It is cold and rainy in the Canadian prairies. The leaves are trying to burst open. Not very many little birds out at the feeders today.
Oh, the most amazing news. Bonus, the black stork, foster/step-son of the famous Karl II was at the nest in Estonia on 1 May. Bonus hatched in 2022.
Bonus was brought by wildlife conservationists (led by Urmas Sellis of the Eagle Club Estonia) from another nest and placed into the Karula National Park nest to be raised by the resident adult black storks, Karl II and Kaia. Despite not being his biological offspring, Karl II raised and fed Bonus as his own
Karl II was the most amazing Black Stork dad. Karl II, the world-famous black stork from Estonia’s Karula National Park, was electrocuted in Turkey between the night of 1-2 October 2023. His tracking data showed he landed on an unshielded electric pylon to roost near the Yazıbelen solar power plant in the Konya province of central Turkey, where he tragically perished. We were all shaken. He had been flying with a flock southward including his mate.
URMAS (birdmap) Karl II breeds successfully in season 2023. There grow up three chicks of four eggs. Last is Karl II to leave for autumn migration. He doesn’t know that it will be his last one. Between 1st and 2nd October Karl II lands on electric pylon for night, but got electrocuted. Turkish colleagues searched and found dead body, took away the transmitter.
After more than 82 hours without fish, Myrtle, the female at Loch Garten RSPB, left her nest but it did not appear to me that she went fishing. There did not seem to be enough time. We wonder if she is even strong enough to catch a fish. She has been incubating the last two of five eggs. The first three were kicked out of the nest by KL5, who has not been seen for over 86 hours.
GH3 has died at the Glen-Hayes Bald Eagle nest in PA. The female is not looking well. I recall that when the two eaglets died in Estonia, those who retrieved the bodies of the babies spent much time cleaning the nest of any old prey including bones so as to try and remediate harm to the adults. Will this happen at Glen Hayes?
If this is HPAI, the source and the cause is ‘human’. Does this not qualify then for intervention?
The individuals raising funds for MoonCamp, the area of land around Jackie and Shadow’s nest, have reached 3 million. School children are now taking part in parts of the Valley – wouldn’t it be wonderful as a way to learn how to protect nature if every elementary school took part in the fundraiser? Wonder how quick they could reach the 10 million?
Big Red and Arthur’s trio are doing well.
Iris is like Myrtle. She has not eaten in awhile. NG2 is not bringing fish and this could be because the river remains rapid.
According to the daily readout on X under Hellgate Osprey, NG2 gave Iris a break at 8:03am but she returned quickly.
I saw him return around 9:10 am and he pestered Iris to take a break and let him incubate but that time she wouldn’t budge, and used some colorful language towards him. She must know the fishing isn’t good yet, and no further visits the rest of today.
Beau was seen at the NE Florida nest yesterday. Gabby has already left on migration and will return in September.
Dewey Beach had a hatch. This is where that 50-day-old chick starved to death. Wish them only one and some fish!
Oh it’s cold here!
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.
Thank you to Looduskalender and Maria Marika for keeping us informed about Bonus, to ‘PB’ for adding in my conversation with them that Bonus was seen, to all those who post on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these incredible birds. Please send your good thoughts to all nests. Some are struggling.
Current Status as John Bunker Sands: The second eaglet is still alive.
With the sudden death of JBS25, we are all feeling great anxiety. We will never know for certain what killed the little eaglet without a necroscopy – those take time and resources. The parents have now begun covering the little one. I noticed that someone on the chat wondered if the parents knew of the little one’s passing. The late Laura Culley – a friend and a great falconer – would have said very loudly: “And why wouldn’t they know that their child had died!” Laura trained and flew many raptors for at least three decades. She believed that they had higher powers – powers that we have lost including the ability to communicate without what humans know as ‘talking’. I miss her wisdom and yes, the raptors know. I have even observed their mourning over the death of their children and others leaving the nest having felt what we might call guilt for bringing in the prey that killed their children. The most vivid memory of that was Joe at the Captiva nest when Peace and Love died after he brought a rat to the nest that had died from rodenticide poisoning. He not only visibly mourned but left – and did not return.
It is 2230 as I am writing this, and if JBS 24 is to perish from HPAI, we will see this within the next 36 hours. I hope not. JBS 24 ate well Monday afternoon, even playing for a moment with dad’s tailfeathers. The little eaglet even had a late feed – unfortunately it was from the Coot on the nest that could have been the cause of the other’s death if it had HPAI.
HPAI happens suddenly. Several years ago, I reported on two White-tailed eaglets in Estonia that had died on a nest after being fed a crane. The two tiny eaglets died on the screen within half an hour of one another. In this instance, it was a crane that had come to the nest as prey. It turned out that these deaths were the first known instance of HPAI deaths in ‘spring’, sending alarm bells throughout the field of avian virology. Normally, HPAI happens in the fall, but this meant that migratory birds were affected. Thijs Kuiken is a prominent Professor of Comparative Pathology at the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus University Medical Centre (Erasmus MC) in Rotterdam, Netherlands. His research focuses on emerging infectious diseases, zoonoses, and influenza, with a specialisation in the pathology and pathogenesis of viruses in wildlife. Dr Kuiken contacted me after I reported the deaths on my blog and followed up with veterinarians in the area. He has written extensively on HPAI and its links to factory farming. The birds are the victims of this deadly disease that continues to kill around the world.
Here are some more recent articles showing the impact of this terrible disease.
Thank you so much for stopping in with us today. Keep sending your good wishes to the John Bunker eaglet.
Thank you to Mark Avery and the authors of the articles on HPAI as well as to the John Bunker Sands Wetlands for their streaming cam that allows us to look into the lives of these eagles. Our condolenes on the loss of the first little fluff ball.
It is always difficult to bring sad news, but I also want us to celebrate the survivors. There are many for us to cheer on – SW Florida, Captiva, Dade County, NE Florida, etc. Please send these nests your best wishes.
One of the eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands has died. I believe it to be the youngest but I stand ready to be corrected.
JBS 25 died around 1040 on Monday, the 9th of February. The eaglet hatched on the 26th of January – it was two weeks old and appeared to be doing well. The parents are excellent.
IF this is a case of HPAI, then, sadly, we will expect the older eaglet JBS 24 to pass as well as they were fed from the same prey brought to the nest. It would be the same situation as we observed at the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23 last year.
Thank you to ‘MP’ for alerting me to the illness on the nest and to the others who wrote to see if I knew the eaglet had passed. Yes, sadly. Let us all remain hopeful for the second who has had a good meal, and I hope they are in a food coma as I write this. Thank you to SK Hideaways for their video yesterday, which preserves this beautiful family before their passing. Thank you to JBS Wetlands for the streaming cam that allows us to view the lives of our raptors – the good and the sad.
This has to go first as I missed it so a belated happy birthday to Jackie and Shadow!
And before anything else, a ‘fiver’ will give you the opportunity to vote for the names for Gabby and Beau’s eaglets. But you must hurry!
Great capture of a tandem feeding by Gabby and Beau!
I wish you could have been at story time this afternoon. It was so warm in the conservatory. I started reading – Don and Toby were already there. Calico ran in when she heard my voice and then Baby Hope. The two Calicos stayed for over an hour and then left – and that is when I stopped reading. There was just something about their presence, the sun shining in the glass, and the blue sky. It really was so nice and warm and cosy. The light streaming in demanded that we have story time early, and it was beautiful. We shall switch the time to the early afternoon on these bright sunny days.
SK Hideaways has good news: “Quick news flash: Jackie & Shadow were observed mating on the Lookout Snag at 14:30:55!”
Jak and Audacity’s egg is holding! Send them your continued best wishes.
Bird Flu continues to take lives and now it is the Thames Valley Swans that are under threat.
It is so wonderful that people like Penny Albright who is vacationing is also sending us news about the local ospreys on Sanibel! Thank you.
Lucille Powell reminds us that Rosie could be arriving at the platform she shares with Richmond in a fortnight!
Storks seem to be returning to certain areas of Europe. In some areas of France, people are beginning to feel the transition from winter to spring. Some are seeing a few daffodils and quince blossoms.
I am so pleased that many are learning about the flightless parrot, the Kakapo, and checking in on the streaming cam. There are so few of these birds left and great care is taken with them just as the NZ DOC does with the Royal Albatross.
Jak and Audacity now have their second egg.
Thank you so much for being with us for this quick check on our friendly raptors. We will be back with you at the end of the week! Please take care of yourself.
Thank you to the creators of the videos that I have linked here today, the authors of the FB posts, and The Guardian for its coverage of the raptors and the environment. I am so grateful. My blog would not be the same without your talents!
[I am sending this out at 2200 Sunday evening in case things get hectic Monday morning – have a great day everyone].
Yesterday was the Winter Solstice. From now on, we will have a tiny bit more daylight, which is always welcome. Sunday was bright and sunny, and there is nothing better to energise a weary body after days of snow and grey than bright light. The Girls certainly enjoyed having those beautiful rays of warmth fill the conservatory.
For the past several weeks or months, I have encouraged each of you to slow down – to savour the moment at hand without worrying about what happened a week ago, what will occur in a month, or if your holiday dinner is perfect, or your house looks like the best cleaning service has detailed it. You would be too worn out to enjoy any of the fun if you did that. Instead, relax. Make the days simple so that you can enjoy them.
I found a blog post about ‘How Not to Feel Lost in a Parisian Cafe’, and I want to share it with you, not that you are going to Paris soon (or maybe you are), but because it speaks to sheer relaxation. Take a quiet moment with a cuppa and enjoy it. Practice relaxing. It is one thing that North Americans are not good at! Endless lists, too much goal orientation and achievement having priority over simple living.
This led to a link about the joys of doing nothing in retirement. In this article in The Wall Street Journal, there is this quote: “Earlier this summer, I read ‘This Is Happiness,’ by Niall Williams, about a fictional Irish community in the mid-20th century where rain is a constant presence in the lives of the town’s poor residents, until it isn’t. “You don’t see rain stop, but you sense it,” he writes at one point. “You hear the quietness you thought was silence get quieter still, and you raise your head so your eyes can make sense of what your ears have already told you, which at first is only: something has changed. The quote describes more eloquently than my words how I felt that morning at the cabin when something for me had changed. It was the realization that in experiencing the peace that doing nothing brings, I could acknowledge quietly to myself, “This is happiness.”
Nellie arrived. The pups have been in and out, and then a rest, and then in and out again. Nellie loves the deep snow in the garden – she is a big girl. Toby likes to go out but not stay out as long. It has been great fun watching them play.
We had a proper ‘tea’ and christened a new teapot. This year we managed to break two teapots – the daily glass one and a much-loved temmoku one made by my friend Gunda Stewart years ago. There are ‘art’ teapots in my cupboards made by people across Canada, but I don’t use them. So…dear Anne brought us a replacement glass one, and I went over the top and purchased a rather glitzy version for special occasions. It is entirely unlike me; I am a much more rustic, handmade person. I like the story behind this design. It is based on the ceiling of the Library in the Fairmont Hotel in Toronto. This is where the ladies had to wait and have tea while the men checked them into the hotel.
I met a wonderful woman years ago in Yangon. Besides the fact that we both looked up and noticed that we were each reading Burmese Days, we were also sequestered inside our hotel for a few days during bombings in the City. Victoria introduced me to Coronation Chicken, and that is what we had today, along with egg mayo, sausage rolls, vegetable samosas, cranberry, orange, and mince tarts, shortbread cookies shaped like Scotty dogs, Fortnum’s Christmas cake, and chocolates. It was a fantastic way to celebrate the solstice! (I meant to take photos and forgot in the flurry of Nellie’s arrival!)
I wondered if Nellie was going to get stuck. She didn’t. She jumped and rolled.
A really tired Toby. He went to sleep before he even got in his bed.
Next to Toby, Nellie is in her big dog bed.
All is right in ‘dog’ world.
SK Hideaways Videos, week of 14 December 2025
Sauces Canyon Eagles: Jak and Audacity Chortle in the Dawn ~ An 11-Year Love Story (2025 Dec 19) As Jak and Audacity greet the day with nature’s most perfect music ~ chortles ~ we share a little history of this 11-year love story. Video: https://youtu.be/jCVVKQNIbfw Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnTsOesC6hE
Haku Issues Mating Invitation ~ Akecheta’s Not in the Mood (2025 Dec 20) As Akecheta and Haku enjoyed their often frequented ocean view, Haku started feeling a little frisky. She let out some beautiful chortles and lowered her head, making it clear she was inviting Akecheta to mate. This time, Akecheta was focused elsewhere and did not respond. These two are spending a lot of time together on camera, so we could guess they’re doing so off camera as well. We have seen at least 2 mating attempts before this event, so may also guess that such attempts are being made behind closed tors. We are feeling optimistic about a fruitful nesting season for these two. Video: https://youtu.be/zhov66JVXDI
Akecheta Attempts Mating After Haku Casts Massive Pellet (2025 Dec 17) After spending the night together on the night perch, Haku woke before Akecheta and cleared her gizzard by casting a rather large pellet. So large, in fact, that when it hit the ground, it woke Akecheta. Unperturbed, he went right back to sleep before waking later to attempt the first mating we’ve seen on camera. While unsuccessful, it bodes well for these two pursuing nesting and mating behaviors for the season ahead. Akecheta later did some nestorations before setting off to the middle tor, posing beautifully for the camera. (2025 Dec 17) Video: https://youtu.be/YWxv9J9LbMM
FOBBV Eagles: Two Juvie Eagles Visit Nest Tree ~ Jackie & Shadow Let Them Be (2025 Dec 15) Two first year juvenile eagles (2025 hatch year) visited the nest tree. The first flew to the very top while Jackie and Shadow were finishing their day’s nestorations. While their hackles were raised and they were very vocal, Jackie and Shadow did not physically approach the visitor. The second juvie arrived at the nest tree after Jackie and Shadow had retired to their Roost Tree. Who might they be? #CouldBeSunnyOrGizmo Video: https://youtu.be/F6R4BuHTTOc Courtesy FOBBVCAM, Friends of Big Bear Valley, CA
GIRRI FLEDGES at 43 Days Old (2025 Dec 18) Girri woke early on her fledge day, full of energy and raring to go. After some vigorous wingercises and a full frontal attack of the camera, Girri took a wee rest and did a bit of yoga before taking flight. The fledge was perfect, as she flew across the flatlands to a perch tree. Cilla Ross captured video of her perched safely to everyone’s delight. Wishing Girri well in this exciting new phase of her young life. Video: https://youtu.be/96yPLdvaixU Viewer Discretion: Diamond’s Prey Unzipping Lesson ~ Girri Chases Gimbir (2025 Dec 15) Diamond brought another galah (aka pink and grey cockatoo) to the nest for Girri. She watched as her chick tried to consume the galah, but Girri does not yet possess the skills to prep prey. After letting Girri struggle a while, Diamond demonstrated how to prepare and ultimately consume prey. While SK Hideaways doesn’t normally publish graphic displays of raptors eating, we felt Diamond’s master class was interesting and educational. This is something raptor lovers may want to understand about these birds of prey. But we understand if you’d rather skip this lesson. When Gimbir came for the second seating, Girri chased him around the nest. Then Diamond fed him a few bites, but decided better of it. Best he remember that he’s a mate/parent and not a chick. Video: https://youtu.be/rgCWPyT11No
There is nothing cuter than a couple of bobbleheads – .
Dade County R9.
SW Florida E26.
Two very much loved eaglets. R10 appears to be on its way.
I am unclear as to the status of E27’s egg. A single healthy eaglet fledging strong would be fine for me for each nest.
It looks like a juvenile eagle on the Berry College Bald Eagle nest in Georgia.
For those following the ups and downs of Lumi, the young lynx that found itself in the care of our local wildlife rehabilitation clinic, Wildlife Haven, is improving all the time. A video was posted on Instagram of Lumi going through the morning zoomies. She certainly looks like she is getting stronger each day!
We have eggs with Louis II and Anna II at Kisatchie National Forest’s E1 Bald Eagle nest. Now there is a bonded pair at the E3 nest. Tonya suggests that we are now on egg watch for them. Nice. https://youtu.be/NkSdsMy2WAo?
Gimbir in the Charles Sturt University Falcon scrape overlooking the wooded area below where Cilla saw Girri yesterday. I wonder if Gimbir can encourage Girri to try and make her way up that steep flight to get to the scrape where she hatched?
At Port Lincoln, let’s see what Giliath and Ervie have been up to – Giliath has been to Lincoln National Park, Boston Point, and Boston Island (very similar to Ervie).
Ervie’s tracker – both lads come back to the wharf at Port Lincoln to roost at night.
I don’t know about you but I am always relieved to see our dear Ervie doing so well.
I read Mark Avery’s Blog every month and he always reports on Bird Flu in the UK. Having seen the deaths of hundreds of Canada geese near to where I live, I continue to be interested in how HPAI is still impacting wildlife.
This was the report in Mark Avery’s most recent blog:
“Bird flu: Defra’s most recent update seems to cover the period up to 30 November and has a lot of positive records, especially of wildfowl, and adds Woodcock to the 2025 list of affected species bringing the total to 53: Mute Swan, Whooper Swan, Bewick’s Swan, Black Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Shelduck, Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Pintail, Tufted Duck, Eider, White-tailed Eagle, Red Kite, Buzzard, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine, Kestrel, Curlew, Woodcock, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Gull, Kittiwake, Little Gull, Sandwich Tern, Arctic Tern, Common Tern, Roseate Tern, Gannet, Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Cormorant, Razorbill, Guillemot, Puffin, Black Guillemot, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Tawny Owl, Grey Heron, Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Greenfinch and Starling. The flaws in the ‘surveillance’ scheme mean that it is difficult to know what this species list means in terms of species affected – click here. “
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care! Have a great beginning to the week. See you on Tuesday!
Thank you to SK Hideaways for those great videos and to the owners of the streaming cams who give us a look into the lives of our eagles. I also want to thank those who take the time to post reports and images on FB so that we know what is going on with our beloved raptors. Thank you to Mark Avery for his blog where I used his bird flu report today as well as to the authors of the articles in Substack and WSJ.
It is -9 C with soft snowflakes falling on the Canadian Prairies. Toby has been out for his walk with Ellen. Because the snow is deep and wet, he wore his boots, hat, and his insulated play suit. He wasn’t so happy. Look at that grumpy face! He sure had fun, though, once he was outside.
Ellen gave him a good romp – 1.3 km in thirty minutes. That little puppy was quite zonked when he got home. My friends and lovely neighbours are making sure that Toby has an even bigger wardrobe. One is even knitting him a beautiful scarf with snowflakes!
Both Blue Jays were at the feeders again Thursday morning. This makes me so very, very happy. The Jays wanted peanuts, but one of Dyson’s kits just sat on the big table feeder, munching and munching. Nothing was going to budge that squirrel! The Jays were losing their patience. In this two-minute video, Junior, the male, spends the last half hoping to find a way to reach the feeder!
I want to thank ‘L’ for her note today. It touched my heart. She had a feral cat named Hobo. Worrying about him in the cold, she put a heating pad inside a gigantic dog carrier. Hobo liked it. Her letter gave me pause to reconsider what I might do for Brock.
As all of you know, I agonise over Brock every winter. He has indeed survived, but there is always a worry. I have a huge carrier that I got when we had Lewis, so I am going to order a heating pad and another outdoor extension cord. Then we will see if Brock goes for it!
Brock looks in the garden door after finishing his third meal of the day. If you look at the table to the rear and left of Brock, you will see the amount of snow that fell overnight. The young man was here shovelling the deck but it has filled up – again!
Jaine arrived and headed out onto snowy roads to take Don to the Y’s walking track for the afternoon. The Girls, Toby, and I are making cinnamon-cardamon rolls for her to take home when she gets back. I hope they are good.
We use the same dough recipe for everything from pizza to cinnamon buns and butter rolls. It is effortless, and like my grandmother, I don’t measure. If you want to try it along with us, here is what I did: Place a packet of active dry yeast in a bowl with 2 T sugar, 2 T oil (I used a fruity olive oil), and 2 t salt. Add 3/4 c of very warm (not hot but quite warm) water. Stir and let it froth. Once the yeast froths, add 1.5-2 cups of flour. Depending on the weather and the type of flour you are using, you might find you need a little more. Stir hard, knead, and let the dough rise twice. Punch down between rises. [I use a small Wolf counter oven instead of my big oven. It has a ‘Proof’ setting for 80 degrees F that is really helpful and makes the rising go even faster.]
When the dough has risen twice (which makes the rolls much lighter), flour your surface and roll the dough out into a big rectangle. (See below) Those are slices of butter (you can use either salted or non-salted) spread around. You can even melt the butter and brush it on. For this recipe, the more butter the better. (Don’t tell my doctor!). Then sprinkle a mixture of 1 cup of white sugar to which I have added 1 t of cinnamon and another t of cardamom. You can adjust to taste. You might not use all of this. If you want, you can omit the cardamom. During a visit to Copenhagen, I fell in love with the Danish cardamom rolls, and ever since, I have been adding cardamom to everything. Today, I also sprinkled some dried cranberries over the dough to try and make the rolls a little more festive.
Fold up the edges and roll into a jellyroll-like shape. Then cut into slices. Place these on a buttered OLD non-shiny pan. Do not use parchment, either, as it will make the bottoms soggy, just like a shiny pan. You can be neat and make the rolls all the same. I can’t be bothered! I do like them rustic. Allow the rolls to rise one more time before placing them in a 375°F oven. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and, when pressed, spring back.
My family likes a lemon or orange glaze – just mix some orange or lemon juice with icing sugar and smear all over. Yummy, yum.
We decorated the box and included an ornament for her tree. I hope she likes it. I am so terribly grateful for her help and support.
So, let’s check in on some of the nests.
There are still two eaglets at the Superbeaks nest of Pepe and Muhlady in Central Florida.
The clock is counting down to SW Florida when M15 and F23 will welcome chick number 1.
In Orange, Australia, Diamond decided to feed Gimbir instead of Girri. Of course, Girri’s crop was about to pop! What a beautiful gesture to a great first-time dad who has been Daddy Doordash all season. I bet he was hungry.
It is NOT unusual (nor is it frequently seen) for adult males or females to feed one another. Which nests can you think of where you have seen this? The FalconCam Project caught it on video: https://youtu.be/1FOmMdoS6tA?
Why does it always have to rain and why are there storms around fledge time? It always makes me so nervous. Girri will fledge soon. Enjoy her while you can! They do not normally return to the scrape very much, if at all.
Indeed, Girrir was flapping and almost went out the front. 12:34:52ish.
That was too close for comfort. She is not ready. She still has down and I want a week of sunny dry days not the storm clouds you can see in the distance.
The eagles at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest are working on that egg cup. This nest is looking really good. Just look at the size of it! The people who work at the centre say that visitors walking on the boardwalk often see the eagles flying overhead. Maybe you should visit JBSW if you live near Seagoville, Texas (east of Dallas).
The snow was really coming down at the US Steel nest. Evenso, nestorations continued. Those 7000 feathers kept those Irv and mate toasty warm and dry. https://youtu.be/1tK8d2JFE1Q?
Gigi and Pat were working at their nest, the ND-LEEF, in South Bend, Indiana, on Thursday despite the snow, too.
In Winnipeg, we are experiencing a very sad moment. Hundreds and hundreds of Canada Geese have been found dead due to HPAI.
This news just makes me feel very ill. I love our geese so much!
It is never good to go to bed angry and I don’t like closing my blog on a sad note. We watched T3, the only surviving eaglet of Mrs T, thrive under almost the sole care of its mother at the Trempeauleau nest in Wisconsin. There are bittersweet moments. Two other eaglets perished, but you will remember how much joy T3 gave us. Here is a lovely video about this determined young eaglet! Enjoy. https://youtu.be/OMa50gXbe18?
Mrs T was sleeping on the branch at the Trempeauleau nest on Thursday. They have snow, too.
Good night, Beau and Gabby.
Trudi Kron brings us up to date on the new couple at the Dale Hollow Bald Eagle nest.
A note from our Bird World reader ‘J’ in Berlin also brings some good news about Kakapo. Enjoy:
Thank you so much for being with us today. Everyone wishes you a fantastic end of the week!
HY knows how to stay warm.
Thank you so much to ‘L’ for the great suggestion for Brock! I am also grateful to the authors of the FB posts, the creators of videos, the owners of the streaming cams, and the authors of the articles included in today’s blog.
Oh, it is a balmy day on the Canadian Prairies. -1 C. The sky is a clear blue with no clouds and the sun is so bright it is blinding. Gosh. Feeling like summer. Just kidding, but after -28 C with winds, it feels pretty nice. I plan to do some cleaning up of the feral cat area today. This morning Brock greeted me at the garden door. I think he has been missing out on some full dishes of food thanks to Star. I saw her last night, but not this morning.
From the inbox, everyone is getting excited about Saturday. Most of you are nervous at the same time about Beau’s reaction to the potential hatchlings. We can only send them good wishes. Whatever happens at the nest, Gabby will take it all in stride. She is pretty amazing. As are all the eagles. I long to be more like them.
Cornell Bird Lab reminds us that the Big Bird Count is coming. Please mark your calendars and take part. We need a really good look at what is happening to the birds this winter! Or summer if you are in the Southern Hemisphere.
I am giving a loud shout out to a young man in Virginia who is going to attend an event where he can talk to the politicians of Virginia in a hope to get them to stop Omega’s commercial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay. Dustin Byler is a sportsman. He wants to see the Striped Bass and Rockfish populations return to the Bay. I want to see Ospreys fed. We are on the same side!
It will help him if anyone who has observed or cares for the ospreys that died around the coast of the Chesapeake Bay contact him. Do for it for Cobey at Colonial Beach.
Cold weather is heading to Florida and the Eagles know it often before the weather people. M15 and F23 are taking lots of grasses to the nest to help the Es stay warm, too – they are too big to get under Mum comfortably! https://youtu.be/kWt4JkJuiks?
It’s Friday. We are one day away from pip watch at this nest!!!!!!!!!!!!!
These are the observations from Port Lincoln for Thursday:
Kasse on the nest after ousting Wilko on Friday.
Kasse grabbed that first fish delivery, the first one on Friday! In the image above she is enjoying that fish while Wilko is fish calling to Mum and Dad. Way to go Kasse.
The protests for more fish seem to fall on deaf ears. Hey! Where are the fairies? Are they still out of town?
Two well fed eaglets at Captiva. One really big sister and one tiny brother or so it appears.
Can’t take the eyes off that little one, C13. Just the cutest.
Scout and Bella at the NCTC nest on Thursday.
Eagle at Two Harbours on Thursday.
Harry and Sally are bonding and they have been making appearances at the nest at Moorings Park.
This is not the way to do this folks! Everything needs a plan and I am all for rewilding and reintroductions after careful consideration. Thankfully the lynx are safe.
Dyfi is working on a project and it is a hide. I am smiling.
Bird Flu has surfaced in Louisiana. Oh, please send your strongest wishes for our eagles (and for all birds) in that state.
An extremely rare sighting of a shorebird in the UK. “The least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) is a new world species, breeding in Alaska and Arctic Canada, before heading south to overwinter in warmer climes, from the southern states of the US to Brazil. In Britain they are a rare vagrant, with fewer than 100 sightings recorded, virtually all in autumn.”
These are tiny shorebirds, 13-15 cm, 5-6 inches. They have piercing eyes. Could you take a look at their bill? It is only slightly curved and very pointed to help them get food. Their greenish-yellow legs are almost as long as they are tall. The underparts of their bodies are white. They have a beautiful variegated plumage pattern that ranges from white, cream, taupe, darker brown and espresso brown. They are gorgeous little shorebirds.
They feed in the mud along the shores especially areas where the tide is receding. They also feed higher up on the ground. Do you remember the shorebirds that I saw when I was in Nova Scotia? Think of these little beauties.
The Least Sandpiper is the smallest shorebird in the world, weighing in at about 1 ounce and measuring 5-6 inches long. Males are slightly smaller than females.
Eastern populations probably fly nonstop over the ocean from the Gulf of St. Lawrence and New England to wintering grounds in northeastern South America, a distance of about 1,800 to 2,500 miles.
Researchers studying Least Sandpipers discovered a new feeding mechanism. While probing damp mud with their bills, the sandpipers use the surface tension of the water to transport prey quickly from their bill tips to their mouths.
Least Sandpipers hunt for food on slightly drier, higher ground compared to other small sandpipers. Although numerous worldwide, they usually flock in smaller numbers—dozens rather than hundreds or thousands—than some other shorebirds.
The oldest Least Sandpiper on record was a female, and at least 15 years old when she was recaptured and released by a Nova Scotia researcher in 1985.
This bird almost certainly crossed the Atlantic a few months ago, but was not discovered until early January when a couple of sharp-eyed local birders at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust’s Steart Marshes reserve spotted it.”
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, images, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘J’, Cornell Bird Lab, Dustin Byler FB, Real Saunders Photography, NEFL-AEF, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Bart M and the PLO, Window to Wildlife, NCTC Eagle Nest, Moorings Park Osprey Cam, Frenchman’s Creek Osprey Cam, LDF, Audubon, Sky News, Dyfi Osprey Project, Openverse, All About Birds, The Guardian
Oh, goodness. It might as well be summer in Winnipeg – it sure feels like it at +3 C. Snow is melting, the sand and salt mixed with it for driving are really gross when this happens, and we have no idea what boots or coat to wear anymore. The children were squeeing like E23 as they rode their toboggans/sleds down the big ramp onto Devonian Lake at Ft Whyte this afternoon. It was marvellous. The smell of spring in the air (it is just teasing us – have no fear, winter is still here) was invigorating.
It was a lovely walk at the nature centre. I am reminding myself that the geese will be returning the middle of April and all of these shades of grey will be green. Beautiful green.
On the way home I was tempted to pick up a small bundle of tulips, but, thankfully checked and tulips are highly poisonous to cats. That would not do at all. I think flowers would not be safe anyway – not with Hugo Yugo and Baby Hope tearing about.
Baby Hope is loving to be stroked on her back and always flops in the kitchen – first – even before Hugo Yugo – when it is time for breakfast. She is one of the most darling cats I have ever had the pleasure to share my life with.
Thanks to Auntie ‘R’s suggestion, Hugo Yugo will have no more stained eyes. Her wipes arrived this evening (after these photos).
Hugo Yugo is getting ready to pounce on Hope. Look at those claws – and for such a little thing!
These two play ‘Who is the Queen of the Cat Tree’ all day long.
Size does not seem to matter. You will notice Baby Hope’s big strong legs and feet -just like that Dadpa of hers. Hugo Yugo wins about half the time – she does it through speed and persistence.
Missey took a clue from Calico and decided to sleep in a pile of blankets instead of entering the battle of the tree with those two.
There has been a wonderful sighting in The Gambia of two Rutland fledglings from 2022.
If you have been confused about whether there is 1 egg or 2, 1 hatch or 2 at the JB Sands Wetlands area, you are not alone. We know there is at least one hatch and it appears that there are two! The dates are inconsistent but what matters is this – two healthy eaglets being fed. Watch for that!
Definitely feeds and Dad on the nest quite a bit. I have only been able to see one head, but there is that metal support in the way. There could be a second behind it!
There are two of them! Observers had written that they had observed bonking, but I got my first sight of the pair this evening.
If you go to the web page, you can hear a recording of the eaglet – very clearly – from the nest. I should point out that some of the information on that site is frustrating. How do they know how old the eagles are? Are they sure? They are not banded? The dates of the hatch and the number of eaglets have been confusing. Thanks ‘AE’ and ‘MP’.
Finally, here’s a great news story where the Ospreys won. Thanks, Geemeff. A festival has lost its site due to breeding Ospreys and this time, I am told that there are too many watchers so that any fears of their nesting site being disturbed should dissipate. The watchers are on it!
Marri is still flying around the scrape on the campus of Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia. This is fabulous news. Gosh, Marri looks like a super strong flyer.
Shadow needed to see if there was a second egg! They are certainly having a discussion!
If you missed it, the tandem feeding by M15 and F23 for E23 resulted in one HUGE crop!
This is why Barb Henry wants a slower speed on the roads in front of the nest of M15 and F23. Can you sign her petition? The name is in bold below. Do a search on change.org
The two eggs of Olive the Hummingbird have hatched. They are named Dusk and Dawn. When will they fledge? Here is the link to their camera!
Olive is the most famous Allen’s Hummingbird in the world because of the streaming cam. ”Allen’s Hummingbirds coppery orange and green overall. Adult males have a coppery tail, eye patch, and belly that contrasts with their bronze-green back and deep reddish orange gorget. Females and immatures are bronze-green above with paler coppery sides. They both have bits of bronze spotting on their throats, though females have more spots and a small patch of reddish orange in the center of the throat.” (All About Birds)
“Allen’s Hummingbirds sip nectar from flowers such as bush monkeyflower, Indian paintbrush, columbine, currant, gooseberry, twinflower, penstemon, ceanothus, sage, eucalyptus, and manzanita. They get their protein by capturing small insects in midair or picking them off plants.” (All About Birds)
We should be concerned about these beautiful hummers. ”Conservation. The biggest threat to the Allen’s Hummingbird is habitat loss within its limited range. Partners in Flight considers it a species of concern, as its population decreased by 83 percent between 1970 and 2014.” (American Bird Conservancy)
Missey and Pa Berry have been making restorations to their nest on the grounds of Berry College in Georgia. Their two eggs for 2024 failed. Will they lay a second clutch? There is not much hope, but the eagles can fool us.
HeidiMc gives us a glimpse at the first fortnight at the WRDC nest for R6. You can find it by searching on YT for Dade County Eagles: ‘R6’ – The First Two Weeks. Sorry, I cannot post it here. Here are three screen snaps from her video:
Poor Gabby. She is still incubating. I wonder if she knows that Beau did not stay on the nest when she was gone for 25 hours? Samson certainly stayed for much longer and the eggs hatched. Just wondering.
E23 continues to be well-fed and thrives. The nest is a marvel, and the eaglet is well camouflaged. Tucked tight under Mamma F23 Monday night.
We get a glimpse of the two eggs at Big Bear when Shadow delivers fish – and on Monday, he delivered two for Jackie! I am watching. They are set to get rain and snow, but will they get as much as some parts of NE California that are expecting atmospheric rivers?
Precious diamonds on our beloved Jackie as she tends those two delicate eggs.
At Port Lincoln, Gil got the first fish of the day. It was a large whole one from Dad that came in at 0644. Brad was on the nest, but did not attempt to interfere. Gil ate every last flake – it took him 49 minutes!
More fish came in for both lads…and yes, Bradley did get some decent fish!
It is something no one was talking about. Lou. Lou has been missing from The Campanile since the 5th of January. Everyone at Cal Falcons hoped this marvellous male would return to Annie, but it now appears that is not going to happen. She is bonding with a new male. Poor thing – she has been through so many mates over the last four years. Lou. Alden the wonder who came and saved the eggs. And, of course, beloved Grinnell. We must assume that the life of a male in this territory can be quite short – whether it is through hunting accidents, territorial disputes with other males, or the current spate of HPAI. Dear Annie. We hope you get a good one that is here for years to come.
This is the current statement by Cal Falcons:
“Alright, after a long, very quiet period on the tower, we have some happenings to report:
– Lou was last seen at the tower in early January.
– Annie has been less frequent on camera for the past few weeks as well
– In the past couple of days, we’ve noticed that Annie has been “chatting” with someone offscreen.
– This other falcon showed up on cam for the first time today. It is definitely not Lou.
– The new male today spent time in the nest box and hanging out near Annie leading up to…
– Copulation for the first time this year!
Looks like the next breeding season is abruptly kicking into high gear. We expect that we will see more courtship behaviors over the next few weeks before eggs being laid in early March.
As for Lou: there’s still a chance he may show back up. We don’t know he’s gone, but it certainly was not a typical time for a male falcon to leave the territory willingly. There are a number of reasons to see territory turnover, including being displaced through competition.”
Raptor populations are still experiencing relatively high mortality from Avian Influenza. It is certainly possible that Lou, like several other Peregrine Falcons in the Bay Area, contracted that disease. For more info check out this Q&A from last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg_WbObYi7g”. Thanks SKHideaways.
HPAI has had devastating effects on chicken farmers in California- these are just the newest figures.
HPAI has now hit the Penguins in Antaractic. This could be horrible as it is so contagious.
“Researchers have previously raised alarm about “one of the largest ecological disasters of modern times” if bird flu reached remote Antarctic penguin populations. The birds are currently clustering together for breeding season, meaning the disease could rip through entire colonies if it continues to spread through the region.
King penguins are the world’s second-largest penguin, at about 3ft tall, and can live for more than 20 years in the wild. The suspected case was recorded on South Georgia island in the Antarctic region, according to the latest update from the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (Scar). A gentoo penguin was also suspected to have died from H5N1 at the same location.”
As I was writing about the more recent reports of HPAI, I was simultaneously recalling my reporting of the two White-tail Eaglets dying in the nest in Estonia. Dr Thijs Kuiken, Professor Virology, from the University of Erasmus in Rotterdam got in touch – he wanted the findings from the necroscopy and wondered if I had the contact information for the vet doing the necroscopy. I did and sadly, yes, it was HPAI. HPAI normally occurs in the fall, not in new hatchlings in the spring. This was terrible news. Then we have the cases in Eastern Canada and the rest is history. As one friend says, ‘What a mess we have made.’
Bird Flu explained in simple language by Dr Kuiken:
Eagles have been at the US Steel nest. The camera panned around to the river. It looks high to me.
Cal and Lusa were again well-fed at the Captiva Eagle nest. For a bit, I worried..and then the fish came on the nest. Cal ate more form the first bit but the second feeding came from a really large fish and all is well for Lusa, too.
Notice how dark C10 and C11’s plumage is today. Then look at E23 who is just starting to get the juvenile feathers on its back.
Still waiting for that egg at Moorings Park.
Cornell wants to remind you to please take part in the great bird count that is coming up in a fortnight.
World Bird Sanctuary is asking everyone to support the ban on lead ammunition and any other lead in sporting equipment. There have been far too many patients suffering – and they are only one wildlife rehabilitation centre. Please support petitions banning lead and take the time to write to your state and federal or Provincial and federal representatives in both the US and Canada.
Want to know what the effects of lead poisoning are? Have a read.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, screen captures, videos, articles, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, AE, Geemeff, H, J, MP’, Tom Fleming, JB Sands Wetlands Eagle Cam, Wales Online, Helen Matcham, Cali Condor, Lady Hawk, Olive’s Streaming Cam, Berry College Eagle Cam, Heidi Mc, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, PLO, Bart M, SK Hideaways, Cal Falcons, The Guardian, Thijs Kuiken, PIX Cams, Window to Wildlife, World Bird Sanctuary, Moorings Park, Cornell Bird Lab, and the National Library of Medicine.
Baby Hugo has been sneezing. Dr Greene gave her a really good check-up and a thumbs up. Hugo might always have some issues. She is nearly 5 months old and is the size of an 8-week-old kitten. She still retains her baby teeth. She has almost doubled her weight from when we got her (860 grams). She is now 1.54 kilos! It is, however, unclear how much more she will grow.
At the vet. Hugo is a force – she dashes at Calico and Hope and they go flying. Fearless is the constant word I use to describe her.
The girls had a lot of fun playing today. The idea of hiding toys and bringing them out works perfectly. They had so much fun with this tiered ball toy today.
Missey watches and joins in.
It has been so quiet in the garden – the squirrels are all here safe and sound. But only about a third of the sparrows with no sight of the Blue Jays. Where has everyone gone?
The new male at the NCTC nest has been named Scout out of a choice of Beau or Scout.
The brotherly love is over at Port Lincoln just as predicted. Dad brought in a small fish at 813 and Gil and Brad scrambled to get it. Gil won, Mum tries to take it and Brad gets it later. Both eat. Whew.
Read Bart M’s running commentary. It will make you tired!
‘A’ remarks about the two osplets: ”They’re very evenly matched. Giliath is a little stronger but Brad is more determined. Poor mum nearly lost a talon in the struggle (thanks, Giliath). She tried several times to grab her fish back but in the end, left it to the boys to struggle over it for a while. There is still no real aggression between the siblings. A tug of fish, most definitely. Mantling, quite a lot of it, especially from Bradley. But actual aggression, none that I have seen. This pair have been adorable to watch. I have loved every minute of this season at Port Lincoln. There have been no deliveries from the fish fairy for three days, since the fish that were left after the banding process, and of course we have seen both parents, but particularly mum, step up the fishing to make up for it. They are ‘monitoring the situation’, so that if there is hunger on the nest, they will step in and use the same barge they used when the left the post-banding fish. (Thank you – I believe that barge has been moved to its current position thanks to your suggestion.) So we are confident that there will be too healthy fledglings at this nest this season, bar unforeseen accidents of course, always a possibility as Orange has shown.”
Yesterday, Mum caught a huge fish and brought it to the nest. She has done the same today. “Once again, mum is the fisher, bringing in a HUGE fish at 10:52:29. It takes her over 20 minutes to get it back!”
How many of you couldn’t stay away from the Captiva cam? Isn’t that little bobblehead just the cutest thing? Proud father, Clive, has that nest full of fish!
It looks like there could have been another successful mating at The Hamlet around 1742 Monday evening.
Lady Hawk caught it on video.
At Centrepoint, Mum and D3 try and rid the nest of squirrels.
Failed mating attempt between Bella and new male at the NCTC nest.
At the KNF-E3 nest, Alex was incubating the eggs Monday night. Incredibly sad. I had hoped that he would move on…he will, but it is going to take a little longer. If Andria had lived, those eggs would be hatching right about now. Samson incubated eggs for 80 days at Big Bear with Jak incubating for 86 days at Sauces. I hope that Alex stops sooner than that and maybe has a chance for another clutch with the new female.
‘A’ sends the latest news from Ranger Judy about the sea eagles at the Sydney Olympic Forest. Just look at that beautiful juvenile!
“December 18: Early morning at 7am, all three were down on the river. SE31 was flying up and down the home stretch and begging at times. We could hear her squeeing. At 9:20, Lady flew off River Roost and caught a nice bream, watched by SE31 and delivered fresh to the island mudflats. SE31 was quick to claim it and then eat, with both parents nearby. No more observations from today.”
At The Campanile – female is attracted to Lou but Annie wins out!
It’s a daily joy to read these reports, with SE31 getting stronger and more confident. Cannot wait for her to catch her first fish! She’s obviously watching mum carefully.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H, J’, PLO, Bart M, Window to Wildlife, AEF-NEFL, Lady Hawk, Centrepoint Bald Eagles, Deb Stecyk, KNF-E3, Judy Harrington, SK Hideaways, BTO, The New York Times, and Bird Guides.
In North America, it is almost Halloween. Children still go door to door and hear screaming ‘Halloween Apples’ or ‘Trick or Treat’. I always feel sorry for them when it is cold and you can hardly see their costumes. We are all set – packaged goods only – lots of combinations of dried fruit. Presumably, they will eat their candies first and sigh when they see the fruit, but I won’t feel guilty about their teeth. I had a friend once who handed out toothbrushes.
Decades ago, it became clear that ‘incidents’ happen and children should not eat treats from people they don’t know unless they are fully sealed, etc. I often wonder why the community centres, schools, and families do not just have a local party for the children. When we lived in England, Halloween was not a ‘thing’. I understand it is now. We had Guy Fawkes Night on 5 November – jacket potatoes on the barbecue or bonfire. Sometimes called Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night. Effigies were burned. It always depended on whose side you were on, I was told (please correct me). Fawkes was part of a plot to burn down the Houses of Parliament; he was a Catholic in 1605. So, the effigy is sometimes considered the Pope, and some burn a figure of Fawkes in support of the monarchy. The holiday became official in 1859. It was all new to us and great fun – friends from the cup de sac at the foot of the gorse joined to celebrate. Gosh, I miss them!
The girls will be safely stowed away in the conservatory while treats are handed out. I still do not trust them not to run out the door – although I have to say that Calico has not even ventured near the door to do that. She will look out at the birds and, on occasion, at the cats visiting the feeding station, but she is mostly uninterested. The three girls still love story time. It is a ritual that prescribes I sit on the floor with a pile of blankets beside me. The little portable heater needs to be on. I must have a bag of treats. Calico will sit on my lap or the blanket. Missey is on the couch, and Hope is under one of the chairs. Treats were distributed, and then, today, we reached the end of H is for Hawk. If I do not do precisely as I have done since Calico first came into my life, she appears to get stressed. Ritual. I love it, too. We all know what to expect, and I get time to read some very good books.
Hope has decided to move into Missey’s basket. Missey doesn’t seem bothered. If I look for Hope and cannot find her, she will be in the basket! Just look at that bushy tail. Hope is a really sweet kitten. Missey loves playing with Hope (not so much Calico).
Calico has taken over the couch. We are so glad so many of your enjoyed seeing Hope and Calico with ‘Lewis’s’ pillow. It was a wonderful surprise – so thoughtful. Thanks, Auntie.
Other images from Saturday – cats lounging, the snow, Missey watching the birds.
Calico seems to have decided that she still needs to provide milk for Hope. She was bursting this afternoon…Hope is very well fed!
Now, one thing. Pumpkins and peanut butter. The squirrels are too well-fed to bother. I saw some little birds pecking, but the deer is like the pumpkins in Canada. I have discovered that pumpkins are dangerous to hedgehogs, so don’t put them out if you live where there are hedgehogs. We don’t wish to kill them. I loved the ones who came to the orchard at the end of our garden to eat the fruit that had fallen on the ground.
Before we check on Australia, M15 is getting really serious about his new mate and the potential for a family with her. He brought in two fish gifts on Saturday. She, of course, might know that she won the Bald Eagle lottery when they met and bonded. F23 could not have a better mate and provider for her and their babies.
At Port Lincoln, Goliath and Little are really into the Reptilian Phase. The Reptilian Phase generally begins around Day 12. Between the plumage of the newly hatched, that light down with the dark eye line and the slightest hint (or more) of the dark stripe on their back and their juvenile feathers. In the Reptilian Phase, the chicks look like they have been dipped in a pot of old motor oil. They are dark, scaly, slick, bald, ebony black heads with little copper-red feathers coming in at the back of the nape. Those coppery-red feathers will begin to appear elsewhere as well. The chicks become itchy as their blood feathers begin to grow. The feathers grow out of ‘blood quills’ if you did not know. If these are broken, they can die if the blood does not coagulate. It is the same with eaglets, and some of you will recall the season 2021 at Captiva when Joe and Connie’s two eaglets died of rodenticide poisoning. One directly from the poison and the eldest from its blood feather breaking, and because the blood did not coagulate (due to the rodenticide to kill mice/rats), it bled to death on the nest). From my observations over the years, this is the time when the chicks also begin bonking.
They are right in terms of development. Goliath is 12 days old, and Little is ten days old. The size difference can reflect the two days between hatch and gender, with the female being much larger than the male. You will notice that Goliath is darker with less down – it is the age difference. Little is just entering the new itchy phase. They will appear thin and ‘lean’. As this phase and the juvenile feather phase take over, their flight feathers, both the primaries and secondaries on the wing and the tail feathers, will come in. The largest and longest of the feathers take much longer to come in. Once all their feathers are in, they are ready to fly! No worries. We are a long way from fledge!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I write, Dad has brought in a whole fish at 0747 which lasted for two feedings an hour apart.
It is hard to tell how much fish Little received at the feeding. He got tangled with Goliath. Dad returned to fetch the fish at 0809. He will return it, but – he will have some breakfast, too. The fact that the parents can now eat will give them strength. It was physically hard on Mum during the last season with Zoe when she demanded so much fish that neither her siblings nor Mum had some at times. This year is going to be so very different. Hoping for the best for all of them. This family deserves a ‘break’.
All of the positive comments on the Port Lincoln Osprey FB feed must be heart-warming to those who fought hard for this intervention to happen.
The fish fairy arrives with four really nice size fish. Mum and Goliath and Little feast as does Dad.
PLO posts: “Dad the first one back and takes 1 fish. Mum feeds the 2 babies. Both babies full. Dad back for a 2nd fish and leaves the fish tail.”
‘A’ gives us her report: “There were several good feedings for both osplets at Port Lincoln today. Dad brought in a big whole breakfast fish at 07:47. and the ensuing feeding continued until 08:12. At 12:45, the fish fairy delivered four medium-sized whole fish. This fed everyone – dad was first to the nest after the delivery and grabbed one for himself. Mum then arrived to feed the kids. Neither parent is at all perturbed, it seems, by the aunty door dash and seem to be getting very used to it. It’s a race between them to get to the nest after the fairy leaves, given they know what they will find there. The feeding from those gift fish lasted for 37 minutes and, like the morning feeding, left both osplets with very very full crops. Another half fish was brought in by dad for dinner, at 18:42. So everyone went to bed with full tummies. And again today, there was no bonking and no signs of aggression between the osplets.”
‘A and H’ mention that there is really sad news coming out from Turnby Island, the Osprey nest of Partney and Marrum.
Calypso, the 2019 Port Lincoln Hatch, has been exploring the area. Everyone is hoping she will find a mate and raise chicks so Mum and Dad can be grandparents. Port Lincoln will build a platform for her if she does not settle on one of those available.
Port Lincoln has found another osprey nest with chicks that they did not know about! Check out that nest. Off the ground and away from predators.
At the nest tree in the Sydney Olympic Forest (the old Ironwood Tree), SE 32 decided to stay home. S/he had many meals and time with Lady and Dad – which brought joy and tears to all of us. SE31 was also seen. No one has seen 31 fed on camera but the eaglet is flying strong — send every positive wish you have for the eaglets as they persevere against the Currawong who would like to drive them from the forest!
Earlier News.
Currawongs harassing 31.
As soon as the adults flew off the nest (they had stayed with 32 overnight), the Currawongs came and pestered 32 til it flew off. Later, the parents are looking over the forest for their eaglets.
All is well at Orange. It looked like something other than a Starling arrived for breakfast at 0728. The two are really getting their primary and secondary wing feathers in as well as the tail feathers. The faces are changing and every day they get stronger and stronger on their legs. Diamond makes them stretch their necks to get their prey – strengthening those muscles that will become so valuable to them in the future.
‘A’ gives us the prey report from Orange: “At Orange, mum arrived home for the evening about ten minutes ago. The two eyases are asleep in their usual cuddle puddle, on the near side wall of the scrape (so largely invisible from the Box Cam). They are gorgeous. Here are the day’s time stamps: PREY 06.12.06 M takes, 07.27.50, 08.19.23, 10.42.06, 13:35:02, 17:10:05 FEEDING 06.13+, 07.22 M+B self feed, 07.28, 07.43( leftover starling), 09.08, 10.43, 13:37, 17:10 (M self-feed). HIGHLIGHTS: 06.07+ zoomies, 07.25.50+ B+M plucking, 12:58:10 Barru ‘broods’ Dudley. 12: 58:57 Marri’s turn, LEDGE CAMERA 10.09.20 M puts wing over B, 13:36.35 + Barru nipps at Xavier’s tail feathers.”
Did they? or didn’t they? Gabby invites V3 to mate.
The first confirmed case of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza reaches the Antarctic. So, it’s not just melting sea ice but now H5N1 that is a massive threat to all species including the Penguins.
Everyone thought he retired – of course, Dr Peter Sharpe can never retire. He has Bald Eagle blood flowing through his veins and today he was fitting a camera so that Thunder and Akecheta’s breeding season can be viewed at their new nest. Of course, they could choose the old nest – thankfully there is a camera there. Thanks, Dr Sharpe!
Territorial disputes continue at the NCTC nest of Bella and Smitty.
Always grateful to the kindness extended to our wildlife in trouble – normally created by us like fishing line! Completely tanged and the kind soul took the time – and great patience – to free this osprey.
In the UK, Babet, the storm that hit and caused extensive flooding and damage, also caused some birds to wind up in very unusual places.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourselves. We hope to see you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘A, H’, Lady Hawk, PLO, Rohan Geddes, Sydney Sea Eagle Cam, Denise W Starr, SK Hideaway, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, British Antarctic Survey, The Telegraph, Down to Earth, Dave Gallivan, Deb Stecyk, Rachel Stevenson-Thomas, and Bird Guides.
