starlings coming to eat cat and dog kibble. As I noted earlier, their plumage is changing and some are now in breeding plumage. I hope that their nest in our lilacs and the back trees are successful this year. I adore them. Many people reject the Starlings and the Sparrows…I cannot imagine a day without their different songs. It is time to be equal in our treatment of the birds as most species, including these two, are in decline in various locations. Guardians of Nature just posted this image on FB as a reminder to us:
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 1 February 2026
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 Sauces Canyon Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Sauces Canyon Eagles Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnTsOesC6hE
Audacity Lays Egg #3 ~ Back to 2 Eggs After One Broke ~ Then Back to 1 Again (2026 Feb 6) Pretty much on schedule, Audacity laid her third egg with little fanfare or labor. After accidentally breaking one two days before, she and Jak once again had two precious eggs to tend. Best wishes for a fruitful outcome. Sadly, that egg broke just two hours after it was laid.
Audacity Accidentally Pierces Egg ~ Cleans Up Before Jak Arrives (2026 Feb 3) Audacity accidentally pierced one egg in the middle of the night. She simply stayed present, cleaned up the egg ~ taking in vital nutrients in the process ~ and appeared to revert to delayed incubation of the remaining egg. Keeping good thoughts for a replacement egg in a couple days. Video: https://youtu.be/b2cBALaGn08
Cholyn & Chase Share Sunset Rendezvous (2026 Feb 5) Cholyn and Chase are getting a lot of egg-making practice lately. Will she late earlier than her typical late February-early March timeframe? Only Cholyn knows for sure. Video: https://youtu.be/uZ9JOIGjHxQ
Cholyn & Chase Have a Frisky Morning ~ Twice (2026 Feb 2) With nesting season in full swing, Cholyn and Chase have frequent early morning rendezvous. Despite their 28 years of age and 23 years of “marriage”, they remain quite frisky at this time of year. So much so that they mated twice on the nest in less than 40 minutes. Will Cholyn surprise us with early eggs? Video: https://youtu.be/wMs45lc_3XA
West End Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | West End Eagles Cam Ops Nest Low Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfuqjSNXZ14 Other Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmmAzrAkKqI Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kad6O4nF6bg Aerial Food Fight ~ Aerobatics ~ Nest Misses ~ SEDs Together 🤗 The current West End couple had an active day, starting with a spectacular aerial food fight (shown here at regular speed and slo-mo). The wind made for some fancy flying, including swooping nest approaches. At day’s end, the couple met on the night perch. Video: https://youtu.be/7b1wjDO5EWYFOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear, CA Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear ValleyNest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz Jackie and Shadow Defend Nest and Territory from Multiple Intruders 2026 Feb 7 The past few days have brought a number of unwelcome visitors to Jackie and Shadow’s habitat, which is not unusual at this time of year. They fiercely defended their nest and surrounding area from both adult eagles and ravens. Wishing them all peace and safety as they sort themselves out. Video: https://youtu.be/HMSdUZnPKM8
Tandem Feeding for Fluffballs JBS24 & JBS25 (2026 Feb 4) 10-day-old JBS24 and 9-day-old JBS25 are lucky little fluffballs. Mom and Dad have been filling them to the brim all day every day. Tandem feedings are common here and a joy to watch. Here, Mom and Dad feed both eaglets and even each other a little. Video: https://youtu.be/ge017VDe7mo
Thank you so much, SK Hideaways.
The eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest Bald Eagle nests have been named. Tonya Irwin posted the results:
Gabby and Beau’s babies have been named!
While these two are exploring what is outside the rails, E26 at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23 is now standing on the rails!!!!!!
In Wales, there is an osprey platform near the one at Glaslyn. It is known as Pont Cresor. The male is Z2, Aeron, one of Monty’s sons. His mate is Blue 014. They have successfully raised chicks. Friends of Osprey installs osprey platforms on private property within Wales. They often will not reveal the location for good reason. They are now adding a camera to the Pont Cresor nest. This is fantastic.
Mary Cheadle announces this:
Here’s the other notice with more information.
Z2 Aeron’s brother, Z1 Tegid of the White Egg, is also breeding in Wales. Monty’s legacy lives long and strong in others as well.
Oh, I am getting itchy osprey talons. How lucky it is that Penny Albright gets to spend her winter watching osprey! She is posting some great images on FB, too. Thanks, Penny!
Jack and Jill have been at Achieva in St Petersburg, Florida. No eggs yet.
It won’t hatch – the single egg at Frenchman’s Creek. Mum continues to come to incubte during the day but stays away at night so as not to be killed by the GHO. In fact, she was pulled off the nest the other evening and survived. Poor thing. I wish that egg would break.
Heidi reported on that owl strike:
So far all is well with Sally and Harry at Mooring’s Park. There are three eggs. Hatch watch begins on March 1.
Beth Lorenzo posted that the Pink Shell osprey nest in Florida has three eggs: Congratulations on three eggs! This is the first time I’ve seen three (2/5): does anyone happen to know when the third was laid? No big deal; I just want to write a date in my records.
Eggs are normally laid at 3 day intervals but we have seen some at 2 days and some at 4 or 5.
There is no shortage of food in the nest of Owlvira and Hoots!
The eaglets on the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest are doing very well. The chat says: “Mom and Dad’s eggs were laid on Dec. 18 and 21. JBS 24 hatched on Jan. 25, while JBS 25 hatched on Jan. 26.”
Positive wishes for Jak and Audacity who still have a single egg to incubate. Two of the three eggs laid have broken accidentially. And hum that tune ‘All We Need is Love’ but say ‘All We Need is One!’. That got us Betty Lou. One egg is manageable. One egg is easier to cope with when there could be issues of a thinner shell. Keep sending this couple love.
Thank you so much for being with us today! Please take care of yourself. Go outside. Smell the fresh air (I hope it’s fresh), pause. Listen to the birds and read a good book. Bake some scones. We did today – SK Hideaways recipe. They were delicious. Draw, write an old friend. Think of something lovely. We will be back by the end of the week and we hope you are able to join us.
Delicious. If you would like the recipe, let me know.
A tired Toby.
Thank you to all those individuals who voted on the names for the eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest and the NE Bald Eagle nest of Gabby and Beau. Thank you to SK Hideaways for being so kind to send me their weekly list of videos, and to all those who posted information on FB and the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to watch the lives of these amazing birds.
It has warmed up considerably on the Canadian Prairies. Dog walkers are out like there is a costume parade for the best-dressed pooch! It is wonderful for morale – and by February, spirits on the Canadian prairires an be running rather dry.
It has certainly been a week but the one underlying theme, on many occasions, has been that of ‘friendship’ and ‘cooperation’.
‘MP’ sent me the most remarkable story about Honey Eaters and how they cooperate with humans in Africa. Have a read. It is a heart warmer that has been occuring for eons.
‘MP’ writes: “I saw this article about birds and humans, and it blew me away. Here’s the link:
And then there is the ongoing saga of worry over Brock, the only feral cat in our neighbourhood, much loved by many who is now 4 or 5 years old. He was MIA from 12:01 Friday morning (or Thursday night, however you want to look at it) when I last saw him on my video camera until yesterday. The other neighbour who feeds him began to understand why Brock drives me to eating Gaviscon! Then he appeared around 2000 at our feeders. Today, he chowed down at Jane’s and was here once and then….one of my friends who we often walk dogs alongside sent me a photograph.
It is on the same block, just on the other side. Another kind lady is feeding our darling! Kindness.
The reading for today out of The Friendship Book is: “When the author, J. M. Barrie talked about being kinder than necessary in “The Little White Bird”, he didn’t have a character speak the words. He didn’t state it like ancient words of wisdom, demanding due respect. He framed it as a question, from himself to us. “Shall we make a new rule o life from tonight: always to try to be a little kinder than necessary.”
Honey Hunters and feral cats…and then there were those that helped my daughter yesterday. She was travelling down a street mid-afternoon, going 60 kph, when a car pulled right in front of her. Shocked, scared, car totalled – two women stayed with her til the paramedics and fire trucks arrived. Then the firemen put her into the truck so she could stay warm. She is alright – astonishingly so. But I am so grateful for the kindness of those strangers as she struggled with what had just happened and how bad that accident could have been.
Now on to some of the news happening in Bird World.
At the nest of Anna and Louis II, E-1, in the Kistachie National Forest, the parents have been busy bringing in moss and other natural materials to bury the bobber and fishing line in the nest. They have moved that bobber several times and are obviously extremely aware of the danger this foreign object could have – hence, their actions. The tree is 105 feet off the forest floor. There are trained rangers monitoring the situation but, at the present, it appears the adult eagles have this under control.
Elvira and Hoots have been bringing in lots of prey for the little owlets. One time it was a bunny. All of the owlets appear to me to be doing fine including the tiny 3.
Chase and Cholyn are being romantic – and what a view for eagle romance! It was noted in the video that the mating attempts were too many to count! Let’s hope these two have a fertile egg and an eaglet this year! And for those of you unaware, Cholyn is Thunder’s mother. (Thunder and Akecheta were the resident pair at the West End nest. Their current status remains unclear).
Jak and Audacity’s first egg continues to remain intact.
The adults at the Winter Park Florida Bald Eagle nest have names!
We need some more food for those two eaglets at Winter Park!
At the Window to Wildlife, the Captiva Bald Eagle nest of Connie and Clive, and a piece of wire mesh – we call it chicken wire in Canada – has come to the nest! Gracious. Another human-made potential for harm.
All is well at the NE Florida nest of Gabby and Beau where voting to name the eaglets ends on Sunday!
To vote for the names for the eaglets of Anna and Louis II at the E1 nest in the Kistachie National Forest, go here:
This has been a quick in. It has been a busy day today, and I am tired. I hope this finds you well, with some time set aside to be outside this weekend. Thank you so muh for being with us. We look forward to being with you again on Monday.
Thank you to ‘MP’ for the story on the Honey Eaters, to SK Hideaways or their videos, and to the authors of the FB posts and the owners of the streaming cams who allow us into the lives of our favourite raptors.
Jak and Audacity’s second egg has been pierced by Audacity’s talon and is no longer viable. The first egg that was laid remains intact. Thank goodness.
There is a fishing line and a red/white bobber on the nest of Louis and Anna II in the Kistachie National Forest. The Migratory Bird Act permits intervention because this is a human-caused hazard. It requires a letter of permission from the USFWS.
At PA County Farms there is cause for celebration – first egg for our couple who often lay and hatch three or four eggs! I am hoping for just two healthy eaglets.
It was a fantastic day on the Canadian prairies. The weather is warm, the snow is now slush and horrid, but it is great for dog walks! The car washes are going to be very busy this week. By the weekend it will warm up to 0 C.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Send good wishes that the fishing line is removed safely in Louisiana and that Jak and Audacity’s first egg holds.
Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to SK Hideaways for their video and to the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to view the lives of our lovely raptors.
This has to go first as I missed it so a belated happy birthday to Jackie and Shadow!
And before anything else, a ‘fiver’ will give you the opportunity to vote for the names for Gabby and Beau’s eaglets. But you must hurry!
Great capture of a tandem feeding by Gabby and Beau!
I wish you could have been at story time this afternoon. It was so warm in the conservatory. I started reading – Don and Toby were already there. Calico ran in when she heard my voice and then Baby Hope. The two Calicos stayed for over an hour and then left – and that is when I stopped reading. There was just something about their presence, the sun shining in the glass, and the blue sky. It really was so nice and warm and cosy. The light streaming in demanded that we have story time early, and it was beautiful. We shall switch the time to the early afternoon on these bright sunny days.
SK Hideaways has good news: “Quick news flash: Jackie & Shadow were observed mating on the Lookout Snag at 14:30:55!”
Jak and Audacity’s egg is holding! Send them your continued best wishes.
Bird Flu continues to take lives and now it is the Thames Valley Swans that are under threat.
It is so wonderful that people like Penny Albright who is vacationing is also sending us news about the local ospreys on Sanibel! Thank you.
Lucille Powell reminds us that Rosie could be arriving at the platform she shares with Richmond in a fortnight!
Storks seem to be returning to certain areas of Europe. In some areas of France, people are beginning to feel the transition from winter to spring. Some are seeing a few daffodils and quince blossoms.
I am so pleased that many are learning about the flightless parrot, the Kakapo, and checking in on the streaming cam. There are so few of these birds left and great care is taken with them just as the NZ DOC does with the Royal Albatross.
Jak and Audacity now have their second egg.
Thank you so much for being with us for this quick check on our friendly raptors. We will be back with you at the end of the week! Please take care of yourself.
Thank you to the creators of the videos that I have linked here today, the authors of the FB posts, and The Guardian for its coverage of the raptors and the environment. I am so grateful. My blog would not be the same without your talents!
Oh, the sadness that the loss of Jackie and Shadow’s eggs has caused. It was like a grey cloud that covered the entire world. Of all the nests, these two tug at our heartstrings more than any others – or so it seems by the continued number of letters I am receiving. They are certainly a very special couple.
Everyone is complaining about the weather. My friend, Geemeff, in the UK, is tired of rain, and we are tired of snow. There is little room in my garden for anymore! The rain in the UK is having a huge impact on the birds and wildlife there.
Here, the wind and the freezing cold are surely impacting the birds that come to the garden. Surely. It is difficult enough for humans – and for our dear Brock. We will be ever so happy when spring arrives.
Meanwhile…Toby continues to try on little coats. This one will be for a warmer day. The aviator coat and his red jump suit are perfect for the weather now. The jump suit is the best as he can leap into deep snow and not have it cover all of him.
Ann rescued a three-year-old dog. Lucy is a little smaller than Toby. Toby used his allowance to get her a very adjustable pink vest. We hope she likes it.
Once Lucy is fixed, she is coming over to meet Toby. Let us hope they are real friends. It would be brilliant.
Morning delight: There is an osprey at the Wolf Bay nest in Alabama.
There has been so much discussion about Jackie and Shadow and that is simply because we love them. They are the most loved bald eagles in the US if you count the number of viewers along with all the news coverage. We are sad for them – and for us. What a joy it has been to watch Spirit fledge and then Sunny and Gizmo last year. Oh, what a year it was and we hoped for another. Perhaps there will be. It was unusual for Jackie to be off the eggs for so long. Each of us knew that. You felt something was wrong. Those eggs are so precious to them. I got a note from ‘B’ that might help clarify what happened – and why we must always ‘trust the Eagles’.
‘B’ wrote: “I hadn’t looked at the Friends of Big Bear Valley facebook page until now, so I hadn’t realized that FOBBV had seen that one of the eggs was cracked even before the ravens visited. So, yes, maybe Jackie had sensed that something was off. Hopefully Jackie will quit incubating what remains now, so that she can move on, even if there isn’t a second clutch. I totally understand you not sending a note upon learning the news — I had thought that might be a possibility even before you mentioned. Much as we love all these nests, Jackie and Shadow are special.”
No matter what happens we will keep these two in our hearts and continue to check in on their daily activities. We might be surprised by a second clutch. As I mentioned, second clutches are, indeed, rare but Jackie and Shadow did have one in 2021.
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 25 January 2026
FOBBV Bald Eagles: Jackie & Shadow ~ Happy Birthday, you two!
While their precise hatch date is unknown, we celebrate both their birthdays on 1 February. Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley Resident Bald Eagle male: Shadow (unbanded) since May 2018. Estimated hatch year: 2014 Resident Bald Eagle female: Jackie (unbanded) since September 2016. Estimated hatch year: 2012 Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz Big Bear Eagle History: https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/eagle-history/ Raven Breaks Both of Jackie & Shadow’s Eggs (2026 Jan 30) It was a very sad day in Big Bear. Jackie and Shadow were away from the nest for nearly 4 hours. During that time, ravens made multiple visits and ultimately breached both of the eggs. But before they did, we could see that one egg was already cracked. Perhaps Jackie and Shadow’s extended absence indicated their sense that something was off with the eggs. Absent an eagle mind-reader, we will never know. Video: https://youtu.be/PT0yZCVYKJE Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley
JACKIE LAYS 2ND EGG! Shadow Will be So Eggcited Tomorrow! 2026 Jan 26 Jackie had another short labor laying her second egg of the season just before dusk. Shadow had been visiting just 20 minutes before, so he’ll get a welcome surprise in the morning. Video: https://youtu.be/TTBhA0nK7NU
John Bunker Sands Bald Eagles: Mom & Dad Courtesy John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Eagle Cam Eagle Tower Camera 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wdo7BzUU_g Eagle Tower Camera 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDb2KqvvyQ Eaglets JBS 24 & JBS 25 Begin Bonking Despite Full Pantry (2026 Jan 28) 3-day-old JBS 24 and 2-day-old JBS 25 are being very well fed. They even have tiny baby crops and a very full nest of food. Despite that, instinct has kicked in and one eaglet, likely JBS 24, has begun a food competition. But it’s pretty minor and the video shows just one instance of the eaglet being aggressive against its sibling. It is reported that this nest historically has very little sibling aggression (except for last year), so let’s hope the typical trend continues. Even with the one bonk shown here, these two are a joy to watch. (2026 Jan 28) Video: https://youtu.be/GPwd5POXfuM
1- and 2-Day Old Eaglets Get to Know the Joys of FISH (2026 Jan 27) JBS 24 hatched on January 25th; JBS 25 on January 26th. We join them as Mom feeds them an afternoon fish snack. They make the troubles of the world simply fade away. Video: https://youtu.be/CIvPlG-vqNc
San Jose CH Falcons: Hartley & Monty’s Rooftop Rendezvous ~ Nesting Season in Full Gear (2026 Jan 29) Despite what the calendar says, spring is already in the air for Hartley and Monty. Today they met briefly on the ledge before a rooftop rendezvous. Hoping for eggs in just over a month. Video: https://youtu.be/cMUzsVTn408
San Jose CH Falcons: Hartley & Monty Are in the Mood for Love (2026 Jan 24) Nesting season kicks off in earnest as Hartley and Monty increase mating frequency. Video: https://youtu.be/RjN3HDNp_Wo
The GHO has caused the female at Frenchman’s Creek to stop incubating her egg at night. She has only laid one. Heidi has kept a close eye on this nest. It is so sad and at the same time, I am glad that the female wants to survive and has learned to stay away when the owls are flying at night. Osplets can wait another year or never until the owl is not around.
Finally. The murder trial of a gamekeeper who killed his colleague will begin. This all began, as I understand, with the killing of raptors.
A trip down memory lane: ‘A’ wrote, very excited. She found some information from three years ago and she wants me to share it with you. I know that you will remember the little red-tail hawklet raised by the Bald Eagles on Gabriola Island in British Columbia, Canada. ‘A’ writes: “I found this from 15 March 2023:
As a followup to last year, a local observer reported that the hawklet Malala was being seen with the adults on the beach and seemed to be doing well – apparently young hawks stay with their parents longer than eaglets, and the parents are accepting this.
Isn’t that just wonderful? And how amazing that the adult birds maintain a caring and teaching relationship with the hawklet for some significant period of time after it fledges, even though this is not the usual behaviour with eaglet fledglings of a similar age. And how wonderful that the little hawklet is on the beach with its adoptive parents, learning how to hunt for eagle food. I cannot tell you how that just makes my heart sing. As you know, I adored that spunky little hawklet, and had SO many questions after it fledged that I never thought would be answered. So it is wonderful to hear that single piece of news – it makes me so incredibly happy. I suppose the courage of the wee thing was what made the difference. It was cautious in its early behaviour on the nest but equally, it stood up for itself, literally fought for respect once or twice, and generally behaved in a very assertive manner. I’m not sure whether the outcome would have been different if Malala had been a bit more timid.
In the end, the basic behaviours of a chick were interpreted by the parents as warranting parental care because they are programmed to react that way and because their hormones were in the ‘chick caring’ phase. See a begging small beak, fill it with food. Hawklets are brave, bold little things – they do mature very quickly – and I suppose that is what saved this small person. But I really think this must happen quite frequently – some birds rely on the parental instincts of other species to reproduce at all (cuckoos, some ducks and a range of others), so I think we’d be surprised at how frequently it does occur if we knew the exact numbers. Parental instincts are just so incredibly strong. Look at the seemingly irrational devotion of parents of most species. The self-sacrifice involved in raising young is incredible (look at the albatrosses) and yet it is demonstrated by almost every species.
As you might have picked up, this has absolutely made my weekend. I am beyond thrilled! Please update your readers. I know how popular the Gabriola Island nest became in 2022 as a result of this blended family – so much so that the landowners chose not to allow the livestream the following season (2023). They did continue to monitor the bald eagle pair in 2024, I think, though I don’t know about 2025. It was a GROWL project, but there is no current information about the nest on their site.”
Deb Stecyk has posted the following about the activities at the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout. You might have difficulty viewing the log here so please go to Bald Eagles 101 FB.
I am so ashamed that I forgot about some nests, and I do not intend to – look at the two eaglets at Hilton Head! They are so gorgeous and have all their juvenile plumage!!!!!! And what a feast – six fish. Lovely.
As i the Winter Park Bald Eagle nest had not endured enough with the earlier rivalry between the eaglets, difference in age by five days, then a huge storm has torn off the rails! https://youtu.be/zyHx4-fMUxg?
Send them good wishes. The eagles can quickly build up the rails if the chicks can manage to stay in the nest.
ABC’s Bird of the Week is the Painted Bunting. Have a read. These colourful birds remind me of the Rainbow Lorikeets that visited Daisy the Duck while she was incubating her eggs or the sea eaglets when they are on the nest. I find I always learn something about these little focused stories.
There is a second egg at the Pink Shell Osprey nest in Florida.
Thank you so very much for being with us today. We hope that Monday brings you a wonderful start to your week. Our friends in parts of France are beginning to see small flowers, a Quince blossom here or there – tiny little reminders that spring will come! It is sunny with a beautiful blue sky today and it is -19 C. It will warm up a bit. Toby is getting excited about going for his walk with Ellen in half an hour. I am so grateful for all the help and support that I have.
As for us, we are doing well. It is 2 February and it is our anniversary. Last year we were in Guadeloupe. This year we are sharing a very special Chocolate Haskap cake and are simply grateful that we have a home, food, are able to heat that home in the winter and take care of the other animals that bring joy to our lives. It is the little things around us that are important – keep them safe and make the land and the lives of those that share it better. If everyone did that, we would not have a problem!
We look forward to having you with us again later this week. Take care.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for their videos, to the others who create videos and information posts on FB and the authors of articles and posts that tell us much about our feathered friends. I am grateful to all of you as well as the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to look into the lives of our favourite raptors.
