25 October 2026
Good morning, everyone,
The garden birds and animals have been fed. Toby and I are always out there first thing. Mr Blue Jay is at the table feeder, and the Crow family is by the back gate at their feeder. All of the birds are looking good, as are the squirrels. There are currently two reds and two greys. I am afraid that we have lost Dyson this past summer. She has not been at the feeder for months. What joy she brought for so many years. We continue to have Canada Geese and Gulls foraging on the grass all around our City. You can even see them in the gardens by the hospital! That is a real treat for Donald.
Again, thank you so much for your e-mails and your comments. I am way behind on my replies, but I am forever so grateful. It was a tough week. I am alright today. Donald had a terrible fall yesterday. They found him on the floor by his door in the hall. Did his bed alarm not go off? I do not know. By the time Toby and I got to the hospital, he was in bed and so very happy to see us. He had his ‘baby’ Toby with him.
Do you have someone in the hospital with dementia who has a pet at home? See if you can find a stuffed animal that looks like it. The nurses and aides tell me that getting ‘baby’ Toby was brilliant. Don strokes Toby all the time, especially when he is feeling anxious.
Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of our local pet store. Donald and I were their second customers when they opened. Donald loves Halloween – he would make mechanical displays and always dressed up to give out the treats. In that spirit, I looked for a costume that would fit Toby! He doesn’t mind the body part, but I am not sure about the cap.
The birds, as I mentioned, are still migrating. We have lots of places where the grass is green and the geese are feasting.
There was a heartwarming article in The Guardian this morning about a place that turns off every light for the birds! Just think about that. Reminds me of the stories from WWII and the blackout curtains. The author writes, “To me, the message of this story is that there is always hope, especially when we involve future generations and teach them to care about our planet and its beauty.
Today, Corvo is still the only island that performs a full blackout of public illumination to help the birds find their way to the ocean without interference from artificial lights.”
Lights out: the island that goes dark to save young seabirds – in pictureshttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/25/corvo-azores-corys-shearwaters-switch-off-saving-seabirds-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url
Reports on ospreys are coming in from various regions. Heidi posted this one today for those interested in what is happening in the northeastern US.
I pulled some information from that report, but I encourage you to look at the full document.
“The 2026 nesting season brought concerning results. Our survey team observed 127 nest sites throughout the watershed, with approximately 80 occupied nests recorded during the peak nesting season. Despite this activity, reproductive success remained alarmingly low, with approximately 80% of monitored nests failing to produce fledglings. These findings reflect broader concerns about Osprey reproduction throughout the Chesapeake Bay and underscore the importance of continued monitoring to better understand the challenges facing this iconic species.
This year, Operation Osprey also expanded its monitoring efforts into the southern Severn River watershed, including Bay Ridge, Arundel on the Bay, and Fishing Creek. Our growing network of volunteer Osprey Stewards continued to play a vital role in documenting nesting activity, sharing observations, and supporting our research. Their contributions help us build a more complete picture of Osprey populations across the watershed.
One of the most exciting developments of 2026 was the launch of our satellite tracking program. In June, three adult female Ospreys, Maggie, Millie, and Patty, were fitted with GPS/GSM transmitters, allowing us to follow their movements in unprecedented detail. From their summer activities around the Chesapeake Bay to their migrations south, these birds are providing valuable insight into Osprey behavior, migration routes, and the challenges they encounter beyond their nesting grounds.
Although the results of this year’s survey are troubling, they reinforce the importance of Operation Osprey’s mission.”
How much do you know about Brown and White American Pelicans? In Winnipeg, we are home to about a third of the world’s population of American White Pelicans beginning in the early spring. They eat and breed along our islands and rivers especially near Lockport and Hecla Island. Cornell Bird Lab has published an interesting article if you want to learn more!
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/american-white-pelican-brown-difference-dive-fish
You can hear the rain coming down in SK Hideaway’s video of the kids at Collins Street. https://youtu.be/e1BXSwcR5ao?
Ventana Wildlife Society’s Condor Chat on 24 October: https://www.youtube.com/live/gbAGsDwHyAQ?
Heidi posted another story from PG Parks Nature about a Maryland osprey that migrates to Brazil.
“
Meet Patty, an osprey with an incredible migration story!
Patty, a female osprey that nested along the lower Patuxent River this summer, has traveled thousands of miles on an amazing journey.
After her nest failed in June, Patty left the Patuxent River and eventually settled at a small fishing pond nearly 200 miles away in West Virginia. She spent much of July there before beginning her southward migration in August, traveling through Florida and across the Caribbean.
One of the most remarkable parts of her journey was a 640-mile nonstop flight over open ocean from the Dominican Republic to Venezuela. For nearly 30 hours, Patty flew without seeing land and with nowhere to stop.
By mid-September, she had logged more than 5,800 miles and traveled through seven countries before continuing on to Brazil.
How Do We Know Where Patty Traveled?
Patty is equipped with a lightweight GPS transmitter, essentially a tiny backpack that allows researchers to track her movements in near real time.
Her migration is part of a larger research effort aimed at understanding why ospreys are struggling to successfully raise young throughout much of the Chesapeake Bay region. Researchers are particularly concerned about food stress and the reduced availability of Atlantic menhaden, a key food source for ospreys.
If Patty returns next spring, scientists will be able to learn:
Where she fishes
How far she must travel to find food
What challenges ospreys face along the Patuxent River
These findings will help scientists better understand osprey survival and nesting success, providing valuable information to support conservation efforts.
Patty is one of 10 ospreys that will be fitted with GPS transmitters as this research expands. The project builds on years of osprey monitoring by Patuxent River Park and is being conducted in partnership with Operation Osprey.
From Maryland to Brazil, Patty’s journey is helping researchers unlock the mysteries of one of the Chesapeake Bay’s most iconic birds.”
Thanks, Heidi, for these reports!
One of the Ps is still on the Cornell Campus.
Beau and Gabby were seen mating on the camera for the first time yesterday.
Shadow and Kaydee appear to be a solid item.
Dr Sharpe should have that West End camera working. What would we do without him?? Let’s see! It’s live and here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/aT1adgYSfbc?
It’s a beautiful day and time for Toby to have another walk. I hope that you have been able to get outside – nature can really lift our spirits.
The Girls and Toby are fine. Missey is a little more clingy – she really misses Donald, and Toby seems to fall into short periods of moodiness. Hugo Yugo just causes trouble, while ‘The Calicos’ keep themselves to themselves! I am so grateful for their company.
Thank you to Heidi for the posts containing great reports. I wish some of the news were better. I am always grateful to SK Hideaways for their videos and to the Ventana Wildlife Society, who are so dedicated to growing the California Condor population. Check out their monthly newscast. The Guardian is a good source of wildlife information, and I am always grateful to those who post images and information on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us see the lives of our bird friends.
California Condors 340 and 868 recuperating from lead poisoning inside our Big Sur Release Facility on August 10, 2026. 
