Tag Archives: climate

Late Monday in Bird World

2 February 2026

Hello to Everyone,

Oh, the sadness that the loss of Jackie and Shadow’s eggs has caused. It was like a grey cloud that covered the entire world. Of all the nests, these two tug at our heartstrings more than any others – or so it seems by the continued number of letters I am receiving. They are certainly a very special couple.

Everyone is complaining about the weather. My friend, Geemeff, in the UK, is tired of rain, and we are tired of snow. There is little room in my garden for anymore! The rain in the UK is having a huge impact on the birds and wildlife there.

 ‘It sounds apocalyptic’: experts warn of impact of UK floods on birds, butterflies and dormice https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/01/storm-chandra-uk-floods-impact-wildlife-birds-butterflies-dormice-beavers-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

Here, the wind and the freezing cold are surely impacting the birds that come to the garden. Surely. It is difficult enough for humans – and for our dear Brock. We will be ever so happy when spring arrives.

Meanwhile…Toby continues to try on little coats. This one will be for a warmer day. The aviator coat and his red jump suit are perfect for the weather now. The jump suit is the best as he can leap into deep snow and not have it cover all of him.

Ann rescued a three-year-old dog. Lucy is a little smaller than Toby. Toby used his allowance to get her a very adjustable pink vest. We hope she likes it.

Once Lucy is fixed, she is coming over to meet Toby. Let us hope they are real friends. It would be brilliant.

Morning delight: There is an osprey at the Wolf Bay nest in Alabama.

There has been so much discussion about Jackie and Shadow and that is simply because we love them. They are the most loved bald eagles in the US if you count the number of viewers along with all the news coverage. We are sad for them – and for us. What a joy it has been to watch Spirit fledge and then Sunny and Gizmo last year. Oh, what a year it was and we hoped for another. Perhaps there will be. It was unusual for Jackie to be off the eggs for so long. Each of us knew that. You felt something was wrong. Those eggs are so precious to them. I got a note from ‘B’ that might help clarify what happened – and why we must always ‘trust the Eagles’.

‘B’ wrote: “I hadn’t looked at the Friends of Big Bear Valley facebook page until now, so I hadn’t realized that FOBBV had seen that one of the eggs was cracked even before the ravens visited.  So, yes, maybe Jackie had sensed that something was off.  Hopefully Jackie will quit incubating what remains now, so that she can move on, even if there isn’t a second clutch.  I totally understand you not sending a note upon learning the news — I had thought that might be a possibility even before you mentioned.  Much as we love all these nests, Jackie and Shadow are special.”

No matter what happens we will keep these two in our hearts and continue to check in on their daily activities. We might be surprised by a second clutch. As I mentioned, second clutches are, indeed, rare but Jackie and Shadow did have one in 2021.   

SK Hideaways Videos Week of 25 January 2026

FOBBV Bald Eagles: Jackie & Shadow ~ Happy Birthday, you two!  

While their precise hatch date is unknown, we celebrate both their birthdays on 1 February.
Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley
Resident Bald Eagle male: Shadow (unbanded) since May 2018. Estimated hatch year: 2014
Resident Bald Eagle female: Jackie (unbanded) since September 2016. Estimated hatch year: 2012
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE
Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc
LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz
Big Bear Eagle History: https://www.friendsofbigbearvalley.org/eagle-history/

Raven Breaks Both of Jackie & Shadow’s Eggs (2026 Jan 30)
It was a very sad day in Big Bear. Jackie and Shadow were away from the nest for nearly 4 hours. During that time, ravens made multiple visits and ultimately breached both of the eggs. But before they did, we could see that one egg was already cracked. Perhaps Jackie and Shadow’s extended absence indicated their sense that something was off with the eggs. Absent an eagle mind-reader, we will never know. 
Video: https://youtu.be/PT0yZCVYKJE
Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley

JACKIE LAYS 2ND EGG! Shadow Will be So Eggcited Tomorrow! 2026 Jan 26
Jackie had another short labor laying her second egg of the season just before dusk. Shadow had been visiting just 20 minutes before, so he’ll get a welcome surprise in the morning.
Video: https://youtu.be/TTBhA0nK7NU


John Bunker Sands Bald Eagles: Mom & Dad
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

Eaglets JBS 24 &  JBS 25 Begin Bonking Despite Full Pantry (2026 Jan 28)
3-day-old JBS 24 and 2-day-old JBS 25 are being very well fed. They even have tiny baby crops and a very full nest of food. Despite that, instinct has kicked in and one eaglet, likely JBS 24, has begun a food competition. But it’s pretty minor and the video shows just one instance of the eaglet being aggressive against its sibling. It is reported that this nest historically has very little sibling aggression (except for last year), so let’s hope the typical trend continues. Even with the one bonk shown here, these two are a joy to watch. (2026 Jan 28)
Video: https://youtu.be/GPwd5POXfuM

1- and 2-Day Old Eaglets Get to Know the Joys of FISH (2026 Jan 27)
JBS 24 hatched on January 25th; JBS 25 on January 26th. We join them as Mom feeds them an afternoon fish snack. They make the troubles of the world simply fade away. 
Video: https://youtu.be/CIvPlG-vqNc


San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcons: Hartley & Monty
Courtesy San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon Cam
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBSxPjy5sow
Ledge Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pp9TisLmLU
Roof Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLhmV6bP6o

San Jose CH Falcons: Hartley & Monty’s Rooftop Rendezvous ~ Nesting Season in Full Gear (2026 Jan 29)
Despite what the calendar says, spring is already in the air for Hartley and Monty. Today they met briefly on the ledge before a rooftop rendezvous. Hoping for eggs in just over a month. 
Video: https://youtu.be/cMUzsVTn408

San Jose CH Falcons: Hartley & Monty Are in the Mood for Love (2026 Jan 24)
Nesting season kicks off in earnest as Hartley and Monty increase mating frequency.  
Video: https://youtu.be/RjN3HDNp_Wo

The GHO has caused the female at Frenchman’s Creek to stop incubating her egg at night. She has only laid one. Heidi has kept a close eye on this nest. It is so sad and at the same time, I am glad that the female wants to survive and has learned to stay away when the owls are flying at night. Osplets can wait another year or never until the owl is not around.

Finally. The murder trial of a gamekeeper who killed his colleague will begin. This all began, as I understand, with the killing of raptors.

Murder trial due to begin: former Head Gamekeeper David Campbell of Edradynate Estate accused of kilDownload

Chichester’s Peregrine Falcon news:

Chichester Peregrines News Letter 020226Download

A trip down memory lane: ‘A’ wrote, very excited. She found some information from three years ago and she wants me to share it with you. I know that you will remember the little red-tail hawklet raised by the Bald Eagles on Gabriola Island in British Columbia, Canada. ‘A’ writes: “I found this from 15 March 2023: 

As a followup to last year, a local observer reported that the hawklet Malala was being seen with the adults on the beach and seemed to be doing well – apparently young hawks stay with their parents longer than eaglets, and the parents are accepting this.

Isn’t that just wonderful? And how amazing that the adult birds maintain a caring and teaching relationship with the hawklet for some significant period of time after it fledges, even though this is not the usual behaviour with eaglet fledglings of a similar age. And how wonderful that the little hawklet is on the beach with its adoptive parents, learning how to hunt for eagle food. I cannot tell you how that just makes my heart sing. As you know, I adored that spunky little hawklet, and had SO many questions after it fledged that I never thought would be answered. So it is wonderful to hear that single piece of news – it makes me so incredibly happy. I suppose the courage of the wee thing was what made the difference. It was cautious in its early behaviour on the nest but equally, it stood up for itself, literally fought for respect once or twice, and generally behaved in a very assertive manner. I’m not sure whether the outcome would have been different if Malala had been a bit more timid. 

In the end, the basic behaviours of a chick were interpreted by the parents as warranting parental care because they are programmed to react that way and because their hormones were in the ‘chick caring’ phase. See a begging small beak, fill it with food. Hawklets are brave, bold little things – they do mature very quickly – and I suppose that is what saved this small person. But I really think this must happen quite frequently – some birds rely on the parental instincts of other species to reproduce at all (cuckoos, some ducks and a range of others), so I think we’d be surprised at how frequently it does occur if we knew the exact numbers. Parental instincts are just so incredibly strong. Look at the seemingly irrational devotion of parents of most species. The self-sacrifice involved in raising young is incredible (look at the albatrosses) and yet it is demonstrated by almost every species.  

As you might have picked up, this has absolutely made my weekend. I am beyond thrilled! Please update your readers. I know how popular the Gabriola Island nest became in 2022 as a result of this blended family – so much so that the landowners chose not to allow the livestream the following season (2023). They did continue to monitor the bald eagle pair in 2024, I think, though I don’t know about 2025. It was a GROWL project, but there is no current information about the nest on their site.”

Deb Stecyk has posted the following about the activities at the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout. You might have difficulty viewing the log here so please go to Bald Eagles 101 FB.

I am so ashamed that I forgot about some nests, and I do not intend to – look at the two eaglets at Hilton Head! They are so gorgeous and have all their juvenile plumage!!!!!! And what a feast – six fish. Lovely.

As i the Winter Park Bald Eagle nest had not endured enough with the earlier rivalry between the eaglets, difference in age by five days, then a huge storm has torn off the rails! https://youtu.be/zyHx4-fMUxg?

Send them good wishes. The eagles can quickly build up the rails if the chicks can manage to stay in the nest.

‘J’ sent us the video of the candling of the Kakapo eggs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PiN_hMl9xo

ABC’s Bird of the Week is the Painted Bunting. Have a read. These colourful birds remind me of the Rainbow Lorikeets that visited Daisy the Duck while she was incubating her eggs or the sea eaglets when they are on the nest. I find I always learn something about these little focused stories.

Painted Bunting – American Bird ConservancyDownload

“Painted Bunting” by Dan Pancamo is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

There is a second egg at the Pink Shell Osprey nest in Florida.

Thank you so very much for being with us today. We hope that Monday brings you a wonderful start to your week. Our friends in parts of France are beginning to see small flowers, a Quince blossom here or there – tiny little reminders that spring will come! It is sunny with a beautiful blue sky today and it is -19 C. It will warm up a bit. Toby is getting excited about going for his walk with Ellen in half an hour. I am so grateful for all the help and support that I have.

As for us, we are doing well. It is 2 February and it is our anniversary. Last year we were in Guadeloupe. This year we are sharing a very special Chocolate Haskap cake and are simply grateful that we have a home, food, are able to heat that home in the winter and take care of the other animals that bring joy to our lives. It is the little things around us that are important – keep them safe and make the land and the lives of those that share it better. If everyone did that, we would not have a problem!

We look forward to having you with us again later this week. Take care.

Thank you to SK Hideaways for their videos, to the others who create videos and information posts on FB and the authors of articles and posts that tell us much about our feathered friends. I am grateful to all of you as well as the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to look into the lives of our favourite raptors.

Understanding the osprey family tree…the last hatches of Mrs G and Aran at Glaslyn

8 October 2025

Good Morning,

Tuesday was a beautiful day in the Canadian prairies. Oh, you cannot know how grateful I am. We have been planning to take Anne to Bird’s Hill Park to hand-feed the Black-capped Chickadees. She has heard us talk about our walks there and how the wee songbirds land on your hands to take the Black oilseed. It is a pre-Thanksgiving ‘thank you’ to Anne. I could not survive without her help and support.

It was so warm that we had a wee picnic of sorts at Pineridge Hollow. Toby was so good, and I am certain that The Girls were happy to have a wee break from their brother for the afternoon. It was just a perfect day. Walking the trails among the tall pine trees was renewing!

The little birds did not disappoint!

It was a wonderful surprise Tuesday evening to see that the Dark-eyed Juncos have returned from the north and have stopped over in the garden to fatten up for migration! There were at least two dozen of them pecking away at the seed on the deck. I hope to get some decent images of them for the next blog. They are so cute!

Several have asked about Brock. He is still here despite Toby. Toby seems to know when Brock is around. So Brock and I have developed a method of getting his food to him without Toby knowing. Brock comes to the door and lets me know he is waiting for food. Once I see him, he goes under the deck and waits. I take out the food, sometimes with Toby, and then as I close the door and secure Toby inside, I call ‘kitty kitty’. Brock will come out to eat within five minutes.

Migration count is underway in West Africa, posted by Mary Cheadle:

Dyfi have posted a wonderful blog, and I urge each of you to read it. Mrs G is the ‘UK Iris’ equivalent who bred at Glaslyn. Her last mate was the adorable Aran, who was usurped this year by Teifi. Perhaps Aran will return and take his nest with Elen in 2026, as the nest failed this year due to all the drama. We will wait. Aran will need to return early and work to win Elen’s heart. Elen might be smart to breed with Aran again because his chicks (along with Mrs G’s great DNA) are returning!

Mrs G’s Boys – Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn WildlifeDownload

Blue 497 -talk about a handsome bird!!!!!!!!! Just look at him. The first Glaslyn male known to be breeding in Wales. Two chicks this year, but one possibly fell out of the nest at 5 weeks, and the other disappeared at 7 weeks, possibly predated by a goshawk.

The cameras at Captiva’s Window to Wildlife Bald Eagle and Osprey nests are going live today.

Ashley Wilson continues to find Newmann and Elaine at the scrape at Spirit Bluff. They will migrate soon.

The fledgling at the Selati Black Eagle nest has brought its first caught prey to the nest!

Meanwhile, like other Bald Eagles, Jackie and Shadow are returning to their nest to kick start the 2025-26 season at Big Bear Lake.

At the West End, the juvenile Bob returned to spend some time with Haku. https://youtu.be/Hlct5mJkthw? SK Hideaways caught it!

Gorgeous Haku on Tor:

Beau and Gabby are ready for a very successful season at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest.

The Majestics are working on their Denton Homes nest.

Andor with his blue wing tag at the Fraser Point nest on the Channel Islands. Cruz flew in, too.

The IWS is having its annual fall fundraiser. You could be a winner! At least one of my readers has named one of the eaglets at the West End nest (Treasure), and I was selected to name one of the other eaglets – Phoenix – at one of the other nests without a streaming cam. Many have won beautiful photographs and kit. We are eternally grateful to Dr Sharpe and his team for all the work they did to restore the Bald Eagle population to the islands after the DDT debacle.

There is much discussion over the female (or perhaps both) eagles at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest. Is this Mum? Or is it a new female? Is this even Dad??? Without definitive markings (the mark on the head could be an injury, prey blood, etc), it is impossible to know without Darvic Rings.

Checking on the Australian nests –

The 367 Collins Street adults are doing an incredible job feeding and taking care of their triplets in Melbourne.

Dad took over incubation so Mum could have his breakfast. She returned with a really full crop. Oh, hatch is coming so soon – seriously, I cannot wait to see a baby osprey. It seems like forever.

There have been at least nine different species of prey delivered to the kiddos at the 367 Collins Street falcon scrape in Melbourne since they hatched. Nothing short of adorable with their pink beaks and feet but now their eyes appear to be open (normally after five days).

ABC Science discusses the life of urban birds in Melbourne. Have a watch and a listen. They even mention the falcons! https://youtu.be/0EA3VNP2vJM?

Oh, how I love the Sydney sea eaglets. Lady and Dad are doing a magnificent job bringing in prey. Their plumage is stunning. About this time in their development, my stomach gets a little queasy. The mobbing of the eaglets as they fledge, causing them to bolt out of the forest, on occasion, or to be injured and hanging around the Discovery Centre, sends me running for the Gaviscon.

Calico urges you to help her and her feathered friends. Educate those you know who might be opting to get their lawns ‘greener’. The toxins kill the ‘food chain’.

‘PB’ asked me when I plan to publish the results of this year’s Osprey data. I hope to have finished entering my data by the end of October. Heidi is finished! I have the following to enter: 35 nests in Nova Scotia, 18 nests in Italy, and 15 failed nests from Maryland. There are, of course, hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands, of failed nests in Virginia and the surrounding area that will not be in the forms, sadly. We do not have enough information other than that there were no Menhaden for the adults, and the nests failed, resulting in no eggs, eggs being abandoned, or chicks starving to death on the nest.

The report from William & Mary University is below and paints the stark picture that Heidi and I have seen and predicted for a couple of years. I am embarrassed that this is a Canadian Company that is killing the entire ecosystem. It makes me so angry.

Deficit in breeding performance expands for Chesapeake Bay ospreys – The Center for Conservation BiologyDownload

Could the Tawny Frogmouth be Australia’s Bird of the Year?

Tawny frogmouths take patience to appreciate. They will reward you with insights into their remarkable lives | Stephanie Converyhttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/08/tawny-frogmouths-take-patience-to-appreciate-but-they-will-reward-you-with-insights-into-their-remarkable-lives?CMP=share_btn_url

I think they are utterly adorable!

Bush Heritage Australia tells us more about these little sweethearts:

Tawny Frogmouth | Bush Heritage AustraliaDownload

If the waters of New Zealand are warming up faster than we can blink, when will the impact hit the various seabird colonies? This article in The Guardian discusses the warming seas.

New Zealand oceans warming 34% faster than global average, putting homes and industry at risk, report findshttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/08/new-zealand-oceans-warming-34-per-cent-faster-than-global-average?CMP=share_btn_url

It is always good to be thankful for all the good news we can get in Bird World and the latest newsletter from Poole Harbour in the UK does just that.

Exciting Project Updates Conservation Career Talks and Upcoming EventsDownload

There is other good news – not just for us but for the birds. I am forever an optimist that we can change the way we live and, in turn, create better spaces for wildlife, including our feathered friends. For the first time, considering the international scene, renewable energy is powering homes and industries instead of fossil fuels. PRC is leading this change. China is rapidly expanding its solar and wind energy capacity, surpassing the total of the rest of the world combined. India has turned to renewables and is lessening their need for coal. Solar power is gaining momentum in Pakistan and various African countries, including Nigeria, Algeria, and Zambia. In fact, solar power provides more than 80% of the new energy.

It’s migration season. Some tips on when to help a bird from Wild Birds Unlimited.

Thank you so much for being with us today! Please take care of yourself. We will see you next Monday if not before! Looking for a hatch at Port Lincoln. Wonder when it will come?

Thank you to the individuals and owners of streaming cams and individuals posting for various FB groups listed in Bold. You keep us informed. A particular shout-out to SK Hideaways for their videos. The Guardian and Bush Heritage Australia continue to publish great articles on wildlife and the environment. We are grateful.

Dad delivers two fish to his Ervie

I have to admit that I have been feeling rather sad for Ervie. He was so excited – and proud -to bring his catch to the nest. Then for it to turn out to be a toadfish, something that he cannot eat (or did not eat – he did eat the puffer fish!), had to be a real disappointment.

That fish remains on the nest and every once in awhile Ervie takes a look at it. You can see the fish to the right of Ervie. It also sticks to Ervie’s feet when he jumps around the nest trying to get a delivery from dad. I wonder why he doesn’t just shove it into the side of the nest?

Yesterday Dad brought in two fish meals for Ervie. Those times were 12:55:43 and 17:56:51.

Here is Dad delivering the first lunch for his lad.

Ervie is really lucky that Dad continues to feed him! Ervie reminds me of Izzi, the cutest peregrine falcon, at the scrape in Orange. Izzi did eventually leave the area but not until it was nearly time for his mother, Diamond, to lay her eggs for 2021. Some thought Izzi would have to stay and help take care for his siblings! It has happened in the UK.

It appears as long as there is a chick crying in the nest, no matter how big and old, Dad will continue to provide some food.

Ervie is really mantling his precious fish. He gives Dad a bit of a nudge to get him off the nest!

Dad is amazing. Ervie is really going to enjoy that fish.

Ervie slept in the nest last evening. I wish the camera could give us a view of the nest and Dad’s shed area. Is Dad not there? Is that why Ervie is sleeping on the nest? I have more questions than I will ever get answers.

In other Bird World News: Thunder has now laid her third egg at the West End Bald Eagle on Catalina nest with Akecheta. Bald Eagles Connie and Clive, realizing that their egg was not fertile, each helped bury it in the nest at Captiva. Today they are bringing in new soft materials covering the egg and the nest area. Does this mean they are going to attempt a second season?

There is a storm raging at the NEFlorida nest of Gabby and Samson. Gabby and the nest are almost at the point of being so deluged that she might not be able to keep the chicks dry. The other issue is that the temperature at the nest is 9 degrees C (49 F) and there is a wind advisory. Gusts up to 40 mph will ravage the area until Monday afternoon. The rain should stop by early evening. My heart goes out to Gabby.

Pa Berry has the nest stocked and while it is a little breezy, all seems well at the nest with Missy and little B15 at Mt Berry, Georgia.

Kincaid is growing and doing well. Louis doesn’t have quite the pile of fish he had on the nest. Thinking about those 10 fish and Coots reminds me. There was a question the other day and I am certain we have all thought about this. How well can Bald Eagles smell? That nest of Anna and Louis’s in the Kisatchie National Forest had to just reek.

Eagles have high temporal resolution – keen eyesight – and they rely more on their vision than smell. Turkey Vultures and others who rely on Carrion as a food source do have a developed sense of smell that helps them find their food. Eagles have functional olfactory glands meaning that they can smell but the numbers of those glands is relatively small in comparison to mammals. I will post a link to an article on Olfaction in Raptors at the end of this blog if you want to access it.

Kincaid is sitting up nice and straight. He is not yet walking around the nest but he sure manages to move relatively quickly, regardless. Anna keeps him full to the brim, normally!

There is an interesting story coming out of Alexandria, West Virginia Audubon Society about an Osprey that caught a crow. Have a read:

https://www.audubonva.org/news/osprey-killing-a-crow-in-alexandria-va?fbclid=IwAR143JSPR4PsbBCq5J-umVH_aML7MF-JpL_EAUcGTnFVbevRsK8zucOx8RU

Here is the article published by Oxford University’s Zoological Journal on Olfactory Glands in Raptors:

https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/189/3/713/5601241

It is -18 with a bright sky on the Canadian Prairies. I am hoping to go out and check on some birds this afternoon for awhile. February is always the month for ‘cabin fever’ and this year is no exception! I do have some images of our dear Dyson yesterday in the garden. He is sure enjoying that hard suet cylinder!

He managed to share it with the European Starlings yesterday. Sometimes I see him chasing them about the Lilac Bushes hoping that he will get them to move so he can have some seed.

For some reason Dyson likes to eat this hard seed cylinder or sit in the open square feeder and eat just Black Oil Seed. I cannot get him interested in anything else.

Dyson becomes a bit like an acrobat hanging on to that small branch of the tree and the wires of the suet holder.

He sure does bring me a lot of joy!

Little Red was out yesterday, too. When the temperatures dropped from -32 to -15, the squirrels became much more active. It was nice to see them all! Reassuring.

Thank you so much for joining me. I hope that you are all well. Stay safe! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Berry College Bald Eagles, KNF Bald Eagles, and NEFlorida Bald Eagles and the AEF.

Ervie and the fish

Before I begin, I want to thank ‘A-M’ for alerting me that Ervie had caught a fish and brought it to the nest yesterday. I was not watching at the time and in my excitement to tell you, I forgot to thank her. My sincerest apologies. I always appreciate all of the news you send me, especially when I can only be in one place at a time! Thank you ‘A-M’.

Yes, Ervie caught a fish and brought it to the nest yesterday. It was magnificent and happened at 13:37:14. Ervie had to be so excited.

Ervie was so proud of his fish and rightly so. Indeed, he was so happy that he wasn’t paying full attention. And the fish was still alive. Yes…if you are thinking fluttering fish on nest, you have it. Ervie was a bit shocked when the fish started moving away and fell into a hole at the top right of the nest!

There is Ervie looking down that hole in amazement. It ate his fish!

Everyone had faith that Ervie, the chick who could dig out old fish tails from the nest, would be able to retrieve his fish ——- and he did!

Well done, Ervie. Today you gained some confidence and you learned a lesson – pin your fish down hard while you eat it!

The very curious thing is that Ervie, who was obviously hungry, did not gobble up his fish. He also walked around the nest like something distasteful was stuck to his foot. One of the knowledgable chatters suggested that it was a ‘toadfish’ and that maybe he didn’t like the taste of it.

So what is a toadfish? The Common Toadfish grows to approximately 15 cm or 6 inches in length. The fish is actually covered with some prickles which could account for why Ervie didn’t like it stuck to the pads on his feet. They are found along the coasts in shallow water and sometimes bury themselves in sand with only their eyes showing. The fish is toxic to humans who, if they consume the fish can die of respiratory failure. It carries the same neurotoxins in its tissue as the Blue-ringed Octopus or the Pufferfish. Those toxins are Tetrodotoxin.

I asked a biologist if this could harm the transfer of information from Ervie’s nerves to his muscles and they were unclear as to the impact. Perhaps the toxins do not harm the sea hawks like they do humans. Still, as my grandmother would say, it is a good thing Ervie did not like the taste of the fish and didn’t finish it just in case. Over time, Ervie will discover the fish that are good to eat and those that aren’t.

“Tetractenos hamiltoni Common toadfish has a deadly secret #marineexplorer #underwatersydney” by Marine Explorer 

Dad watched his son closely. At 17:52, he brought Ervie a nice fish to eat. Thanks, Dad!

Dad has a nice crop. It looks like he made sure that the fish was dead by eating its head before delivering to our sweet boy.

Ervie has spent the night in Dad’s shed hanging on to Dad’s favourite blue rope sleeping.

Other Bird World News: The Ravens came to attack the nest of Jackie and Shadow. Shadow was not home. Jackie defended the nest of two eggs valiantly. This will not be thee last time they come. They know there are eggs in there and Jackie and Shadow are going to have to be vigilant! It is believed that E20 at the SWFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Harriet and M15 has officially started self-feeding. Jean-Marie Dupart has counted 220 Ospreys at the Langue de Barbarie Park in Senegal. This is a record! Ferris Akel will be hosting his birding tour of the area around Ithaca today starting around 1pm Eastern time. Go to YouTube and Search for Ferris Akel Tour Live. For those fans of E19 and E20, they are some of the feature wildlife that are in CROW’s 2022 calendar. The calendars are now 50% off. Here is the link to order: https://bit.ly/2022CROWCalendar There is no news on Bella at the NCTC nest. She has not returned to the nest since the last time she was seen injured on 1 February. The search party was not able to find her. The new female and Smitty have been exchanging fish on the nest. We are on egg watch for the Redding Eagles. Lots and lots happening. The poor weather seems to have moved out of the nest areas!

This is Pittsburgh-Hayes a few minutes ago. We are on egg watch there, too.

The sun is shining down and the snow is melting in Ithaca for Big Red and Arthur.

Not-so-little Kincaid has a big crop this morning at the Kisatchie National Forest Bald Eagle nest in Louisiana. The thermal down is coming in nicely and just look at those big feet! Oh, you are growing way too fast Kincaid.

It is a cloudy day on the Canadian Prairies. No snow warnings and it is now a balmy -15 C. Someone asked me how we stay warm. For the most part, the houses in Canada are well insulated with double or triple pane windows. Central Air is pretty standard. We pay very high heating bills (very high) in the winter even if our homes are insulated well and have great windows if the extreme cold weather lingers for several weeks. Smart persons really bundle up before going out in -35 degree weather. Coats, boots, ski pants all rated to -35 or -45 help tremendously along with gloves and toques (knit hats). I prefer the dry snow over the wet – that makes you cold to the bone!

Thank you so much for joining me today. Stay safe. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Pix Cameras, Cornell Bird Labs, and the KNF Bald Eagle nest.

Bay Area Birds

I will only say it is ‘freezing’ once. First it was the snow and now we are -31 C. for all day Wednesday. The sky was blue and the sun was shining Wednesday morning signalling the extreme cold. Staring at the birds outside just makes me marvel at how they can survive a Winnipeg winter. It has now warmed up to -26 Thursday morning but we remain under an extreme cold warning.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/how-birds-survive-winter-1.4465936

The Black-capped Chickadees take so much time getting a single black oil sunflower seed, then finding a place to crack it. They do not seem to prefer – at all – the ones already shelled and broken. Yesterday they were flitting around in the blizzard coming into the vines and under the eave to get away from the wind.

I caught this little fellow cracking the seed on that tiny branch the other day.

I have a large tub of spreadable bark butter. The Woodpecker family will be delighted. I wonder if these chickadees might like it as well??? I have to say that while I am so happy to have the Starlings around, they can be intimidating. A friend has suggested that I get a feeder with a suction cup that goes on the window. They said the small birds like the chickadees will come to it while the big birds will stay away. I worry that a bird will injure themselves flying into the window. I wonder. Have you had any experience with these types of feeders? If so, I would love to hear from you.

There was a super surprise in the post today. The t-shirts from the fund raiser for Lindsay Wildlife arrived. Lindsay Wildlife treated Grinnell, the male Peregrine Falcon at The Campanile at UC-Berkeley, when he was injured on 29 October. These were part of a fundraiser by Cal Falcons to thank them.

The last posting on the falcon’s FB page. So happy Grinnell was able to be released so quickly and took his place back with Annie.

I can’t help it. Whenever I am checking on Annie and Grinnell, I think of Richmond and Rosie. Is it because one of Annie and Grinnell’s daughters has a nest on Alcatraz? I don’t know.

If you are looking for a stable Osprey nest, you need look no farther than that of Richmond and Rosie at the Point Potreto Whirley Crane in San Francisco. Richmond and Rosie are nothing short of incredible. They are entertaining and steady as you go parents. Richmond is known for bringing in quirky items to the nest – stuffed toys, aprons, and hats.

Rosie is in front and has the streaked breast.

Richmond has been at the Whirly crane for three days in a row. Oh, yes, the nest is on a Whirly Crane that belongs specifically to the Ospreys! Does Richmond think Rosie might come home early? You see, Richmond never leaves the area. He spends his time around the island of Alcatraz and fishing in the Bay. Rosie migrates and she typically returns around Valentine’s Day. Oh, they are always so excited to see one another!

The couple have been raising chicks on this nest since 2017. This will be their sixth breeding year. In the past 5 seasons, they have fledged a total of 13 chicks.

Here is the actual crane:

This is detailed historical data on all aspects from egg laying, banding, to fledge. Last year, Rosie and Richmond again fledged triplets like they did in 2020. Rosie, Sage, and Poppy were their names in 2021.

This is Richmond two days ago on the crane. He often visits during the winter just to check on the nest and protect his territory. There are currently 50 Osprey nests in the San Francisco Bay area.

Here is a link to one of the streaming cams for Rosie and Richmond:

https://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/golden-gate-osprey-1

Here is a link to historical and current videos of Rosie and Richmond:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1gn6yIRa_cBKExVmHdg3jQ

The weather in the US is amping up. Here is the latest NOAA national map. If you are in this area which covers a huge population of the US, you take care!

There is a line of rain that includes Louisiana at an angle going NE that includes NYC and Duke Farms Bald Eagles in Hillsborough, NJ. Ice is in Southern Ohio and moving eastward and will impact the PA birds. Heavy snow for upstate NY. It is currently raining at the KNF nest in Louisiana and rain, or is it freezing rain?, at Berry College.

Anna and Louis were both wet. the little eaglet is dry. You can see that they are alerting. The cold has hit the nest. It is 3 degrees C or 18 F and it is set to fall to 0. Stay warm Anna, Louis, and the baby!

Missy is keeping B15 dry. It is 13 degrees C but the weather report is saying thunderstorms for the Berry College Bald Eagle nest. Stay safe everyone.

You can barely tell but snow is starting to fall on Big Red and Arthur’s nest in Ithaca, New York. It is currently 2 degrees C at the nest. It will get down to -6 C before this storm is over. This area of upstate NY is set to get pounded with snow. Keep Big Red and Arthur in your thoughts.

All of the nests in PA are set to be hit with ice and/or snow. There could be significant tree loss if the ice continues to build up like it is doing in southern Ohio at the moment.

Thank you for joining me. My thoughts go out to everyone and all the nests in this storm area. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Golden Gate Audubon, Cal Falcons, Cornell Bird Lab RTH, KNF, Berry College, and NOAA.

Late Monday in Bird World

The ‘Alberta Clipper’ is just starting to impact Winnipeg with some light snow flakes. We are in an extreme blizzard warning area until tomorrow morning when the winds and snow – getting up to 90 kph (or 55 mph) – dissipate. The garden birds were a little strange today. They ate and left. Normally they come and stay all day but a couple of waves of different groups came and went. I suspect they were going to try and find a place to hunker down for the duration. This storm system is also going to impact a huge part of the US including my childhood state of Oklahoma.

It is snowing on the Storks near Freiburg, too.

There is wind and blowing snow in Durbe, Latvia, the home of Milda, the White-tailed Eagle. The sound from the camera’s microphone makes you shiver – the wind is just howling through the forest.

The female Bald Eagle at Duke Farms is also under some snow and it looks like she might get more as this weather system moves through the eastern US.

There is good news in Bird World. Both of the USS Bald Eagles were seen at the nest today. The worry last night over whether or not there was an injury melted away. Nice.

The thermal down is coming in on the eaglet at the KNF in Central Louisiana. The light natal down is giving way to dandelions. Notice how much longer the beak is and how large the cere has become. The cere is the soft fleshy part above the black beak, seen below. The cere varies in shape, size, and colour amongst raptors. The beak will turn that beautiful yellow when this eaglet is approximately 4-5 years old and be pure yellow by the time it is 6 years old. At that time, it will also finish getting its adult plumage including that full beautiful white head.

The meals are more spread apart but the eaglet is eating longer and its crop is getting much fuller. Just look below. The crop is a pouch along the espophagus. It stores food before it gets to the stomach. It also processes prey items that cannot be processed in the stomach. The raptor will regurgitate a compressed pellet of those items that do not go to the stomach.

The Wildlife Biologist has just confirmed that this crop is at least 3-4 inches (10 cm) long! Wow.

Poor Baby. It took some maneuvering with the weight and flopping of that crop for it to get in a position to PS. Obviously the crop weighs more than the chick’s bottom does.

This baby has really grown in the last 4 or 5 days and is changing more and more with every blink it seems.

Despite being full to the brim and hardly able to move, Anna is making certain that the little one is topped up before bedtime.

NE26 and 27 are awash in Spanish Moss. The nest seems to be covered with it and fish. Lots of fish.

There are those sweet little fluffy dumplings in the nest bole.

Sleeping quietly under Mum.

At the WRDC Nest in Miami, R1 and R2 have popping crops, too. The pin or blood feathers can be seen coming in through the thermal down.

R1 is closest to you. R2 without the fluffy hair is in the back and also has a large crop. Both eaglets are doing well and there is plenty of food on the nest.

The 2022 Albatross Count on Midway Atoll is completed. Here is the information as it was posted by Friends of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge today:

YRK flew in and switched places with OGK yesterday at the Royal Albatross Quarry Track Nest in New Zealand.

Lady Hawk caught that sweet reunion.

The camera is still offline in Port Lincoln. Would love to have had a good look at our Ervie.

Tuesday February 1 is Lunar New Year for many of our friends. For all of you celebrating the Spring Festival, we wish you a healthy, happy, prosperous Year of the Tiger.

Thank you for joining me today. So happy to have you with me. Stay safe, stay warm!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Cornell Bird Lab and the NZ DOC, Friends of Midway Atoll Wildlife Refuge FB Page, KNF Bald Eagle Nest, NEFlorida Bald Eagles and the AEF, WRDC Eagle Cam, Duke Farms, Latvian Fund for Nature, and the Stork’s Nest Livestream.