I continue to fight a horrific beginning of spring cold! Thank you for all the various remedies – I am trying them! Lots of honey, lemon, and ginger! Don and Toby have embraced the day since it is raining outside as just another ‘pajama day’. That has been grand.
There continues to be sadness at Western Maryland Shore Old Town Home. The second hatch died six days ago of starvation, and today, the first hatch, a tiny little thing that was not only starving but could not get sufficiently under Mum to keep warm, died of hypothermia in the rain. For whatever reason, Mum decided to incubate the unviable egg instead of her brooding her chick. Perhaps it is a blessing. That sounds horrible, I know. But I cannot stand to see these wee things starve, get a little fish, starve some more, eventually dying a few days before fledge – emaciated.
This image is from Heidi and ‘PB’ – the little osplet had 17 bites of food at that meal, its last.
Big Red took care of her three chicks brilliantly in what has been a soaking wet day on the Cornell Campus. Fed and warm.
In the UK, there was almost a tragedy when Seren accidentally kicked one of her three chicks out of the egg cup. This is an amazing osplet – I cannot wait to see what they do in their lifetime if they manage this. Geemeff has it on video: https://youtu.be/ByCRVMITshM?
Scout on the Falconshire Bald Eagle nest is alive. There was much concern over this eaglet’s welfare. Let’s hope lots of prey come so that Scout might thrive.
Speaking of prey. Let’s think about this. Agricultural practices have changed around the world. The fields and woods are not full of rodents and gophers because humans don’t like them around. The Raptors would thrive. The rivers are full of toxins like phosphates, are warming, and have fewer and fewer fish. So when someone says it is just ‘nature’, think again. Maybe it is something linked to humans, but less obvious than a fishing line.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 23rd May 2026
Another uneventful day with spells of rain, fish deliveries, and incubation duty changeovers. Louis delivered three fish for Dorcha taking the Nest Two tally to eighty two, and Garry LV0 delivered two fish for Aurora 536, although the second one was really just the tail-end of his dinner.
Garry’s tally now stands at seventy eight. More rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow, along with what’s referred to as a gentle breeze. However, one of last night’s ‘gentle breezes’ completely upended Dorcha, so here’s wishing her an uneventful night on the exposed nest. Temperature spread is a low of 11°C tonight and a high of 16°C tomorrow.
There are two little bobbleheads for CJ7 and Blue 022 – and there are a lot of fish on that nest!
There is a wee baby for Idris and Telyn at the Dyfi nest in Wales along with a pip in the second egg.
Good news story of the day: The eagle nest collapsed. One eaglet went into care. Everyone wondered if the adults would feed the other but then a human-made nest went up and yes, the eagles are caring for their chick!!!!!!!! Humans can do good things. This is wonderful. Thank you!
Everything you wanted to know (or not) about Iris’s eggs.
Look for the NG2 name choices to be posted on the 26th of May.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care everyone. Stay safe and I hope, beyond hope, you do not get this summer cold or flu whatever it is.
Thank you to Geemeff for her report on all things Loch Arkaig, to Heidi and ‘PB’ for drawing my attention to what has happened at WMSOTH, and to all those who created videos or posted on FB; we are grateful. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our lovely families.
It is time for one of those ‘heart-to-heart’ chats with everyone who ‘only’ watches US Osprey nests. You have wrung your hands and cried when the baby died at Moorings Park. You have torn your insides out watching Achieva with the first baby dying, Jack not delivering enough fish, and now Mum having to fish because she is starving. Will Middle make it? We don’t know. It is difficult to watch osplets starve on a nest. Each of us wants every nest and every chick to thrive.
I study osprey mortality. The rate and cause of death vary from region to region. When I began my study, the top COD was siblicide – one sibling killing another. Normally, this is triggered by a lack of food, but there have been some exceptions due to food and dominance. I doubt if anyone watching the nest with Zoe at Port Lincoln (or Solly, also at Port Lincoln) will forget the eldest female eating and eating – much more than seemed possible and then killing her two siblings. Port Lincoln obtained permission to supplement the feed for the chicks on the nest in subsequent years. At Achieva, Mum is desperate. It is hot, and she leaves for only about ten minutes at a time to try her hand at fishing. She normally brings back a catfish, her legs wet. This is a huge risk for these young babies due to heat and predators, but when everyone is starving, what other choice does she have?
It is the last of the fish. Little will get nothing. Big got most of two fish.
Little had 64 bites of fish – Heidi is counting – . Still, Jill is fish-calling and fish-calling. She knows they are in danger of losing Little. She’s a good Mum.
We do not know why Jack does not deliver more fish. I have not kept up with the weather and drought conditions in the region this year. But heat and drought certainly impact fishing. Intruders taking fish from ospreys is another cause. Simple lack of fish is another – again, I wish I knew this area better. For years, there has been speculation that Jack might even have another family to feed. We simply don’t know, and speculating doesn’t change the situation.
Achieva has always been a nest where I remember the difficult year when Tumbles triumphed. Heidi and I sat up and each of us counted every bite that baby got. We monitored when Diane changed her mind and brought in a catfish at dark when the older two were sleeping and fed her baby. Tumbles was her nickname and she was feisty and smart. She ate off the old bones hidden deep in the nest. She scrambled around the rim to get to Mum’s beak to get some food. She squeezed into tight spaces to get bites so the older, much bigger siblings couldn’t get her. It was horrible to watch. At least five times, we thought Tumbles was a ‘goner’. Once, she had no fish for 79 hours. But she was a survivor. Out in the real world, ospreys cannot be timid. There is too much competition for so little in so many places in North America. So when you see a Tumbles, you always remember them – the drive to live was exceptional.
Each nest offers us a learning experience, whether it thrives or struggles. But often, our personal lives leave us emotionally worn out. We can’t stand to see another one starve to death, so below I have some recommendations for highly successful nests.
Nothing came.
In contrast, Sunnie Day reports on the Moorings Park chat: “8 fish today. 9:44, 10:38, 1:08, 2:42, 3:15, 4:19, 5:02,, and 6:31. All from Harry.” That is what needs to be happening when the chicks are bigger at Achieva. (And it won’t, believe me).
My recommendations: The first one is the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn in Wales. Idris is known as ‘Daddy Longlegs’. He delivers whoppers. He feeds Telyn. They are great parents. Then there is Dylan and Seren up at Lyn Clywedog. That reservoir is stocked annually with 45,000 fish (or so I was told several years ago). Then there is Poole Harbour, with CJ7 and Blue 022. They are going after some record for raising four osplets over and over again. There are others, including Rutland’s Maya and Blue 33, but there have been accidents with fish, and we have had a little one die now and then. They remain super parents still.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 17th April 2026
There is only one story of any note – the return of Louis, the dominant male of Loch Arkaig since 2017. As hopes started to fade due to his exceeding his previous latest arrival date by nearly a week, he arrived in a blaze of glory onto Nest Two at 17.57.42 this evening. Dorcha, his mate since 2021, wasn’t around and he landed without his usual soft chirrup so who’s to say they hadn’t already met up earlier in the day. We’ll never know but what is certain is that all of us watchers are thrilled, amazed and delighted to see Louis home safely and looking so well. In other news, the potential rival male JJ4 wasn’t seen today, and Garry LV0 was quickly sent packing when he intruded on Dorcha today. He returned to his own nest, Nest One, on a surfboard, and didn’t bring any fish for his mate Aurora 536 so his tally remains at fifteen fish to date. How quickly will Louis overtake that? It will be great fun to watch. Welcome home Louis!
Champagne corks popped around the world when Louis touched down. Louis has lost no time making up for being late. Fish and mating continue….eggs in a week?
SK Hideaways Videos, 10-16 April 2026
John Bunker Sands, Combine, TX
Courtesy John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Eagle Cam
Oh, the comings and goings at Iris’s nest. I cannot keep up with it! Nor can I tell Louis from one of the visitors – or maybe it is just Louis every time I check!
So many things are happening. Pip watches here and there…Peanut is back on the nest, Lola has an injury on her wing from the owl, etc. It is hard to keep up! We have been cleaning out a room today and had a short, brisk walk. The temperature with the wind was -15 C. Not so nice. But it was a good day. And I can tell you that the alarms work! Don got up this morning and decided to go outside. The siren went off. Yes, it did give him a bit of a fright, which I think will make him think twice about touching that door!!!!!!!!! It is nice not to have to take keys any longer but my real hope is that spring arrives soon.
Take care everyone.
Thank you to everyone who has been writing to me about Achieva – ‘MP, PB’, to Heidi for keeping on top of the bite count there, to SK Hideaways for their videos, to Geemeff for the daily summary and to everyone who posted images and information on FB, gosh, I am grateful to you. Thank you so very much. As always, we are grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of these raptor families.
For years, I had the time to advocate for our raptor nests. In the past year, Don’s dementia has deteriorated, and with the arrival of Toby, my free time is minuscule. That said, my ‘inbox’ is full of the tragedy that is or could be brewing at the Texas Bald Eagle nest, along with the GHO having visited the Frenchman’s Osprey nest with its first egg of the season! In the past that GHO has taken an egg and a chick. So let me get on my bandwagon, albeit it a shorter one than in the past.
‘It is Just Nature!’ IF I hear that phrase one more time I am liable to blow up like a balloon. Nature. Ask my friend, ‘R’, what it was like in Florida in the 1950s when they would take their kayak out into the wilderness. Ask the deer in my neighbourhood or the ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay. Humans have destroyed nature. So don’t tell me you can’t help the little eaglet in the Texas nest, or remove the trash from the Brevard nest, or put up lights for the osprey at Frenchman’s Creek. That is just a start at my list – add Achieva to that, too.
Humans have drastically altered nature, leading to accelerated wildlife extinction through habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and overexploitation. The primary driver is land-use change—specifically deforestation for agriculture, urbanisation, and resource extraction—which eliminates habitat and food sources for species. Key, consistent impacts include habitat fragmentation, illegal poaching, and the introduction of invasive species.
I think Heidi and I had over 40 ways that humans had destroyed the homes of our wildlife, but let’s take a look at those broad categories.
Habitat loss has to be one of the leading causes – urbanisation, farming, cows (yes, cows), industry, mining, etc continue to reduce the area and break up the spaces for the animals so they can survive.
Toxic Air and Water – we have destroyed good water and air with chemicals from industry, pesticides used in agriculture, and contaminated entire food chains. Then there are the plastics in the ocean – more plastic than plankton now and if you want to know how horrible that is think of the albatross.
Climate Change – We have accelerated this through our continued use of fossil fuels. We have disrupted the breeding cycles and the caused many animals not to have the time to adapt to change.
Illegal Wildlife trade, Overfishing and over hunting. Poaching birds in Australia and mammals in Africa for luxury pet items or use in traditional medicines.
Introduction of Invasive species that prey upon and destroy native wildlife.
Deforestation. Cutting down trees around the world damages everything. It is more expensive but coffee grown in shade saves habitat for our beloved birds while providing a good income for the farmers and workers. Branded as ‘Birds and Beans’ it is accredited by the Smithsonian. So think about it. How much do you spend buying coffee at one of the local coffee shops? Then check out their pricing. Reduce your coffee consumption or do what Jane Goodall did and use the grinds twice – help wildlife.
So nature? Don’t tell me it is nature when our raptors are starving. It is us and it is time for humans to step up and take responsibility.
So here is some information to help you understand more fully so you can argue on behalf of our wildlife:
Window to Wildlife said they will continue to monitor the nest at Winter Park Florida and do “what they legally can”.
With great respect to Window to Wildlife, who have done incredible work and acted quickly within the legal limits when a ‘CLEARLY caused human issue’ threatened the eaglets, such as fishing line.
It is now time for agencies and groups and individuals to advocate for the wildlife – step in and put more fish on that nest in Florida. It has happened in South Australia and it happens all the time in Eastern Europe. Two good examples are Mlady Buky and the community feeding the storklets and parents when one adult was electrocuted. The other was the removal of the storklets, hand rearing them at a medical facility, and then fostering them in Estonia. There are many instances where humans reached out to help.
The Migratory Bird Laws of the 1940s are archaic. That was 85 years ago. If they can be changed with the snap of a finger to allow the killing of the raptors during migration, then equally, we need to step up and protect the birds in their nests!!!!!!!! It is time.
This is an AI Generated response when I ask how humans have destroyed nature:
Human activities have severely degraded the natural world, resulting in a sixth mass extinction event, with roughly 1 million species at risk. Key drivers include the destruction of over 80% of wild mammal populations, clearing of 70% of land for agriculture, and significant pollution of oceans. These actions have altered 75% of ice-free land, leading to widespread biodiversity loss, climate change, and ecosystem collapse.
Key Areas of Destruction:
Biodiversity Loss & Extinction: Human activity has caused a 20% decline in biodiversity on average in land animal communities. Roughly 83% of all wild mammals and half of all plants have been lost.
Land Use & Deforestation: Roughly 70% to 75% of the Earth’s ice-free land surface has been altered, with 40% of land degraded, largely for agriculture, mining, and logging. Between 2000 and 2013, 1.9 million square kilometers of undisturbed ecosystems were lost.
Ocean & Marine Life: Nearly 90% of marine fish stocks are fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted. Around 66% of the ocean area is impacted by human activities like pollution and overfishing.
Overexploitation:Royal Society notes that overfishing and overhunting constitute 20% of biodiversity decline.
Pollution: Plastic pollution and fertilizer runoff are significantly damaging marine environments.
Economic Expansion: The demand for resources has led to the rapid destruction of ecosystems, with only 3% of the earth’s terrestrial surface remaining ecologically and faunally intact.
Please think about these matters and speak up. The osprey cannot do this for themselves nor can the little eaglet who is injured (is it superficial? or is it hot and the chick is becoming rapidly dehydrated?).
Thank you for listening. See you soon.
Thank you to those who took the time to write to me about issues at the nests and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us into the lives of the raptors we love so much.
The featured image is by Japanese printmaker, Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915) (courtesy of the British Museum and WikiCommons). His image captures the tradition of fireworks over the Ryogoku in Tokyo made famous by Utagawa Hiroshige in his One Hundred Views of Edo of 1858, seen below.
The Ryogoku Bridge was one of the most famous bridges that spanned the Sumida River, if not the most famous. Hiroshige repeatedly drew it.
Unlike the fireworks in Western society at New Year’s (and now a tradition also in Asia), those over the Ryogoku Bridge are at the end of summer during the Obon Festival. This Japanese holiday remembers and honours the spirit of the ancestors. This annual celebration often consists of as many as 20,000 separate displays. It began in 1613 when gunpowder was introduced to the Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is thought that gunpowder and fireworks explosives were a present from the British diplomat acting on behalf of King James I and a Chinese trader. Known as hanabi with hana meaning flower and bi meaning fire, these fire shaped flower displays first took place for the public over the Sumida River in 1733. At that time they were in remembrance of the million people who had died from extreme poverty the year before. They have continued to today where the lights and smoke entertain people for one to two hours as part of the annual summer festival.
It is somewhat fitting to think of the fireworks going off around the world to close 2020 and welcome 2021 as a way of remembering all of the souls lost to SARS-Covid 19 during 2020.
