Big Red and Arthur – Mary Ann Steggles

Anna and Louis have a hatch, pip for Connie and Clive…Monday in Bird World

9 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that you had a lovely weekend. Maybe some time to watch some birds? or did you stay glued to the screen over the Es at Southwest Florida? It was beautiful here on the Canadian Prairies with a reasonable temperature but, the wind remained such that being outside had you gasping for breath. I am hoping to get out this coming week! Til then I am still working on all my new year’s cleaning! How can two kittens, not big cats yet, leave behind so many furry balls every day? It is like they invite friends over and party all night! Quietly.

I love the Starlings that come to my garden. I would not want them to ever stop coming. They are on the Red List in the UK – they were one of the first birds I posted when I began listing the 20 or so out of the 160 odd that are vulnerable to extinction. Here they are in murmuration.

Have a read. The decline in winter birds that migrate to the UK and their empty nests has many worried. Once there would have been 2 million Starlings murmuring in Somerset at dusk, now there is only 25% of that number. What is the cause?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/08/uk-wintering-birds-sharp-decline?CMP=share_btn_link

HeidiMc has a lovely video of a day in the life of Ron and Rose..greetings, working on the nest, lots of chortling and a fish delivery. A nice celebration of a new relationship! Thanks H.

And another video by Golden Gate Audubon. Peregrine Falcons have been spending time on Richmond and Rosie’s Whirly Crane Osprey nest in SF Bay. I wondered if they were any of the fledged CalFalcon chicks but they answered this in the description – no. If they find out where the falcon was banded, they will let us know. Until then…he or she is a cutie.

There is news of WBSE27: On the 14th of December, WBSE 27 was at Swan Bay on the Karuah River. You can see Sydney and then the red pin. It is a distance of 188 km.

Isn’t she beautiful? I wish Lady and Dad knew their baby was safe and doing well.

WBSE27 is 17 months old and is going through her first moult. As a result she has shed her tracker which was attached to her tail. WBSE 27 is banded so any future sightings will be from the band and not the tracker. “Now SE27 starts the new year afresh – while we can no longer follow her adventures, we have a wealth of information to analyse and share! We are happy that she has found her way in the world after such a rocky start. She is familiar with a wide expanse of the Hunter Region of NSW, and has established travel corridors, roosting and feeding areas. We hope that in the next few years she’ll be able to find a territory, mate and nesting site, and one day produce chicks of her own to continue the journey.” Tears. After watching these beautiful babies thrive on the nest, it is a tragedy that they are so attacked by the smaller birds to the point of near death or death unless someone finds them and takes them so they can have the care they require. WBSE30 will get a sat pak tracker when she is released and we will be able to watch another baby.

My wish for the new year is that all of the sea eagle fledglings go and sit in front of the Discovery Centre – right away after fledging – and are taken into care so they will be able to thrive in the wild knowing how to hunt prey and fly well like 27. OR that someone comes up with a solution to the Currawongs, Boobook Owls, and Magpies that harass them til they are no longer in their parents territory, are injured, or stave to death.

Suzanne Arnold Horning caught Big Red and Arthur out in the sunshine on Sunday. Big Red first and Arthur the second image. Thanks SAH.

There are birds that instantly will draw me to tears – tears of joy and relief. In Ferris Akel’s tour of 7 January, we saw Big Red and L4 hunting. Cornell has posted a tweet showing L2 on Sunday morning. Also Karel Sedlacek had Arthur on his iPhone presentation on Sunday. So why am I so happy? All of Big Red and Arthur’s kids from 2022 are accounted for: L3 is in care but preparing for release in the spring (we believe). L2 and L4 are hunting in their parent’s territory. Sadly, we lost L1 when she hit a glass corridor at Cornell (shame on them for having no bird proofing on that!). This is the very first year that I can remember fledglings being present in January! There is obviously plenty of food and Mum and Dad are not anxious for them to go anywhere. Tears of joy.

Finally a good look at both of the eaglets on the Superbeaks cam at once and look at those crops. Goodness these eaglets are being well fed and nicely cared for by Pepe and Muhlady. Notice also that a big stick has been placed across that opening to the left! Yes.

Big crops for both E3-01 and E3-02 at 1302 on Sunday! And it looks like there are still about nine fish on that nest. Alex is a great provider.

Alex came in yesterday and diffused a bonking event. E3-01 was 12 days old. Bonking seems to start with the growth of the thermal down (or at the age of about 8 days in Ospreys). It is hard to watch and entirely not understandable with a nest with so much fish but, in fact, food sometimes has nothing to do with it. Just a dominance issue. Thanks, Alex, for stepping in. Not worried about them…the eldest just making sure the little one knows who is boss!

Sunday. Look at the fish on the nest of Alex and Andria. Both babies eating well.

The key is to let the older sibling eat til it is about to pop and then feed the younger. This is only a problem if there is not enough food. On this nest there is tonnes of fish. No shortage here and both parents are willing to feed til they each have a crop as in the image above and below. The eldest can be a stinker.

Anna is listening to the eggs as she has a fish lunch at the E1 nest in the Kisatchie National Forest. There is a pip in one of the eggs.

And there is a hatch!!!!! Welcome to the world, E1-03.

Oh, precious. Louis will start hauling in the fish now. Can’t wait to see what he brings in – last year he was so excited he brought in 11 and Anna brought in 9 for a total of 20 fish on the nest in a single day. These eagles in Louisiana hatched at Kincaid Lake eat well!

MO and FO are still there. Reports are coming in from the SW coast of Florida that a lot of Ospreys are now returning to the area. I hope there are not too many nest fights. Will Lena return? Is Andy still out there?

MO and FO are working on technique.

E21 and 22 are fed well. There is some beaking at times. Still, they are adorable. How many eaglets has Harriet raised? Everyone to fledge as far as I know. I do not worry about these two at all.

Gabby and V3 on alert today.

Both Gabby and V3 were sleeping at the nest tonight. You could see Gabby on cam 1 and V3 on cam 2.

It is nearing 0700 and Zoe is awake wishing for a breakfast fish. Mum and Dad appear to be trying to get their girl to go out and fish for her own breakfast. Yesterday Dad brought a fish and Mum brought a fish but the times for the deliveries were late in the day: 16:42 and 17:50. So our girl went to sleep full to the brim. Today she is 113 days old.

A screaming Indigo!!!!!!!

I wanted to stop and check on Karl II’s family – the Black Storks from the Karula National Forest in Estonia. There has been no transmission from Karl or Kaia since they were in Africa and this is expected. There has been no transmission from Bonus since he was crossing the Eastern Desert in Egypt and I do not know yet what to think about that. Urdu (2021) remains in Turkey near the Aegean Sea although he flew west and not south. Perhaps Udu will stay in Turkey??

Little Waba (2022) seems to have really settled in to staying in Sudan on their side of the Nile. He is actively fishing.

A few bobble heads to watch and keep you yelling at the screen when they are beaking. It does end! It is often not nice to watch. If it drives you crazy, take a few days off. It looks like Diane at Achieva has a problem. She flipped in the nest into that hole in the centre. Last year that ‘hole’ at their eggs. No sense laying them this year if that hole that the squirrels made is not patched!!!! It appears that the eggs at Metro Aviation are not viable. The female is new replacing a long term mate of the male this year. The new female is very restless on the eggs tonight. Maybe a miracle late hatch? It would be nice as that nest has a history of successful fledges.

Last, congratulations to Connie and Clive on the pip of their first egg at Captiva. Last year their eggs were not viable. Wonderful news after the tragedy of Hurricane Ian, too.

Thanks for being with me today. Take care all. See you soon!

Thanks to the following for their notes, posts, videos, announcements, tweets, and photos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: The Guardian, Heidi Mc and WRDC, Golden Gate Audubon, Raptor Recovery Australia, Suzanne Arnold Horning, @CornellHawks, Superbeaks, KNF-E3, KNF-E1, Window to Wildlife, SWFlorida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, NEFL-AEF, PLO, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, and Looduskalender.

Bobbleheads, pips…Sunday Morning in Bird World

Good Morning Everyone!

Oh, Saturday looked promising for a nice walk in the forest. No! It was only -12 C but the winds were gusting more than 16 kph which means wind burn. I ‘decided’ reluctantly that it would be a good morning to clean house while listening to Ferris Akel’s tour. At the same time, I was very much aware of the European Starlings – all 40 of them – that had descended on the garden. Out went two new cylinders -a plain butter bark one and a seed cylinder. The images are poor because of the light. The Starlings came not just to eat but to ‘sun’ themselves on the tips of the lilac branches rotating their bodies to get warm. Brilliant.

These Starlings are nothing short of gorgeous. They live in harmony with the many sparrows that show up at the feeders. It is the squirrels that cause most of the havoc claiming the entire 10 metres of lilac bushes as their own.

All four of the squirrels were out and about – Dyson and two summer babies and Little Red. The images of them could not be lightened any more. It is unfortunate as this little summer offspring of Dyson is so cute. My offering is one meagre image. This little male was finding peanuts in the snow and eating them. So sweet.

My top story is a shout out to the wildlife rehabbers and the vets in Prince Edward Island for undertaking only the second spinal cord compression injury and the eagle surviving! When I was a professor, one of the things I valued was curiosity above almost everything else. ‘What if I did this?’ ‘How can we improve that?’ ‘Could something like this work?’ Questions that often result in our wildlife having a second chance at life. I wish more vets and rehabbers were as curious as some who make milestones in our understanding of raptor injuries and the potential with groundbreaking surgeries. Congratulations to everyone.

prince-edward-island-bald-eagle-receives-rare-surgery-heads-to-new-home-in-halifax-victoria-news Download

More good news. Another six of the Bald Eagles who suffered in Minnesota from phenobarbital poisoning (and some with high lead levels) were recently released. The staff at the wildlife rehab centre had to physically remove the poisoned/euthanized pets from the stomach of these beautiful birds before they could be treated. There were thirteen in total. One had Avian Flu along with the poisoning and died. Another two died leaving ten that were nursed back to health.

3dc655-20230106-eaglerelease2-webp2000 Download

‘A’ has reminded me that pip watch will begin in one week at the Royal Albatross Colony on Taiaroa Head. The Royal Cam parents are GLY and L. What is so fascinating to me is how the NZ DOC recognises the impacts on Climate change and is trying to do something about it! ‘A’ included this quote from Ranger Sharyn Broni when she wrote, “

Virtually all the eggs will be hatched in the incubators as the increasingly hot summers make the risk of fly strike too great. We see the effects of climate change on these large birds quite markedly. During the 1950s for example, this type of work would have been unnecessary. By the 1990s conditions were more frequently hot enough to cause fly strike at some nests some of the time. It was during the 1990s that methods to repel flies and also to keep toroa cooler on the nest began. By 2018 fly strike is almost a certainty if the egg is left at the nest to hatch.

The dummy egg holds the parents on the nest while the egg hatches in the incubator over several days. The nest will be sprayed with AIL (Avian Insect Liquidator) to clear out any flies that may be living in the nest. The newly hatched chick has AIL applied to it prior to it being returned to the nest.“

It is a whole lot better cleaning out kitchen cupboards and little ‘kitten’ things all over the house while listening to Ferris Akel’s Saturday Morning Bird tour of the Montezeuma/Ithaca area of the Finger Lakes area of upstate NY. I can stop and look if I hear something of interest or just listen. Ferris is a great advocate for being outside and for birdwatching as a way to let the stress of the world go! I will keep reminding all of us this winter as it is far too easy to stay inside on bad weather days. And sometimes advisable to do so!

There were Snowy Owls, swans of various species, gulls of various types including a Black-backed gull, Canada geese, Red-tail Hawks (a young adult with a red tail and light eyes), Northern Mockingbird, and Bald Eagles on the morning’s tour.

The images were chosen for very specific reasons.

Snowy Owls like ‘snowy, northern climates’. There are always a few around a small airport that Ferris frequents. They are commonly seen in the fields of the province where I live, and one, as you know, is in Southern California this winter!!!!!

A juvenile Tundra Swan with the grey head. Strangely, we have one still living in Winnipeg in an area that has some open water. It should not be here. Will it survive? So far our temperatures have not been constant -32 to -38 C. So, I am hopeful. Our climate is changing so it will be interesting if more stay in the future.

It is Bald Eagle hatch season in the US and while we all get giddy over little pink tootsies, it is good to know how the little eaglets change in their appearance until they become the iconic bird with it sure white head. The image below – look closely, has the yellow smile I spoke about yesterday in the eaglets on the Superbeaks nest. Its eyes are still dark but not as dark as the month olds at Superbeaks. They will continue to lighten. The cere, mandible, and beak are all espresso brown. The head is brown and the body has scattered white and brown striations on the chest. The eagle at the top fits nicely into being a year and a half old according to Avian Reports picture chart on eagle development (below this image). If it were a year old it would have prominent white streaks in its head.

The two eagles below are an adult pair. The beak and the head are definitive means of attributing age. Look at the chart often. It will not take you long to single out the age. But, always remember, eagles can get ‘stains’ on their feathers, especially the tail feathers and sometimes the head. So then look at the beak!

This is a gorgeous Red-tail Hawk. We know that it is at least a year old because it has its red tail. But the eyes remain light so it is not a full adult yet. What a beautiful hawk. My goodness you would think that it was a copy of a young Big Red with its extraordinary apron.

Those eyes are part way between a juvenile (blue/green) and an adult (dark chocolate).

Ferris spotted Big Red when he entered the Cornell Campus. For some reason, the sighting was very emotional. Big Red will be 20 years old this year. What she has gone through to survive that long is beyond imagination. As far as we know, she has only ever had one chick not fledge and that was K2 who had to be taken into care because of a beak/jaw infection/deformity and who had to be euthanised. She is the most famous Red-tail Hawk in the world and rightly so. She will be laying eggs in mid-March.

Ferris caught up with Big Red on one of the light stands as the light was really going late in the day. You can see the wind is really blowing. She is holding on tight to the bars of the stand. Every sighting of her is a joy. It is 1 degree C and the wind is blowing at 14 kph on the ground so it is really windy on the top of the tower. Evan the tower is moving a lot.

Ferris also found L4, the 2022 fledgling of Big Red and Arthur. It was the first year that Big Red had four eggs and had four fledglings. No one believed a 19 year old hawk could do that – Big Red is changing everything we know about Red-tail Hawks in the wild.

In this side view, you can clearly see that the eyes are still light. Not yet a year old.

L4 looking up as some Canada Geese fly overhead.

Little E22 is already such a cutie. Harriet and M15 are a dynamic duo. The DNA running through those two eagles gives us very strong eaglets right out of the broken egg shell. E22 is standing up pretty good…only a few hours after hatching.

Want some fish, E22?

By late afternoon, it was apparent that 21 and 22 had several feedings. There was fish juice all over them. Any bearing came accidentally from 22 whose eyes are not yet focusing. Harriet and M15 must be the most patient feeders!

At 1757, they both had juice and matted feathers everywhere especially 22. The following image gives you a terrific look at that egg tooth and how it extends so much below the mandible. Imagine the eagle on its back hammering away.

Harriet and M15 are great partners. It was only a matter of time before 21 bonked 22. So Harriet, who had been feeding the pair alone, called in M15 to help. Lady Hawk caught the tandem feeding in the following video.

At Anna and Louis’s KNF E-1 nest there have been plenty of opportunities Saturday morning to see the eggs but, no obvious pip. Eggs are 39 days old and 34 days. Average hatch time in Louisiana is 35-39 days so folks are sitting on the edge of their seats to see if this young couple will have a hatch (or two) this year.

Both Anna and Louis have been incubating and rolling the eggs. Louis is a great provider and Anna has proven to be a really good eagle Mum. I was so hopeful they would have two chicks this year as the food resources are there but, it might well be that they, again, have only one. One is fine!

Oh goodness. There is a pip seen after 1300 Saturday. Jumping up and down! Tomorrow there will be a wee one for Anna and Louis. (could be later in the day on Sunday depending on its progress)

At 1652, you can really see the progress that little eaglet is making. Well done!

It is raining in Louisiana this morning. Louis covered the eggs with nesting material not giving us any hint as to how the hatching is going!

At the E3, nest of Alex and Andria, the two eaglets are growing like bad weeds in the garden plot.

Look at the bottom of E3-01!!!!!!! Well fed eaglets, both of them.

Eggs are being rolled at Metro Aviation. It is unclear if there is a pip. I saw a black spot but I think it is nesting material. Will these eggs hatch? The first egg is 42 days old today. The second egg is 39 days. Remember the average is 35-39 for Louisiana Bald Eagle eggs. It is possible that neither egg is viable. But we wait and hope for this couple.

At Berry College, Pa Berry was on the nest. We have some time before pip watch for these two Georgia Bald Eagles. Egg 1 is 26 days old today and egg 2 is 23 days old.

All is well at Superbeaks! Both are on the nest and I haven’t had to scream yet today about the lack of chair rails…but, oh, I wish these eagles would strengthen the sides of this nest.

Rolling eggs at Captiva. Next week is pip watch for Connie and Clive at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest. That is a very clear camera image!!

At the Captiva Osprey nest, Andy and Lena are now replaced by FO and MO. They need to bring more nesting material and everyone would love to see some fish gifts. There is still time! Rumours have it that the pair mated on the nest for the first time on Saturday. I did not see it and I screamed at the rewind on the camera! I can neither confirm nor deny.

Elain continues to keep us up to date with her daily video summaries from Orange. Indigo made only one appearance on the 7th of January! Much more quiet, yes.

Geemeff posted an article on Twitter that is really informative about tracking devices and how they are so useful to our understanding of the movements, behaviour, and challenges our wildlife face. It is a really good read!

how-tracking-technology-is-transforming-our-understanding-of-animal-behaviour Download

So where does a disappearing elusive Australian Painted-Snipe go if no one has hardly ever seen one? Just look at how lovely it is in the image above. I love that white eye line.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/08/vanishing-bird-the-mystery-of-the-near-mythical-australian-painted-snipe?CMP=share_btn_link

Keeping closer to home and keeping in mind that lovely book, Slow Birding (I think it is the favourite of 2022), I want to remind all of us that we can do things at home now or next year to enrich the lives of the visitors to our own gardens.

Provide shelter. No, it doesn’t need to be some elaborate structure. It could mean leaving some of those tall perennials in place to provide a place away from the wind or rain. If like me you have had to cut trees down (yes, sadly), place the limbs and branches around the garden preferably stacking them. Great shelter. In addition, the rotting wood will provide great feasts for birds that feed on insect life. I have several different 60 cm tree trunks that are now about 20 years old. The birds peck away at them in the spring and summer as they are slowing breaking down into a kind of mulch.
Looking at the seed and garden catalogues and wishing. Consider – and you must consider your own planting zone – climbers for shelter in the fall and winter but also plants that are bird, bee, and butterfly friendly in your area. I am looking for quick growing berry bushes and a couple of trees with berries right now to plant in the spring. The birds will all thank you.
If you have the space, the finances, and the physical ability, why not set up a couple of bird feeders? Feeding the birds really gives them a boost and a better chance at winter survival. Also consider seeds with shells and no shells. All of my garden birds love the Black Oil Sunflower Seeds but the empty shells make a huge mess. You can purchase already hulled seeds. (I rake mind and push them to the back of the mini-forest where they break down and help the soil). If you do put up feeders or bird feeding tables, you have to be able to clean them. Feeding birds is also about responsibility to them so they do not get disease. “The National Wildlife Health Center recommends cleaning bird baths and feeders with a solution of nine parts water to one part bleach. (If there is visible debris, scrub it off before soaking in the bleach solution.) Dry out the feeder before hanging it back up”.
Want to give the birds some treats? These ideas I originally found on the RSPB website. You can blend birdseed with unsalted nuts, raisins, and lard and press it into moulds or over pinecones and hang outside. Do you have some old hard cheese that could be grated? (no Blue apparently). Birds love it. My Starlings are loving pieces of apple and pear as well as raisins, sultanas, and currants. It is a good way to use up some bruised fruit. I put chunks into a tray feeder.

It is always my pleasure to bring you some of the recent news about our feathered friends. I did not cover Zoe today but rest assured, the girl is eating! Dad brought her a fish yesterday and it is believed Mum added one to that as well. Most days she has 3 fish delivered by Daddy and Mummy Door Dash. Oh, they must be wishing she would move out of the house?? But, they will dutifully continue to feed their girl. No fear. They are dedicated. It is nearing noon in Australia as I write this and Zoe is 112 days old and she is yelling at Mum who is on the ropes for a fish. Time to become independent dear girl. Or are we set to break other records? She is exploring the area but is she exploring places where she could catch fish? And Ervie! Oh, I wish someone would submit some images of Ervie. Missing that beautiful boy.

Oh, thank you so much for being with me today. It is wonderful to know that there is such a supportive community ‘out there’ for our feathered friends. Please take care! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their tweets, announcements, articles, posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: ‘A’ and NZ DOC, Ferris Akel Tours, Avian Reports, SWFL Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, Lady Haw, and SWEagle Cam and D Pritchett, KNF 1, KNF 3, Metro Aviation, Berry College Eagle Cam, Superbeaks, Window to Wildlife, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Geemeff, The Guardian, and Port Lincoln Ospreys and Friends of Osprey.

Pipping at SW Florida? Sad news coming out of Sydney… Monday in Bird World

2 January 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

I hope that the first day of the new year started off in the right direction for everyone. At my house, it meant eating black-eyed peas for luck that I learned as a child growing up in Oklahoma. Today was also a day spent with my daughter and her family – a real treat with everyone together but the son and daughter in law who live in the Caribbean. That said, we did connect with them through the wonderful world of technology so, we were all in ‘the glass room’ together. Laughing. Smiling. Everyone is so busy that it was splendid just to stop, share a meal, and catch up on all the news.

In the mailbox: Geemeff sends us news from Yorkshire in the UK.There are some places that are taking bold moves and are forward thinking that have cancelled New Year’s Eve fireworks. If you know of other Councils or Cities, let me know! This is a good way to start the new year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-64139048.amp

And ‘C’ writes that they have named their squirrel visitor Dyson, too! I think this is marvellous. It is a perfect name for these smart squirrels all around the world who can outwit any bird feeder manufacturer!!!!!!!! (at least the ones in my garden, anyway)

Top story for this morning. At 1027 when Harriet got up, it appeared that there could be a beak pecking its way through the shell of the narrow end of one of the eggs. But, it is now unclear about that mark. It appears to have been some nesting material that caused all the excitement. Harriet is restless. But only a tiny little peck visible in one egg.

There is disturbing weather news coming for the US for the next couple of days and it could have a huge impact on the birds. In San Francisco on Sunday, they received 5.65 inches of rain. That is the most rain ever recorded since 1849 when records began. So what happens to the falcons when it rains like this? Do their prey hide? That area needs water. The reserves are filling but, in some places, there are floods that are going to be problematic and the rain is set to continue with another system moving in.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/02/weather-tracker-san-francisco-hit-by-second-rainiest-day-on-record?CMP=share_btn_link

The system that brought all the rain to California is going to move into the central US where it will meet up with warm area from the Gulf region. It is going to bring snow and ice to the nests in Iowa. Tornadoes for the area around Alexandria, Louisiana could happen today hitting the nests of Anna and Louis and Andria and Alex and Andria are going to be right in the middle of it, according to one of the current forecasts. I do not watch the weather that much but, I do check on anything that will impact our raptors!

That pink is ice and I am thinking about all of the eagles and other wildlife and birds in that region including Decorah (the system will move through Iowa).

This is a band of tornadoes potentially and Alexandria, Louisiana is right in the middle of it along with our Kistachie National Forest eagle families. You send out all the positive wishes you can to those little eaglets and their parents in E3.

Gabby and V3 were at the nest making restorations today together. I think that it is safe to say that V3 is the ‘chosen’ one to become Gabby’s mate. While we might have had another favourite out of the many suitors that came to the nest, only Gabby knows ‘the why’ of choosing V3 over anyone else. Seeing them together, working on their future, was certainly a wonderful way to spend part of the first day of the new year.

I like his eyes, he brought food, and he seemingly keeps the rest of the intruders away – a real good security guard for the nest and for Gabby. May their lives be long, healthy, and productive – as in cute little eaglets! They sure are a striking couple. But, V3 needs a name. Wonder what it will be?

He is a good provider. Just look at the crop on V3!!!!!! Sadly, Gabby isn’t always there to receive the food gifts.

Another raptor family, Big Red and Arthur, were spotted today on the Cornell Campus by Suzanne Arnold Horning. It is always a gift to see them when it is not nesting time and it is thanks to the BOGS that we are assured of their well-being. Thank you Suzanne!

Arthur sitting on top of a post looking for a vole to move in the grass. If you think about it, raptors hunt so differently. The Red-tail Hawks sit, sometimes for 45 minutes to an hour, elevated – waiting and watching and then they swoop down. Hen Harriers on the other hand fly low over the landscape once they have identified where their dinner might be. Ospreys hover focusing when they find a fish and then making that dramatic dive. They are as different in their behaviours as they are in their plumage. And Red-tail Hawks are gorgeous. My friend Toni died this year. Her and I used to banter back and forth over the most beautiful plumage. I can say that she certainly got me to appreciating that of the White-bellied sea eagle juveniles. In the end, though, they are all gorgeous in their unique ways.

Big Red. She is looking really good for a 20 year old Red-tail Hawk!

Cornell posted other images of Big Red from the 31st on their Twitter feed today.

It was raining at Orange and Elain caught some good images of one wet falcon in her daily summary of life with Diamond, Xavier, and Indigo.

There was lots of action on New Year’s Day and Deb Steyck caught Bella and Smitty arriving at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest. It is good to see them together. Last year Bella was injured in a territorial battle. She did not return to the nest for some three weeks while Smitty took up with another female. Bella kicked her off the nest and out of the area and, well, it is good to see the two together this year. Hopefully there will be little eaglets this year to make up for last!

So let’s have a conversation about one legged eagles. But before I begin, there are deer in my community that live a normal life in our urban forests and have only three legs. When I grew up, my parents had a three legged dog. They were able to adapt. While one might want to argue that an eagle with just a single leg could not possibly fish or feed itself and would starve to death, please read further down. And if you know of an eagle in the wild living with a handicap, send me a note.

There has been a bit of discussion about Clay, the one legged eagle that was in rehab at Wild Heart Ranch near Tulsa was euthanised. I have not followed this case closely but, it was a second trip for the bird who went back to the first place where it was rescued. Clay arrived with a badly infected foot that was later determined to be dead along other injuries. It is not clear to me how he was injured. It is, however, my understanding that the regulations of the USFWS do not allow wildlife rehabbers to keep one-legged Bald Eagles. Please correct me if I am wrong. I also came to understand today that it was that policy that drove the euthanasia. Again, please correct me if I am wrong. No one wants an eagle to suffer, let us be clear. This decision has prompted some to ask about the policy in light of animals living in the wild with less that the normal number of legs.

Today, an individual who has spent years around the Mississippi taking images of the Love Trio, Dennis Brecht, posted a photo he took of a Bald Eagle with one leg flying around the Mississippi at the location in the posting. Just saying. That eagle looks pretty healthy. — I have seen Dennis’s images for several years now and do not believe him to be a person who would deliberately manipulate an image.

So this brings me to another eaglet, WBSE 29 – who we all grew to love at the White-Bellied Sea Eagle nest in the Sydney Olympic Park has been euthanised. I just received a note from a very trusted individual who taught me much about eagles and kept my focus straight and not off in fantasy land. Tonight there are plenty of people whose emotions range from disappointment to fury. Here is the announcement:

As you know SE29 was rescued in early October, after some sort of severe trauma (we are not sure if he flew into a window or was hit by a car).

When he arrived he was bleeding from inside the beak indicating a bleed in the lung following the trauma. He also suffered a particularly nasty fracture just above the foot, which you can see in the radiograph attached to this post. The challenge about this fracture is firstly, that it is quite oblique, and secondly, that it is very far down in the bone, making the orthopaedic repair required quite difficult.

While stabilising and after consultation with many other raptor veterinarians around the world, we initially tried to stabilise the foot in a special cast. But it became apparent quite soon that due to the oblique nature of the fracture the fragments just could not be immobilised properly and there was still some sliding.

Normally these fractures in birds are repaired with an external fixation device. This involves crossbars through the bone which are connected and held in position by external rods. The goal is to have two crossbars in each fragment of the bone. We knew that trying to repair this fracture would be a push, because of the little room left for us in the fragment closer to the foot.

But SE29 was a young bird (this helps with healing) and he was dealing well with the process of being in care, having a generally gentle demeanour, so repair was attempted) and we placed a type 2 external fixation device. You can see on the picture what this structure looks like.

We then had to wait for the bone to mend until we could remove the pins. During this whole process SE29 has been a gentle, strong bird and has allowed us to take him through the rehabilitation process.

However, we have promised ourselves, we would only persevere with his rehabilitation if there was a reasonable chance for SE29 to return into the wild. This is where he came from, and the life of freedom is what he should have if we could make it so.

Two months into the rehabilitation process, the external fixation device was removed and it became clear that some of the tendons making the digits move did not work normally any more, and possibly there was some joint damage at the tarsometatarsal – phalanx 1 joint.

The foot is a structure a raptor just cannot live without, and we had to accept that our attempts had not worked out as we hoped. We knew it was a push from the start (again, this was a very unfavourable fracture), but SE29 had just been doing so well until then and he made us hope even more it would work out in the end. Unfortunately at this point it became clear, SE29 would not be able to be released and he was euthanased for the reasons described above.

Much like all of you, who fell in love with this little bird from since he was an egg, working with him and getting to know him also allowed him to take a very special place in our hearts and sharing these news fills us with sadness. But we are glad that we did give this bird a chance, because otherwise we would have never known.
Raptor Recovery Australia FB

WBSE29 was a beautiful vibrant bird.

There are tears flowing in so many places.

The sad truth about all of this is that the situation in the Sydney Olympic Forest is untenable. The population of Pied Currawongs, Magpies, BooBook Owls, and Ravens has grown unchecked. The sea eagles do not eat them. The energy it would take to catch them would not warrant the amount of meat on their carcass. The small birds, however, attack the sea eaglets and the adults at the nest relentlessly and chase the eaglets out of the forest the minute they fledge. That means that the parents are not able to feed them, to teach them to hunt and the fledglings cannot improve their flying in peace like we see at so many other nests. Then smaller birds attack the sea eaglets when they are grounded. They were even attacking 29 when it was wrapped in a blanket being rescued! The only way that the eaglets that we grow to love so much can survive is if they are picked up the minute they are grounded and taken into a facility that will go the extra mile to ensure that they are given every opportunity to live and be released. One very good thing is that the folks on the ground- and there is a growing number of caring individuals – are dedicated to watching out for the eaglets. They make sure that care is sought the minute they see them in danger – it is the only way that they will have a chance of survival.

Maybe that nest tree should be cut down, too! Believe me I never advocate cutting down trees but, what will it take for the menacing small birds to leave the WBSE in peace?

There is some really welcome good news coming out of New Zealand today. Dr Andrew Rigby has tweeted the following announcement about the flightless green parrots that we love so much – the Kakapo.

Spend a little time with Alex and Andria – Alex working on the chair rails and those cute little eagles, 01 and 02.

Gosh, it is going to get really busy soon. Those eagle nests that are not on pip watch right now or taking care of eaglets, are really getting restorations. Nancy and her new mate arrived early at the MN-DNR nest to work on their nest.

Zoe is 107 days old today. Yesterday Dad brought in one fish for Zoe and Mum brought in two! The times were late in the day: 1606, 1759, and 1816. I wonder if they are waiting to see if their girl will go out on her own before bringing in fish for her????? Is Zoe fishing yet?

Zoe and her parents are Eastern Ospreys. Unlike the Ospreys in Europe and North America and Canada, they do not migrate. In trying to search for recent research on post-fledge independence, I came across a study about Western nests that clearly indicate that the birds become independent a month to six weeks (some stay for ten weeks) after fledgling. The timing, of course, is related to their need to be ready for migration. But what about the Eastern Ospreys at Port Lincoln? Ervie was being fed much longer last year. We attributed it to his missing talon but, what is the average age for Eastern ospreys to become independent, fully independent of their parents? According to information from Susan Close, MP, Minister for the Environment and Water in South Australia, “Young were found to fledge at 9-10 weeks of age in a study on Kangaroo Island (Dennis 2007a), and are sometimes provided with fish for a further 5-6 weeks by the male.”

If we take the extreme dates, the number of days for the non-migratory Eastern Osprey to become fully independent of their parents, is 112 days. Zoe is now 107 so she is well within that range. Interesting to note is that Mum is also providing fish for her daughter. It is normally the male – in all of the Osprey species. Is Mum providing more food for Zoe because, as we fear, there is ‘something wrong’ with Dad. He had two seizures on camera and was seen at times not to fish to his usual standard. That could have been for many reasons but, is he unwell? We do not know the answer to this and might not find out for some time but, clearly, let’s watch those fish deliveries and also, let us watch how long Zoe stays on the nest getting food.

Here is the report by the Minister of the Environment and Water on the status of the White-Bellied Sea Eagles and the Ospreys and the government’s plan for them as they are endangered. It is a worthwhile report to read – to help us understand how the South Australian government sees the recovery of these magnificent raptors. It is recent – July 2022.

osprey-and-white-bellied-se-recovery-plan-fin-july-2022 Download

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Take care of yourselves. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their videos, letters, posts, announcements, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Geemeff, ‘C’, The Weather Guy, SWFlorida Eagles and D Pritchett, NEFL-AEF, Suzanne Arnold Horning, @CornellHawks, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Deb Stick and the NTCT, Wild Heart Rescue FB, Dennis Brecht, Raptor Recovery Australia, @takapo, KNF-E3, MN-DNR, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and the South Australia Government.

Second hatch for Alex and Andria…it is Thursday in Bird World

29 December 2022

With the warm weather, the garden has been a busy place. The European Starlings do not like the butter bark suet cylinders when they are frozen. They sure don’t know Canadian winter weather! Today, with the warm weather they softened up and the Starlings, the Crows, the Blue Jays, and the squirrels were out in full force filling up in case it gets really cold again soon. The weather says it is going to be a mild -8 or -9 as a high with -10 to -21 as lows for the next five or six days. Splendid.

I did manage to get some images of the garden animals to share while Lewis was on the table watching. Now, Lewis read the manual: when your mother makes that certain sound, turn and look cute! Missy is still reading the chapter in the Maine Coon manual about ‘affectionate and loving’. She certainly doesn’t like to pose for me today!

Lewis wants you to know that his nose is not dirty. His big sister likes to scratch the sides of his nose and the lines are from her nails. Ouch.

Mr Blue Jay was all puffed up today and so happy to have peanuts in the shell.

Little Red found a stash of peanuts in the snow and was enjoying them. Look how healthy he is and that beautiful red chestnut colour on his tail lined with the black. He is coming and going from the insulated boxes that we fitted in with the wood in the big wood storage unit. I think it is possible he has moved in. That would be brilliant. I have felt exceptionally guilty since his penthouse in the garden shed was torn down to make way for the conservatory this summer. But..he looks good. Beautiful ear tuffs. He is here every day foraging as well.

Elain’s wonderful video summaries of the adventures of Indigo! Be sure to have the sound loud so you can hear Indigo’s prey calling.

The AEF seems to feel that it is V3 that has been in and around the nest today and for the last 3 or 4 days and nights. He flew in with a big fish (after bringing in other prey items including a squirrel one day). Of course, how frustrating is it when you make the effort and despite calls, Gabby doesn’t show up? I hope he doesn’t give up on our girl (whichever V you are).

It is a big fish and it still has its head!

The male calls and calls. Eventually he gives up and eats the fish.

Gabby on the left. The male V on the right.

They flew in together – landing on the nest seconds apart – Wednesday evening at 1744. They did some restorations and went off to their own branches. Looking more like a couple – Gabby and V3 (who has an injury according to the AEF but it will heal).

There is any question down in Miami. Rose seems to have used all her feminine powers and won Ron over. She will be a good mate for him. I am assuming she is young with a few of the feathers in her head needing to turn white. Please yell at me if this is wrong!

It does seem to me that they need to get a little more nesting material in this nest if there will be eggs this breeding season. Maybe there won’t be – perhaps next year. We wait to see.

It is absolutely silly. Ron has a duck in his talon for breakfast. If you watch, he flies in from the bottom left corner to the back and around to land on the nest with Rose chasing him.

They need a good rain on the camera at Superbeaks! That would help with the view. The eaglets are now large enough that we could easily see them during feeding times when they are stretching their necks.

They are sure cute and there is still some soft dandelion fluff on their heads.

Pepe has just flown in and is getting a good look at the two eaglets. They have just finished a nice fish dinner.

Jackie and Shadow were working on their nest right before 1100 Wednesday morning.

Here is a video of their efforts even as the winds are increasing and a storm is approaching.

Alex continues to bring in the fish to the E3 nest. You can see them and many are buried underneath the nesting material. It looks like it is causing a lot of flies. Poor little E3-1.

The second egg at the E3 nest has hatched! Let us hope that the first hatch is a little darling to this one! 02:07:03.

The morning feeding at the Kisatchie E3 Bald Eagle nest on Lake Kincaid. Strong eaglets.

There was a posting that there was a pip at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest but that cannot be right. If you go to the Captiva Eagle cam, they have a clock counting the days from the egg is laid. Egg 1 is only 25 days old as I write this blog meaning that there is at least 10 days remaining if not more. Bald Eagle eggs take 35-40 days to hatch with many coming in on the 37-38th day.

Let’s all give a shout out to all these great Bald Eagle Mums. Here is Liberty – of Liberty and Guardian at the Redding Eagle nest in California – flying high. She is 24 years old. How many other female eagles can you think of that are in their late 20s? Harriet at SWFlorida for one. Cholyn at Two Harbours for another. Any more?

Meanwhile, the ospreys continue to visit the new platform nest on Lori Covert’s property on Captiva, one of the barrier islands just off the coast of southwest Florida.

If you are wondering, the Port Lincoln camera on the barge is offline. I do not know if it has been turned off intentionally, if there is maintenance, or if it is a technical or weather issue.

More and more eagles are being taken into rehabilitation for lead poisoning. It is simply outrageous that this is still an issue – one that can be easily solved by the simple outlawing of the manufacturing and sale of lead for any hunting and fishing equipment. There are alternatives.

Most of us are familiar with the Bald Eagle nest of Mr President and Lotus at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC. The staff have discovered another nest. Is it another couple? or have Mr President and Lotus built a second nest? We wait to see.

It looks like L4 has a squirrel this morning at Cornell. Did Arthur deliver it? or did L4 catch it? My money is on L4 catching it since this was the first fledgling at Cornell to catch prey after fledging.

It is a shout out to the NZ DOC who take excellent care of the Royal Albatross at Taiaroa Head in New Zealand. It has been scorching hot in the south of Australia and in NZ and the rangers have set up misters for the nesting birds. Wow. How many of us wold like to see this type of ‘intervention’ on those scorcher days at the Osprey nests in the PNW and western Canada???

If you have been wondering about Annie and the ‘new guy’, he has been bringing prey into the scrape area. Is it for Annie? It is anyone’s guess but if he wants to win our Annie’s heart, he best be able to be a good provider!

Thank you so much for being with us this morning, Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their videos, their posts, their tweets, and their streaming cam where I took my screen captures: Elain and the Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NEFL-AEF, WRDC, Superbeaks, FOBBV, KNF-E3, Window to Wildlife, Redding Eagles, Ventura Wildlife Society, @CornellHawks, Sharon Dunne and the Royal Cam Albatross Group NZ, SK Hideaways and Cal Falcons.

Inside a Harpy Eagle’s nest, Captiva Ospreys, pips and more…Wednesday in Bird World

28 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

Thank you so much for your good wishes for the holidays. I always do appreciate your notes and the beautiful images of your pets, garden animals, and arrivals in your gardens. It is so very kind of you to think of me. It means the world to me.

We have news from Captiva, V3 returning to Gabby’s nest, little eaglet heads popping up at Superbeaks, and more today including a call for help with moving and temporary accommodation for a person who cares for emotionally abused Cockatoos. Please do not buy a Cockatoo. Tell anyone who is considering it not to as well. They live a long life and well, they can be like badly-behaved toddlers. They require care, attention, training, and the ability of the owner to commit to a lifetime of vet bills (even trimming beaks is very costly), food, enrichment toys, and proper enclosures. Many who have owned parrots for a long time are calling for a ban on the sale of birds. I heartily agree. So many wind up caring for those disposed of by others simply because they did not understand the demands made on them by birds. I would also suggest that many of the ‘cute’ videos on YouTube have driven these sales. As ‘J’ says, it might be cute to hear a parrot swear 10 times but for an entire life time, ‘no’. Parrots that swear are also less likely to be adopted if their owner dies or can no longer keep them. Please pass this along. OK. That is my rant for the day!

It is a warm day here on the Prairies considering what it has been like. -5. That means that I am off for a walk at the nature centre for sure. I wonder if there will be any birds? Will let you know tomorrow! It will be so nice to be outside for an extended period of time in the fresh air. It is one of the most dire things of living where it is cold – being stuck inside. I plan to try the Merlin Sound ID to test it at the winter feeder. Will let you know how it works.

Geemeff sent the link to the final episode in the radio series for Flight of the Osprey this morning. Oh, thank you, Geemeff. Looking forward to the film!

BBC Earth takes us into the jungle, up a tree and into a Harpy Eagle’s nest!

Come back to this one – but try your luck at guessing some of the environment’s top stories from The Guardian (the emphasis is on the UK wildlife and environment but give it a go anyway!).

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/27/take-a-wild-guess-the-environment-quiz-of-2022?CMP=share_btn_link

Things are really going to start to perk up in the US. There is a pip for Connie and Clive at the Captiva Bald Eagle nest! Congratulations. Their first egg was laid on 3 December. We will be watching for M15 and Harriet around the 3rd of January but, tonight there could be a pip at Kistachie National Forest at E3. With the humidity, that strong first hatch took 29 hours, 49 minutes and 07 seconds to hatch. Then, of course there is Missy and Pa Berry…and before we blink, the Florida Osprey season will start.

Thankfully Clive and Connie took a break from incubation so the camera could pick up that pip.

In addition, the Captiva Osprey Cam is now up and streaming. It is unclear who will claim the platform nest for this upcoming year. There is a new female FO and the male MO. There have been three ospreys flying around this platform. Lena is apparently fine. It is my understanding that with Andy not returning, she left the area. It is completely unclear what happened to Andy but he could have been lost during Hurricane Ian. We know Lena was seen after the hurricane so she survived but, of course, her platform nest did not. Might she return? I wonder. Andy will, sadly, be added to the Memorial Wall for the year.

Gorgeous Gabby on the morning of 27 December wondering what her fate will be for this year, possibly. The visitor that has been coming and going flew in with a squirrel today (the 27th). He is confirmed by the AEF to be V3.

V3 flew in with a squirrel to the nest. It looked like he intended to share it with Gabby.

Here is he. Gabby is obviously giving them a second look or three!!!!!! I hope this fellow measures up. He is rather handsome. At the end of the day, I don’t care who she chooses as long as they can try to match up to Samson.

The latest announcement from the AEF:

At the WRDC, Rose has brought in what looks like a gull for lunch. She is beautiful. Let us wish her and Ron a long life together and many successful fledges!

Despite the PS that hit the camera along with the pine branch obscuring our view, we can see the two eaglets at Superbeaks today! They appear to be thriving. What a wonderful sight!

These eaglets are semi-altricial. This means that when they hatch they have a very thin layer of down. They cannot regulate their own temperature. Their eyes are open or partly open but they cannot focus. That is why they are bobble heads. They are entirely dependent on their parents for food, for warmth, and for teaching them how to be eagles. The two eaglets at Superbeaks are getting their second coat of natal down which begins growing in about a week after hatching.

Alex and Andria seem to be doing very well. Alex is really keeping a lot of food and a variety of items on the nest – I cannot identify all the fish species but there are several different ones and the remains of that Coot.

That little eaglet seems to grow right before our eyes! Let us hope that it is a cracker of a big sibling to the one that should be trying to hatch tomorrow. There is lots of food and Andria and Alex are doing an incredible job.

The Bald Eagle nests at Kincaid Lake benefit from a stocked lake right out their doorstep. And the males continue to fish even if there is a pile of fish on the nest. It is wonderful to watch but, oh, can you imagine the smell after awhile??????

The eagles were at the nest at Decorah, Iowa today. One was even having their lunch on one of the main branches to the nest. What a beautiful winter setting on a farm. Like a postcard.

Oh, a correction. It was a Musk Lorikeet that Indigo had for lunch on Boxing Day! It remains unclear if Indigo caught the bird or if it was a prey transfer from the parents. He sure wasn’t going to share it and he found a way to eat the entire bird….nothing left for Mum to snatch.

I have been concerned about Big Red, Arthur, and L4 since the temperature plummeted in the Ithaca region during the big weather bomb. This morning @CornellHawks posted images of L4 hunting. Much relieved. Now for Arthur and Big Red! Maybe tomorrow.

This is a great little clip from Montana about the dangers of lead poisoning. Please pass it along to those you know who hunt or fish (if you feel you can). They need to know that the raptors can be killed by secondary poisoning and toxins and that there are alternatives to lead. Thank you.

Migration News for Karl II’s family. There has been no transmission from Bonus since he crossed the Eastern Desert in Egypt nor from Kaia since she arrived in Chad nor from Karl II since he flew southwest from the Nile. We believe Karl II and Kaia are well in their winter homes and hope that Bonus is, too. We will look forward to transmissions in the spring.

First up, little Udu from 2021 has sent a transmission!!!!!! He has left Italy and is now in Turkey!

Yes, Udu is always late and sometimes does things backwards but, he is alive and for this we are thankful. This is the pond near to where Udu is foraging.

Waba is also alive and well and remains in the Sudan foraging at the Nile River. I suspect he might well just spend the winter here. Why not?

Dan Scott – the Chloe Sanctuary -has put out a call for assistance. This year the 501k charity that looks after traumatised and sick cockatoos lost their home due to flooding and their benefactor to dementia. He is looking for help packing the flock of 11 up for their move as well as temporary accommodation until they can get settled in their new home in Nevada. He is not asking for funds but, if anyone knows anyone that could assist, he would be grateful (directed to persons in California, Arizona, or Nevada).

Chloe Sanctuary call for help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZKfq8jLV3s

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their posts, announcements, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: The Guardian, BBC Earth, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, WRDC, Superbeaks, KNF-E#, Raptor Resource Centre and Explore.org, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, @CornellHawks, Looduskalender, ‘J’ and Dan Scott.

Is it a new couple at the WRDC? has Gabby finally settled on her mate?…and more in Bird World

25 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

From all of us on the Canadian Prairies, we wish you good health, joy, some laughter, and much love at this time of the year.

The kittens hope that you have some good tasty treats. Lewis would love some turkey but, sadly, he will only see it coming from a tin! I wonder what he will think of tofu with Tamarind sauce? I will let you know.

Missy hopes that you have a friend to share some time with – she especially is grateful to have Lewis for a little brother to play with and cuddle when it is chilly.

Dyson hopes that you have a lot of nuts and seeds!

The Starlings think a Bark Butter pie would just be the best ending for a special celebration. They would certainly not want it to be a ‘Black Bird’ pie in case anyone mistook them. Did you know that in medieval times they really did put birds in pies? They would fly out of the pies during the vast banquets on the estates and then the men would go and shoot them? It is true! One of the best books on medieval falconry is, Robbin S Oggins’s The Kings and Their Hawks. Falconry in Medieval England. Oh, so many stories.

My Starlings say make it a ‘Vegetarian’ pie!!!!! or a mincemeat one.

Mr Blue Jay reminds us that we need to take care of one another and all the animals. He wishes you a wonderful 2023!

A friend sent me this lovely image and I don’t think ‘S’ would mind if I share it with you. What a beautiful illustration of all the animals and I do love badgers! It is perfect.

So from all of us, good joy and good cheer! We are so glad that you are part of our big family.

M15 is, by far, the most favourite male Bald Eagle according to my readers. Samson was my heart throb but Akecheta comes up a close second and, then, of course, there is Shadow. And, yes, of course. I adore M15. Not only is he a softie when it comes to feeding the eaglets especially one that might get left out a bit but, he also takes great care of Harriet as Lady Hawk shows us in this video:

This version of the Twelve Days of Christmas was posted on the SWFL Eagle cam chat by Marie Chism. It is wonderful and a whole lot of fun.

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A nest in a pine tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Nine fish a dancing
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Ten horns a blowing
Nine fish a dancing
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the 11th day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eleven crows a crowing
Ten horns a blowing
Nine fish a dancing
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the 12th day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
12 beak kisses
Eleven crows a crowing
Ten horns a blowing
Nine fish a dancing
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

One of the nice things about the end of the year is that very talented people put in a season summary of their favourite nast. My very first love were the hawks and falcons and my heart still melts when I see Big Red on her nest with Arthur. It is remarkable. She will be 20 years old this spring having hatched in Brooktondale, New York (about 7.5 miles away from Ithaca) in the spring of 2003.

Today it is snowing. There is a ‘bomb cyclone’ that caused all manner of disruption for a 2000 mile stretch. It is terribly cold with a strong wind in Ithaca. There is fear for millions because of the storm and the cold. These are caused by “a collision of cold, dry air from the north and warm, moist air from the sout,” according to The Guardian. Hopefully Big Red, Arthur, and L4 are tucked in safe and warm and that all are safe – humans and wildlife as there are power outages just when warmth is required.

Big Red and Arthur working on their nest in the snow in 2022. Big Red laid her first egg on the 14th of March. 9 days later she laid her 4th egg – unprecedented for Big Red. All of the erases fledged.

L4 is in the middle. It is ‘Cutie Pie’ L4 that remains on the Cornell campus with Big Red and Arthur. L3 is in care. L1 was killed striking a window on the campus shortly after fledgling. L2 has dispersed.

L4 was not the first to fledge but that little one, who clamoured over its siblings not afraid of anything, was the first of the four to catch its own prey. It is still doing that and Mum and Dad do not seem to mind sharing the space with L4. And why should they? It is a large plentiful spot and L4 is a very special little one. No one thought there would be four and no one thought that the 4th would be as vivacious as he was…just look at that crop. L4 as the first up to the beak. He reminds me of Ervie, the 2021 hatch at Port Lincoln. Nothing phased Ervie either and he is still living in his parent’s territory, too. Gosh, I will never forget the dustups up Bazza….those three males at PLO were quite the characters.

It is a beautiful winter wonderland at the Deborah Eagle nest in Iowa today. The eagles have been around during the last week. There is, however, no sign of the Deborah North eagles, yet.

The death of the much loved male at the Centreport Bald Eagle nest on Long Island made the news:

I do not want to link the death of Dad at Centreport with Avian Flu but it has to be something that is considered when they do the necropsy. There are dire warnings coming that stress the deaths to our avian world will be akin to those of DDT before it was banned. They are calling it the second Silent Spring. We must prepare ourselves that we will see Avian Flu raise its head with a vengeance as we move into the new year and spring. ““The last time we experienced such large-scale and rapid losses of wild birds in the UK would be the impacts of DDT on birds of prey in the 1950s and 1960s associated with the Silent Spring narrative, or the widespread declines of farmland birds during the 1970s and 80s as a result of agricultural intensification, ” says the author of the article below that appears in The Guardian today.

And, yes, we must do something about it – and that something could mean the closing of the large factory farms that supply poultry around the world. A return to buying local from small farms where the birds are allowed to run freely and have a decent life before they are killed. Or giving up poultry (and meat) altogether. We must be prepared to pay more to help end this vicious cycle of bird flu if we really care about those feathered friends.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/23/deaths-thousands-wild-birds-avian-flu-new-silent-spring-aoe?CMP=share_btn_link

In Australia, everyone is wishing Zoe a happy 14th week birthday today.

Zoe being her best self – screaming for fish!

In Northeast Florida, everyone is wishing the revolving door of potential mates for Gabby would come to an end. V11, according to the AEF, was in the nest moving sticks around this morning shortly after 0803. (The other day it was Gabby and V9).

At 0823, Gabby was in the nest helping V11. This looks promising. Fingers crossed. Gabby needs a mate that will keep the other intruders out of the territory. Come on V11 – show us your stuff. Can you deliver huge fish? can you feed eaglets til their crops burst? can you bring food for Gabby and protect her? You have big talons to feel since Samson is not here. We need to know you are up to this — but, most of all, Gabby needs a strong male partner.

They were together after 1700.

Good night Gabby.

At the NCTC nest of Bella and Smitty, Smitty has been at the nest today. No sign of Bella today.

Gosh, I don’t know what I would do if Elain stopped posting her daily summaries of the Orange scrape. I certainly look forward to them and seeing what has happened at the scrape of Diamond, Xavier, and Indigo!

Just giggle when you see Indigo with his prey!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, just about the time you think that you might get a better glimpse at the two eaglets at the Superbeaks nest, the parents, PePe and Muhlady, notice that there is a hole in the side of the nest that a chick could fall from. So what do they do? Stuff it with a pine branch blocking our view. There are two of them, little grey bobbleheads — and there is quite a lot of fish. No one is hungry on this nest.

Oh, just look with its soft feathers on the top of its head all stuck up straight. Adorable.

You can see both heads. Look carefully.

You can see the fish stacked up and look how well they fixed that hole. They must have heard us worrying about the little ones falling out. Well done you two. What great parents you are!

News of Ron and V2 comes to us from Pat Burke. Please note that it is Ron on the right.

V2 and Ron might be dreaming of eggs and eaglets but, Alex and Andria are getting ready any day for them! Now, how many days is it til we will have pip watch for M15 and Harriet….a week? Must check the dates.

Wishing all of you the very best that the season has to offer. Thank you so much for being a part of this great community of bird lovers. It is so reassuring to know that there are so many kind souls working to make the world a whole lot better for our feathered friends. Take care of yourselves. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their videos, and their streaming cams that make up my screen captures: Darleen Hawkins and the Kistachie National Forest Eagle Cam Fans, Pat Burke and Ron and Rita’s Nest Watchers, Superbeaks, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NCTC Bald Eagles, Port Lincoln Osprey, NEFL-AEF, Long Island News, Cornell Bird Lab, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Marie Chism, Lady Hawk and SWFL and D Pritchett, and ‘S’ for that lovely image.

Is V9 the winner? and other news for Thursday in Bird World

22 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

It is still freezing. The last time I checked it was -26 degrees C. The furnace is working over time. But I am out of the parking pad and someone is coming to clear all of the snow so I won’t get stuck in there next time there is a blizzard. Tomorrow is the day to make sure that the birdseed and the cat food are topped up so that there is plenty to take all of the garden friends along with Missy and Lewis into the new year. I do not know about you but, I dislike crowds immensely, hate malls even more, and hope to get out and home before many wake up in the morning. Fingers crossed.

It is the day after the Winter solstice. A long time friend sent this to me and I want to share it with you – even if it is a day late.

A Winter Solstice Blessing

May you find peace in the promise of the solstice night, that each day forward is blessed with more light, that the cycle of nature, unbroken and true, brings faith to your soul and well-being to you. Rejoice in the darkness, in the silence find rest and may the days that follow be abundantly blessed. (Source unknown)

Bird World has gotten very quiet for the past few days. The only action that is happening is at the nests of Gabby and Ron where there remains some question as to which of the visitors each of them might choose. SuperBeaks is just steady as you go. This nest will go on my must watch list of eagle nests for next year.

Now at Northeast Florida. Too many visitors to follow. Too many discussions over who is who or if one is old enough to mate, etc. There is plenty of evidence for 4 year olds fathering healthy chicks including Harry at the MN-DNR nest in 2021 and again in 2022 before he disappeared. Is it possible Gabby might not have a mate this year? Of course it is. We should sit back and relax. It is a learning opportunity.

The camera has been down. There is another camera that the AEF have access to while the cameras we use to see the nest are down. Well done Gabby and V9. I gather they are friendly and working on the nest. Great news. Now if he can prove that he can keep intruders away, bring fish, and be truly a grand mate for Gabby — well, there could be little eaglets popping their heads up at this nest in the new year. Hopeful.

There is news of Rita requiring a little more removal of the wing. It is not clear if this is the tip that was removed several days ago or a new surgery. I am trying to clarify. It is certain that she will not fly again and they are looking for a permanent home for her. And this brings me to a problem that we all must consider every time we want a bird to be an ambassador or an educational bird —— they must have a place to go. That place has to have funds to feed and care for the wildlife they have. Many places are just over run with raptors and other birds. So when you consider making donations, please do keep this in mind. The costs involved are high and almost without exception these facilities work on a shoe string through the generosity of volunteers and donations.

Meanwhile Ron seems not to have settled on a new mate yet and appears to not like at least one of the females coming around.

In San Jose at the City Hall, Sequoia, the son of Grinnell and Annie, is calling his mate! This is just so wonderful. While it never makes up for losing birds, it is sure nice to see ones that we have watched from hatch to fledge begin their own families.

For those of you that love Peregrine Falcons and want to know more, here is a hefty book that has come out. Mark Avery wrote a good review in his recent monthly blog and this is part of his report, “This is a monumental book about what is regarded as the fastest animal on the planet (or flying over it). At over 500 pages, and amply and attractively illustrated, this is a tribute to and reference source about a marvellous bird. The brilliance of this bird is well captured in many of the photographs but the text is full of information about Peregrines from everywhere in the world where they occur. Chapters cover falcons in general, an introduction to this species, flight, diet, breeding behaviours and characteristics, movements, friends and foes and population numbers and trends. It feels like an encyclopedic coverage and the book is packed with information, but information delivered in a very palatable form.”

Speaking of falcons, Indigo is still being fed, still hiding food in the scrape and having Mum, Diamond, take it! Indigo has also started something unusual. Bringing grass into the scrape box! Goodness.

The SuperBeaks nest is wonderful. I am so glad that several readers asked me about them. I have had several giggles. While we have been frustrated not being able to see the eaglets, ‘S’ admits that we are getting a reprieve from worrying about them, too. We aren’t sitting and counting the bites this one or that one gets. We just sit and watch PePe bring in large fish and Muhlady feed the bobbleheads. We cannot even seen any beaking! It is actually quite nice. By the time we can see them clearly all of that will have passed!

There is a wee little head showing in the top image.

Both Pepe and Muhlady are on the nest vocalising.

Have not seen Jackie or Shadow at the Big Bear nest today but, there were a couple of Crows (or are they Ravens – difficult to tell) visiting trying to find any leftover bits of fish. Jackie and Shadow were there on Tuesday working away.

Here is a very short compilation for the winter solstice with recent images of the eagles at Big Bear – our adorable Jackie and Shadow.

The GHOs have been after M15 at the SWFlorida nest again – and, of course, since their nest is on the same property, we can expect an increase in this behaviour. Do the Eagles bothered the owls? Probably not. Maybe they should!

Cornell has put out its season highlights from the Royal Cam nest at Tiaroa Head. It opens with OGK doing a sky call – so get the tissue box. What a grand mate and dad he was. Last seen in mid-May (19 May I am told). We will forever miss him as will his long time mate, YRK, who will, perhaps, find another mate and raise more chicks. We will have to wait and see. And it could be a very long wait.

I know that many of you have wondered what happened to Mahlala, the Red tail hawk raised by the eagles on Gabriola Island. Their eaglet Junior, you will remember, was electrocuted on a power pole. I found this announcement today re their FB presence: “UPDATE: 12 20 22 GROWLS Eagle Nest Cam (Gabriola Rescue Of Wildlife Society). This FB Group is temporarily paused for 168 days. An admin paused this group on July 30, 2022. Group activity will resume on January 15, 2023 at 3:00 AM“.

No one knows why the FB was abruptly paused.

As for Mahlala, there are a large number of Red-tail Hawks in the general area. She was not banded so it would be difficult to tell her apart from any other unless you had clear identifying features which we don’t because the camera images were not clear. Did she return to the nest? Maybe GROWLS will tell us when they come back to life!

I posted an image of L4 that was taken during the Ferris Akel Tour last Saturday. Here are other images from this morning’s Cornell Hawks Twitter feed. It is nice to see the juvenile still doing so very well. That is a nice crop – and still in Mum and Dad’s territory without problem.

No. 21 The Red List. The Woodcock

Oh, look at that image. The eyes set way back on their head allow them to see predators when they have their long beak thrust into the ground hunting for food. They have short legs and are rather ’round’ compared to other birds.

Males perform a remarkable ‘sky dance’ on spring and summer nights, in a high, twisting flight, with chippering, twittering, bubbling sounds. These sky dances attract the females who will mate with one of the males. The males – like Daisy the Duck’s mate – take no part in the care of the eggs or the hatchlings!

Audubon Society says, “Downy young leave nest a few hours after hatching. Female tends young and feeds them. After a few days, young may begin probing in soil, learning to search for food. Young can make short flights at age 2 weeks, fly fairly well at 3 weeks, independent at about 5 weeks.” So not like ducklings or goslings that are precocial – able to care for themselves after 24 hours of hatching.

“Woodcock vintage drawing” by Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

There are Woodcocks that are resident in the UK and there are others, several hundreds of thousands, that fly from Finland and Russia – a distance of some 3000 km, to over winter in the UK. They arrive during the first week in November. They like damp woodland where they nest in a feathered scrape on the ground. There are stories of the Woodcock carrying their chicks between their legs and body in their feet if danger should arrive. There are also stories of them carrying a stick in their mouth when they fly over the ocean to the UK so if they tire during their flight they have some wood to land on in the ocean.

Many feed at night thrusting their long beak probing around in the soil – their heads go up and down so often they have been compared to ‘sewing machines’. They fine worms and Beatles and suck them up like spaghetti. Can you imagine? I would love to see one.

British writers such as Drayton, Shakespeare, and Milton used them as a metaphor for ‘foolish love’.

“Woodcock Scolopax rusticola” by Peregrine’s Bird Photography is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0.

The threats for the Woodcock vary from geographical location. In the US, fires are burning up habitat, climate change is drying up the wetlands, spring heat waves are driving the chicks from the nest, and heavy rains are endangering the eggs and the nests altogether. In all areas, habitat loss is driving a decline in populations. In the UK, those threats also exist along with the legal hunting of the Woodcock which begins on 1 November despite their being on The Red List. Wild Justice has asked the government to change the date to 1 December to try and help protect during the breeding season!

Two recent short articles from The Guardian are quite good.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/jun/08/birds.woodcock?CMP=share_btn_link

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jan/06/country-diary-claxton-norfolk-birds-woodcock-snipe-wigeon?CMP=share_btn_link

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Please take care of yourselves. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, their notes, their posts, and videos that make up my screen captures: Cornell Hawks Twitter page, Superbeaks Bald Eagle Cam, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Mark Avery Book Reviews, San Jose City Hall, Openverse, NZ DOC and Cornell Bird Lab, FOBBV, San Jose City Hall, WRDC, and the NEFL-AEF.

Pepe brings in an evening snack, more visitors to Gabby’s nest…it is Sunday in Bird World

18 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone from a very snowy Manitoba! It has been a long time since we have seen so much snow dumped on the Canadian Prairies at one time. It is beautiful and a good way to slow down.

The Starlings showed up at their usual time for some of the suet.

The House Sparrows were here – mostly on the ground eating seed that Dyson & Company had dumped on the ground. You see the squirrels have found a way to empty one of the feeders entirely by shining on it!

Dyson is in her favourite spot. I always know where to find her. The other three – her babies from the summer – are doing well. She has taken good care of them.

It is a different story in the house. Lewis and Missey want to help with everything including the new images of Aran that have arrived from Glaslyn or the squirrel cards from DaniConnorWild.

Are they so innocent?

One or the other loves to get in this little basket. When they first arrived, both of them could fit in it. No longer! I am now calling them cats instead of kittens!

Lewis pretending he is an angel. I will not take my eyes off him or these candles while they are on. It is way too easy for a cat to burn their fur or start a fire. In fact, after sitting nervously for a few minutes, I have decided to only use candles if they are covered by a glass globe.

With the help of ‘J’, the memorial listing of the birds that we have lost is getting filled in much better. I have now returned to it with her help – while at the same time preparing a summary of Port Lincoln’s season for Claudio and the incredible International Osprey Data Bank he has created for me to track the Ospreys on the streaming cams. By the end of the first week in January, there will be a separate page with the Memorial Wall for 2021-22. If you have any additions (or corrections), please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Let us all hope that 2023’s listing is much shorter.

I don’t always get to sit and watch Ferris Akel’s Saturday Tour but, it is often playing in the background. Whenever he is talking about an interesting bird – instead of just searching for them – I jump up. Today, there was a Belted Kingfisher. Isn’t it lovely? I have never seen one and they look like such unique characters with that long pointed beak and that ‘bed head’. Love the colour palette of the plumage, too. Lovely birds.

Several Bald Eagles were out in the fields near Montezuma. Ferris has a way of spotting them and I have no idea how he does it.

One of the most exciting moments for me was a Northern Harrier hunting in the fields and catching some prey!

It is hard to see but they have a face like an owl with plumage that captures the sounds. They fly low to the surface of the land to catch their prey unlike other hawks that might hover or sit on poles and wait.

I cannot imagine, for a single moment, not wanting to allow them to have a bird or a vole for their dinner. Beautiful creatures.

There were also Tundra and Trumpeter Swans. You could see areas with some open water while others were covered with ice or were slushy.

A Horned Lark had found some food and was eating it on the side of the highway. Silly one!

There were Snow Geese and Canada Geese, too.

They had been feeding on the fields of corn that had been harvested and then all of a sudden, they flew away. Ferris was happy. Last year at this very site someone shot a Snow Goose while he was broadcasting.

Ferris spotted Arthur and a juvenile Red-tail Hawk on the grounds of Cornell University. I would like to think that the juvie that was hunting is L4 who has decided to stay in its parents territory. Certainly Arthur and Big Red are not running it off!

Arthur is all poofed up. It is 0 degrees C and they are due for some more snow. Notice the very deep brown/black eyes of the adult Red-tail. Arthur does not have the majestic apron of Big Red on his chest so it is easy to tell them apart. Such a little cutie, Arthur is. Big Red was seen recently by Karel Sedlacek so I am not worried that Ferris did not see her. It is hard to imagine but in three months time we will be watching for Big Red to lay her eggs. She will be 20 years old this spring! Wow.

This is the juvenile that I believe to be L4. If you look carefully you can see the light celadon of the juvie’s eyes.

Ferris Akel is a wealth of knowledge who gives his time and shares the birds around the area of Ithaca with us almost every Saturday of the year. He has been doing this for more than ten years now. He is humble but, I learn something every time I stop to listen to his programme. You can subscribe to his channel on YouTube and there is a chat moderated by a fellow Canadian, Dolphin. I often lurk – but, everyone is grand and they will welcome you to chat if you say ‘hi’.

As night began to fall, Pepe flew into the Superbeaks nest with a huge prey for Muhlady and the eaglets. I am trying to figure out what it is – a Black duck with red? Anyone know what this might be? Is it a Red-legged Black Duck?

Muhlady certainly seemed pleased and what a nice time to bring the prey. A snack for everyone before bed and some breakfast in the morning. Lovely. This is my first time watching this nest – in fact, it is a new nest on streaming cams. One never knows what to expect but this eagle family seems to have a good source of prey and they are very smart – having their eaglets before it gets too hot! Can’t wait til we can see those wee ones a little more. You certainly can hear them if you tune in.

I had a giggle today. Lady Hawk called Gabby’s nest ‘As the Nest Turns’, too. And it certainly is a revolving door. Today there was a 4 year old and a juvenile less than 2 years which led me to want to think it was Legacy!

Legacy, I don’t know if this is you but, if it is, you are still as gorgeous as ever. It is those piercing eyes…I have looked several times at images of Legacy and it sure could be her. I sure wish someone would band these eaglets! And here is my reasoning. For the past several days, we have been receiving images of Siren 5F who is the mate of Dylan at Llyn Clywedog. She is perched in her regular roost in The Gambia where she winters. Easily recognisable. No guesses. That is how banding can help – amongst other things.

That 4 year old eagle sure has Samson’s legs!

A short video of V4 flying into the nest with V5. Someone mentioned Gabby abandoning this nest. The Bald Eagles are attached to the nest. I cannot see a reason for her to leave it unless she were ‘run out’ of the territory by a bonded couple intent on taking over the territory and the nest.

One of the resident Ospreys at the Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey is Bailey. She was the companion of Smedley who sadly died last year. Yes, Ospreys do well in care!!!!!

Wow. Look at this image from the scrape at Charles Sturt University in Orange today. The expression on Diamond and Indigo’s faces are amazing.

At the same time, Indigo can be just a darling.

Elain’s highlights of the day at the Orange scrape. Always welcome, Elain. You do a wonderful compilation! Thank you.

Ron is quite the catch. I sure hope some deserving female flies into his nest! He is doing a super job of working on it. Someone today wished that Ron and Gabby could get together. That would be one super couple.

Jackie and Shadow working on their nest. They were caught mating on the other camera today!

As we wait for eggs to be laid or hatch, for Gabby to get a new mate or not, there is not a lot going on in Bird World and for that, I am truly grateful.

Good news has come to us from the rehabilitation centre that has cared for WBSE27 and who is now training WBSE30. We know that 27 is flying free. We have seen her tracking. They did a marvellous job teaching her to fly and to hunt and they are now doing the same for 30. Let us hope that she, too, will be equipped with a tracker so that we can follow her movements.

The top image is 27 leaping off a perch while she was being trained before she was released. The bottom image is 30 being trained now. Warm wishes for her life to be as successful as her older sister’s.

30 is on the perch on the right.

I have not been able to find a recent update on WBSE 29. Lady and Dad have, however, visited the nest tree the other evening. So nice to see them!

And a quick check on Zoe at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge. I caught Dad delivering either a small fish or a piece of a fish to Zoe at 1402. She spots him coming. My goodness, Zoe, you are loud! They could hear you across the lagoon.

So, with the lull, let us turn back to our Red List of Vulnerable Birds published in the UK.

No. 20 The Red List: The Smew

“Smew” by hmclin is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The author, Ben Watt, calls this darling black and white diving duck, the ‘Karl Lagerfeld’ of the divers. Watt uses such terms as ‘vivid white crest, jet black shades, white tux, …moving elegantly’. What a grand description. Quite fitting.

The top image is of a male Smew. The bottom is of the female adult. Just look at that magnificent rusty head on the female. Quite striking and gorgeous.

“Smew – male” by Len Blumin is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

“Zoo Smew” by hmclin is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

There are fossils of Smew going back 1.5 million years ago and yet this gorgeous little waterfowl is at risk of going extinct in our life time. Watt is on a crusade to save this bird that inhabited the wetlands near to his home. In 1956, there were 144 recorded wintering at the Brent Reservoir (Welsh Harp). It was a record! Today, there are 10. I did not keystroke that wrong – ten. So what is the problem? Climate change caused by humans. Milder winters, the increase of water sports and the pollution of waters. Watt says, ‘These days, the two inflowing rivers at the Welsh Harp are badly oxygen-depleted, and high in urban run-off, contaminated with silt, phosphates and micro plastics. Feeding grounds are suffering and the numbers of regular species are on the decline.’

We could of course say this for most of our waterfowl. Indeed, ‘A’ and I have been wondering about the silt flowing into the water at Port Lincoln due to flooding slightly north. Luckily, for the Smew, they can stay year round in various bodies of water near Amsterdam where they number close to 200 at a single count.

Last today, ‘J’ has been helping me with the memorial wall asks that we keep Victoria Cockatoo in our thoughts and prayers. Victoria is a 50 year old Cockatoo that had a very hard life before she was taken in by a kind owner, April. As a result of the treatment she received earlier in life, Victoria is battling significant health problems and is in hospice. Yesterday she was eating April’s breakfast so there is some hope on improvement. Here is that link:

https://www.facebook.com/ParrotPlayhouse

Please also keep Alden, Samson, and Rita in your positive thoughts as well.

From somewhere in Australia, a tree full of Rainbow Lorikeets that used to come and wish our lovely little Black Pacific Duck Daisy nesting on the big WBSE tree ‘good morning’.

Thank you so much for being with me today. It is lovely to have you here with us. Take care of yourselves. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their posts, their videos, and their streaming cams that make up my screen captures: OpenVerse, Port Lincoln Osprey, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, FOBBV, Raptor Recovery Australia and Judy Harrington and Sea Eagle Cam, WRDC, NEFL-AEF, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, Superbeaks, and Ferris Akel’s Live Tours.

Sharpie returns, Gabby’s suitors, Hesgyn’s autopsy and more in Bird World

11 December 2022

Oh, gosh, it is grey and dreary here in Manitoba. The sun did not break through at all today. There were moments when I wish we could ‘wiggle’ our noses and be transported elsewhere. I wanted to feel the warmth of the sun, see the green grass, and sit and just listen to the Tropical Mockingbird and Bananaquit.

At the same time, had I not been sitting where I was, I would have missed Sharpie’s visit! I know that he has been about or the larger female Cooper’s Hawk, but I had just not caught him landing. Today, he did!

It is so nice to see you, Sharpie. You are looking quite healthy with those chrome yellow legs.

At the same time, he caused the 31 European Starlings that were feeding to gather and form a murmuration. It was the first time I had seen these birds clustering and flying together to confuse a predator. It was not like anything I have seen when there are thousands of Starlings together forming intricate patterns. These 31 were a loose knit group but, they did manage to keep the hawk at bay with their flying formations.

Sunday morning and Sharpie is back trying to get a songbird feeding in the lilacs. The three Crows are all upset causing the songbirds to flit and fly away. I figure Sharpie is hungry. He is not giving up easily.

I suspect, like Diamond, Sharpie prefers something other than a Starling – perhaps, his usual House Sparrow. He is too small to go after a Crow but, the Crows get excited when anyone enters their territory. I never resent him taking one of the Sparrows. Everyone has to eat to survive. Sharpie just takes what he needs, eats it all but the feathers and even some of those, some days. He doesn’t waste – like humans do.

While I was away, one of our readers, ‘L’ sent me a photo of a hawk wondering what it was. I knew but I decided to ask Merlin and sure enough, Merlin photo ID said Cooper’s Hawk as opposed to the image above which Merlin IDed as a Sharp-shinned.

Which brings me to a point I want to make. At one time I was not happy with Merlin Bird ID. It drove me nuts. While I was on holiday, there were so many songbirds singing at the same time that I could not separate them. Additionally, they were tropical birds that are completely unknown to me. The Merlin Song ID was incredible. The only bird that it did not identify was the Carib Grackle which surprised me.

The other positive besides knowing all of the birds that are around you is that by using the app, you can learn the song of species that were originally unknown to you. By the end of the week, I was able to tell 8 Caribbean birds by their song. That is pretty good for someone who is tone deaf! Just imagine what you could do. It is free. I really do urge you to put it on your phones. Go out, take a friend, or a young person and teach them to hear the songs and identify the birds. Make an outing of it. It is really fun and it helps Cornell understand where birds are located even when they don’t think they should be! Like Sharpie. Once I sent them the image with all its meta-data, they quit telling me that there could not be a Sharp-shinned Hawk in Winnipeg at this time of year.

The final report has come in on Hesgyn, the last chick that Monty raised with Telyn, found dead this summer in Wales after living through his migration and returning to find a mate. The report is cumulative – meaning that that the most recent finding and autopsy report is at the bottom. It would appear that Hesgyn’s return coincided with the tremendous heat that Wales had during that singular week. The impact on the ability of this magnificent osprey to fish – after returning from Africa – could have been the natural cause of his death. No human cause.

https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/hesgyn-has-died

It was nice to see Zoe with a great big fish delivery from Dad. At 0701:14, Zoe sees Dad arriving.

At 0701:20, Dad lands on the nest. Mum begins to fly over from the ropes to the nest.

It was a big fish, not a teaser. Mum seemed to hope there would be some left but, Zoe does love her fish! And has a history of being unable to share.

By 0735, Zoe has finished the entire fish!

At 0801, Zoe sits with Dad over on the ropes. He doesn’t seem to have budged a centimetre from the earlier image above.

At the scrape box of Xavier and Diamond on the campus of Charles Sturt University, Diamond was having a nice siesta in the afternoon sun. She is so beautiful. Her and Xavier must be very happy with Indigo’s progress.

Indigo arrives and thinks the ledge is a good place for an afternoon nap, too.

Elain has another great highlights of the Day for our Orange Falcon family.

The biggest news in Bird World continues to be the competition for Gabby’s heart and nest.

In order to try and keep the identification of the suitors separate and apart from one another and Samson, the AEF have gone to identifying the birds using their tail feathers.

Tail Comparison: Top Row L to R: Samson, V1. Bottom Row L to R: V2, V3

I have not seen V2 at the nest today. There is now the third male, V3, who has been working on the nest and Gabby has not chased him away. Gabby even got into the nest with V3 for a bit.

V3 has slept on the nest and is very alert.

There is very little known about Gabby including her age. She became Samson’s mate at this nest in 2018. She was an adult so she is at least 9 years old now. She has a nest in a good location and there are many suitors. To date, I do not believe we have noticed a brood patch on Gabby. A brood patch is the spot where the feathers do not exist – they fall out when it is time to incubate eggs. The skin of the adult touches the eggs and helps to keep them warm. If the feathers would there, the warmth of the parental body would not exist – so this brood patch has developed over eons to assist the eagles with incubation.

Wonder who Gabby will choose? There seems to be plenty of time so as the AEF suggests, get some popcorn and sit back and watch. It truly is a soap opera. Meanwhile, Harriet is only letting M15 have a little incubation time while Anna down at the KNF nest in Louisiana loves to give Louis plenty of time with their eggs.

M15 brought Harriet a tasty treat today, right off the Road Kill menu – rabbit. Harriet wanted it plain, not in a cassoulet.

Meanwhile at the Kistachie National Forest nest, Louis is getting another chance to incubate the eggs overnight. Wow! These young eagle mums are really sharing the whole experience with their mates. It looks there is some rain and a little lighting near the nest in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Congratulations to Superbeaks – the Central Florida Bald Eagle nest – on their second hatch as announced by Paul Kolnik on Bald Eagles 101.

‘A’ reminded me that Wisdom is not only the oldest Laysan Albatross in the world but she is also the oldest banded bird in the world. Incredible. There is a new announcement from the Midway Atoll. It seems that Wisdom has returned and was seen on the 24th of November but, her mate has sadly not. Will she get another mate? We wait to see. What an amazing seabird Wisdom is…incredible.

Remember that Ferris Akel has his live tour on Saturdays starting at noon Eastern on YouTube. Today, he didn’t catch big Red on the Cornell Campus, our queen of the Red-tail Hawks. Ferris did find her mate, Arthur – and it is always good to see either of them and extremely special when it is both.

Some thoughts from David Suzuki.

Thank you so much for joining me this morning. Take care everyone. See you soon! One last one to put a smile on your face – the ever loving Jackie and Shadow kissing in the nest yesterday while they did renovations.

Thank you to the following for their posts, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: David Suzuki Foundation, Bald Eagles 101, Ferris Akel Tours, US Fish and Wildlife Services and ‘A’, Tonya Irwin and KNF Bald Eagles FB, Lady Hawk, SWFL Eagles and D Pritchett, NEFL-AEF, the AEF FB, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Cornell Bird Lab, and FOBBV.

Sunday News in Bird World

20 November 22

Greetings from a wintery wonderland on the Canadian Prairies. We have snow – thankfully not like what has been landing in the Great Lakes area of the US. Just lovely snowy drifting down giving everything a crisp clean Hallmark card ‘look’.

Before I go any further, Rubus and his fludged-fledge has been located in a tree near to Indigo by Shines. Later Indigo flies up to the scrape but has difficulty due to the very strong winds getting the landing perfect. It was like Rubus who had little control with those winds as he exited the scrape but greater control near the ground. Both are safe and sound. We can all breathe a little lighter! Zoe remains on the nest as I write this. So everything is, so far, alright at both of the Australian nests we have been watching. Only one fledge to go, Zoe, the Port Lincoln osplet.

If you missed it, here is Rubus’s start to his great adventure:

Thanks to ‘B’, who sent me this link, we can see Rubus and Indigo perched in trees! Thank you so much ‘B’.

https://falconcam.csu.edu.au/2022/11/20/rubus-fledges/

This is the feeding recap for Zoe at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge up until 1500. 06:14 Dad with partial fish. 06:14:12 Zoe steals fish from Mum.8:24:50 Partial by Dad. Zoe self feeds. 9:10:50 Zoe finishes the tail.

Making News:

Paith, the third hatch at the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn of 2022, has been spotted in another country. Emyr Evans needs permissions for all the details, etc. but this is fantastic news. Oh, tears. Need these third hatches to do well!!!!!!

The Melbourne Four make the news again and they are right. Who needs Netflix when we can have Nestflix?

https://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/bird-s-eye-view-who-needs-netflix-when-you-can-tune-into-nestflix-20221116-p5bywe.html?fbclid=IwAR2MHVlDtBYcr46mtwCPkpd9gkSg7bJDEqoFy_7MiTjJu6XQcAoFQbneNiE

There was also just an amazing season tribute to the Melbourne Four that included ‘Old Dad’ (M17). Thank you for this! It came on a day when we needed some really positive news with Rubus fledging/fludging.

The Black-naped Pheasant-Pigeon was thought to be extinct. It was last seen in 1887. It has been found in New Guinea.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/this-bird-hadn-t-been-seen-since-1882-then-scientists-captured-video-of-it-in-papua-new-guinea-1.6160514?cid=sm%3Atrueanthem%3Actvnews%3Apost&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR02x5i0QFNU25sIas0XdNXpQe_6OKRZ6pkiZ7Sie_zGqecHKXySVkHbdF4

The very first egg of the season at the Kistanchie National Forest nest has been laid on Nest E-3. Congratulations!

Big Red was spotted on the Cornell campus along with one of the juveniles. It is always great to see Big Red, the international star of all Red-tailed Hawks! She is all flooded up to keep warm. Big Red had been spotted earlier out hunting – and it was successful. There is great comfort in knowing that she is alright. It seems that L4 is also still around the campus. That is also wonderful news.

No 10 The Red List: The Tree Pipit

“Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)” by gilgit2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

I have never heard of a Tree Pipit. As far as I know, we do not have them in Manitoba. Ed Douglas describes them this way, “Pipits are often regarded as dreary-looking birds, the avocado bathroom of the avian world. That only makes me love them more, but telling these flecked brown birds apart visually is a task of tooth-grinding attention to detail.” The Tree Pipit is a bit bigger than the other Pipets and its beak is thicker. “The Tree Pipit has a touch of swagger, strutting across the ground, tail pumping rhythmically, like a wagtail, as it hunts for insects.” The birds also breed on the ground laying a clutch of approximately six eggs in the grasses beneath the trees. Indeed, the birds like the woodlands and the fringes at the edges for raising their families. They flutter through the air in a way not dissimilar to a Black Capped Chickadee.

“Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis)” by gilgit2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Personally, I do not think they are Avocado Bathroom at all. The colouring is marvellous. Stop for a second and examine the range from a soft silvery white to the creams, the darker ash blonde, moving into the very dark blond and on to that deep 70% chocolate. They are stunning! Notice the white eye ring and the very subtle eye line.Move on to the wing and the teardrop pattern with the dark espresso lined by the white. Incredible. Striations only on the upper breast. This melody of brown and its hues is all topped off by velvety light rose legs and beak. I expect this little one to be wearing a matching light rose velvet hat with feathers carrying a matching handbag!

There are parts of the world where the Tree Pipit is of least concern but in the UK, its song and it are in dramatic decline. They migrate annually to Africa and when in the UK, their diet consists of insects gleaned from the woodland floor and old rotting trees. Declines can also be attributed to the use of insecticides and herbicides both in the UK and in Africa – to kill the insects which are then eaten by these small birds causing them to die. Secondary poisoning.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/13/country-diary-the-song-of-the-tree-pipit-is-a-rare-pleasure?CMP=share_btn_link

Migration News:

Little Waba is still in the Sudan fishing at the Nile River near Nori. She is obviously doing very well. The temperature in the area today was 26 degrees C.

Bonus is also in the same area in Turkey in Konya Province. It is considerably cooler there at 13 degrees C. Bonus also landed on a transmission tower today and everyone was very, very concerned because of the deaths from electrocution. He left, thankfully!

Oh, the time just flies by. It is hard to believe that we have our first Bald Eagle eggs in Florida and in Louisiana now and that we have only one more raptor to fledge in Australia, Zoe. It is a good time of year to take a deep breath, to remember those lovely feathered friends we have lost, and to be ever so grateful for those that survived.

Thank you for being with me today. Please take care of yourselves. Looking forward to having you with me again soon.

Thank you to the following for their posts, their videos, and their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: ‘B’, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Looduskalender Forum, OpenVerse, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Cornell Bird Labs, US Forestry Service KNF Bald Eagle Nests, CTV News, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, The Age, Ospreys. Ringed Birds and Sightings (UK), and 367 Collins Falcon Watchers.

Tag Archives: Big Red and Arthur

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