I am starting to write my post Saturday evening. It is 1733 and the conservatory is filled with light. The days are much longer and that is truly welcome. Everyone feels good. The weather will, however, continue to get cooler until next weekend when they are predicting we will drop to -30 C.
Today, we put another area rug in the conservatory. There is a reason for these rugs – they are for Toby. He chases Hugo Yugo throughout the house or Hugo Yugo chases him. There is a real issue regarding the legs of these Cavaliers. Like Toby’s food, I am doing everything I can to protect his health and physical well being. This means there is one more rug to get for the library area. At the same time, these rugs must be secured so that Don doesn’t trip on them. Talk about a balancing act!
Hugo Yugo and Toby helped with the rug.
We need to send some good energy to Duke Farms. One of the three eggs broke Friday night. The other one appears to not be viable. There is, however, one little eaglet working hard to get out of the last egg!
The siblings at the Winter Park Florida Bald Eagle nest are doing fantastic.
Jazz is getting a private feeding. Things on this nest, the E3 at the Kisatchie National Forest have turned around just as everyone had hoped. Nola still has first rights, so to speak, but Jazz is eating well and there is plenty of food coming on the nest. The little one looks great.
So far the food deliveries on the E1 nest of Anna and Louis II have been low on Saturday.
There is a second egg for Jack and Jill at Achieva.
Decorah Mum protected her precious egg scovered in snow. There are two of them.
Owlvira and Hoots two of the four owlets that survived are doing fantastic.
Little Miami Conservancy now has three eggs.
There are now 10 Kakapo chicks. This is going to be a brilliant year! There was a daytime egg check a few minutes ago. Here it is on video: https://youtu.be/bkNQWALZ9mw?
Bella has laid the third egg for her and Scout. Wish them luck! Deb Stecyk has it on video: https://youtu.be/PCAOOIIyBVM?
Baby Hope wishes everyone a wonderul end to their weekend.
Missey hopes your weather is warmer than ours.
Brock had several meals and slept on my neighbour’s porch for about three hours. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
Thank you for a quick check in with some of our nests. We will be back again with you on Monday with more news about our wonderful feathered friends. Please take care. Enjoy the end of the weekend. Get outside if you can. It is revitalising!
Thank you to those who created videos, to the owners of the streaming cams who let us peek into the lives of our feathered friends, and to the authors of the FB posts who keep us informed of all the action! I am truly grateful.
We woke up to -22 C Saturday morning. Just seeing those numbers on the phone screen and feeling the cold of the conservatory floor on the soles of my bundled-up feet reminded me how much I dislike getting up on a winter’s morning. While ‘The Girls’ have their boxes, dear Toby had to head outside for his ‘business’. Poor thing. We also had to get ready to get Toby to his last grooming session of the year. My goodness. We are 24 days away from 2026. Can you believe it?
There is a forecast, our first for a cold warning (ECCC) with windchills from -35 to -40 C. This is for Saturday night and into Sunday. Extreme Cold.
Thank you so much for your letters and your comments. Today I finally got around to answering comments, some from near Thanksgiving. I do appreciate them even if I can’t sit down and respond as quickly as I did several years ago. It reminds me that there are wonderful people out there who love our wildlife and will do anything they can to help. It makes my heart (and feet) warm.
‘MP’ sent us a link to a new Bald Eagle nest in Texas with the following note:
Eagle nest live Texas. It’s in Bay City, TX in Matagorda county on the coast in South Texas. There are already two eggs in the nest. They are going to be naming the adults and then the chicks after they hatch. I don’t know how long the nest has been there, but it’s on a private ranch near the Colorado River in Texas. It has a chat too. The stream opened this year on 12/2/25.”
When I checked the live stream was not available. Please check on and off as they could be having Internet issues!
If you want to help all of our wildlife, then it is time to take on the issue of lead. Every year at this time, countless raptors are admitted to rehabilitation clinics in dire condition due to lead.
Lead builds up in the bodies of raptors and other carrion eaters, such as condors and vultures, by ingesting fragments of lead ammunition from animal carcasses or gut piles left in the field by hunters. They also consume lead from lost fishing weights and sinkers in aquatic environments. Our birds do not have the luxury of ordering food. They are opportunistic. They are scavengers and eat carrion, especially in winter when live prey is scarce. When they consume meat containing tiny lead fragments (often the size of a grain of rice or smaller), the lead enters their digestive system. The stomach acid quickly breaks down this lead which is absorbed in their blood stream. Their bodies do not get rid of it. It accumulates in their liver, kidneys, brains – the soft tissues of their body – and over time it will even be absorbed into their bones. Even small amounts of lead can cause severe illness or death.
The easiest solution is for anyone currently using lead equipment – either in sports or in the military – to switch to a non-lead alternative. They cost a little more but, in the end, isn’t it worth it? If humans cannot voluntarily do what is good for wildlife and the environment, then lead ammunition and lead equipment should be banned from manufacture.
Please tell anyone that you know that hunts or fishes how they can help and what happens if they don’t stop using lead!
For those who love the Decorah Hatchery Eagles, you might recall that the wonderful female, known as Hatchery Mum or HM, also died of lead toxicity.
.Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We will see you again tomorrow!
Thank you to ‘MP’ for writing in about the new Texas eagle nest! And thank you to Geemeff for that great story as well as the authors of articles and posts included today. My blog would never be the same without your input.
It says Monday, but it is actually late Sunday night.
I hope each of you had a lovely weekend. We had snow and ice, and it wasn’t all that wonderful, but it warmed up today to 1°C, so some of that treacherous ice has melted. Thank goodness! The garden animals have been very busy, and on Saturday, there were so many European Starlings that it was completely impossible to count them. Oh, they are lovely birds. Our friend Geemeff was here to see them, and they noticed that our Blue Jays are much brighter in colour than those in the UK.
Heidi has sent me the most informative presentation on the issue of the ospreys in the Chesapeake. It is worth sharing with everyone who cares about the destiny of our fish hawks in that region.
Heidi writes: “This was a very informative presentation about the decline of ospreys around the Chesapeake Bay region. It includes some general osprey educational information, then at around the 49 minute mark, they start to talk more about the decline of ospreys, and specifically as it relates to industrial fishing of menhaden. It is a long video (2 hours), but I watched it in 15-20 minute increments over a couple of days.”
SK Hideaways Videos for the Week of 2 November 2025
All my videos stem from my love of raptors. My mission is to inform, educate, and entertain viewers. I have never and will never monetize my videos. They are purely a labor of love that give me great joy to share with anyone kind enough to view them. Much gratitude to Mary Ann Steggles for bringing my videos to you.
367 Collins St. Falcons, Mum F24, Dad M24, and 3 chicks
Morning Shenanigans More Vigorous & Daring. NEW ~ Louvre Perching (2025 Nov 7)
As fledge nears, the chicks are more active and even a little twitchy, especially first thing in the morning. Their wing exercises are more vigorous, their gutter stomping louder and bouncier, and all of this happening more often on the ledge. Today, one sister made it to the louvre ~ another milestone.
Chicks Take Self-Feeding Seriously ~ Give Mum the Boot (or Beak) (2025 Nov 7)
The chicks were all over mum F24 when she delivered breakfast a little later than they would have liked. They needed no help devouring every last morsel and then gave mum the heave-ho when she stopped by for leftovers.
SE36 FLEDGES✈️ Follows SE35 to Dad’s Perch🌲 and Back Again🎉 (2025 Nov 7)
SE36 had a beautiful fledge, flying to Dad’s perch tree to meet SE35, who flew moments before. The eaglets were frisky and lively all afternoon ~ seemed like they were planning SE36’s fledge along. After an exhausting day, the siblings pancaked in the nest overnight.
SE35 Leaves Nest for 2-Hour Exploration ~ SE36 Remains on Sentry Duty (2025 Nov 6)
SE35 took to the forest for a 2-hour exploration of the habitat. SE36 was content to keep an eye on things and simply look stunning. When SE35 returned, all was well between the eaglets and they simply got on with their day.
Gimbir Watches Diamond Feed Chick #1 from Cilla Stones 🥰 (2025 Nov 7)
Gimbir continued his on-the-job training after delivering one of many meals. While he typically flees after deliveries, this time he perched himself on the Cilla stones and watched Diamond feed his first born. It was one of the most heartwarming displays I’ve ever seen.
Gimbir Brings 3 Starlings in 9 Minutes ~ Chicks Gets First Meal (2025 Nov 6, 6:01-6:29)
Gimbir showed his paternal chops, delivering a significant bounty to the nest for the 17-hour-old chick and Diamond. His 9-minute hunt reaped 3 starlings. Wonder if Diamond was impressed as we were.
Gimbir Meets His Very First Chick ~ Moments of Puzzlement Ensues (2025 Nov 5)
Gimbir seemed somewhat perplexed to see a fluff ball where there used to be an egg. While he hasn’t yet learned the subtleties of fatherhood – or even the not-so-subtleties, he will do so in time. Here we look at his first two visits with his very first chick.
FIRST HATCH for Diamond & Gimbir ~ From Pip to Hatch in 7 HOURS (2025 Nov 5)
Diamond increased moving and shaking of the eggs as she likely detected a pip and heard at least one chick. Chick #1 was motivated to see the world! The video shows progress from pip to hatch over 7 hours
Shadow then Jackie Make Pre-Season Nest Visits🪹Rendezvous on Roost Tree🌲 (2025 Nov 3)
Adult visits to the Lookout Snag and Basement were gifts enough. But then, Shadow and then Jackie each visited the nest. Shadow brought 2 sticks with Jackie following a bit later to inspect the still messy nest. It’s pre-season time, so every visit is an extra special gift. The cherry on top was Jackie and Shadow’s rendezvous on the Roost Tree.
Cholyn & Chase Do Major Nestorations with Massive Sticks (2025 Nov 3)
Cholyn and Chase continue shoring up the rails of the original nest, bringing in massive branch after massive branch plus soft material from the fluff factory. Typical disagreements about what furniture should go where are quickly resolved. They depart the nest at the end of the video, flying away to their secret hideaway. Listen for the beautiful chortles.
It continues to be possible that the falcons Gimbir and Diamond at the Charles Sturt Falcon scrape in Orange will only have one eyas to care for and what a lucky little fluffy white ball this one is if that is the case!
This little one is seriously adorable.
Cilla Kinross wants to name this little cutie pie. Here is the information – please vote noting that you can select up to three names but no more or your vote will be discarded!
While the little one at Orange has not even had its beak change colour, the trio at Melbourne’s CBD falcon scrape at 367 Collins Street are preparing to fly. Almost all of the dandelions have disappeared and they are enjoying watching their parents fly through the CBD luring them into a life away from the scrape. Soon! Too soon, of course.
Every year we wring our hands with worry around the fledging of the sea eaglets at Sydney. It is the Currawongs. Despite those pesky birds attacking our fledglings, Lady and Dad are persisting in feeding the eaglets on the nest and today on the branches of nest tree – Ranger Judy Harrington says this is a great milestone. In all the years I have watched this nest, the adults only fed at the nest or down by the River Roost. No doubt these feedings will keep the fledglings strong, strong enough to beat those pesky birds so that they can learn to hunt from Lady and Dad and live a marvellous independent life – both of them. No more starving sea eaglets on the pavement by the Discovery Centre taken into care — let’s hope! So happy.
‘A’ sends us their commentary from Melbourne: “Dear Mary Ann,
I presume you have seen this footage, but in case you hadn’t, I thought I’d send it to you:
It’s almost as if the two eaglets following each other and appearing to play together is giving the younger sibling confidence. It certainly looks like that (okay, I’m anthropomorphising but you have to admit, it does appear that way.)
Let’s hope this year will be different. Certainly, the pre- and post-fledge behaviours have been somewhat different this year, and the confidence of both eaglets may be greater when it comes to insisting on their right to exist in that forest. I have a lot of confidence that this is going to be the year that the eaglets manage to thrive despite the currawongs. If they work to some extent as a team, they will surely have a better chance. Let’s hope my completely irrational belief is based on something real.
The three at Collins Street are such a noisy and energetic rabble that the parents just dump food and flee. Meanwhile at Orange, Gimbir continues to observe and learn. He still has not done a feeding but I’m sure he will try soon. Meanwhile, I believe I was right about the egg that hatched being the last one laid. Certainly, it was the one with the least colour. But whether or not I am right about that, I don’t think either of the two remaining eggs is going to hatch. At this stage, I have enough confidence in Gimbir’s hunting to have stop fearing a second or third hatch, but I don’t think we’re going to have one.”
M15 is undoubtedly a handsome eagle, and he is working hard with F23 to prepare their SW Florida nest for eggs. Mulhady and Pepe already have three at Central Florida – they always seem to be the first!
I have a soft spot for the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest of Gabby. Like so many of you, I adored Samson, but it appears that Beau is rising to the occasion, and let us hope that they have another fledgling this year! They are sure working on that nest.
Eagles at the US Steel nest.
They are working on the Decorah North nest in Iowa!
And at many other nests including Fraser Point on the Channel Islands.
There are ospreys visiting the Captiva Osprey nest on Sanibel Island! They came and went before I checked on the nest. The chat is very informative and Window to Wildlife has a daily log – the link to it is in the chat. This is a new osprey couple it appears.
Jack and Jill have been at the Achieva Credit Union nest in St Petersburg, Florida. Concerns persist regarding the structure, with worry that eggs and/or chicksmay fall through.
The environment remains on all of our minds. As much as we try to avoid plastic, it is almost impossible to do so. What a mess we have made of things! The Guardian brings us up to date on just one of the major disasters brought on by plastic.
Our local wildlie rehabilitation centre, Wildlife Haven is really busy. Lumi the rare lynx cub is now doing much better after refusing to eat. Now they have a Bald Eagle in their care.
Anyone reading my blog is aware of the dangers posed by lead to our beloved raptors. We must continue our fight to halt the production of lead ammunition, as well as lead in all types of fishing gear. Please raise your voice to ban this deadly substance any time you can.
How much do you know about Great Grey Owls? There are some lovely close ups of nestlings in this documentary by Our World.https://youtu.be/OVE3UzyvEIc?
From everyone in my family to yours, we hope you have a truly wonderful week. We look forward to you being with us again next Monday. Here are some recent photos of Toby and his sisters and a few of the garden animals that add so much joy to my life. Indeed, I cannot imagine a day without them despite all the work they create.
Toby is modelling his new turtleneck sweater. Toby is going to need a miniature closet soon.
Hugo Yugo looking beautiful in the golden light of sunset.
Baby Hope – the sweetest and most shy of the bunch.
The mysterious Missey.
Lovable Calico.
Mr Crow waiting his turn in line to get a peanut.
Brock trying to hurry and eat his roast chicken and ham before Toby finds out he is outside! As everyone knows, Brock is a true survivor. He has lived for five years outside on his own. He won’t come in the house and is very weary of being ‘trapped’ in fancy heated houses for winter. So, we simply love him, respect what life has thrown at him and what he is used to, and make sure he gets at least three large tins of food and fresh water every day.
One of five grey squirrels.
Do you know what the national bird of Canada is? Have a good read and celebrate the American Bird Conservancy’s Bird of the Week!!
Thank you to A, Heidi and SK Hideaways, to all the owners of the streaming cams that give us a glimpse – a great privilege – into the lives of our favourite raptors, to the authors of Facebook posts that keep us up to date on the nest happenings, and to papers such as The Guardian that continue to carry the environmental story. My blog would never be the same without their contributions. I am very grateful!
It is freezing – well, not literally, but temperatures will drop to 11 C tonight. Already it is feeling like wool socks and jumpers.
I hope your day has been as good as it can be as we worry about our little Mini. I hope that we are not worrying about Mini in a week – that she is progressing. My friend ‘R’ says that when a patient comes into a doctor’s office with a complaint, they look for symmetry. Do you know how hard it is to get Mini to stand with her legs apart, facing the camera? Three does it all the time. Frustrating!
Before we even peek at the kittens today, the big news is that Ervie is on the move! Oh, I hope that someone will be there to take photos of our little lad. Ervie is nearly two years old (hatched mid-September 2021), and I would love for him to stay in Port Lincoln and take over the barge from Mum and Dad. but now thankful he has a tracker.
Thank goodness for the three kittens! They work wonders – better than worry beads!
Calico now allows me to scoop her up and rub her cheek against mine. She is also in full approval of kitten milk. She drinks about 1/3 of a cup at each meal. Her fur is beginning to shine a bit. She is very sneaky, and I cannot find that kitten/s. She weaves in and out – keeping me guessing and running – when she is ready! Geemeff suggested in jest that I put a GoPro on her. Well, there is one sitting here in front of me. But Calico doesn’t weigh more than a quarter, so I am reluctant, but it sure would help me find where she is going! She certainly has a PhD in thwarting surveillance techniques.
Oh, Wednesday was another day spent – in part – staring at Mini’s leg to see if something is wrong and what it could be. The truth is we will never know. She is eating and flying and that is good. Mum is checking on her and fish keep coming in. She did not even finish a really large one. I am glad she is not grounded because who knows what would happen after that…let us all hope it is a sore sprain. Someone thought her foot had been cut but it was blood from the nice fresh fish she was munching on…fingers crossed. She is surely loved and if love can heal she will be 100% soon!
Mini got some nice fish flakes but lost part of the fish over the side of the nest. She appeared to be in some pain and having difficulty with that left leg in the early morning.
This is the best image to see that left leg.
16:31
1727. Parent with another fish for Mini.
These parents are amazing. They take such good care of all their chicks and now they are concerned about Little Mini, too.
Mini flew off shortly after. Please send her positive wishes. On Thursday morning the parents brought Mini her breakfast fish…she is not putting any weight on that left leg today. She ate some of the fish but appears to be worse than yesterday.
My heart is just broken. She cannot be taken into care unless she is grounded. Oh, I so wish this is just a bad sprain, but I fear it is worse than that.
If we ever begin to doubt how much Mini wants to live and how much she deserves to, ‘MP’ found a screen shot of the Patchogue nest he took eons ago. It was raining and the three bigger chicks were under Mum and Mum had quit feeding the fourth hatch. There is Mini. She should have died of exposure. She didn’t. She should have died of hunger. She didn’t. Let us all help her beat this! Positive energy.
Today, Mini appears to be in considerable pain – visually so. I hoped – beyond hope- this was just a simple sprain and she would ‘get over it in time’. But it looks like she really needs an intervention – which is something that I did not want to see for fear that our darling girl cannot get better. Send our little fighter all of your love.
There have been worries at several other nests. One was the third hatch at the Steelscape nest that has not had fish in some time. ‘PB’ alerted me to a fish arriving at 1535 on Wednesday and the third hatch devoured it. Thank goodness, the older siblings flew in later. This baby was starving.
At Loch Arkaig, after being MIA for 28 hours, Louise arrived with one fish for Nuka and returned shortly after with one for Dorcha. Relief. I don’t even know what my mind would do if we lost Louis this year to intruders – and there are intruders everywhere.
In the middle of some worry over Mini and concerns for the third hatch at Steelscape (and other nests), there are always stories that lift our spirits. ‘MB’ sent me one of those today to share with you. One lucky osplet family.
I reported about the storks dying due to extreme weather. Those were Latvian storks…my friend Sassa Bird says that they have not witnessed in their lifetime a catastrophic storm with tornadoes and hail and the winds that caused the deaths of the beloved storms preparing for migration. It is simply heartbreaking. The Latvians love their storks, and this has been a challenging year in the area with the weather. Our thoughts go out to everyone there.
The trio at Osprey House in Australia are beginning to enter the Reptilian Phase.
Bitty – DH2- from Decorah Hatchery caught its first fish. Did the parents leave the fish? Who knows – it is a great milestone for this beautiful eagle.
First fledge at nest 10, Kielder Forest! 9 August.
Seaside: Fledglings on the nest – one with fish and one wishing! It is fantastic to see all of these young fliers return to the nest to be fed. We get to know they are safe and the parents can feed them while they work those flight muscles.
Boulder County: Some fledglings have huge crops, while others sit and wait and hope for fish. Just look at the one in the middle – reminds me of Diamond when she finishes eating a huge pigeon. There are no worries about these. Fish are plentiful. Great parenting to get the three to fledge.
Dunrovin: All is well. Swoop is busy bringing fish to the nest and the three are at the nest at night.
SSEN Alyth: So many fish that the one has a crop that is about to pop and another fish comes to the nest!
RSPB Loch Garten: Sadly, there was an aerial battle between fledgling 2C4 and intruder KL5. The result was that 2C4 has been injured. It looks as if that injury is on the right elbow – perhaps a deep talon scratch – that has bled between the wing and the body. Send your best wishes.
Geemeff sent me the video of this persistent attack on the two youngsters at this nest.
Dyfi: No one is hungry at the nest of Idris and Telyn – not even the cleaners!
Time for ‘H’s reports:
Fortis Exshaw – “As nest cam viewers, we try to rationalize what we see on the livestream. But, sometimes even the most knowledgeable viewers can only guess at possible causes of what we see, or what we are not seeing. Louise used to bring in 5-8 fish per day, and now it’s down to 1-2 per day. On 8/7 the air quality was smoky. The temperatures in the area have been in the low to mid 70’s, and there were a couple of light rain showers on 8/9. There was one brief intruder issue on 8/9 that we saw, and both Louise and O’Hara defended. There has been some intermittent construction taking place very close to the nest for the last two days. The construction disturbance has not completely prevented Louise from delivering fish, but we don’t know if it has hampered her efforts at times. There was only one fish delivered to the nest on 8/9, and it was brought by Louise. The older sibling, Banff, ate it. The younger osplet, JJ, only had a fish tail to eat on 8/7, he had two small-ish meals on 8/8, and had nothing to eat on 8/9. We are praying for a fish-filled day on 8/10. The chicks are 53 days old.”
Forsythe – Wow, what a day for Ollie and Oscar! Oscar delivered six fish to the nest for Ollie (at 0613, 0803, 0906, 1342, 1444, and 1734), and a couple of them were quite large. Ollie was probably pinching herself to make sure she was not dreaming, lol. There were times when there were two fish in the nest, and a small partial fish was left on the nest when Ollie finally retired to her roosting spot. It was the sixth straight day with no sign of the older sibling, Owen.
Barnegat Light – Duke was minding his own business and enjoying his afternoon bath in the Bay . . Ah, but someone else was also minding his business . . Dorsett flew right at her Dad and buzzed him! It was hilarious.
Kent Island – This family had a fish-filled day, and Molly and Audrey each had their own fish at one point. 59-day-old Molly has been sleeping upright for two nights in a row.
Osoyoos: Offline.
Severna Park – One or both of the siblings can often be found at the nest. Being the good Dad, Oscar is continuing to provide for his two fledglings.
Patuxent Nest-1 – Foster and Sib-B are often seen at their nest, and Dad continues to supply them with large fish.
Thank you so much, ‘H’.
Sydney Sea Eagles: ‘A’ reports “Isn’t it always the way? Just as I say the WBSE food supply has been wonderful, we had a day today when the first food did not arrive on the nest until nearly 12:25. It was a nice, big whole fresh fish (perhaps a bream?), which Lady quickly took charge of to feed the eaglets, who had spent the morning snuggled up sleeping together and putting in some serious growing time. Once food arrived however, SE32 was quickly up at the table and got at least the first dozen bites. SE31 was not bothered, lying behind SE32 and watching its younger sibling eating. Amazing! SE32 was obviously hungry and Lady fed it bite after bite. Eventually, SE31 decided it was ready for brunch and stood up to eat but SE32 just pushed forward another step and kept eating. SE31 watched. Lady kept feeding SE32. After another six or eight bites for SE32, SE31 again tried to get to mum’s beak but Lady keeps feeding SE32. Finally, SE31 has no real choice but to beak SE32 in the back of the head. Not hard and just once, but SE32 ducks down and SE31 gets to eat a few bites. SE32 is back up with 25 seconds and accepting more bites. They eat side by side until SE32 decides to stare down SE31, which had the usual result. SE32 allows SE31 to eat for a moment or two before again popping up. The pair are remarkably civil and both get plenty of brunch. I am no longer worried about the relationship between them, unless the food situation deteriorates. It was an exceptionally windy day in Sydney, with the trees tossing violently. This is no doubt the reason Dad had problems fishing today. This was a big fish though, enough to feed Lady and the kids for the rest of the day.”
Avian Flu has not gone away -. Now it is in the Red Grouse populations.
In a related vein, Wild Justice held a poll about banning rouse hunting or issuing licenses. Geemeff sent me the results of that vote. As Geemeff says, the authorities should take note of this!
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, MB, MP, PB, R, Sassa Bird’, Port Lincoln Ospreys, PSEG, Steelscape, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Al Eastman, Sassa Bird, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Joanna Dailey and Kielder Forest, Seaside, Boulder County, Dunrovin Ranch, SSEN Alyth, RSPB Loch Garten, Fortis Exshaw, Forsythe, Wildlife Conserve of NJ, Kent Island, Severna Park, Patuxent River Park, Raptor Persecution UK, Wild Justice, Syllabub and RSPB Loch Garten, and Dyfi Ospreys.
My goodness. Can you believe that we are 16 days away from 2023? Did we blink and 2022 flew by? The good news…it seems that Gabby might have been persuaded by V3’s charms. They were in the nest together and on the branches this morning!
In the garden it is snowy wonderland. About 17 cm fell – or should I saw blew in from Colorado with some more to come today. The birds do not like the heavy wet snow any more than I do. Mr Crow flew in and complained along with 27 European Starlings and a host of Sparrows.
The Starlings also knocked a solid seed cylinder to the ground and have been trying to eat it. I don’t think they like getting their feet in the snow.
The lone Blue Jay, Junior, has decided that eating the soft suet like the Starlings is a delicacy. So happy to see him enjoying it. Of course, Dyson is busy working away at the brand new solid seed cylinder that I put out this morning. Apparently Dyson & Co can eat a whole one in two days. That surprised me. They must have been eating all night!
In the World Cup of Birds, it is the French Gallic Rooster versus the Argentinian Rufous Hornero.
Channel Islands eaglet seen. San Miguel is the most remote of the islands and in this article Dr Peter Sharpe says he has not been there since 2017. The spotting of the eagle is excellent news.
Deborah North Eagles caught mating. New season. New Hope.
Goodness. That Pepe at the Superbeaks Bald Eagle nest in Central Florida had some good fishing today. Just look at the size of the fish he brought in for the family! Incredible.
At the California-Berkeley Peregrine Falcon scrape of Annie, the new guy continues to come and try to wow her. However, twice he has brought prey and twice he has eaten it! I don’t think he read the ‘courting’ manual carefully. Annie is too much of a treasure. Let’s hope that this new guy shapes up or ships out!
In Louisiana, there was severe weather and tornadoes. Tonya Irwin reports on the nests in the Kisatchie National Forest:
It looks as if the male at the Metro Aviation Nest in Louisiana got hit by flying debris on his head ?? or had some other injury. It seems he will be alright.
This is a long but, a good eye-opening read from the Raptor Persecution UK. It has been suggested by Geemeff that I give you a warning before reading this. It is distressing to the extreme. Baby Hen Terriers stomped to death by humans!!!!!! Having just read Bowland Beth and a stack of books on the plight of the Hen Harrier and the Red Kites, I find this article distressing. How can we convince people that all of the animals have as much right to life as we human animals do?
Early morning at Port Lincoln and Zoe is wishing for a fish!
We will miss that amazing Indigo when they leave the territory of Xavier and Diamond. Indigo is adorable. He has been stashing his leftover prey in the corner and Diamond has been taking it – obviously to teach Indigo many life lessons. He retrieved his prey from Mum. Look at how proud he is!
As Wednesday ends at The Hamlet, Gabby and V3 are on the nest tree together.
This image of Gabby with V3 is from this morning, Thursday 15 December. It seems Gabby might have made up her mind!
Two other love birds…Samson and Jackie. Oh, stay safe you two!
And last, some very good news sent by Geemeff —especially if you have been following The Flight of the Osprey! A live event…
Thank you so much for being with me today. Wherever you are, take care. See you soon!
Thank you to Geemeff for the heads up on the Flight of the Osprey live discussion. Thanks to the following for their postings, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: FOBBV, Port Lincoln Osprey, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NEFL-AEF, Raptor Persecution UK, Tonya Irwin and Raptors of the World, Cal Falcons, Superbeaks, Raptor Resource and Explore.org, and Vancouver City News.
It is a gorgeous spring or summer day – feels like summer – at 19 degrees C. The Black-capped Chickadee is serenading everyone in the garden after having a bath and the White-throated Sparrows have arrived in large numbers. All are digging and scratching around the wet leaves for insects. That is one of the best reasons not to rake your lawn in the fall and not until the end of May. Not lazy. Helping the birds!
All of the images were taken through a window screen. The birds seem to like to be in a dark area of the garden where there is a lot of dead leaves and a puddle of water from the snow melting.
There are so many White-throated Sparrows in the garden today. They are all enjoying the dark wet areas, having a drink in the remaining puddles, and stomping on the ground for insects. You might think that this is a White-crowned Sparrow like the one below but look at the lovely yellow over each eye.
This is a White-crowned Sparrow. Do you know it? This little guy arrived in the garden just today. The White-crowned Sparrow is a very distinctive bird. Its black and white striped head is the first thing you will notice. Then its grey breast with its brownish and grey patterned wings and back. This little one was digging around through all of the vegetation. Notice the beak. It can be either an orange-yellow or a reddish-brown depending on the subspecies of the bird. This bird, like the one above, is passing through heading to the boreal forests north of me.
The Black-capped Chickadee, who is a regular in our garden throughout the year, really wanted time in the puddle for a quick bath!
It was nice to see Mr and Mrs Purple Finch in the square feeder today. Just lovely.
There are a few European Starlings that still come for the hard suet.
It is so nice when the migrating birds are coming through the garden heading to their summer homes. The songs and their presence are very re-assuring.
If you need a smile, Annie feeding the two chicks in the scrape on The Campanile at UC-Berkeley should do it!
As of 1300 Pacific time, there were still only two chicks hatched for Annie, Alden, and Grinnell.
oh, they are just so perfect with their little pink beaks and feet. Annie and Alden work together like mates that have been together for a long time. Alden keeps the pantry full. You will see Annie go down to the larder on a lower level and come up with something for the wee ones.
Cal Falcons just posted a video of Alden keeping an eye on the chicks while Annie is away. He is a little nervous. Many believe that this is his first time ‘dad’ stuff. He will be a great mate for Annie and dad for the eyases.
It is a pretty nice day when nothing much is going on in Bird World. It is like this sort of lull – some eggs to pip soon, a few eaglets to fledge, but steady. That is a good thing.
It was so nice to drop in and see Kincaid on her branch at the Kistachie National Forest Bald eagle nest in Louisiana. She is going to survive and do really well. Right now all she wants is to see her dad, Louis, flying in with a fish for her.
I wish I could put Kincaid side by side with the MN-DNR female. My goodness. They said she weighed 9 lbs. Eaglets normally grow at the rate of a lb a week. The MN-DNR eaglet is six and a half weeks old. She is 50% more heavy and larger than normal! Formidable is the word. She is at the high end of the large female eaglets. Those legs are strong and she has her wings folded in part way. Awesome.
Cholyn’s only baby, TH1 of 2022, has quite the crop this afternoon. Wonder if she is a big female, too? Cholyn needs to eat that remaining fish!!
Star and Sentry are really looking good at the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian. Look at their plumage development in comparison to Two Harbours 1 above.
The triplets at the Pittsburgh-Hayes nest were soaked this morning but by afternoon late they were dried out and sound asleep.
There is an afternoon storm with rain, high winds, and what sounds like thunder at the National Arboretum nest of Mr President, Lotus, and DC9.
It is reassuring at a time when the Avian Flu is killing so many Apex raptors to stop into the nests and see that the birds and their parents are doing alright. Here are some images from the nest of Samson and Gabby at NEFlorida. Both Jasper and Rocket have fledged and, like Kincaid, they are hanging around the nest to get those wings strong and their hunting skills perfected before heading out on their own.
I was surprised to see how many fish bones are in the nest!
The same strong winds that are blowing in DC are blowing on the West End Nest of Thunder and Cholyn and the three eaglets – . Thunder came in with a big fish that was still alive. All have eaten well today.
There has been a lot of Bird Flu in the upper Midwest. It is good to check in on the nest of Mr North and Mrs DNF at Decorah. The two eaglets appear to be fine. Relief.
There is a short video clip of these two attempting self-feeding yesterday.
I showed this image in another posting but it is such a rare occasion that she allows her mate to brood or feed the chicks. So it is worth posting a second time in case you missed it.
So many nests to check and so much going on. It was a real relief to find everyone doing so well on these nests. The weather has been miserable in different places and I hope that it all warms up for tomorrow so that all of our bird mothers have a lovely day.
Thank you so much for joining me. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Cal Falcons, Cornell Bird Lab RTH, Pix Cams, Explore.org, Friends of Redding Eagles, NEFlorida Eagles-AEF, MN-DNR, NADC-AEF, and Friends of Redding Eagles.
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.
Where is Ervie? I cannot tell you. Yesterday he spent the day with Dad. Right around 17:25, Dad left the barge and flew out to fish.
Ervie moved up to the nest to receive the fish from Dad about a minute or so before he lands. Fabulous eyesight!
There’s Dad. The day before he brought Ervie 3 fish – yesterday, as far as I know, it was only one.
That was a nice fish and Ervie was still eating quite awhile later.
Ervie was still on the nest and had a nice crop as the sun was setting. The camera has tipped and at the time of my writing this blog, it was positioned so you could not see anything but part of the barge.
Ervie does not expend much energy sitting. That nice big fish would do him just fine – our home-body boy.
Just had to check. The Port Lincoln Nest is up and running and there were a few really good close ups of Ervie on the nest. He has flown off of it and I bet he is down in the cave with Dad.
The snow is really hitting the nests in PA and NY. Big Red and Arthur’s Red-tail hawk nest on the light stand of Cornell University has had a lot of snow. They were even in a snow fall warning area. That snow is due to taper off in the next hour. It is currently -7 C in Ithaca.
Yesterday I kept checking on Pittsburgh-Hays and US Steel Bald Eagle nests. They had lots of rain and now that has turned to snow.
It looks pretty peaceful at the US Steel Nest. One of the eagles is looking out over the territory.
We are still on egg watch for the Pittsburgh-Hays nest. No Eagles seem to be about.
In Hillsborough, New Jersey, the female at Duke Farms is incubating two eggs. It is rainy with some sleet.
In contrast, Missy and B15 are having a not so bad day!
The two eaglets at the Hilton Head Island Bald Eagle Cam are really changing. Those juvenile feathers are quickly coming in on top of that dark thermal down. Both had huge crops. It is not a great image. There is no re-wind on that camera and it is difficult to get good images. .
These two have changed so much since I last checked on them! They are also walking around – not completely steady but getting there. They are adorable. You can see that the one standing has many more dark feathers coming in than the smaller, younger eaglet being a duckling.
Speaking of growing, NE26 and NE27 are changing. Look closely and you will see that they are no longer round fluffy balls. Enjoy them while you can!!!!!!!
Gabby and Samson are both experts at feeding the babes. A bite for you and one for you. Things have been very civil on this nest and the pnatry is kept full. Devoted parents. And the weather is grand. It is 27 C in Jacksonville, so warm on the nest. Quite a contrast with Ithaca, NY!
I decided to check into a few of the nests without eggs. There was snow on the Denton Homes nest in Iowa.
There is still snow on the nest at Decorah Eagles also. Iowa has been hit with a lot of storms this year. Thankfully, it is not time to be thinking about eggs on these nests – not just yet. Soon enough.
The male Bald Eagle is on the Dulles Greenway Nest at the moment. They are anticipating the second egg will be laid there today. We are now over the 72 hour mark from the laying of the first egg. The weather looks good.
Here is the link to this Bald Eagle streaming cam in case it is not on your list.
The Bald Eagle community is saddened by the continuing deaths of the eagles by lead ammunition. Lead ammo is outlawed for waterfowl why not just outlawed? Those that keep track of Bald Eagle numbers anticipate a drop because of the large number of deaths. The hunters could take the entire carcass with them and dispose of it instead of leaving the innards with all the lead shot in the woods. Or they could by all of the various non-lead ammunition. What humans do not realize is that the lead actually gets absorbed through their skin by handling the bullets and the lead expended at sport shooting ranges gets absorbed into the ground – the spent ammo is, apparently, never cleaned up!
Raptors are also dying because there are people who actually shoot them. Someone just shot and killed a Bald Eagle in Iowa. Here is the notice on the Bald Eagles Live FB Page:
I want to leave you with something a little more light-hearted. Can you figure out where Grinnell is and what he is doing? That is Annie on the ledge.
It is a bright sunny cold -27 C day on the Canadian Prairies. I am happy to report that for some reason the Starlings were away from the garden for quite awhile. They have just returned but this gave the Sparrows and the Chickadees a chance to feed in peace. Oh, and yes. Dyson. Dyson was complaining that the large suet cylinder needed replacing. I must go and do that right away! I hope to get some good images of him and the other birds this weekend.
Thank you so much for joining me. Take care everyone! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Explore.org, Pix Cameras, NEFlorida Bald Eagles and the AEF, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Berry College, Hilton Head Island Bald Eagles, Dulles Greenway, Duke Farms, Cornell Bird Labs, and Bald Eagles Live Nest FB.
