Tag Archives: Challenger the Eagle

Early Saturday in Bird World

10 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone from a snowy, icy landscape – the Canadian Prairies. As many of you suggested, it was a huge culture shock going from bright sun and warm seas to frozen. It is always good to be away but, it is equally nice to get ‘home’. Thank you for all your wonderful letters and best wishes. I had an epic time!

The big news is still coming out of Samson and Gabby’s nest in The Hamlet near Jacksonville. Will there be a nest take over? will Gabby get a new mate? where is V2 this morning as I write this? did Samson appear? Wow. Everything else pales in comparison.

This is a short catch up on some news that we are following this morning.

I want to start with a disgusting arrogant display that has gone viral. It was posted by Geemeff, one of our readers.

What a disgusting individual.

Was it Samson visiting the NE Florida nest? We would have to see his toe – one is flattened. But, gosh, it sure looks like him.

Maybe the word is out and all of them know that Gabby is now single (sadly) and they are lining up for her to choose? They should try bringing her fish!

There was a musical nest. V2 was there and gone, then Gabby left and V2 returned, and then he saw Gabby and escorted her back to the nest.

Postings of a third visitor.

But where was V2 last night. It looks like Gabby spent the night alone – again!

Gosh, I love these daily videos that Elain posts of the highlights at the Orange scrape in Australia of Diamond and Xavier. That little Indigo reminds me so much of Izzi – chasing the parents out of the scrape in the morning, pair bonding, and snacking.

Why do I like them? Elain edits the entire day into a short video and includes the main highlights.

Now for a few smiles.

Falcons in the Middle East fly in their own 747s. Challenger the famous US Eagle in the care of the American Eagle Association likes to fly SW Airlines.

Have you been following the World Cup of Birds? Let’s see who is left standing! Pick your favourite bird out of those left and follow what happens. Morocco stunned everyone when they beat Brazil putting the Rufous Bellied Thrush out of action. So will Moussier’s Redstart take home the cup? England is playing France today – the Robin vs the Gallic Rooster! Stay tuned.

For all Osprey fans, there is an Osprey still in Londonderry today – at the Bann Estuary. Does this bird know something we do not know? I mean seriously shouldn’t he be sunning himself in Spain right now or Africa? or does he need to get out of town quick?

Zoe is flying over shallow water and getting those wings to work. Dad brought Zoe 3 fish yesterday and Mum brought her 1. They are taking good care of their daughter! Here is her most recent tracking release.

We haven’t done a check on Karl II’s family recently so let’s have a look and see where Waba and Bonus are today.

Waba is still loving Sudan and fishing at the Nile River.

Bonus started flying over the Eastern Desert. There has been no transmission since the 4th of December. We wait. Please send Bonus your best wishes.

Thank you for being with me for this quick look at what is the main story in Bird World – Gabby and her nest. Send out your warmest wishes to Rita who is healing nicely in Miami and to dear Alden and Samson – we wish you would still appear! Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, videos, and posts which make up my blog this morning: NEFL-AEF, Bald Eagles Live Nest Cams and News, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam Project and Cilla Kinross and Elain, American Eagle Live Nest Cams, Southwest Airlines, Raptors of the World, Port Lincoln Ospreys FB, Looduskalender, and Geemeff.

Late Monday News in Bird World

4 July 2022

Hello everyone. Oh, it is wet and soggy on the Canadian Prairies. I could put the rain on repeat and probably be 90% accurate for the nest 10 days. I really do not know where this water is going to go. Everything is saturated. And after 4-5 years of drought I am not going to complain.

‘R’ asked about Dyson. Dear Dyson. There is one bird feeder that has, for the past week, been empty way too soon for the birds to have eaten all the seed. With all the foliage I had not been outside at the right time to catch the culprit. I should have known but, of course, it is supposed to be a squirrel proof feeder. So much for that guarantee. Dyson is an acrobat. Somehow he managed to grip the feeder and lean it so the seed would pour out. Then he scurries to the ground to eat it all up. He is very quick! The name is perfect! I will try and get a photo if I can catch him again.

A lovely article on the ringing of the Poole Harbour osprey chicks has been posted with pictures of the lovely birds. I want to bring your attention to the last bit of information. Normally osprey chicks are brought from nests in northern Scotland to Poole Harbour to be translocated. It was felt that because of the high level of Avian Flu in Scotland and the Shetland Islands that it would be irresponsible to move birds from an infected area to one with zero transmission of H5N1. Well done! The chicks are so cute…and they got some nice trout for their effort.

Those two beautiful osprey chicks are the first chicks hatched in Poole Harbour for a little over 200 years. Magnificent. Gorgeous plumage, too!

First Poole Harbour Osprey Chicks Ringed!

And since it is the 4th of July in the US, it is a great time to bring you a story about Challenger, the 33 year old retired Bald Eagle. I remember Challenger as the side kick to Al Cerere, the founder of the American Eagle Foundation (now retired like Challenger) and his flights in the football stadiums. Challenger is set to fly to Branson, Missouri to receive the Patriot Award – the first raptor to do so.

https://www.wate.com/news/positively-tennessee/famed-bald-eagle-challenger-visits-wate-ahead-of-award-ceremony/?fbclid=IwAR1tAe6ncvNIScy5U_mYMh7bgnItp_-ETzZj8cxnWe_oqNNkfbKm8B-nQkU

Challenger is also the first bird or animal to have both its personal likeness and name featured on a legal tender coin – the 2008 Half Dollar.

“Challenger” by kevin dooley is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Your laugh today comes from ‘H’ and the Osoyoos Osprey Nest in British Columbia – lunch was a fish followed by a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup for dessert. Thanks, ‘H’.

It is just pitching down rain in Osoyoos – they are having a very wet year like we are. Send positive wishes off to those little ones today.

I cannot see anything new decorations on the Osprey nest at Mispillion Harbour in Delaware. It looks like Mum and the chicks are having some fun looking around at the big world outside. It won’t be long til these two are flying over the harbour and back to the nest. That will be awesome. Gosh, if you live in that area you just might want to take a trip down to the harbour and watch the ospreys fly around.

These two are starting to work those wings. I would sure love to have them weighed and measured. Nice birds.

Ah, Takoda – the pride and joy of Lotus and Mr President heads to the nest to get a fish from Dad or does he on the 4th of July? BTW Isn’t Takoda one beautiful fledgling?

Is it just me or does everyone have trouble seeing the rings on the legs of the West End fledglings of Thunder and Akecheta? What a gorgeous area to fly. It seems that the 2-4 year olds are returning and causing a bit of turmoil trying to intrude in established nest areas. Thunder has been busy chasing them away.

I honestly cannot tell which of the eaglets is which without seeing them together or observing those bands.

Suzanne Arnold Horning has taken some great images of Big Red and Arthur and their family today. I am so grateful that she always allows me to share them with you. Once the fledglings have left the nest it is hard to capture them on the Cornell camera.

Gosh these Red-tail hawk babies are beautiful. As far as I know, L4 and L2 are the only two official juveniles having caught their own live prey items yesterday.

Proud parents Big Red (left) and Arthur (right) keep watch over the Ls and their territory.

I will close this evening with a whopping salmon – complete with head – brought to the nest for Dorcha and the two kids by Louis. Wow. That is one super fish! And a very grateful Osprey family. Louis is an amazing provider and if he isn’t getting fish to the nest there is a reason — intruders.

It is lovely to have you with me and the birds today. So grateful Little Bit 17 is in care today and doing well. Thank you for being here and take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Suzanne Arnold Horning and the Cornell Hawk Chatters, Explore.org and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, NADC-AEF, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys, Osoyoos Osprey Cam, and the Birds of Poole Harbour.