Tag Archives: birdwatching

Monday in Bird World

It is -10 C on the Canadian Prairies on a day that can only be described as white. There is no colour in the sky and while I had anticipated including images of a different landscape due to melting, well, that hasn’t happened. The snow appears to be melting from the inside of the snow banks and tunnels slowly – which is a good thing! Today and for several days this week, we will continue having yet more of the white fluffy flakes. It has – weather wise – been a winter we will not forget for a long time.

I have been reading Mark Avery’s blog. Avery spent his life working with the RSPB in the UK and is an outspoken defender of ‘nature’. He was their Conservation Director for 13 of the 25 years he worked for them. I will include the link to his blog at the end. The current topic is ‘Alternatives to grouse shooting’.

Avery also includes a short list of books he has read and their reviews at the bottom. One of those was The Consolation of Nature. Spring in the Time of the Coronavirus. Three nature writers – Michael McCarthy, Jeremy Mynott, and Peter Marren – keep a ‘nature’ diary running parallel with happenings with the pandemic for the period of spring 2020. They begin with the astronomical beginning of spring on the 21 March running through 31 May when summer begins. (Meteorological beginning of spring is 1 March). My interest in this book is the emphasis on the healing aspects of nature and how, during the beginning of this horrific virus, people turned to nature for solace. All of us watch bird cams. Did you know that in the UK from the period 23 March to 31 May 2019, there were 20,407 page views of bird cams. During the early period of the pandemic this increased to 433,632 views! It was a similar situation at Loch Arkaig where 400,000 people watched Louis and Aila raise their three osplets. Indeed, it was an amazing year for nature as we isolated ourselves. Few if any planes, few if any cars. When we stopped, nature thrived. “Fish returned to the canals of Venice, no longer churned up by tourist boats. In parts of northern India, the Himalayas became visible for the first time in thirty years as air pollution fell. Baby sea turtles made it safely to the water on Brazilian beaches empty of sunbathers, joggers, and dogs. Wild boar and deer came back into car-free European cities.” As the authors demonstrate, some of those events were significant including “a colossal fall in the carbon dioxide emissions” driving climate change. While the coronavirus spring brought many human losses and great stress, nature gave each of us hope and comfort.

It is a remarkable little book. I highly recommend it but, even more so, I recommend that you begin keeping your own diary of how much joy our beloved birds bring to your life – or it could be the animals or the plants in your garden or a green area you visit. In years to come, it will be a treasure, I promise.

https://markavery.info/blog/

Many of us have never looked back after first watching our bird families on the streaming cams. By watching the daily lives of these families struggling to survive sometimes, we have learned much and it is hoped become more empathetic and prone to fight for a better environment for all of us.

Our first family up this morning are the Captiva Osprey family of Andy and Lena and the three Bobs. Lena was up at day break calling Andy to bring in a fish. She is incredibly loud and Andy could have heard her if he had been in Fort Myers!

I picked the image below not for its compositional beauty but because this morning for the first time, we can clearly see the difference in development between Big Bob and Little Bob. Look at the top of their heads. Little Bob, on the left, still has his soft light grey down. Big Bob has lost his. Soon his head will look like it has been dipped in a pot of black oil with a few copper flecks at the bottom. Big Bob is entering the ‘Reptilian Phase’.

While Lena wanted that fish before 07:00, it was, in fact, delivered at 08:14:39. It was a live Sheepshead.

Lena had a bit of a time with that fish – getting it opened and not flipping about on the kids. Big and Middle Bobs are right up there when she begins feeding. You will see that Middle Bob also has a greasy black Reptilian head like Big Bob. Little Bob is just waking up. Get up there Little Bob!

Little Bob is definitely our ‘Captiva Ervie’. It didn’t take him long to get the sleep out of his eyes and get up under Lena’s beak. Look at him stare at the fish. At least for today, we can easily tell Little from the other two if the trio are in a clump.

Lena was really hungry. She fed the kids for more than an hour and then finished off the fish and ate the tail at 09:49. All of the chicks were passed out in a food coma.

Andy returned hoping there would be some fish left just as Lena swallowed the fish tail! The chicks woke up and were thinking about a second feed. Too late! Big Bob did root around in the nest for scraps eating them as he found them. Wow. That is fantastic.

Lena is currently busy keeping the osplets cool by shading them. She is also hoping that Andy will ring another fish in!

Cornell Bird Lab put together a 15 minute video of Big Red and Arthur frantically working on their nest on the Cornell Campus this morning. It is much better than any still captures I could show you!

Squeezing some of the somber in with the joy, HH3, one of the Hilton Head Island Trust eaglets has died. HH4 is fighting for its life and hanging on by a thread. The test results to determine the cause are not ready yet. The adults are being monitored closely and the Birds of Prey Centre has brought in the Clemson University Vet School to help with the determinations as to cause.

There was a lovely kerfuffle at the NEFlorida Nest of Samson and Gabby this morning. It was fantastic, actually. Jasper (NE26) was eating all of the food. This has been the typical pattern for these two. This morning it was the same- NE27 is on the left with its head down and Jasper is at the beak getting all the food.

NE27 moves closer and does the old snatch and grab and horks all of the remaining prey! He was hungry and was tired of waiting. Way to go 27!

Jasper has been doing a lot of standing and wingersizing. She is definitely getting much more stable on those legs.

Gabby and Samson sure make beautiful babies. I just love the pantaloons on Jasper.

The more I watch the Dale Hollow nest the more I am loving this family. Obey comes in to check on River and feeds her. That reminds me of Blue 33 feeding Maya at the Rutland Osprey nest. Then River and Obey feed the chicks in tandem. The life experience of these two eagles, well into their 20s in age, really shows when dealing with the health and welfare of their chicks. Just wonderful. The third egg is 36 days old today and it is almost hatched!

Another tandem feeding this morning.

Continual aeration of the nest cup to keep it soft and bring oxygen in.

River feeding the twins.

Oh, just look at them. They are so cute, fluffy, and a little chubby. Perfect!

There are currently more than 3,044 persons watching and waiting for a pip at the nest of Jackie and Shadow in Big Bear Lake, California. The eggs were laid on January 22 and 25. That makes them 34 and 37 days old. The average time for pip is between 34 and 40 days so we are still right in the sweet spot for hatching. Good luck Jackie and Shadow! Your fans are cheering.

It is difficult to avoid the news. My heart goes out to any person caught in a conflict zone. It is difficult to avoid the war zones in Africa where our birds migrate to for the winter and now, as they begin to return to their homes in Latvia and Estonia, many have historically spent time eating and resting in the Ukraine. This is the map of Karl II’s family migration this past summer. Many of the other birds that migrate to Africa follow a similar route. Wildlife suffers irreparable harm, like ordinary citizens, in times of war.

Here is a detailed study of wildlife in conflict zones and the need for conservation. It is a good first read to understand the challenges that nature and wildlife undergo when there is war. I hope that you are able to open it.

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/am-pdf/10.1002/fee.1433

I will close as we wait for a pip at Big Bear and the final hatching at Dale Hollow with a closeup of Dad at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge. Dad spent considerable time on the ropes yesterday. I cannot help but imagine that he was hoping to catch up with Ervie and see how he is doing. You can certainly tell where Ervie gets his good looks from!

It has warmed up to a balmy -8 C. Serious spring weather and I am off to get more bird seed and go for a much needed walk. Please take care everyone. Thank you so much for joining me today.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Dale Hollow Bald Eagles, Captiva Ospreys and Window on Wildlife, NEFlorida Bald Eagles and the AEF, Cornell Bird Lab, Friends of Big Bear Valley, Bald Eagles 101 FB, and the Latvian Fund for Nature Forum.

Rosie’s Back – and other Osprey tales on Friday

02.25.2022

Richmond has been waiting for Rosie since the end of the first week in February. Richmond was near the nest when Rosie flew in this morning. He is so delighted. Can you imagine?

Migration is such a challenge. It is such a relief she is home. They sure have a lot of work to do on this nest. Just look at it.

Here is the video capturing Rosie’s homecoming.

There is news coming out of Texas that Ospreys are crossing the Rio Grande River in their move northward. Wonder when Iris will be home? or the other Montana Ospreys? The migration out of Africa and into southern Europe and the Middle East has begun also. Spring is coming! Wishing all of the migrating birds a safe journey to their spring and summer homes. Looking forward to monitoring some of the Osprey nests here in Manitoba this summer. It gives me hope. Hope that the snow will melt slowly and help with our 4-5 year drought and halt all of the wildfires that have plagued wildlife areas last summer.

There isn’t even a pigeon on the Port Lincoln Osprey nest this morning. Will Ervie pay the nest a visit today?

No one at home yet.

The nest of Andy and Lena at Captiva, Florida is doing so well. It is just a joy to watch. Around 1:30, all of the osplets had huge crops. They had been eating and eating. The sun is hot and Lena goes for a swim and lets Andy watch the kids. She returns and sends him on his way to get more fish!

Just look at that crop! Each of the chicks has an identical one.

Looking at Andy. Andy is a great angler but he seems less inclined to head over and shade the chicks while Mum is away.

That big crop again.

Lena is home. I hope she had a great cooling off bath. She is great about keeping the chicks shaded as they truly cannot regulate their own temperature yet. That is little Bob on the right. He is just a cracker.

The three are really growing. Their necks are getting longer and soon they will begin to look more like reptiles than these adorable cuddly little chicks.

Lena is a great Mum.

It is nearing 16:00 and Lena is yelling at Andy to some more fish on the nest – the chicks are rumbling and hungry.

Andy arrives with a Ladyfish at 16:32. He really does respond! The babes were well fed before bed – each of them. Lena is very different than other Osprey Mums I have watched. Much longer feedings earlier on, fewer of them. It is working well for this trio.

Andy loves watching the babies be fed.

After Lena goes for a nice swim. Gosh, is she ever wet. She does not havee to go far to have a spa day!

Everyone will settle in for the evening. The little ones are nice and plump. Growing like mad.

They had four good feeds today. Here is a video of one early one with the live fish brought onto the nest!

Keep your eyes on Port Lincoln. Ervie could show up.

Thank you so much for joining me. It is so reassuring to see that all of the birds are doing well. Rosie returned safely from her migration and Captiva just couldn’t be better. Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cam and FB pages where I took my screen shots: Golden Gate Audubon and SF Bay Ospreys, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, and Window on Wildlife and the Captiva Ospreys.

Late Thursday in Bird World

24.2.2022

The Kakapo Recovery are having a t-shirt fundraiser. They posted the following information on their FB today:

There are male and female styles and sizes range from the smallest to 2 or 3 XL. Shipping from New Zealand is reasonable should you wish to help out!

There are lots of chicks and where there are infertile eggs they are being swopped with fertile ones so some of the mothers get a chance to rear a chick. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for that number of 201 to climb! It looks like it could be a good year for our non-flying parrots.

The tracking for Ervie indicates that he did visit the Port Lincoln Osprey Barge sometime yesterday. He was most likely checking to see if Dad was there so they could have a visit. No one spotted him on camera so maybe he landed on the wheelhouse.

Early Friday morning, nest time, and the barge is full of pigeons hoping to find leftovers. They certainly do a great clean up job for Mum!

The Mum at Duke Farms gives everyone a peek of the fully hatched chick 1 at 14:28. What a little fluff ball. So tiny!

It has been a really good day at Captiva. It is 17:46 and Lena is waiting on Andy to bring in the dinner fish. The three osplets still have crops from the earlier feed. All is good!

Gabby and Samson continue to demonstrate branching to Jasper and to be named NE27. Today the two eaglets were kept full to more than full. They have grown so fast. Time seems to go by in a blink. Just a few days ago it seemed they were only tiny fluff balls like chick 1 at Duke Farms today.

Oh, I love that beautiful glow over the nest in Jacksonville, Florida as the sun sets on Gabby, Samson, Jasper and NE27.

NE27 is going to clean up every bit of that fish! Sweet eagle dreams.

Lady Hawk did a great video of Samson bringing in this large carp for the eaglets. Listen to them cheeping. So cute. Gosh these two are just darlings.

There is snow and sleet falling on the nest of Bonnie, the GHOW, whose nest is on Farmer Derek’s land. The area extending from there over the Mississippi River and into Ohio are set to get quite a bit of precipitation.

This is what the Mississippi River Flyway Cam is showing. Looks like snow to me! The snow is really blowing around creating what we call ‘white out’ conditions at times. A white out is literally when you cannot see anything in front and beside you but snow. Highways and roads disappear. People do try to drive on it. They often wind up in the ditch on the opposite side of the road. Not recommended. You cannot even see approaching cars.

The female, Nancy, at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Bald Eagle Nest near Minneapolis is getting snow as well. This nest fledged two great juveniles last year. Harry, the male, was only four years old and it was his first breeding attempt with Nancy. This year he looks much more like a mature Bald Eagle. Very handsome.

Checking in on the Iowa Bald Eagle nests, there is wet snow coming down on the Denton Home’s nest. No eggs there yet.

There is snow at the Decorah North nest of Mr North and DNF. If you look carefully you can see Mr North high up in the tree. What a beautiful sight.

When the city gets too much for me – as it often does – my mind moves to a cottage at the edge of a forest full of wildlife. This is so beautiful and serene. All you can hear is the snow falling and the wind. There is a creek in the background.

Mrs is keeping the eggs nice and warm and dry.

The other Bald Eagle nest with a streaming cam in Decorah also has snow. No eggs yet and no one on the nest. Right now I can hear lots of geese honking. My goodness they are super loud!

Here is the link to this camera. You might catch the geese flying in also at dusk.

The snow has not reached Pittsburgh but the wind is sure blowing at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest tonight. Mum is trying to keep those eggs warm and dry in that cold. With their 7000 plus feathers, the eagles are well equipped to ride out the cold, the snow, and the bitter winds. Regardless, I just ache for them.

The sound of those honking geese reminded me that Ospreys are moving north out of African towards Europe and the UK. A number were reported entering southwest France today. With all the snow here and in other places it is hard to imagine but the birds will be making their way home. In a month there should be Ospreys on a nest or two in the UK. I am counting on one of my favourites, Blue 33, and his partner, Maya, arriving at Rutland first. We wait to see!

In San Francisco, Richmond has been on and off the Whirley Crane nest in the shipping yards anxiously awaiting the arrival of his mate, Rosie. Those two are going to have a lot of work when she gets here. Just look at that nest. Maybe Richmond should take a page out of Louis’s book up at Loch Arkaig and start work before she arrives. Richmond, that would be a very sweet thing to do!

Dyson and Scraggles have been playing in the seeds and snow so they are both fine. The 50 or so European Starlings that visit the nest for food have been perching in my neighbour’s trees. Today they both got a gift certificate for two car washes. My goodness those birds can poop! Little Red has been busy. We did not see our chickadee today but it might have arrived, with or without its mate, while we were off for our walk. It felt good to get out in the fresh air.

Thank you so much for joining me. All the nests are doing quite well. It is comforting. Take care. See you soon. Saturday is pip watch for Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear. Don’t forget.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams or FB where I took my screen captures: Window on Wildlife and Captiva Ospreys, NEFlorida and the AEF, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Kakapo Recovery Project, Denton Homes, Explore.org, Stewards of the Mississippi, MN DNR, Farmer Derek, Golden Gate Audubon, Pix Cams, and Duke Farms.

Funny Moment at Captiva

2.24.22

It is alright to laugh at silly moments -when a raptor nest is flourishing as the Captiva Osprey Nest is this year. The giggles started with the delivery of the 12:51 fish by Andy.

Andy has arrived with a really nice fish and Lena has already taken it out of his talons and moved the fish to the other side of the nest to feed the chicks. The chicks have been sound asleep and there is a bit of a scramble to position themselves.

So this is what happens. Look below. The two older Bobs turn towards Andy. Meanwhile, Little Bob is facing Mum and getting all the fish! Yeah for Little Bob. He is smart.

Several minutes have passed. Big Bobs with their cute little tails and fat little bottoms are still hoping that Andy is going to feed them. Meanwhile, Little Bob is getting a nice crop. This kid, by the way, has the longest neck of any little Osprey I have ever seen! Just look at it.

Little Bob is pretty full and he has turned around to join his big siblings checking on what is happening on their side. Meanwhile, Lena, who had a lovely bath in the Gulf of Mexico this morning, is enjoying that fish. Andy must wonder what in the world is going on.

Little Bob whispered in their ear and told Big and Middle, ‘Hey guys the food is over here!’ They began to turn around in a bit of a mini-scramble.

All lined up. Little Bob is going to sleep at the table he is so full and Andy is taking a time to have a quick nap during his security duties.

Well done Lena and Andy. You are doing a great job of parenting these young osplets.

The chicks were so full they could hardly stand up. Most of them are sleeping in place.

I love the facial expressions that Andy makes. He is a great Dad. Look at those long, skinny but very strong legs he has. Fabulous family.

If you love Ospreys then you really need to stop in and enjoy this family with all the other viewers. There is a great rewind feature, it is a beautiful location, and the moderators are well informed.

Here is the link:

Thank you for joining me for a bit of a giggle. We can always use one once in awhile, especially when it all turns out well in the end. Take care.

Thank you to Window on Wildlife and Captiva Ospreys for their streaming cam where I took these screen captures of Lena and Andy’s family at Captiva, Florida.

Wednesday Morning at Captiva

The sun was just rising on Captiva Island in the Gulf of Mexico when Andy brought in the breakfast fish for the three little Osplets. Like yesterday they were all lined up to have their fish. The sun cast a rose-gold glow all over the nest of Andy and Lena while those babies were eating. It was just magnificent.

Before that image was captured, Andy flew in and got the breakfast order from Lena.

Once he had the order, Lena prepares for the arrival of the fish and feeding the babies their first meal. Lena is really careful as she backs off the little ones.

You can see how they fit under her so she can brood them.

Lena is very loud. She calls to Andy reminding him that the babies are awake now and they are hungry! Get that fish here fast!

Just imagine. In about ten days time these three will be doing little chirps at Dad helping Mum tell him ‘we need fish’!

First thing in the morning is the best time – for me anyway – to catch a good glimpse of Little Bob. They get scrambled up during the day and it can be hard to see him. Big and Middle Bobs are getting large.

Andy delivers a wiggly catfish to the waiting family at 06:54. The little ones are fully awake. They are hungry and they are lining up for breakfast.

As Lena gets situated to take the fish, you get a good look at the trio. That is Little Bob at the far end.

It looks like Big Bob is having a good look at that fish as Lena grabs it by her beak to move it from Andy’s talon. He reminds me of Ervie – right up there with that fish, not taking his eye off it.

It is a very busy time during the transfer of the fish. The adults have to be careful not to lose it and also not to let that fish hammer the chicks and injure them. It seems very tricky to me – a live, wet wiggly fish jumping about.

Andy flew off after he established there are no predators about. The wee babes get themselves up to the edge of the nest bowl to eat.

Lena finishes feeding the three at 07:14. They are nice and full and will sleep soundly.

At 08:35:21 Andy flies in with the remaining piece of fish that he had retrieved from the nest so Lena can do a second feeding.

These two have a real pattern that is different from that at Port Lincoln. There are normally three feedings in the morning and the fourth in the late afternoon at Captiva while Mum and Dad at Port Lincoln spread the feedings throughout the day. Both of course start feeding at dawn but that is where the similarity ends. It shows that in different geographic areas and with different Osprey couples their approach to the care of their young is different.

Andy often stays while Lena is feeding to act as security for the nest while she is busy. This is another difference that I see between the Captiva and Port Lincoln Osprey nests. Andy is very vigilant about predators and there are many around this nest (the couple have lost their chicks to Crows in the past) whereas Port Lincoln has no predators.

Lena was still feeding the nestlings at 09:01. That feeding will last for half an hour. Each of the osplets will be full. These long feedings are different than many of the other nests where the Mum feeds from 10-12 minutes.

Lena gets a much needed break. Andy will take care of the babies beginning at 09:11. You get a really good look at Little Bob who is on the far right in the image below. Does he think Dad has a fish and he had better get up front?

Andy is getting much better at brooding these wiggling babes. Him and Lena work so well together taking care of their wee three. Fingers crossed.

The chicks hatched on 16, 17, and the 19th of February. Little Bob is one week old today!

Lena returned and Andy flew in with a fresh fish a couple of hours later at 12:15:44.

Little Bit is wiggling his way over to the table as Dad dries off.

He’s up there – not the greatest of places – but Lena will stand and feed them until all three are full. No one will go hungry.

Little Bob got up there. Little Bob had a great second feeding this morning and he is doing really well now, too. No worries so far for this one.

I wonder if the heat in Florida makes for better fishing in the hours before noon? I must watch today and see if the pattern of three morning feeds and one late afternoon holds.

Lena is still feeding the osplets as I finish this blog. This is a fantastic Osprey family living in the Gulf islands of west Florida. If the predators stay away they should have three successful fledges.

Here is the link to the camera:

Thank you so much for joining me today as I check in on this single Osprey nest. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to Window on Wildlife and Captiva Ospreys for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures this morning.

Early Monday in Bird World

22 February 2022

The three osplets at the Captiva nest of Andy and Lena continue to do well. Their first meal of the morning came at 06:52:18 when Andy brought in a nice sized catfish. Although the two older siblings are bigger and eating more at each feeding, Little Bob seems to be doing fine. Here is a collage of images from this mornings fish and feedings.

That catfish got whipped around the nest bowl. The osplets are going to need to learn to duck when a fish comes in! This one had its head one and Lena struggled with it before feeding them as all of the Mums do with the catfish.

Everyone had some breakfast. Little Bob got himself turned around the right way!

It is 08:59 and the trio are eating again. Andy has returned the fish to the nest.

Lena is also struggling with the skin of the catfish. It is not yet suitable for the chicks. And Little Bob is really hungry this feeding!

Everyone had some fish and they will be nice and full and ready for a nap.

Lena ate everything including the lovely fish tail and skin. Nothing is wasted on an Osprey nest.

You should not worry if you tune in to watch Lena and Andy and their family and there are no fish on the nest. First, Andy is an excellent angler and secondly, if they leave fish on the nest it attracts predators. Those predators have killed their babies in the past. This family is now working very hard for that not to happen this year. Andy may also have a stash where he puts fish as well. But, do not worry if there is not a pile like you might see on a Bald Eagle nest – there are reasons for that not to be the case here at Captiva.

NE26 and NE27 are still waiting for a breakfast delivery. It is after 09:00 and Gabby and Samson have them in training for self-feeding. Here are some images of the two of them from this morning. The first one is synchronized preening. Those pin feathers coming in are very itchy.

Oh, you just have to feel sorry for them.

These two are now completely covered with dark thermal down except for a few remaining dandelions on the tops of their heads.

The last remains of the natal down. It is hard to believe but in a week they will be covered with feathers coming in.

Sleepyhead.

There were two feedings at the WRDC nest of Ron and Rita in Miami. R1 and R2 are covered with juvenile feathers. They are steady on their feet and their wings are as wide as the nest now. They self-feed and the adults also come in and fill them up. The feeds so far have been at 06:49 and 08:44.

I don’t know if it is just the camera angle but this nest looks very precarious at the front side.

E19 and E20 at the nest of Harriet and M15 are spreading their wings and sitting on the rim of the nest as well as working on their self-feeding. They are the oldest of this group of eaglets followed by the pair at the WRDC nest.

Visitors to the nest area can see the eaglets above the sides of the nest peering out to the world.

Sleeping duckling style.

The first breakfast for Kincaid at the Kisatchie National Forest Bald eagle nest of Anna and Louis was at 06:49.

At 08:21:20 Louis arrives with a small fish. Kincaid immediately grabs it and wants to self-feed but is having some difficulty. He is going to need some help unzipping this fish. Kincaid is getting the same lessons that NE26 and NE27 are having – let him try and then Mum or Dad will come along and feed. The chick will observe how they open up the fish and hold it with their talons.

Anna arrives and begins to feed Kincaid.

While Anna is feeding herself and Louis (Anna loves to eat), Louis arrives with another fish and begins to eat it on the nest.

Louis is known for his excellent angler skills. Last week he brought 20 fish to the nest in a single day. I wonder if he is going to try for 10 or more today?

Big Red and Arthur have been flying in and out of their nest on the Fernow Light Stand at Cornell University this morning. They are making quick work of the 2022 nest. Greenery is even beginning to appear.

Here is Big Red landing at 09:34:26. She is in really good shape to be a 19 year old hawk!

Big Red is watching for Arthur.

She flies off and Arthur flies in with more twigs. Now Arthur is peering out looking at Big Red.

They are going back and forth delivering materials. I wonder if this will go on all day?

Big Red and Arthur are adorable. Arthur is lining the nest cup with soft foliage.

This feverish pace is making me wonder if they might have eggs on this nest the middle of March. It is looking good. Stay tuned!

Port Lincoln has posted an update for Ervie. He was hanging around one of the local coffee shops yesterday. They are really hoping that people will take lots of images of Ervie and submit them to them so they can put them on their FB page.

Dad visited the PLO barge yesterday at least twice. Sadly, he never connected with Ervie. There is always today! It looks to me like Ervie is not moving out of the main area around the barge.

Thank you so much for joining me today. There is no snow for us but we are once again in an extreme cold warning area with -30 C temperatures and bright sun. Take care! See you soon. I hope that each of you have a wonderful day.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Window on Wildlife and Captiva Osprey Nest, NEFlorida and the AEF, WRDC, KNF, Cornell Bird Lab, and SWFlorida and D Pritchett Family.

Sunday in Bird World

If you are looking for the NCTC streaming cam for the nest of Smitty and Bella and have not found it, here is the link. It is not on YouTube.

https://www.outdoorchannel.com/live/eaglecam/326707/326904

Everyone is hopeful that if the young female returns there will not be a horrific fight between her and Bella. I gather she was not near the nest today as Smitty and Bella got down to all those important preparations for eggs! They did not waste a second.

More love stories with the eagles! A very handsome 4 year old, A-14, named Andor is making a nest with Cruz at Fraser’s Point on the Channel Islands. Oh, goodness, another young dad. It was fantastic to see the young male at the MN-DNR last year. He was quite incredible once it all got figured out. Here is the link to the Fraser’s Point streaming cam. If you like the sound of frogs and crickets, turn it on at night!

The barge at Port Lincoln sure looks empty. It was full of pigeons yesterday cleaning. There is an Osprey sleeping on the perch and it must be Dad. I wonder if he is missing Ervie, too? They got to be good buddies. Wasn’t that fabulous?

Port Lincoln has uploaded the latest tracking on all three Osprey. Our Ervie is really getting around! The green pin indicates the last place he was. His pattern still seems to return to the barge. I do wonder if he will stop in again. He is also going along the coast for the most part which is what he should be doing. It is unusual for the Ospreys to inland but Solly did that last year, remember? Notice, there is a spot in the bay where he appears to have stopped to fish.

So glad that Ervie’s tracking is working and we can follow our favourite Osprey juvenile as he becomes more independent!

Andy brought in a really nice fish for Lena and the three babies this morning. Someone said it was a nice trout.

Lena, we want to see the babies not your tail!!!!!!

Andy looks awfully handsome with his crest fluffed up.

Can you say awwwww?

Each chick ate well.

At the 11:27 feeding, you can get a good look at all three of the babies. Andy brought in a whopper of a fish!

The new parents are getting used to being really busy. Andy has to provide food and security and Lena has to feed and keep them warm plus try to take care of herself. They are doing well. That is Little Bob on the right.

Parents are alerting. Now Little Bob is in the middle.

Everyone had fish. We have to remember that Big Bob will eat more than the newly hatched Little Bob. Don’t worry if it looks like he is getting all the food. They all ate well and Lena is a fabulous Mum.

Look at those little crops.

Here is the link so you can watch this fantastic Osprey family:

The soon to be named eaglets at the NEFlorida nest of Samson and Gabby have pin feathers! They continue to work on self feeding – particularly NE27. In fact, Samson dropped a fish in the nest to see what would happen. NE26 looked at it, NE27 had a go at eating. Then Samson jumped back in the nest and fed both of them. We are over the hump of worry and can look forward to lots of activity in this nest once they start working those wings.

You can see the pin feathers coming in on the wing of the chick on the right.

Adorable. They are both very interested in what is happening off the nest and the comings and goings of Gabby and Samson.

The chat moderator at the Kistachie National Forest (KNF) nest of Anna, Louis, and Kincaid got in touch with Lady Hawk and told her about the 20 fish deliveries . Tonya said she twisted her arm to make the video when she gave Lady Hawk all the time stamps for the 20 deliveries. I know that it is difficult to believe but I have been saying all along that Louis is the best pantry filler I have ever seen! Once I giggled that maybe he was in competition with Samson but he has blown all of the males out of the water with this last barrel of fish. Twenty fish in one day – during daylight hours only. Here is the proof. Have a look:

It is time to check on Iowa. It is now reported that the number of Bald Eagles in Iowa has risen. The Des Moines Registrar states: “Stephanie Shepherd, part of the Iowa DNR’s wildlife research staff, estimates the average number of bald eagles in any given winter to be about 3,500. But that number has increased to nearly 6,000 this year, the National Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey says.” Wow. Where did they come from? are they moving further north because of the weather? It is curious. Certainly other birds are moving farther north.

As of yesterday, 19 February at 16:15, there were two eggs in the nest at Decorah North home to Mr North and DNF (Decorah North Female).

Wow. Look at that beautiful straw and corn husk nest. Gorgeous. You don’t see that in Louisiana or Florida!

There are no eggs on the Decorah Bald Eagle nest (not to be confused with Decorah North). How lucky can you be with a trout fishery right across the road!

It is the 7th or 8th year for the Bald Eagles at the Denton Homes nest. They are named the Majestics. No eggs yet but this nest is currently on egg watch. Becky has been jumping around the nest for the last few days.

We are all holding our breath for Jackie and Shadow at Big Bear. Their first egg was laid on 22 Jan and the second on 25 Jan. Believe it or not we will be on pip watch for Jackie and Shadow on the 26th. Everyone is wishing this much loved Bald Eagle couple success this year.

Doesn’t Jackie look gorgeous as the sun rises over Big Bear Lake?

Here is the link to their streaming camera. Do check in and send all your positive energy to these two fabulous eagles. Maybe this year will be a golden one for them! Thousands and thousands will be crying with joy if it is. Like Captiva, the nest has been plagued by predators and thin egg shells from the DDT that is still in the region after 50 years. We keep our fingers crossed.

Smitty has been bringing in some grasses to the NCTC nest that he will hopefully share with his mate, Bella. I have not seen her this morning nor have I seen the new female (NF). Fingers crossed that there is no horrid confrontation between the two females and one gets injured – again. It had to be difficult for Bella when she was hurt on 1 February and had to leave her nest. Positive thoughts.

All of the nests seem to be doing well today. It is hard not to just watch those little osplets at Captiva and ignore everyone else. They are so cute and we all know that they will grow fast. It is a consolation to have them when we are all missing Ervie so much. Thank you for joining me today. Take care everyone. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Window on Wildlife, Friends of Big Bear, Explore.org, Denton Homes, NEFlorida and the AEF, and Port Lincoln Osprey Cam and FB page.

Late Saturday in Bird World

For all of us missing ‘our’ Ervie, it was a real treat to be watching the Captiva Osprey cam when the little one inside that third egg pushed its way out into the world. Lena was feeding the older two and was completely caught by surprise! But, she moved into high gear and got over and covered that little one up fast. So fast in fact that we barely got a glimpse! Dad Andy kept coming in wanting a peek just like the rest of us.

I really hope that this nest has a success. Andy had brought in a Needlefish and Lena was feeding the wee babes. It would have lasted the nest til tomorrow but, because of the predators, Andy removed it. In doing so, it is believed that he dropped it. The wind was blowing hard. I have checked periodically and have not seen a fish brought back to the nest. No, nothing. The new hatch will not need anything til tomorrow but the older ones are going to wake up ravenous. I hope Andy is right there with a nice fish the minute they squirm.

This is the closest I could get to capturing an image of the new baby.

Lena is tucked in tight calling Andy occasionally to get a fish to the nest!

Sleep well.

The pigeons have taken over the Osprey barge at Port Lincoln. It is like someone put up a sign that said Ospreys gone! I was thinking how much Xavier would want one of those birds!!!!!!

The American Eagle Foundation (AEF) that sponsors the camera on the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Samson and Gabby will be holding the name contest for NE26 and NE27. They posted on FB an image of the two cutie pies saying contest information will be posted on Monday. I will get it out to all of you so you can take part if you wish. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to name an Eagle?!

Gosh, Gabby and Samson’s kids are cute.

All you have to do is blink. B15 at the Berry College Eagle nest of Pa Berry and Missy went from looking like NE26 and 27 a week ago to getting tonnes of juvenile feathers. Oh, my goodness.

I could hardly believe it was the same little sweet eaglet that was half that size.

Notice the rails on the nest that Pa and Missy have built up on the old rails. No little eaglet would fall out of those. What a fantastic nest.

I have to admit she is gorgeous – Bonnie of Bonnie and Clyde, the GHOWs that book over the Bald Eagle nest on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas. Bonnie is incubating one egg so far.

Farmer Derek has installed a really great overhead cam, too. All I can think of is that there are going to be so many hatches around the middle of March we will not be able to keep track of them. At the same time the UK and European Ospreys and Storks will be returning home to breed. It is going to get crazy.

That is just a peek at what is happening out in Bird World. Wish for a fish for Captiva! Thank you so much for joining me. Take care all.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Osprey, Window on Wildlife and the Captiva Ospreys, Farmer Derek, and Berry College Bald Eagle cam.

Looking good…Little Bit

Samson delivered a fish and immediately NE26 was over eating. It was a large fish and every thought that went through my head ended with the big sibling getting all that food. Then suddenly Samson alerted and jumped off the nest. While the adult was gone Little Bit aka NE27 went over to the fish and started feeding itself! This little one is just progressing so well and making sure that it gets some food. Then suddenly, Samson returns to the nest and Little Bit is in the ‘sweet spot’. Samson feeds Little Bit almost that whole fish. NE26 was looking off from the nest not interested. No bopping, nothing. Are we back to normal on NEFlorida? It looks like it!

Samson feeds 26. 27 looks on.

27 goes into submission. He is still cautious. 26 could do some real damage. Best to protect that head and neck. There is plenty of fish for everyone.

Samson abruptly leaves the nest. 26 moves over to the other side of the bowl while Little Bit goes over to the fish and starts pulling off bits, eating them.

This little one is learning. He is even holding the fish steady with his talons.

NE27 you are very handsome and smart! We are all very proud of you.

When Samson returns, 27 is right up by the fish and 26 is looking out of the nest.

Samson feeds Little Bit the fish. NE26 doesn’t even move from where it was.

Now who has the biggest crop?!

Little Bit’s confidence is growing day by day. 27 will also grow and grow in size with all the good fish it has been getting. Relief.

Oh, what a perfect morning on the NEFlorida nest. We can all breathe a sigh of relief. It looks like things are truly turning around. Send good wishes!

Thank you so much for joining me as we check in on Little Bit. Take care all.

Thank you to the NEFlorida and AEF for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.

Congratulations Captiva (updated)

There are two cute little Osplets at the Captiva Osprey nest on Santibel Island this morning. If the third egg hatches, there will be three late Friday or Saturday. The first chick hatched at 21:40:12. I am not clear when the second hatched. They look almost like twins!

Eggs were laid on 8, 11, and 14 of January.

Oh, how wonderful to see that soft light fuzzy down and that dark stripe down the back of the nestlings. Oh, I have missed baby Ospreys! No doubt these two will bop one another and tumble on the nest. Here are a group of images from this morning.

You might notice that Andy and Lena do not keep a pile of fish on the nest. That would attract predators. Andy will, no doubt, have places where he stashes a little fish for the family elsewhere.

That little one wants some fish. Just look at the cute little tails already!

The oldest one has had at least one meal.

Andy is really on alert protecting his beautiful family.

In other news:

Bonnie and Clyde have one egg in the nest that stole last season from the Bald Eagles on the property of Farmer Derek near Newton, Kansas. That egg was laid when ice pellets were coming down about 00:47:00 on the 17th. Perhaps Farmer Derek will post an official time.

That icy sleet has turned to snow. Do not worry. You can just see those distinguishing ear tufts of the Great Horned Owl but Bonnie has thousands of feathers and her and the egg are absolutely safe.

Ervie is on the nest and Dad is on the perch. Everything is fine at the Port Lincoln Osprey Nest!

Send out warm wishes and positive thoughts to Andy and Lena. They will need to be so alert. We all hope that they will raise successful chicks to fledge this year!

Thank you for joining me this morning. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to Window on Wildlife, Farmer Derek and Port Lincoln Ospreys for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures.

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Oh, how I have missed seeing that lovely stripe and the fuzzy light down of the tiny little ospreys. Congratulations Lena and Andy!

Here is a variety of images from the morning. You will notice that there is not a pile of fish kept on the nest. That would attract predators.

Oh, just look. Little tails!!!!! And one of them wanting some fish.

Absolutely adorable.

There is our beautiful Osprey family. Andy is on high alert.

Oh, send out your most positive wishes to this Osprey family as Lena and Andy try to keep their babies safe.

Here is a link to the Captiva Osprey Cam:

Other quick news:

The Great Horned Owl couple that stole the Bald Eagle nest, Bonnie and Clyde, have one egg now. It was laid around 00:47:00 last evening it is thought. I have not seen an official time. There were ice pellets falling at the time and now Bonnie is covered in snow.

Bonnie will be fine and so will her egg. She is very insulated! If you want to watch this GHOW nest on Farmer Derek’s property near Newton, Kansas, here is the link:

Our favourite juvenile fledgling osprey is fine. Ervie is on the nest and Dad is on the perch. Everything is alright with the world in Port Lincoln.

Thank you for joining me today. Congratulations to Captiva and Bonnie and Clyde. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to Window on Wildlife and Port Lincoln Osprey Project for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.