Tag Archives: Cornell wildlife

Big Red is drenched…Wednesday in Bird World

6 May 2026

Oh, goodness. We woke up to a bit of snow yesterday and the temperatures have remained on the chilly side. In Ithaca, New York, it is really raining on Big Red and Arthur and their nestlings. Big Red is a very experienced Mum. She has been through season after season of rain, wind, snow, and being buried in ice. Still, I worry about the little ones getting cold and damp and having difficulties. Two have hatched, one died trying to hatch, and it appears to me that we have a beak sticking out of the last egg.

Arthur is providing food – and he will continue to line the nest – no matter the weather.

A red-tailed hawk sitting in a nest surrounded by twigs and branches, with several chicks nearby.
A close-up of a red-tailed hawk nest featuring two fluffy chicks, one egg, and remnants of feeding materials among sticks and nesting materials.

Please send them and all the nests your most positive wishes.

Jill at Achieva is going to be the Mother’s Day Mum of this season. She continues to defy everything we know and is out fishing, sometimes past 2000, to get fish to her growing babies. Little is now so strong that it is, as ‘PB’ notes, ‘wanting to rule the nest’.

A close-up view of an osprey nest situated on a platform, with several sticks and twigs forming the nest structure. Two ospreys are visible, one perched and the other moving within the nest. Lush green trees surround the area, and a street can be seen in the background.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 5th May 2026

Another reassuringly boring day where nothing out of the ordinary happened.  The odd stick or bit of bark was brought to a nest when fish was expected, but fish were delivered too. Garry LV0 delivered one trout to Aurora 536 on Nest One, taking his tally to forty six, and Louis delivered two to Dorcha, taking the Nest Two tally to forty two. No intruders, no drama, just two females incubating their eggs – Aurora with a few absences – and males delivering fish then taking their turn on egg duty. Fingers crossed tranquility reigns until hatching and beyond.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/zn5cJS4L4Wg N2 Dorcha departs with her breakfast leaving Louis on egg duty 05.14.58https://youtu.be/Gqv2rjFcyTE N2 Louis gets to egg-sit when Dorcha leaves with fish two 10.04.27https://youtu.be/RNMca79xnG0 N1 Garry settles down on egg duty as Aurora leaves with her fish 10.06.41

Bonus watch and read – how Woodland Trust is saving Scotland’s rainforests:https://youtu.be/NzoAxoG3AZghttps://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/scotland/saving-scotlands-rainforest/

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/vi57aF6RvWs  N1 Aila suffers an owl strike 2019 (slo-mo)

https://youtu.be/50n9gpytiy4   N1 A typical night on the nest for Aila 2020

https://youtu.be/fCzbYErsSgA  N1 Persistent Hoodie won’t leave Aila alone 2020 (Slo-mo)

https://youtu.be/pBzJsBFIzek  N1 Strange Osprey lands on the empty nest 2023

https://youtu.be/Rg-hxBiPEPM  N2 Louis has an aerial encounter with an intruder 2023 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/eX9kUX1m6QM N1 Aida wants fish, Garry wants to mate, gets rejected 2024

https://youtu.be/J0T2g4AjXv0 N2 Finally – Louis delivers the first fish to Dorcha 2024

https://youtu.be/VvL_ZaQsu7s N1 Woodland Trust have given Blue 536 a name – hello Aurora! 2025

https://youtu.be/PNRVXZc0NDU N2 Louis alarm calls as an intruder Osprey flies overhead 2025

https://youtu.be/SYZq9BrLbWs N2 Unringed Osprey intrudes on Louis: aerial battle ensues 2025

You’re invited to join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Rosie Shields has the latest from the Border Osprey platform.

LIVE FEEDDownload

A startling Netflix documentary about the killing of cylicist and the persecution of raptors in Scotland.

‘Should I Marry a Murderer?’ New Netflix documentary provides sobering insight into brutal killing &Download

There is a job opportunity monitoring raptors in Scotland.

Job opportunity: Scottish Raptor Monitoring Coordinator – Raptor Persecution UKDownload

Monty and Hartley’s babies hatched on the 21st of April – yes, all on the same day. They are now 15 days old. Rumours had them being ringed today at 0800, but they are not old enough yet. I suspect we will have another 10 days to go or thereabouts.

Five fluffy owl chicks huddle together in a nesting box with a dirty background.
Two fluffy white bird chicks sitting in a nesting box at San Jose City Hall, surrounded by feathers and debris.
A close-up view of a nesting area at San Jose City Hall, showing three fluffy chicks and scattered feathers on the ground.

Sally and Winken enjoying a Tilapia at Moorings Park.

A close-up of a bird's nest with two osprey adults and several chicks. In the background, a lake is visible alongside modern buildings and lush greenery.

That is it for today! Please take care. I am off to get Don to the doctor in a few hours. It should all go well. Toby gets to spend the afternoon with Ann and her Australian Shepherd, Lucy. He is going to have so much fun!

Keep your eye on Iris’s nest!!!!!!!

Thank you to Geemeff for the Woodland Trust summary, to ‘PB’ for cheering on Jill at Achieva, and to the writer Ruth of Raptor Persecution UK. We need investigative reporting in the world of raptors. Too much human harm gets covered up! To the others who have posted on FB and other platforms and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these incredible birds.