Tag Archives: birds

Late Thursday in Bird World

19 February 2026

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Hello! Oh, another brilliant day on the Manitoba prairies. We had some soft snow late in the night. Everything is beautiful. All the dirt and grime are covered! The birds and squirrels are happy as the temperature has risen to – 4 C. It will get colder later this week, but for now, we are truly enjoying this break in winter.

Missey in the conservatory.

The conservatory is where we spend our time regardless of the cold outside. In the years past, when we had this amazing glass box, it was very expensive to heat. This year, the temperatures have not been so cold. It is mid-February, and most years the room would be freezing, requiring supplementary heat from a portable electric heater. This year, the furnace heat has been enough for most days. I haven’t even turned on the underfloor heating! Why am I telling you this? Because the climate where I live is changing. Fall lasted long into November, and now everyone, including Brock, thinks that spring is right around the corner. He is now dining and dashing, as Jane says, and we wonder if it isn’t ‘kitten making’ season. It is unusual as he normally lingers.

There is good news in the garden. The grey squirrel that was exposed to rodenticide and had its immune system compromised, causing it to contract mange, is growing its fur back. It survived! We were overjoyed this morning.

There is some good nest news coming out of the Kistachie National Forest E3 nest. ‘MP’ and I have been joking that maybe the male eagle thinks he married the wrong female! He has been feeding his eaglets, much to the female’s chagrin. He also brought in a big fish and she did feed both – it is wonderful to see the little one having such a nice big crop.

Three fish before mid-day. Keep sending positive energy!

Things are going very well at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Bald Eagle nest. SK Hideaways has this special nest on video: https://youtu.be/h_Nks375XLg?

The adults at JBS lost JBS25 to an unknown cause but JBS24 is doing fantastic. We were so frightened that it was HPAI and would take both eaglets but – nothing happened. How grand.

I haven’t posted much on Beau and Gabby’s Kai and Eve – I hope you have been watching them. Two beautiful fully feathered eaglets, self-feeding. Happy Days.

The two surviving of four owlets for Owlvira and Hoots have names. This is what was posted on the chat:

@liveowlcamera2837​​Here are the names of the Owlets Meadow Owlet 2 Larger/Older Nugget Owlet 3 little one Both in basket and doing well !Passed owlets: Coco Owlet 4 Passed Feb 5Beaker Owlet 1 Passed Feb 14th

Androcat captures the beauty and sadness at Eagle Country as the GHO’s Willow and Gus’s egg passes the opportune time for hatching. https://youtu.be/Un7Nct8YzEM?

Wink (the oldest presumed female) and Atlas (the second hatch presumed male) at the Winter Park, Florida, Bald Eagle nest are simply terrific. We worried. We sent good energy and look. At the time, I posted information on how rare it is to have siblicide on a Bald Eagle nest. Around 5%. So far, all of the nests that have had difficulties this season with food competition have overcome the fear of the second one passing. Let’s hope this continues to be the case (feel free to correct me if I am wrong).

It is Day 38 for the first egg laid at Duke Farms. We are on pip watch.

Milda and Zorro have been tending to their nest in Durbe County Latvia. What a beautiful winter wonderland!

‘L’ reports that there are three eggs now at the Sutton Centre in Oklahoma. Thank you for your report!

Reforming the laws in the Dales is the first step in stopping the illegal killing of the raptors. Raptor Persecution UK has the full story.

Three reforms to stop the criminal killing of birds of prey – new petition to UK Minister from FrienDownload

Thank you so much for being with us today. Toby sends his love to everyone!

To our friends who are celebrating the Lunar New Year – have a wonderful new beginning in the Year of the Horse and a fabulous time with friends and family.

Thank you to SK Hideaways and Androcat for their videos, to ‘MP’ for the wonderful and funny conversations about the male and female eagles at KNF E3, to those who posted information on FB, and to all the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to participate in the lives of these amazing birds. Thank you Raptor Persecution UK for your consistent and steadfast reporting.

Late Wednesday in Bird World

18 February 2026

Good Evening Everyone,

We were supposed to get a big snowstorm with lots of wind. It didn’t quite work out that way. We did get snow – enough to make everything pretty and white and for the young man to have to come and shovel! Toby still got to go for a walk with Don and Ann and I managed to get to IKEA to return the most complicated set of coat hooks on a metal back I have ever seen.

While everyone was worried about Brock because he did now show up to eat today until late late, Calico was napping in the conservatory not having a single thought about the weather!

The Girls are doing very well. I am sorry I do not mention them as often as I did pre-Toby. The one constant is ‘story time’ and we have been reading a lovely book of poetry that arrived from ‘BA’, The Woman and the Whale. Encounters with other kingdoms. The dedication really touched me: “To all those people whose faces become recognizable to animals and birds as helpers and saviors.” The author is Ethel Mortenson Davis. Calico gives it her ten-paw golden award so far – and I am really loving the empathy and love for wildlife in every line.

So many of you have written to me since the call to help the eaglets on the E-1 nest at the Kistachie National Forest was sent out. The line is still on the nest. The eaglets still sleep and walk on and around it, as does Anna II.

It isn’t just the E1 nest with an issue. The situation at the E3 nest is not good. We overcame any thoughts of siblicide at the Winter Park, Florida, nest. Indeed, today, both of the eaglets, hatched five days apart at Winter Park, were self-feeding graciously today – and I do mean getting along, eating from the same fish at the same time. There you go. This is not the case at the E3 nest, where we will have to wait and see if the smallest survives. It didn’t last year. Is it the same female? I don’t know. Does anyone know for sure, unless there is a striking physical mark like Iris’s eye, if there isn’t a Darvic ring? Several of you have written to me privately in anguish that nothing can or will be done for the little one. Is it a lack of fish, an inexperienced female -.

Check out the crop on Tiny Tim in some of the images below. Incredible. Let’s send good energy in the hope that there might be a turnaround for the little one on KNF E-3.

There is a lot of other activity elsewhere and I will run through some of that news.

First, Jack and Jill have their first egg at the Achieva Credit Union platform in St Petersburg, Florida. Please send this couple your best wishes. The female was so shocked when she laid that egg that we have to understand that was her first egg ever! ‘MP’ got a screen capture of the moment. How would you caption this image?

The first egg of Bella and Scout is now just a broken shell but today Bella laid their second egg and we need to wish this couple well. For those who do not know, the pair lost their fully feathered eaglets last year when the nest collapsed. It was a huge tragedy.

Deb Stecyk has the moment on video: https://youtu.be/QuHk5d85P48?

More eggs at Decorah for the Raptor Resource Project.

We have more osprey news from ‘R’, who is keeping a close eye on the osprey platform (one of several) at the University of Florida-Gainesville. This is Stella’s nest, and ‘R’ notes that this morning one of the ospreys was on the nest. The camera is not yet turned on – hopefully soon!

Things going well for Josie and Bert at Wolf Bay.

Heidi has already reported three eggs for Venice Beach.

Penny Albright reports that one of the osprey families she is following on Sanibel has two chicks in their nest.

Richmond has been hanging around the whirly crane at San Francisco Bay. He is waiting for Rosie who should be returning from her migration (Richmond does not migrate) any moment.

Things going well at Moorings Park where we are 10-13 days away from the first hatch.

It turned out to be a soggy day for Big Red and Arthur on the Cornell Campus.

‘L’ sent a note that the Bald Eagles at the Sutton Centre in Oklahoma have their first egg.

Kakapo, Green flightless parrots that live in New Zealand, are also in the nearly extinct category. They breed when food is available. They eat native plants, fruits, seeds, leaves, buds, flowers, and sapwood, with a strong preference for rimu tree fruit. Rimu fruit is key to breeding seasons, however. This is the first time in four years that there are chicks. ‘J’ has been keeping me informed, and I am delighted to inform you that we now have two chicks. The current verified total for Kakapo is 236, according to NZ DOC. We are so hopeful for so many chicks to survive this year!

We had a really good day today. Last night was the first night in ever so long that I slept all night not troubled by the arthritis in my left hand. Despite snow, it was ‘warm’. I had a lovely time finding some small brass door pulls for all the cabinets I had painted ‘Railings’ in the fall. Found a lovely bake at home meal at the Italian grocery – and another one for Ann to take home – and that along with the cinnamon buns and dinner rolls Don and I had made early, it was just a great ending to the day not to have to cook. Toby had his first piece of beef tenderloin and proved that dogs can eat as much as fast as Dyson the squirrel does. Maybe I should re-name him Dyson! (We haven’t eaten beef since the Mad cow Disease Crisis in the UK when we were living there decades ago – so asking the butcher for the equivalent of organic beef for my dog was rather hilarious).

An article, “No trees, no food, shot for fun … yet Serbia’s imperial eagles are making an improbable return”, that gives me some hope for the gorgeous, beautiful Imperial Eagles of Eastern Europe – these are in Serbia.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/18/serbia-eastern-imperial-eagles-returning-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

E-bird describes the Imperial Eagle as “Very large; dark-brown body of adult contrasts with pale head and nape. Similar to the Golden Eagle but with a shorter tail and white shoulders that are difficult to spot. The underwings are dark with low contrast. Immatures are strikingly different, sandy brown with prominent streaks and a pale rump contrasting with the dark tail and dark flight feathers. Breeds in forested areas intermixed with steppes and agricultural areas, where often seen perched on pylons. Winters in open habitats, including cropland.”

The eagle has been on the brink of extinction – this article gives me hope. But, like everything else, the threats are largely created by us. One of the primary causes of death is electrocution. Many power lines are illegal – and yet, there are some countries that are going out of their way to make those lines safe (in those instances normally for storks when so many have perished). Intentional poisoning (just as it is in parts of the UK) is another key cause of the rapid decline of the species. Then there is deforestation, changes in agricultural practices, lack of food, hunting, and lead poisoning.

If we hope to help wildlife, humans really need to change the way we live our lives! I won’t get on my soapbox – Toby is snoring beside me. Calico thinks it is time for all the cats to have a treat, and Don has already gone to bed. I do love this quiet time at the end of the day.

Thank you so much for your notes – I really appreciate hearing about eagle and osprey eggs that have been laid and what is happening at the nests. It is more than difficult for me to keep track of them at this point in my life. So thanks to everyone.

Thank you to the following for their notes today: ‘H, L, J, MP, PA, R’, to BA for that lovely book, Openverse for their images, E-bird for their information, the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to monitor the lives of the birds, and those who post information on FaceBook. I am very grateful.

Sadness, Sticks, and Snow…late Tuesday in Bird World

17 February 2026

Dear Friends,

I am so sorry to write and tell you that the only egg of Jak and Audacity that carried such hope for another Betty Lou this season has broken.

Send out your love to this amazing Bald Eagle couple. They tried so hard and we hoped with them.

At the Fernow Tower nest of Big Red and Arthur on the Cornell Campus, our 23-year-old Queen of the Red-tail Hawks and her mate, Arthur, have brought in the first sticks to their nest. Cornell Bird Lab caught it on video. https://youtu.be/dERgvuToQS4?

Do we think that Jackie and Shadow are thinking about a second clutch? SK Hideaways has them looking at that nest in the snow. https://youtu.be/2PqA-NX63FY?

So sorry to have to send the news about Jak and Audacity. We were so hopeful. There is a snowstorm on its way here that will begin in a few hours. Heavy snowfall warning with perhaps 16 cm. We will be fine. Please take care of yourself…and before I leave I want to show you an image that ‘R’ sent me from Gainsville, Florida. You might think that nest is in the palm tree but it is on a pole on the other side! Thanks, ‘R’. We will look forward to any report of little ones!

Thank you to Cornell Bird Lab and SK Hideaways for their videos, to the IWS/Explore.org for its camera at Sauces and to each of you for loving our raptor families. Thank you to ‘R’ for that great photograph.

For now…E1 eaglets free

16 February 2026

Good Evening Everyone,

Some good news.

Roux and Gumbo have, by a miracle, have freed themselves off the stringer that is on the nest.

The stringer and bobble are still there. Let us hope that one of the adults removes it from the nest!

On one chat, someone commented that this was a lot of fuss for nothing – trying to get help. Wildlife needing help is never ‘nothing’. Our lakes and streams are full of dangerous fishing debris that needs to be cleared including Kincaid Lake.

Let us hope that the eagles stay safe. Thank you for your help. The drama is not over until that stringer line is gone….

Thank you to the owners of the streaming cam so that we can observe the eagles and to all of you that cared to write to others about help. It might still be needed! The eaglets are free but could as easily get tangled again. I hope not.

Bella and Scout have their first egg…Late Sunday in Bird World

15 February 2026

Hello Everyone,

We hope that you had a lovely weekend. We certainly did. Toby had his Valentine Day grooming session. He smells so nice – for about two days! We had many slushy walks and even went to get some paint to cover a chest that is going to be a bench for Don to sit on to put on boots and shoes. Inside will be Toby’s wardrobe!

The Girls are fine and really enjoying the conservatory as it is getting warmer and warmer out there. We have finished our books except for the Friendship book and tomorrow we will be starting a new one. Will keep you posted.

It was warm and slushy on the Canadian Prairies. 2 degrees C. The first Canada Geese have arrived – three weeks early! ‘PB’ writes from Nebraska to tell me that the Sandhill Cranes are early, too.

While we had quite a bit of snow, it came late and I sure hope we get more because, if not, it will be very dry here. Concerns for drought exist in Nebraska, too. It continues to rain cats and dogs in London, UK.

At the NCTC nest of Scout and Bella, the first egg arrived on the 15th. Congratulations. We have to wish – super wish – this couple a great year. They lost almost fully feathered babies when their nest collapsed last year. It was beyond tragic. Deb Stecyk has it on video: https://youtu.be/5OA5GWZ6-94?s

What is up with the PA Farm Country Bald Eagles? They continue to lay four eggs annually! Do they love the challenge? My goodness, to raise four eaglets to fledge is rare.

How rare?

Bald eagle nests that fledge four chicks are extraordinarily rare. While bald eagles typically lay one to three eggs—with two being the most common—four-egg clutches and successful four-chick fledglings have been documented, but they are considered exceptional events. 

Key details regarding four-chick broods:

  • Rarity: In a 2011 report, a 4-chick brood was considered only the third ever documented for the species.
  • Successful Instances: Despite their rarity, some nests have successfully fledged four chicks, such as a nest in the 1000 Islands (Wisconsin) in 2021 and another at Grey Cloud Island in Minnesota in 2024.
  • Survival Factors: Four-egg clutches have a high, sometimes 100%, success rate in hatching and fledging when they occur, but they require abundant food and strong parents to succeed.
  • Challenges: In cases of four chicks, the smallest often struggles, and the nest can become very cramped, making survival to fledge difficult. 

Four-chick nests are so rare that one report noted that in over 8,000 monitored breeding attempts in Virginia, only one 4-chick brood was documented. 

Elfruler has a document and chart:

SUCCESS RATES OF CLUTCHES AND BROODS | Bald EaglesDownload

We wish them all the luck in the world.


SK Hideaways Videos Week of 8 February 2026

Channel Island California Eagles
Livestreamed nests:
~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor
~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak
~ Two Harbors (2 cameras) ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase
~ West End (3 cameras) ~ Catalina Island ~Resident in flux

Fraser Point
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s

Cruz vs. Manzanita ~ Adventures in Slapstick (2026 Feb 12)
When Andor went out for a break, Cruz decided to rearrange the furniture. The massive manzanita branch proved more difficult to move than she thought. The result was the eagle equivalent of slapstick comedy. Enjoy. 
Video: https://youtu.be/zhDZeyBXIq4


Two Harbors
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI

Cholyn Downs Mackerel in 1 Gulp ~ Chase’s Jaw Drops (2026 Feb 13)
When Chase goes fishing, Cholyn is right behind him. But before he can even land in the nest with his catch, Cholyn grabs it. She then proceeds to scarf it down in one gulp. Chase can’t believe it, but we can’t tell if he’s impressed or dismayed. These two are pure joy to watch. 
Video: https://youtu.be/PmKzy9FtO1s


John Bunker Sands Eagles, Combine, TX
Courtesy John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Eagle Cam 
Eagle Tower Camera 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wdo7BzUU_g
Eagle Tower Camera 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDb2KqvvyQ

JBS24 is Thriving with Mom and Dad as Model Parents (2026 Feb 11)
I captured the whole day with JBS24, who is doing very well, by all appearances. The 2-1/2 week old eaglet is eating well, exploring the nest a bit, and showing us how well those little wings can flap. Dual feedings are still quite common and JBS 24 seems to enjoy every morsel. While I wish JBS25 was here to enjoy those meals as well, I am grateful that JBS24 is thriving. 
Video: https://youtu.be/HJ_0lL959VU
JBS24 & JBS25 at 2 weeks ~ Family Mealtime ~ Dad Cuddles (2026 Feb 8)
At 2 weeks old, JBS 24 and JBS 25 are getting their thermal down to better help them thermoregulate. Mom and Dad continue to keep them well fed, resulting in almost no aggression. When Mom takes one of her short breaks, Dad is eager to cuddle up with his growing eaglets. They seem to love it! The history of this nest is fascinating, so I’ve included some of that history in this video.
Video: https://youtu.be/TbdMIiN8zE4

The Chichester Peregrine Falcon latest newsletter:

Chichester Peregrines newsletter No 2 15:02:26.Download

‘A’ has ‘Royal Albatross on their Mind: “I do love how social the albatrosses are though. I was watching the Midway Atoll livestream the other night and the closeness of the neighbouring nests is quite astonishing. Perhaps the birds feel less bored and lonely that way. Or perhaps there is some form of protection afforded by the arrangement. There must be a reason apart from sheer overcrowding, surely. 

I do adore the changeovers (and the gorgeous skycalls): www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWJ5U7JylG0. Once we’re into the post-guard phase, the parents are lucky to overlap much at all, but at this point, they are not yet leaving our little fluffball on its own. It is 24 days old, but still, it won’t be long before it’s on its own – sigh….  

I never really get used to the baby suddenly being abandoned as it were. And so young. Maybe this is when the proximity of the neighbouring nests becomes advantageous. 

Meanwhile, our wee one is adorable. They have taken blood to determine gender. Moana, who visited the RoyalCam nest yesterday evening (14 February – Happy Valentine’s Day), was very curious about the chick in the nest, which in turn seemed very nervous about the whole encounter. Dad WYL, of course, is extremely protective of his precious baby. www.youtube.com/watch?v=84VY9HihPtc&list=TLPQMTUwMjIwMjZE9oa0TwYOEA&index=6

BOK was unable to stay away from her chick for long, returning to the nest at about 9.40 this morning (15 February) after only 16 hours of foraging. As I type, she has just finished feeding her rapidly growing offspring. “

The biggest concern is that bloody fishing line that is over Roux at the Kistachie National Forest nest of Anna and Louis E1. They may have to find a way to get up there…certainly they found a way at Dale Hollow Years ago when no one thought it could be done.

Brock caught on local camera heading to Jane’s for a meal!

Thank you so much for being with us today. We will see you again the end of the week! (I am going to try and stick with late Sunday and late Thursday night posts unless something needs immediate attention!). Take care everyone. Get outside. Smell the spring air that is coming. Listen for the birdsong.

Thank you so much to ‘PB and A’ for their notes, to SK Hideaways for always supplying me with their list of weekly videos, to D Stecyk for monitoring the NCTC nest, to everyone who posted information on FB and wrote articles that help us understand the life of our raptors, including Elfruler. Thank you so much to all! I am so grateful to you. My blog would not be the same without your talents, and without the streaming cams and their owners, we would never have the opportunity to look into the lives of our feathered friends.

Happy Valentine’s Day

14 February 2026

Good Morning,

Well, actually it is Valentine’s Eve and Toby and I are up and I am sending this out to everyone as he is going for a grooming early. I hope to have a nice walk with Don in the English Gardens while Toby is being washed and blow dried. It is hard to describe how fast his hair and nails grow, but he is healthy and that is all that matters!

Geemeff sent me Explore.org’s Valentine tribute to the animals on their screens to share with you:

r-e-tkkdhjx-bduitydlki-aDownload

We hope that you are having a day full of love or full of memories of great love.

We loved the VERY young dad, Gimbir, and what is there not to adore about this one very special peregrine falcon fledgling – now a juvenile – at the Charles Sturt University falcom scrape. Girri is amazing. Many of you have been waiting for years – really since the time of the beginning of the cam – to be able to see one of Diamond’s fledglings survive like Girri is doing. She is living her best life chasing parents around wanting food. I love it.

Gimbir has his ‘mature’ plumage now and he is such a darling. Let’s send him a valentine kiss, too!

Falcon Cam Project gives us the latest video of Girri: https://youtu.be/Bse_W0YDmbs?

Red-shouldered Hawk has been causing misery to Willow, the GHO incubating eggs at the Eagle Country nest, who is incubating eggs. https://youtu.be/k3OhNDmqKlA?

Valentines should also go out to Window to Wildlife and those who facilitated the removal of the human debris on Connie and Clive’s nest at Captiva. Quinn is fine!

Ah, and send them some love – two of my favourite Eagle parents, Gabby and Beau and their kids Eve and Kai. Both can stand up straight!

Royal Cam chick is growing and growing. Those NZ DOC Rangers need a virtual hug for all the great work they do keeping the Albatross safe! Last weighing on video: https://youtu.be/k3OhNDmqKlA?

Hope for an endangered bird in Scotland.

‘We are hopeful’: small signs of recovery for Scotland’s rare capercaillie birdhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/13/small-signs-of-recovery-scotland-rare-capercaillie-bird?CMP=share_btn_url

There has been some intense sibling rivalry on the Kisatchie E1 nest of Anna and Louis II. Let us hope that it passes and that prey will be plentiful and settle the nest.

First egg for Bonnie and Clyde at the Cardinal Land Conservancy Bald Eagle nest.

There are three eggs on the new Dale Hollow Bald Eagle nest of Amonette and Franklin.

Calico wants everyone to remember that osprey season in the UK and Europe starts in about a month. To get everyone warmed up, here is the Juniors of Hurst Lodge School singing the Osprey Song during Osprey Week in 2015. https://youtu.be/KoOQK6ejuXY?

Thank you for being with us today. I will see you again on Monday. Take care of yourselves. I hope that you can get outside for some fresh air and bird song.

Thank you to everyone who wrote articles, FB posts, and created videos. I am extremely grateful to you and your amazing talents. They make my blog much better and to Geemeff and others who send me wonderful bird news! I am thankful.

Help coming to Captiva nest and What does Rodenticide have to do with Dyson’s kits?

13 February 2026

Good Late Afternoon Everyone,

It is stunningly beautiful here today. Toby and I had a 45 minute walk while Ann and Don went to the nature centre. Our walk was filled with flitting chickadees…we left a trail o Black-Oil seed for them while Brock lounged on my neighbour’s chair after filling up at her feeder! Glorious and Happy. Two good words.

‘J’ sent me a posting from ‘Annette’. This could not have come at a more appropriate time. Let me explain after you read it:

“https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1334445735376985&set=pb.100064347147336.-2207520000

My can of worms:

A follower asked me to talk about the use of rodenticide increasing mange in wildlife. Sure! Good topic, but the subject of toxins in our environment opens a very personal can of worms for me. 

Toxins in our environment weaken immunity. I realize the particular study on the increase of mange in the wild is focused on the use of rodenticides suppressing and damaging immune systems in wildlife causing mange to be on the rise which is absolutely possible and even probable, but the bigger picture here is all toxins in all our environments weaken all our immune systems. When the body is constantly battling a toxin, the immune system can overload if something else is introduced, or in the case of demodectic mange which is naturally present in canids, (just kept in check by the immune system), it can overgrow and take over. 
Long term exposure to toxins can permanently damage the immune system causing chronic inflammation and shrinking of the thymus resulting in reduction of T cells. At that point the immune system is impaired.
Toxins can also lead to confusion of the immune system, causing auto-immune disorders. The body attacks itself rather than the problem, often without a problem. Now the immune system is misfiring and can even become dangerous. 

Exposure to microorganisms in safe doses has the opposite effect. Like our muscle mass, we have to use our immune system for it to be strengthened. You can’t focus on avoiding microorganisms and ignore toxins. It’s a trap. Get my logic here?

I have one young mom in my “friends that are my family” circle that has figured it out. She doesn’t freak out when her kids ‘eat dirt’ (that’s a euphemism) but she doesn’t store or microwave food in plastic, reads every label and researches every ingredient or chemical she doesn’t know. I tease her constantly but she is protecting her children at the very core of their biology. She’s my hero. What happened to me and my siblings won’t happen to her babies. 

I grew up In Blackwell Oklahoma from 1969 to 1981-ish. Our house was the closest house to the zinc smelter and my bedroom window faced the stacks. With no central air conditioning in our home, windows were always open in mild and hot weather and the smoke from the foundry (Sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid mist, and zinc fumes) blew freely into my room day and night for most of the year until the smelter closed in 1974, but the closing did not eliminate the danger. 

Our streets were paved with red brick on a bed of the tailings that the smelter “donated” to the town for it’s use. We played in those tailings, and when it rained, we were barefoot in the toxic puddles for hours. (Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Mercury, Manganese, Chromium, and Zinc). We swam and played in the Chikaskia River, just down from the plant. (chromium, zinc oxides, and zinc sulfate) The mountains of tailings at the plant property were our jungle gyms. (Yes, we trespassed, but their fence was lame and we were unsupervised Gen X kids) The list of exposures goes on and on. 

My oldest brother died of two cancers 4 years ago at age 59, my younger sister barely survived two cancers and we both have polycystic liver and kidney disease though my sister’s is way advanced (we speculate due to her previous chemo). Our youngest brother is healthy but the smelter closed before he was born and we moved before he was old enough to play outside on his own. Believe it or not, I am pretty healthy other than I have hormonal imbalances that keep me fat no matter what I eat or how active I am, and I have severe and bizarre reactions to antibiotics and battle full body chronic inflammation for no apparent reason. I manage the pain and inflammation with Chaga and Noni juice (I shouldn’t take NSAIDs or acetaminophen -liver and kidneys) and keep my immune system strong by doing what I do every day, exposing myself to plenty of microorganisms. (POOP BONUS!) 🙂 Stress is my enemy, but I can’t get away from it and still do what I love to do, so I try (often futilely) to manage it. 

We were forever damaged from early exposure to toxins, but it didn’t show up until later in life. We were not included in the later lawsuits. We missed the deadlines as all our health issues surfaced afterward, and none of this can be fixed by money anyway. I need health not wealth. 

The warnings were out there as we lived and played in danger, but getting people to heed them and companies to bend takes time. People believe what they choose to believe and that is fine. There are far more knowledgeable people out there than I am, and I am sharing what I know and believe from personal experience, research, trial and error, worry and tragedy. I am, like everyone else reading this, some more than others, fighting to survive and have a quality life while I do. 

The wildlife are the “canaries in the mine” for Nature. If we are doing anything that creates damage to them, know without a doubt, it will likely hurt the rest of us eventually, and the practices we ignore and accept now can harm generations to come. 

Do your own research, make better choices for you and yours and don’t count on someone else to protect you. Most toxin using companies don’t care about you if there is money to be made, and because of liability, they certainly won’t admit they were ever doing anything harmful, even if they are busted. That is why we have lawyers. 

It’s supply and demand people! If we stop using the weapons, they will stop making the ammo. (another euphemism)

And STOP using lead in the wild and shooting it into your food. It’s so stupid. 

Annette”

About a week ago, an individual living in my neighbourhood had to take their dog to the vet. The dog almost died of pancreatitis due to rodenticide poisoning. It is believed that the dog ate the faeces of a rabbit that had eaten the poison. Imagine how little it took for this tragedy.

Well, two days ago I noticed that one of Dyson’s kits ‘looked strange’. I took out the longer lens camera and yesterday got images. Dyson’s kit also has mange. It is believed, after talking to the DOC officer, that the kit’s issue is also linked to individuals using rodenticide in my neighbourhood.

I am furious. Annette is correct. There are many useless things in our world, and two of them are lead – that we see impacting our raptors each day – and rodenticide, which also has impacted raptors. I continue to speak of Joe and Connie’s Peace and Love on Captiva. The perfect example of how a toxin can destroy a family.

Please, please spread the word. Let the owls do their job. The feral cats. The hawks. They love nice ‘healthy NOT poisoned’ rats and mice and they do a far better job of killing them than a toxin.

Isn’t this sad? If I could get to the squirrel, I could put coconut oil on her skin to help her, but alas, she is wild! She is eating, and I want to be hopeful that she will survive.

Before I leave just a couple of nest notes:

The human debris on the Captiva Bald Eagle nest is being removed today. They will turn the cameras off at 1700 local time after determining that the danger to the eagles and Quinn was enough to warrant getting up there and getting that mess off. Thank you to everyone who helped.

Quinn is about the age of the Dale Hollow eagles that were tangled in fishing line. Things should go smoothly at this nest. CROW is right there on Sanibel and they are incredible (I am making an assumption that it will be CROW that facilitates this removal).

Hatch watch is the 15th for the first Kakapo egg. Now you must go and watch this little one – these flightless parrots are so rare and this is such an opportunity. Egg count for today also sent by ‘J’.

Winter Park Bald Eagle nest: Name the eaglets: Here is the info from the chat: “​Hello, if you’d like to submit names for the eaglets, please see this link: https://forms.gle/7vYPwneMakwbaw3T7 The landowners will be selecting a pair of names that has been submitted. Ending Feb 17″

They must not like that Gar! Tiny Tim has a nice big crop after a feeding. No worries here.

SK Hideaways gives us a giggle at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Cruz: https://youtu.be/zhDZeyBXIq4?

There are eggs being laid and all is well but for me the best thing that happened today was that for the first time (to my knowledge) Big Red and Arthur were both on the Cornell Campus Fernow nest together preparing for a new breeding season. Our Red-tail Hawk Queen will be 23 this year and she’s still going strong.

The Big Bird Count began today – please go to the Cornell Bird Lab and participate!

Junior filling up on peanuts.

Mrs Junior

Dyson is healthy.

The new Hedwig:

Baby Hope wishes everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day.

Thank you so much for being with us for this quick tirade on rodentcides and a check in on a few nests. Take care everyone!

Thank you to ‘J’ and ‘Annette’ for the rodenticide news, SK Hideaways for their video, and the owners of the video cameras that allow us into the lives of our dear birds.

A lovely tribute to Sandy Steers

12 February 2026

Good Evening Everyone,

This tribute to Sandy Steers just came up on my feed. I think that you will enjoy this country music song dedicated to the woman who protected, fought for, and helped us participate in Jackie and Shadows’s lives – their triumphs and their challenges. https://youtu.be/_5WvMvC-ggA?

Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the owners of the Big Bear Valley streaming cam for allowing us to look into the world of the eagles and to those that created this loving tribute to Sandy Steers.

Sad news out of Big Bear Valley…late Thursday in Bird World

12 February 2026

Hello Everyone,

There is very sad news coming out of the Big Bear Valley. Sandy Steers, the woman behind all of us being able to enjoy watching Jackie and Shadow, has died from a battle with cancer.

https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/big-bear-wildlife-eagle-activist-sandy-steers-dies

Voice behind beloved Jackie and Shadow eagle cam diesDownload

KGET covered the story along with dozens of other outlets in the region. https://youtu.be/7eZ6_pnIJ7w?

I will always remember Sandi as being one of the biggest and most devoted advocates for wildlife and, especially, our beloved Jackie and Shadow. Condolences to all those who knew and loved Sandi.

There has been speculation at the Decorah North nest that Mr North was MIA. Well, he isn’t. Buddy’s Mum posted a video today of Mr North letting everyone know is well and present! https://youtu.be/7eZ6_pnIJ7w?

There is relief at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest as JBS24 is thriving. The average time for this eaglet to succumb to HPAI, if that was what killed its sibling – which is doubtful now – has passed.

Tiny Tim at the Winter Park, Florida nest is thriving. That little second hatch, five days younger than its older sibling, has struggled and triumphed.

They are looking for name submissions – please give these two babys super names! Note the deadline!

Window To Wildlife​: #1​Hello, if you’d like to submit names for the eaglets, please see this link: https://forms.gle/7vYPwneMakwbaw3T7 The landowners will be selecting a pair of names that has been submitted. Ending Feb 17

Thank you for being with us for this short announcement about Sandy Steers. Everyone is very sad. I also wanted to catch up with two nests we have been monitoring closely. Take care! See you soon.

Thank you to all the news outlets for their coverage of Sandy Steers contributions to the welfare of wildlife, to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to look into the lives of the raptors, to Buddy’s Mum for her video of Mr North, and to Window to Wildlife who is asking for our participation in naming those two cute eaglets at Winter Park.

Egg at Venice Beach…Late Tuesday in Bird World

10 February 2026

Good Evening Everyone,

We have another Osprey egg – the first one laid at Venice Beach for the season.

The latest Kakapo chart sent to us by ‘J’:

JBS24 remains seemingly healthy more than 18 hours after JBS passed. This is welome news. HPAI ‘normally’ takes siblings closer together – so, it would appear HPAI is not the COD for 25.

Family portrait late Tuesday 10 February.

News of the Laysan Albatross from Hob on the island of Kauai:

The USK Valley is in Wales. The region has recently had its very first osplet fledge. In 5 weeks we hope to be welcoming the adults back to the nest.

SPO posts about the anticipation of the first egg at the US Steel nest:

Egg Watch Begins at the U.S. Steel Bald Eagle Nest as Familiar Patterns ReturnDownload

Jean-marie Dupart counted 61 ospreys in the Somone Lagoon in Senegal recently. They will be departing for their nests in the UK and Europe soon.

Scout and Bella have been so busy working on their nest. These wonderful pair lost their eaglets last year when their nest collapsed. It was a real tragedy – those beautiful babies had their juvenile plumage. Sending this pair good energy for a successful year.

SW Florida’s E26 stands on the rails in heraldic pose, is self feeding, and still loves to be cared for by Mum and Dad.

First egg for Franklin and Amonella. Here is the link to their streaming cam: https://youtu.be/N0DA2GlzCPc?

Eve and Kai are growing and doing so well. They are getting their ‘tails’ at the nest of Beau and Gabby.

That piece of fencing is still in the nest of Connie and Clive. Nothing can be done about it at this point. Notice where Quinn is standing. Quinn could have a pre-mature forced fledge. Let us just hope that this piece of human junk that made its way to the nest is not harmful to anyone and that it will be removed in the off season during camera maintenance.

R9 and R10 are doing very well at the Dade County nest, too. We have much to be thankful for despite the loss of three eaglets this season.

Gus and Willow laid their first egg at the Eagle Country nest in Florida on the 11th of January. Blaze has not been seen for some months. Skye was seen after Blaze went MIA.

How did a European Robin get to Canada?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/10/european-robin-canada-birdwatchers-montreal-rare-sighting-bird-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

“European Robin – Roodborst (Erithacus rubecula)” by Martha de Jong-Lantink is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Thank you so much for being with us tonight as we catch up with a few of our bird families. Take care of yourself. Spring is just around the corner! But our bunch have ‘Valentine’s Day’ on their minds despite the fact that Toby’s ‘bunny ears’ arrived today. (Toby wasn’t so sure about these!) They are supposed to be a bit of a hat with ears, but we need some alterations!!!!!

We hope to be back with you the end of the week.

Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams, the authors of the FB posts, the creators of the videos, OpenVerse for its image bank, and The Guardian. My blog would not be the same without your talents and generosity in sharing.