Oh, my goodness. How many people were cheering this little one on to fledge? Little Dewey defied the odds, and it was the female that made this happen – just like Jill did at Achieva. Without Mum fishing, the outcome would not have been as exciting as we are feeling today.
I have to admit that I worried every day if fish would come in and be plentiful enough for Little Dewey to make it to the end. Last year, at 50 days the chick died. But not Little Dewey. Strong and determined she took off at 0955. She was 56 days old.
I really want to see this little one return to the nest. But, for now, relief and congratulations.
Take a good look.
Thank you for an amazing year Mum and Little Dewey. Without the female delivering fish, this would have been a very different outcome.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cam for letting us witness this miracle amongst so many tragedies. Thank you ‘PB’ for alerting me. Heidi will be posting a video. Check out Joy of Ospreys FB.
The end for the second hatch at Cowlitz PUD came Friday afternoon. The poor thing had suffered from lack of food all its life. I have to admit that this is not a nest that I enjoy watching – never have. I even phoned the Cowlitz PUD and spoke to them about fish availability one year. I was told there were a lot of eagles in the area. We learned this later when an eagle took three healthy chicks off the nest, one after another. The company put up an ingenious mechanism made out of fish grates to keep the eagles away from the nest. I do not know why those that have osprey nests with known GHO or Eagle strikes do not get in touch for the plans. According to the receptionist, they are easy – just weld fish grates to the sides of the nest opposite at an angle. Ospreys can come and go but eagles and owls cannot get the correct angle to fly in, grab the chick, and get out! Look at the nest and how these grills are attached on the live feed.
The only surviving chick at Loch of the Lowes was ringed and deemed to be a male.
Two chicks died at the Clinton, CT osprey nest, leaving one. Storms in the CT area contributed to additional deaths due to a lack of fish deliveries. These two died of starvation.
In the vast arguments over Menhaden, some have said that Bald Eagles take all the fish that the osprey need. Some people didn’t have a count on what fish and how many were being delivered. Heidi has been meticulous in the fish counts for the nests she is monitoring (and others!). She has learned to identify species so fast my head spins. What a great asset she is to all of us.
Loch Arkaig has put out Louis’s breaking record fish count and compared it to other years. An Osprey taking 36-44 fish per week for a family of four will not break The Bay! Do not let the arguments confuse you. The problem is industrial overfishing! The second problem is weather.
This fish count comes from Mary Cheadle and the Friends of Loch Arkaig FB group:
Following on from the information I shared yesterday re the fish counts, Steve reported today on the Woodland Trust chat that Louis smashed his week 12 record
Here Steve gives a more comprehensive season update.
Thanks Steve
Nest 2 fish summary to week 12 (where does one start!)
Firstly a huge thank you to all the fish counting team and our ever faithful forum contributors, you miss nothing, citizen science at its absolute best
Nature never ceases to amaze, just a few months ago this old osprey of ours had us all convinced he had been taken by the osprey gods, now in this week 12 he has rewritten the records for weekly fish deliveries, not to mention raising yet another 2 healthy young that will hopefully fledge.
Friday (10/7/26) brought week 12 to a close since the first fish was delivered by Louis.
Louis delivered a record 44 fish to the nest taking his total to 262 (excl 2 from Dorcha).
This gives a 2026 YTD weekly average of 22 fish (c28 post hatch)
Previous week 12 totals (average to 2025 is 30 fish):
2020 – 36
2022 – 34
2023 – 26
2024 – 30
2025 – 25
2026 – 44
As we go into week 13 the average is 28 fish.
Previous YTD week 12 totals (average to 2025 is 238 fish):
2020 (2 male, 1 female) – 256
2022 (2 female) – 261
2023 (1 male) – 218
2024 (1 male) – 231
2025 (2 male) – 226
2026 (2 female) – 262
The range of daily deliveries was 4 to 8 fish per day
The most popular delivery hour is:
5 to 5.59 am – 25 Fish
Louis has had such a successful week I am not going to dwell on this seasons records, but that of all time records:
Most deliveries in a week solo – 44 Fish, Louis previous best was 39 fish in week 13 of 2020! The highest ever joint weekly total was 41 (6 by Aila) fish in week 18 of 2020. He surpasses that total also, solo.
Fastest time between same day fish deliveries (2026 season), 9 mins 21 secs on 10/7/26 between fish 2 and 3, on the same day he brought 4 fish in 44 minutes, not a stat I measure, but worthy of a mention.
As this season is looking good for 2 fledglings, it allows us to compare to 2022 and 2025 when there was also 2 fledglings.
From this data we are seeing accurate data showing the difference between males and females, we know most female raptors are are around 20% larger than males, so they need more food to get to fledging (as an average).
2022 (2 female) – 261
2025 (2 male) – 226
2026 (2 female) – 262
Quite an extraordinary week, last weeks report stated week 12 was as on average the highest yielding week across our 5 previous fish counting seasons, but this I did not expect.
Remarkable consistency that the week 12 totals for 2022 and 2026 are now just 1 fish apart, these 2 years having 2 females, it will be interesting to see how these totals compare come season end.
We know fish weight is more important than quantity, but I believe the weight roughly balances out over the season.
Just amazing to watch this master of the skies and water continue to provide for his family.
Well done Louis
Jill was at the Achieva nest looking for any sign of her babies! She and Jack continue to bring in fish once in a while, but no one is showing up. Congratulations on a great year, Jill. Wishing Big and Little long lives and big crops.
At the Ferguson Museum Mum is bringing in the fish and today the only remaining osplet had a nice meal.
There are three, seemingly healthy osplets – fully feathered – at the Blackwater Osprey platform in Maryland. These are a few relevant dates.
June 20, 2026: The 3 chicks are still visible in the nest, so glad to report all 3 are doing well.
June 1, 2026: We see three little chick heads bobbing in the nest cup. You can see a video clip on our YouTube channel.
May 27, 2026: The female has been feeding at least one chick in the nest.
April 17, 2026: The female is sitting down in the nest and appears to be incubating at least one egg. We hope to see hatching around the week of May 20.
The heat that we are having is going to hit all of the osprey nests in the region of the Prairies of Canada and the upper Mid-West of the US (I hope I said that correctly). I am thinking of the family at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum where likely they will have 45 C with the humidex as well.
There was an early fish and wingers and a beautiful apple bough that Mum brought to the nest.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 10th July 2026
Both fish and name suggestions flooded in today – Louis brought seven fish for his family, delivering the first four in under forty five minutes! The Nest Two total now stands at two hundred and sixty four. Since George WTS opened the Name Game yesterday, dozens if not hundreds of names have been proposed and there’s still plenty of time for more suggestions before it closes at noon on Monday. Submit your suggestions via Woodland Trust social media Facebook and Bluesky, or here in the comments section, and remember to use the hashtag #2026NAME if you want your names to be included for the judging panel’s review. The chicks are looking very strong, vocalising loudly, rearranging the nest furnishings, and exercising their suddenly big full-size wings – we will be on fledge-watch soon. Garry LV0 brought one fish to Aurora 536, taking the on-cam nest tally to one hundred and fifty.nine which figure holds little meaning as many fish will have been delivered during the daily cam downtime, and the pair are spending more and more time away from the nest. In fact, neither of the pair returned to the nest after Garry delivered that fish around 6pm, and at the time of filing this report, half past midnight, the nest is still empty and it appears Aurora might be spending her first night away from the nest since laying her single, and unviable, egg on 30th April. The weather was settled and dry, the forecasted drizzle and light rain didn’t materialise, and tonight’s forecast for Inver Mallie is light rain, light winds and a low of 15°C overnight, changing to light rain showers with sunny spells and a high of 21°C tomorrow.
Osoyoos: Both parents at nest. Chick has crop and looks alert.
Cowlitz PUD: So hungry they are eating some of the body of the chick that just died. Electra is going to have to go fishing.
Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho: No rewind but the three osplets look great.
There have been some good feedings. This screen capture provided by Carol.
If you missed it, ringing at Seilli Island and a big celebration. First chicks hatched on this platform in ten years!
RINGING 9 July Seili: male, red KJA, Wing 329mm, Weight 1,500g Nauvo: female, yellow R5S, Wing 326mm, Weight 1,690g Utu: female, red KHX, Wing 283 mm, Weight 1,660g
Hildur arrived on 14 April and Stefu (TFS) on 15 April Eggs were laid on 25 April, 28 April and 1 May Chicks hatched 1 June, 3 June and 5 June
Beautiful feathered golden eaglet at Estonia 2. Parents have brought in prey, and it is set-feeding, but it needed some help when they came in with a Raccoon Dog. A raccoon dog (or tanuki) is not a raccoon; it is a wild canid native to East Asia, most closely related to true foxes. Named for its mask-like facial markings, it is an opportunistic omnivore and is the only dog-like animal known to hibernate
Loki and Caitir have been seen at the White-tail eagle nest in the Outer Hebrides restoring their bond after the loss of their second hatch, Loki.
Blackbush: Little 4 is still alive and up at the beak for what will be a very good feeding. As each day passes I become more hopeful that this little one will survive if we can keep the fish coming.
Dewey Beach: There is sure a lot of wing flapping going on.
Do Ospreys in Nova Scotia eat Menhaden? Yes, they do. They also find some trout in the small lakes. Did Ethel and Oscar not breed this year at Russell Lake? Was it because Ethel was very late? Or is there another reason? Osprey deaths in Connecticut (where there have been storm- and weather-related deaths due to adults being unable to fish) are prompting questions in other areas where there appears to be no impact from industrial fishing in the Bay in the US. Those chasing the big ships out of Reedsville will say they are taking all of the menhaden, including the small babies that could fuel the future (and then they get dumped, dead) and moving up along the coast. The Menhaden in Maine are said to be going out to deep water. Thoughts?
It is raining in Estonia. Will this provide the much needed little frogs and fish that this Black Stork nest requires? Is there a fish basket for them as well from Urmas?
From Looduskalendar: This beautiful black stork nest is located in Jõgeva County in Estonia. It is a neighbouring nest to the former Jan & Janika Black Stork nest. The nest was found in 2024 by Renno Nellis and he installed a trail camera.
Feeding by the male today:
Later the male brings food:
The ps from the storklets are small indicating much more food and hydration is needed.
It seems that wildlife is suffering everywhere, whether it is from storms that cause the rivers to rush and flood, becoming muddy so they cannot be fished, or drought, or human-caused overfishing by industry. Habitat loss – toxic spills…they have seen it all this year!
It appears that the egg on the nest of Bety and Bukacek at Mlade Buky is not going to hatch.
Calico’s Tip for the Day: What might be simple fun for humans can be deadly for birds and other wildlife. Let’s clean up after ourselves and please put away sports equipment.
Death trap: what to do about the everyday items catching and killing Australian wildlife
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care if you are in an area of special heat concern, like we are. Keep hydrated and stay inside. Close the blinds to conserve energy. Do not be a hero! But please provide water sources for the animals outside and food if you can. Thank you.
Thank you to everyone who I have quoted in my blog today – to Geeemeff for their daily summary for Loch Arkaig, to all who posted on FB, to the owners of the streaming cams, to Lookduskalender and their great team who keep up with the Eastern European wildlife.
We hope that each of you had a good Thursday and that the end of the week will be kind
Please make sure that you suggest names for Dorcha and Louis’s two daughters! See below. The deadline is noon Monday – Loch Arkaig time.
First, I wanted to tell you who had been visiting the feeder for the homeless cats. It is a fantastic camera that has been running for more than two days and still has 97% of its power left. The image is fantastic, and it will take video clips if movement is detected. In this instance, we set it to ‘pets’. The first visit was Mr Crow who loves to dump the cat kibble out of the stainless steel bowl. Then Mr and Mrs Blue Jay along with all the other Jays. A red Squirrel and some grey squirrels, an orange cat named Samson, a tabby cat named Kiwi (no Brock), and, hold on, a skunk. I will keep the camera running except when I know it is going to rain which might happen tonight.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 9th July 2026
It’s a girl! Two of them, to be precise – Louis & Dorcha have produced two female chicks this year, continuing their tradition of same-sex clutches. The exception being 2023 which had a solo male chick – would the egg lost overboard also have hatched out male? We’ll never know. However, in not very good news, ringer Lewis Pate found the nest to be festooned with fishing twine, and one of the chicks entangled. He was able to remove it all, thank goodness, otherwise the chick probably would not have been able to fledge. George WTS has opened the name game – suggestions must be in by noon on Monday, don’t forget to use hashtag #2026NAME otherwise your suggestion might not be included. A panel will short list the suggestions and make their decision on Monday evening, which George will announce on Tuesday. In regular business, Garry LV0 brought two fish for Aurora, taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and fifty eight, and Louis brought five fish for Dorcha and the chicks, taking the Nest Two tally to two hundred and fifty seven. No disturbances today, the chicks were settled, the weather was settled but is due to change to overnight drizzle and a low of 15°C, and thundery showers, sunny intervals and a high of 23°C tomorrow.
For those of you intending to donate again to Save Moon Camp, please do so before the end of the month. SaveMoonCamp.org
Little Dewey is not so little and she is standing on the rails looking out at the world beyond. Good fish count today – thanks Pam and Heidi: Dewey fish count 7/9…8 Total…Mom 6 Menhaden, Dad 2 (1 bluefish, 1 Menhaden)
Osprey are dying all over the US and in Canada. What is the precise reason for those that are not part of the industrial trawling of Omega Protein? Is it heat stress on the fish? Those that depend on trout as their primary food are having trouble in Long Island Sound and other adjacent areas where the temperature in the water where the trout live exceeded 65 F. We saw this a couple of years ago in Montana.
Still, Menhaden are a huge issue in the NE or rather, the lack of them.
For those of you who might have missed it, I encourage you to read Viki Volk’s diary over her two decades of watching ospreys from her front porch on St. George’s Island, Indian Creek, Maryland. The ospreys thrived, and now, there is one little one struggling to survive. This is a tragedy unfolding before Viki’s eyes and all those who are watching the ospreys closely in this region. That diary is here: IslandCreekOspreys.com. It is free. You will learn something from an individual who loved/s our fish hawks.
I found entry 2020-3 interesting. There is a mention of supplementary fishing in that entry.
Something that is troubling me is that we are now finding more fishing equipment in the nests of the UK Ospreys – something unheard of in years past. This happened on the nest of Louis and Dorcha when the ringer found one of the chicks tangled in line. We know that Telyn swallowed a line and lure – and I am certain there was mention of at least one other nest with issues. What is going on? why now?
I wish that the female at Blackbush would feed the big siblings slower and then when she feeds Tiny she is focused and feeds fast. She drives me crazy.
The little one at Cowlitz PUD is moving about but I still have serious concerns about its survival. Let me be wrong!
I continue to have concerns about the only surviving chick at Osoyoos also. One day at a time.
Things look good for the pair at Coeur d’Alene Idaho.
If you have travelled to Spain and Portugal recently you will, no doubt, have seen the multitude of storks that live there. Where do they eat? The dump. In fact, Bald Eagles in my City frequent the dump for food because road kill and small mammals are ot plentiful. They used to be but expanding housing developments and rodenticides to kill mice and rats have caused their food sources to dwindle. Now, we endanger their lives with all our junk food loaded with chemicals in those landfills!
Thank you so much for being with us. It has been a bit of a long day, but a very productive one. I have been decluttering, and there is an energy in setting a simple goal, such as a single drawer, and seeing it only holding what is essential. Like a rental property on holiday! We wound up cleaning three drawers and taking a good look at the basement, which is going to get cleared. Tomorrow it will be Toby’s clothes. He has certainly grown from that little puppy that arrived 15 months ago. Someone is going to love those cute sweaters – hopefully some of them will go to Ann’s sweet little Australian Shepherd, Lucy.
Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to Geemeff for her daily summary and videos, SK Hideaways for their videos of Luna and Sandy, to PB for keeping me informed, to those who posted information and images on FB, to Kelly Sorenson and his team for their dedication to the California Condors, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness these amazing creatures. Thank you to the Guardian for their continuing reporting on wildlife and the environment.
We have had the most wonderful visits with our son and daughter in law. What a joy it is to see them and spend time. Much of that has focused on my son finding me a camera that would meet all the strange specifics I require – to check and see if Brock comes! It needs good IR, motion activated, ability to store images but without the need for a subscription to one of the cable companies, etc. I believe he has done it. We were going to test it tonight but, once again, we are in a red zone for severe thunderstorm.
It was 31 C today. No walks for Toby. His temperature range is -15 C to 24 C. He did get sprayed with the hose to cool him down, but what made me stop in my tracks was the healthy potted plants at noon, which were completely dead by 1700. Dead. Not a speck of life to recover. If my plants can die like that, think how difficult it is for those little osprey bodies perched on those hot platforms, wishing for fish. Fish are, of course, needed for growth, sustenance, and hydration, but it can get so hot that even with good fish deliveries and meals, the chicks can still die. We saw this with Hennie and Mile’s chick at Cape Henlopen.
So far, many are lucky; others are not. Tom and Audrey are losing their chicks to the heat. But was there something wrong with Audrey before they died? A few of you commented in notes to me that Audrey appeared to act ‘odd’. Adults can also be affected by the heat or succumb to other ailments.
We have news from V in Maryland. V is referring to an image on a nest with chicks. I will try to get it to attach to this blog.
“This was 2 days ago. We’re heading into more awfully hot days, but these guys are feathered and eating well. #3 didn’t make it, and we’re down to one next door….”
There is good news coming form Ping Shen in Seattle about Harry and Sally: “Harry and Sally continue to do well – all 3 chicks continue to grow and look healthy. I visited today and found them snoozing for a bit before dad showed up with a sculpin – even when they started feeding they had pretty full crops, so it seems they have been eating well. Hope this continues!” Thank you for the lovely photos and news.
Ringing continues in the UK and in Europe. The chicks at Fru Rauer’s nest in Norway were ringed.
This information is posted on the chat: -June 1 2026 – First egg hatch – Nickname – “Yr” Ring nr: 61L – Female; June 3 2026- Second egg hatch – Nickname – “Bris” Ring nr: 63L – Male: -June 6 2026- Third egg hatch – Nickname – “Sol” Ring nr: 62L – Most likely Female
Third egg laid between 1st and may 3 (camera was down, so we do not know the exact time and date) Most likely may 2 -June 1 – First egg hatch – Nickname – “Yr” Ring nr: 61L – Female -June 3 – Second egg hatch – Nickname – “Bris” Ring nr: 63L – Male -June 6 – Third egg hatch – Nickname – “Sol” Ring nr: 62L – Most likely Female
8R5 has fledged at Manton Bay. He has returned to the nest to get some good fish!
If you missed it, SK Hideaways video list of 21 June.
K Hideaways Videos Week of 21 June 2026
FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Jackie, Shadow, Luna & Sandy Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41eq4VzCYc4 Live Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz FLEDGE WATCH FOR REAL ~ Sandy on Back Porch Edge ~ Luna to High Perch (2026 Jun 27) Sandy and Luna both took big steps today ~ literally. Sandy perched on two of the back porch branches and exercised her wings with fledge-worthy vigor. Luna walked up the high perch on the front porch and exercised his wings with just as much energy. His dismount back to the nest was 10/10. One release of that back hallux talon from any of those perches and off they’d go. It’s only a matter of time and a few more grey hairs for fans. Video: https://youtu.be/glMMMrK8mmI Jackie & Shadow Can’t Resist Feeding Sandy & Luna ~ Awww (2026 Jun 26) Instinct is a powerful thing. Despite the fact that Sandy and Luna are nearly 12 weeks old and have been self-feeding for some time, Jackie and Shadow sometimes cannot resist the urge to feed their big eaglets. Similarly, Sandy and Luna can’t resist being fed. In this video, Jackie and Shadow fed themselves and the eaglets. In addition to just enjoying some nice fish, the parents were also teaching the eaglets to identify opportunities to eat by stealing food from other eagles. This is a vital skill in their first years on their own while they learn to fish for themselves. To fans, these are bittersweet keepsake moments, as we know these eaglets will begin their life journeys very soon. (2026 Jun 26) Video: https://youtu.be/VC4KjBSvxPA Luna & Sandy Take BIG JUMPS ~ Fledge Time Nearly Here (2026 Jun 24) Luna and Sandy prepare for their next adventure in the big, wide world with BIG wingers, HIGH jumps, and LOTS of energy. At 11-1/2 weeks old, they are well within the fledge watch window. Typically male eaglets fledge first, so Luna could go first, but every eaglet and every nest is different. They both look strong and ready to fly. Holding fast to these moments as their departure time nears. Video: https://youtu.be/4GF9N7QnMA0
Fraser Point Eagles ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha (hatched 3/28), Zuma (hatched 3/30), Ryder (hatched 4/1) Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s
Sasha Brings Fish Home~ Cruz Gets Tail ~ Possible Ryder Sighting (2026 Jun 25) Sasha arrived at the nest with a whole fish, which was likely a gift from a parent (or stolen). Cruz came to see what was for breakfish, but Sasha was not very inviting. Cruz reverted to Mama role and fed Sasha a bit. When the eaglet remembered that he could self-feed, he snatched the fish and carried on. Later, Cruz returned and took the tail for herself. No one was more shocked than Sasha. As fans hope and await the return of Zuma and Ryder to the nest, we spend much time listening and watching for fleeting fly-bys. I’ve captured both here and invite you to join in the guessing game of who’s who! Video: https://youtu.be/wEML1FhAYdY
Ryder Fludges ~ Cruz Makes Beeline for Nest ~ Departs with Fish (2026 Jun 22) The jump that broke the nest’s back could describe what happened when Ryder challenged that weakening edge of the nest. He slid/flapped down to the ground and could be heard squeeing and rustling around as he explored the ground he’s visited once before.
If you recall, Ryder fell from that edge on April 24th (here’s the fall: https://youtu.be/WJ6b7BAztF0 / and here’s the rescue https://youtu.be/lKSFIC4irKI). He was just over 3 weeks old then. Now at 12 weeks old, he’s strong enough to have softly hit the ground (only about 15 feet below the nest) and capable of flying (though he has to prove that to himself).
Cruz arrived just 25 seconds after Ryder fell and did a thorough assessment of the situation, as Sasha arrived and gave her an earful. About 90 minutes later, Cruz took fish leftover off the nest. We’d bet money that Ryder got a private feeding. Video: https://youtu.be/KwnxmTaoZGM
RYDER BRANCHES! Returns & Tests Weak Nest Edge Before Branch #2 (2026 Jun 21) Ryder finally took the short leap to the branch that Zuma chose to branch on a few days ago. It was an easy step-flap and Mama Cruz was right there to witness the grand accomplishment.
Ryder returned to the nest and explored the weak edge of the nest that partially collapsed yesterday. Not sure about that fixation, but it gives us slight palpitations. Only slight, though, as Ryder is ready and able to fly ~ she just doesn’t quite know it yet. Enjoy these fleeting moments while they last. Video: https://youtu.be/Wz_wtfSMdY0
San Jose City Hall Falcons ~ San Jose, CA ~ Hartley and Monty; Jet, Scout, Stewart, Walton (hatched 4/4/26) Courtesy San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon Cam | Predatory Bird Research Group 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 Brothers Jet & Walton Hatch Plotto Oust Parents Hartley & MontyJet and Walton partnered in morning aerobatics before settling on the roof for some mischief plotting. When Hartley and Monty attempted to meet up for morning bonding, Jet put the plan to work as he ousted both parents from the nest area. But Hartley and Monty made up for it later with two undisturbed rendezvous in the afternoon. While not captured here, we saw that there were three boys on the louvers at day’s end. (2026 Jun 23) Video: https://youtu.be/cQwfc0oKhmU
Hartley & Monty Relaxed Too Soon ~The Terrific Tiercel Terrors Returned (2026 Jun 20) Hartley and Monty celebrated their wildly successful season with a long bonding session and putting their talons up on the deck. That is until Jet disturbed their peace with an extended screaming session. The cacophony drew Scout and Walton to the balcony to see what the fuss was about, which gave me a perfect opportunity to capture more of the mayhem we’ve all grown to love. We didn’t see Stewart, but know that he showed up today. At day’s end, the brothers roosted on the louvers overnight once again. Enjoying these fleeting moments while they last. Video: https://youtu.be/ASVIdmLjiIU
Lee Jumps, Flees When Creepy-Crawly “Prey” Moves ~ Raven Cleans It Up(2026 Jun 27) I shouldn’t laugh… but just can’t help myself. Sorry, Lee. Video: https://youtu.be/yA8wz1WlzwQ
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigSunday 5th July 2026
Dorcha had to deal with an intruder Osprey today, she mantled and covered the chicks while shouting warnings but it didn’t come too near the nest, and if Louis saw it at all, it didn’t hinder his fishing – he delivered six fish, taking the Nest Two tally to two hundred and thirty three. Judging by the size of his crop, his actual tally for today was definitely more than six, but as with Garry LV0 on Nest One, only fish seen on nest cam count towards the tally. Garry brought one fish for Aurora 536, and his tally now stands at one hundred and fifty. It was a damp day but there were dry patches, however a yellow warning for heavy rain is in effect now until 10am tomorrow and at the time of filing this report (23.45) both females are hunkered down in the rain on wet nests. Dorcha’s doing her best to keep the chicks dry but their size makes that difficult. The overnight low is 14°C rising tomorrow to a high of 17°C but there’s not much chance of dry spells before Wednesday.
Lady and Dad have their second egg at the WBSE nest in the Olympic Forest in Sydney.
Fish has come into the Blackbush nest. Little 4 is still alive but is being attacked as it tries to eat. We need lots of fish and two parents feeding at this nest. Come on!
Only surviving chick at Osoyoos is often left alone in the heat but, this has turned out to be the year of little fish again with two out of three dying of hunger and/or heat. I hope some fish come on the nest.
Smiling. The two at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum are doing well – new adults from a couple of years ago??
Two at Cowlitz PUD are getting fish. Feeding is civil.
Lots of concerns about Oyster Bay – twine, not enough fish, etc. Rains coming down, is there fishing line on the nest wrapped around the adult? I can’t tell. I can still see three heads. The concern is whether or not three has enough food to survive. We wait.
Little Dewey is doing just fine – great compared to most!
There is really good news coming out of Loch Arkaig. Of the two translocated males in 2024 (one died), the survivor has returned to its Spanish translocation home this summer after its first migration. The hope is that he will find a mate and start building a family for the future. The male is 1JW.
Ringing news from Border Ospreys – Samson and Augusta!
The UK ospreys are growing big and healthy as all osprey should be. A nest of FOUR females – imagine – four females – developed with hardly any angst at Poole Harbour under the good care of CJ7 and Blue 022.
All you have to do is look at Blackbush and the issues there and scratch your head. What is happening in the US that cannot be fixed? No food for four. Now this breaks my heart. The chicks at Poole Harbour did not hatch on the same day but you would have a hard time locating the little four in that pile in the image above.
Blackbush:
What has happened to our empathy that an old law – and they are old – keeps us from providing food to these babies?
It has been a long day here today. The heat has tired us out and made Don a bit restless. It is too hot for him to go out and life can be stiffling boring for him when there is so little he can do. Believe me he knows his limitations at times. So take care. We will see you soon.
Thank you to all those who created videos, posted information on FB, sent me notes, to Geemeff for her summaries and videos and SK Hideaways (whose latest video list I cannot locate) and the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch these birds. Thank you.
When I was a child, there was always a family picnic at the park or at my great-grandmother’s house to mark the 4th of July. They were all immigrants from Chur, Switzerland. The day meant a lot to them. The family had prospered and there was and still is family living in the farm and vinegard called ‘Hinterwald’ (Behind the Woods) outside of Chur. It was a wonderful day full of delicious summer food – fresh out of the various gardens – and always homemade ice cream. For those who are celebrating today, I hope that you had a fantastic time with loved ones and friends.
As a child, I loved the fireworks. Today, I know better and am a strong advocate for those funds to go to social programmes that help people, rather than money going up in smoke. I also wish that all the funds that will go into fireworks in the Big Bear Valley area and the nest of Shadow and Jackie had gone into the fund to purchase MoonCamp to safeguard this area for the eagles and all wildlife. Some States are outlawing fireworks altogether. I wish every State would take that enlightened stance.
SK Hideaways has a video of Sandy and Luna flying over this beautiful area – that does not need condos! https://youtu.be/PJYYeCH6kQM?
It was hot today. We had hoped that Toby would enjoy his sprinkler pad. Right now he is curious but a little frightened. We are not pushing him.
There is a heat dome over many parts of North America this weekend endangering the lives of the most vulnerable of the osplets on the nests.
At the nest of Big Red and Arthur, the fledglings are coming to the nest for prey deliveries by Arthur. https://youtu.be/ajyUBPXgxgs?
One of the big news stories in Bird World is that Lady and Dad have their first egg at the White-bellied Sea Eagles nest in the Olympic Forest in Sydney, Australia. SK Hideaways celebrates this wonderful moment. https://youtu.be/7eusfpBt7ZY?
CJ7 feeds her four daughters at the Carey Secret Garden Osprey nest in Poole Harbour. Imagine – four girls. All requiring much more food to develop than four boys.
At the second osprey nest at Poole, the chicks were deemed to be all male.
Ringing also took place across the UK. The two chicks in the Usk Valley were also ringed.
Normal service has resumed on the Usk Valley nest. Here are some images of our osprey family taken from the live cameras this afternoon: Syfaddan, Clogwyn and their two chicks, Blue 0U0 and Blue 0U1, new rings clearly visible.
This morning (Saturday 4 July) the two UVO osprey chicks were ringed by a skilled team of experienced climbers and licensed ringers.
Chick 1, who is 37 day old, was ringed on its left leg with a BTO metal ring with unique no. 1087337 and on the right leg with a ‘Darvic’ ring, blue with white lettering with unique inscription W0U0.
Chick 2 who is 34 days old, was ringed on the left leg with a BTO metal ring with unique no. 1087338 and on the right leg with a ‘Darvic’ ring, blue with white lettering with unique inscription 0U1.
Young ospreys are ringed well before they fledge the nest to leave on their first migration to Africa. This allows for monitoring of the birds as they grow up, go on their migration journeys, return to the UK as two-year-olds and hopefully, pair up to breed successfully later in life. It will also contribute to the overall national monitoring of the species as they make their return to Britain and more recently Wales.
UVO would like to thank all those involved with approvals in advance of, the support team during, and those on the ground (and up the tree!) directly contributing to the ringing operation.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 4th July 2026
Today was not nearly as wet as forecast, most of the day was dry with light winds, and Louis took advantage of that, delivering seven fish to Dorcha, raising the Nest Two tally to two hundred and twenty seven. It was a different situation over on Nest One – Garry LV0 was around, bringing moss and taking over when Aurora 536 flew off for a break, but didn’t bring any fish. An intruder was around, not seen on camera, perhaps that had an effect, or perhaps he delivered an early fish during the nest cam down time of approximately 6 hours from 03.15 to 09.10. His tally remains at one hundred and forty nine. Aurora didn’t go hungry though, as she had stashed a large piece of the previous evening’s third fish, and polished that off today. She continues to spend her nights on the nest covering the unviable egg. Tonight’s forecast is for light rain overnight with a low of 12°C, changing to heavy rain tomorrow with a high of 16°C.
Chick number 2 died of starvation at the Chesapeake nest today.
Even though I continue to worry, Little Dewey did well today. Mum did not wait for Dad to show up – these females are really becoming titans! ‘PB’ gives us the low down of all the deliveries to our not so little Dewey.
Oyster Bay: They need food. I hope for three but…’PB’ comments on deliveries: “Oyster Bay 7/4/26….no fish all morning, then mom 12:42 finally delivered a large fish (Menhaden ?) #1 & #2 feeding. #3 could not get in there. Then Dad delivers a whole fish 12:59 and #3 rushes over to dad for food. Dad looked unsure what to do, he wanted to feed and tries one bite to #3. Unfortunately, #2 saw opportunity to get food from Dad and moves in. Dad only fed #2. #3 on Dads right was begging but no bites. Dad left with remaining fish 1:06. #2 gets a couple of scraps from mom. #1 Huge crop. Hope they can get more fish for #3.” And then a final great update from ‘PB’: “Great update to share: dad partial fish 13:37 & mom 13:58 fish, #3 ate well! “
Lamoine State Park: Late fish delivery by the female but the third hatch had nothing to eat. This is another sad nest that needs food. I even wondered if the adults had abandoned the nest.
Sandy Hook: Good deliveries.
Osoyoos: The only surviving osplet of the three has a huge crop.
Went back and caught another fish delivery from Dad at Osoyoos.
Santiam Canyon: Doing well with the fish deliveries.
Cowlitz PUD: Little crops.
OBX: Two lovely feathered osplets who need names. Go to the link at the bottom of the image.
Salmon Idaho: Lots of fish appear to have come in on Saturday.
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho: The two feathered chicks are doing well. Dad delivered a fish – their expressions really perked up when they knew a meal was coming!
Charlo, Montana: Chloe feeding C22.
Upper Newport Bay: Ripple and Robinson both had fish.
Boulder County: The trio look good!
Loch Doon: All is good. Heavy rain starts later and Angel returns to the nest to try and cover her chicks – who are large!
Smallwood: Looking good with lots of helicoptering by the osplets. We are close to fledge.
Rutland Manton Bay: Fledge window.
Minneapolis Landscape: Two chicks appear to be doing rather well. I had my doubts initially, but all is looking good.
Blackbush: Number 1 continues to peck on 4 – trying to deny food and injuring that already damaged head. This is one tough little 4 that so many are cheering on but this nest is going to need lots of fish if the dominance power moves by the big siblings on that tiny little one are to stop.
Ah, that’s it for me. Just a quick run-through. Son is coming over tomorrow to help me with a camera for outside – we have gone through two or three. None are perfect, and most require some kind of monthly subscription, which I am trying to avoid. What this means is that I am going to enjoy the day and not look at nests. I will see you on Monday. Take care, everyone.
Thank you so much to Geemeff, to all those who created videos, including SK Hideaways, Karel, and BOGette, to those who posted information on FB, and to PB for keeping me up to date on some nests I didn’t get a chance to check. Once again, thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these incredible birds.
I am thinking about all of you living in Europe sweltering in this heat and the wildlife. Or those in Japan and elsewhere who have had earthquakes and now, my son tells me two storms coming to Japan as he is set to fly out for Canada. Please take care of yourself.
I had a lovely Saturday. A friend was here for tea. At the same time, Don needs to go to the hospital, and his brother is taking him tomorrow. It is a prostrate issue again. So today’s report is going to be shorter than normal.
One thing I want to mention is that our dear Ervie has been spotted fishing where he did when he first fledged with dad at Delamere Wetlands.
My goodness – our favourite third hatch. Ervie hatched on the Port Lincoln barge on 16 September 2021 at 00:51:50. He will be five years old this year. Mark your calendars. Let’s all eat some birthday cake in celebration.
‘PB’ has sent me some good reports from the nests.
“Blackbush Little tiny 4 has an open head wound, this bravest of all souls, like Cape Henlopen #3, just keeps getting back up to eat. If it didn’t get food, it would be the end. But this nest has lots of fish, and #4 is fighting to survive.”
“Now tiny 4 moved by Dad, dad feeding 4 privately, rhen mom walks up and gets food from dad to give to 4. I hope the food gives this brave one some good nutrients to grow.”
4 has been injured by 3 and there are certainly concerns since its head now ppears to be bleeding.
“Oyster Bay mom can’t wait for dad she goes fishing 2:25 but #1 eats most of it. I fear we may lose one here. Not enough to keep oldest full.”
“Sandy Hook may be only nest along NJ with 3. All look good still.”
Little Dewey hit the jackpot today. Mum has been bringing in the fish.
Dewey mom found 4 more Menhaden, Heidi told me: 13.22.00, 13.36.12, 13.52.54, 14.15.34, 5:29:44 Dewey mom another menhaden. She had brought in some in the morning.
SK Hideaways brings us up to date with Sandy and Luna, who are now ready to fledge – something we all feared as 4th of July celebrations in the US approach with their useless fireworks. https://youtu.be/glMMMrK8mmI?
Cornell Bird Lab captures the visit of P2 to the nest as P3 gets some inspiration for an impending fledge! https://youtu.be/fqaMN3W40UI?
Super couple CJ7 and Blue 022. The fish brought in today, according to the chat: 05:09, 09:01, 13:24, 16:41, 17:44, 18:33, 20:07, 21:04. Just think about that. Four chicks are thriving. I believe they will break Maya and Blue 33’s record of fledging four this year. Poole Harbour has fledged four chicks in 2024, 2025, and appears to be ready to do it again in 2026, breaking the record.
Manton Bay: 2020 and 2019 were the two years that they fledged four chicks. They had four chicks in clutches other years but at least one died each year.
CJ7 with her four feathered babes of 2026.
A happy story. House Martins return to a UK street.
Young country diary: The house martins are back – I can hear the chicks from my bedroom
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig 27th June 2026
Another calm and routine day, no intruders or alarms, the only negative is the wet weather as it rained steadily with only a few breaks throughout the day. However that didn’t prevent the males from fishing – Garry LV0 brought two on-cam fish for Aurora 536, taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and forty one, and Louis brought four fish for Dorcha and the chicks, taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and ninety seven. As Steve Quinn showed in his weekly stats published today, Louis is setting records and performing very well. Links cant be posted unfortunately, but just pop Nest 2 fish summary to week 10 into the search field and it’ll come up. It’s raining as this report is posted (midnight), and set to continue overnight with a low of 14°C throughout tomorrow with a high of 17°C and the possibility of sunny intervals.
Thank you for being with me today. Please take care of yourselves. I hope to be back with you either tomorrow or Monday.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, Cornell Bird Lab, and Geemeff for their videos and/or daily summaries. I am also grateful to ‘PB’ for keeping a keen eye on some of those hard-to-watch nests. Thank you to the others who post on FB, the owners of the streaming cams, The Guardian for reporting, and Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us apprised of the good, the bad, and the very ugly in the world of raptor persecution in the UK.
I should say that for some of you it will be good night and for others, good morning. My intention had been to take a break, but then something ‘magical and miraculous’ happened. After 29.5 hours without food, the female at the Dewey Beach nest flew off. The male has not been seen for a day and a half and I hope that no harm has come to him but that is a long time to be away. Perhaps he was unable to find food. I remember many being gone for several days especially if there had been a storm. Duke at Barneghat Light was one of those about three years ago. Or was it two?
At any rate around 1600 the female, utterly starving herself, flew off the nest. She returned with what I would call a large minnow. Baby Dewey was ravenous. Mum didn’t start there – she kept fishing. The last count I had was either 5 or 6 fish being delivered, once she flew in with two!
Heidi calls it at six.
Another female, Jill, at Achieva, has been fishing to feed her two osplets and that kept Little and Big alive to fledge. The male is being the way the male has always been – Jack is not reliable. I do not know why and it could honestly not be his fault. Gulls and eagles as well as other ospreys steal fish. He is not a youngster, etc.
The news is not so good for the female that incubated her eggs and hatched three chicks all on her own. The male has shown up but too little, too late. Let’s hope that Mum and one chick can survive. Have a read:
The first fledge for Irv and Stella at the US Steel nest. It was Sid! And, yes, he did return!
At Cornell, fledgling P1 made it back to the nest. Three gorgeous peachy breasts!!!!!
At the Lesser Spotted Eagle nest of Milda and Madis, the two little eaglets seem to be doing alright. Remember – there could be obligate siblicide at this nest. That said, Madis is bringing in quite a bit of prey.
Iris is such a good Mum. She is so delicate feeding the baby. But she looks tired to me and thin – an I imagining this? I hope so. I think I am so used to her fishing for. herself and eating huge fish. Now she is focused on baby.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 19th June 2026
Today was all about fish! Despite the wet and windy conditions, magnificent fisherbird Louis just kept delivering fish, eight in all, this season’s daily total record. With the first arriving at 04.12 and the last arriving at 23.04, Louis certainly put in quite a long shift. The Nest Two total now stands at one hundred and sixty one, with one hundred and fifty nine brought by Louis and two by Dorcha. By contrast, Garry LV0 brought only one fish for Aurora, taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and twenty three. However, there are no chicks to feed, and with the nest cam going down for approximately four hours every morning, it’s neither possible to say what his actual total is, nor fair to compare him to Louis. Despite the constant supply of fish and bulging crops, the two chicks on Nest Two had a really vicious fight, started unwisely by one who then suffered swift retaliation, being pecked to the point that the other had feathers in its beak. Dorcha took no notice but did stop the fight when she sat on them. They will just have to work it out – hopefully Louis will keep bringing a constant supply of fish and the chicks will grow out of this stage soon. The weather was much wetter and windier than the light rain showers and gentle breezes forecast for today, and while more rain and wind is expected overnight and tomorrow with a low of 11°C and a high of 17°C, there should be sunny intervals tomorrow.
The legendary queen of the mountain gave us an unforgettable moment on this day in 2020: Aila has a brain fade and decides to move an awkwardly shaped stick from one side of the nest to the other, apparently oblivious to the presence of her chicks. They duck this way and that trying to keep out of her destructive path, and when Aila finally leaves the nest, one of them delivers a parting shot with perfect emphasis.
Everyone’s invited to join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and everyone’s welcome:
I don’t like to end with saddness but tonight I am. Forsythe. Opal and Oscar have had two of their three chicks die from starvation. There is one adorable feathered chick on the nest. From my vantage point, the adults have abandoned this chick and will let it die on the nest. No one is there with it tonight and food has not come. Every once in awhile you hear a little cheep, cheep – calling for fish. It breaks your heart and this is what the ospreys are up against. So much better if there are no eggs or if the eggs do not hatch. No food for them. In two years, no food for the returnees even if they survived. The entire eco system is dead or dying.
Please take care. I am going to take a break and I will be back with you on Monday. Please feel free to send me any news. I will definitely begin to put my blog together late Sunday after my friend Ruth goes home – I am looking forward to having a friend over. The Girls and Toby have a bit of a surprise for Don.
Thank you to Geemeff for her daily summary and videos, to Heidi and PB for their reports on fish and nests, and to all those who post on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch the beauty and the horror of the life events of our bird families.
Oh, my goodness. It is pouring down rain again and Toby has his thunder shirt on! Thanks to ‘P’ I have discovered they also make these calming jackets for cats. Missey is the other one that was soooooo anxious during the recent storms so that I have now ordered one for her. The running joke amongst us is that the animals have more outfits than we do! It’s true. They are the glue that holds our mental health in place along with the garden and its wildlife.
Our neighbourhood is very concerned. Neither Brock nor Charlie, the cat with the frozen folded ear, have been seen and they disappeared at the same time. I do not believe in coincidences. Neighbours have adjusted their cameras and put out bowls o food in an attempt to see if we can spot them on camera. Don, Toby, and I have called and banged on every shed and garage and one house that is vacant with work being done for fear they are locked in. Brock would not easily go into a trap. I tried him many times but, he might be lured into a house or a space to go to sleep and then someone close the door and not come back. Jane and I are beside ourselves with worry.
P1 fledged at the nest of Big Red and Arthur on the Cornell Campus on Thursday. Congratulations. P2 is ready, but P3 isn’t. How can you tell? To properly fly, we should be able to clearly see five or six dark bands on their tail.
Can you tell who is the youngest by the number of bands? Laura Culley taught me this.
Clark came to say hello, then delivered a stick for the cot rails, and then within a few minutes returned with a breakfast fish for Iris and baby.
Now that industrial fishing has begun in the NE, it appears there are fewer and fewer fish for males to find and deliver to their nests. There have been deaths in the last few days, including Forsythe. I was inherently sad before this osprey season began, and I feel as if someone just punched me in the gut really hard at the start of each day. Heidi and I predicted this more than three years ago. The decline is happening swiftly. The adults who hatched babies cannot find enough fish to feed themselves and their chicks. They also know that even if a few live, they won’t find fish when they fledge. I had hoped that the ospreys would choose not to breed at all, as Duke and Daisy did a couple of years ago at Barnegat Light. What you are watching is the slow extinction of a species in a region of the US that should not be happening. While some might wish to point to all manner of causes – Bald Eagles eating millions of tonnes of fish so the osprey don’t have any – the real culprit is the industrial trawling using spotter planes of the fish that is the basis of the ecosystem in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding areas. Menhaden. You are witnessing this. It is not going to get any better. What we must do is celebrate the chicks that survive, find a fairy or two to help Little Dewey, and make it rain fish for those that are still alive. In other words, a miracle.
We have another female who is going out fishing to try and keep her babies alive – Hennie at Henlopen State Park. Thanks, Heidi.
The weather at Dewey Beach has been very bad and Little Dewey has had no fish in at least 24 hours.
Has Mum gone fishing, too? I hope so!
At 1600 Mum returned with literally a minnow for Little Dewey. He has had only this snack in more than 24 hours. I really wish someone would drop fish on this nest. If this chick starves to death in front of us like the one last year, it is going to be hard to deal with. The cause of the lack of fish is manmade – industrial fishing – cannot someone do something?
Mum might determine that there is no fish for her baby as he gets older and abandons the nest. This is an acute possibility. We have to be prepared.
Every nest I have checked needs fish in the US – it would be good to see 5-7 fish on these nests where the chicks are in the Reptile phase or later. Dewey is getting feathers. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum babies seem tiny.
The nest is so full of human debris and it appears only one egg that Bety is incubating – it just doesn’t feel right this year at Mlade Buky. Maybe it is just me.
Finnish nest 4. Two chicks in reptile phase doing well.
Beautiful juvenile feathers on the trio at Finnish nest 1.
Two tiny tiny little osplets at Ilomansti Finnish 2 nest.
Three at Oyster Bay getting their juvenile feathers.
Three covered with feathers at Clark PUD in Washington.
Chick 2 is calling for prey, and Mum fed at the Lesser Spotted Eagle nest in Estonia. We can only take this nest one day at a time as Lesser Spotted Eagles practice obligate siblicide (the oldest chick kills the younger).
This black stork nest is doing so well in Estonia that a foster storklet has been added.
Bobby Bach (third Bob) is doing find according to the folks at Glaslyn. There was some concern after the recent removal of fishing line but they have been monitoring the situation with their own special cameras closely and conclude he is alright. The weather has been terrible, but Teifi has been delivering fish, regardless. Here is Bobby Bach right up front and using its crop as a pillow.
Syfadden has been bringing in the fish to the Usk Valley while Clogwyn has made certain – despite their size that they are kept warm and dry in the bad weather of Wales.
At Rutland Manton Bay’s nest of Maya and Blue 33, the osplets, fully feathered, enter their fledge window in less than a fortnight from 28th Jun – 11 Jul. I wish every osplet in the US had the chance for fish that this nest has!
That is a nest full of osplets – four of them – at Poole Harbour – doing just fine. CJ7 and Blue 022. Amazing. They will probably break Maya and Blue 33s record of fledging four (I must check – it could be this clutch!).
I feel like I am the bearer of bad news. Despite the understanding, several years ago, that Heidi and I had that this would happen if the industrial fishing of Menhaden was not curtailed, it is still more than difficult. It doesn’t have to happen. Every person reading my blog, their friends, anyone who loves ospreys should be calling Audubon, anyone in the State of Virginia including the Governor, and every TV, radio, and newspaper channel.
Thank you for being with us. I keep saying that I am going to take a break and it might just be this weekend that I do. It is a little overwhelming seeing so many babies and parents starving. Take care. There are fledges to come on the Channel Islands and P2 at Cornell.
Thank you to everyone who posted information on FB and images, the owners of the streaming cams, and to each of you for your comments and information sent to me by other means.
It was a fantastic day to be outside. The garden is really ‘loud’ with birdsong – you can hear them more than half a block away! And the rain and heat have done the plants wonders.
Some images that we are enjoying.
A memory and a treasure. A Paolo Soleri bell. He died during the month when I met my friend Lynne in Phoenix for a mini-break, too many years ago now.
The peonies will be blooming, but are off limits to Toby just like the hydrangeas as they are toxic to dogs.
We are sitting outside, and Mr Crow has come for a visit. I thought he was going to have a bath, but he jumped down onto the ground. I wonder what caught his eye.
The sparrows had a lot of fun in the bird bath today, but it meant that we had to clean it about four times! Oh, they make a mess.
You never have your camera when you truly need it. Mr Crow is balancing on one of the flower poles, waiting for the squirrel to finish at the table feeder. Oh, he is back at the bird bath and now off he goes. Lots of activity between 1900-2100.
Oh, how sad. It appears the eldest chick (they both hatched on 11 June) crawled out from under New Female at Charlo, Montana during the night when it was in the 50s and succumbed to hypothermia. The NF tried several times to get the chick back under her for warmth to no avail. What a tragic nest accident!
Mum trying to get her baby back.
The Eagle Dock Osprey Nest is located in Cold Spring Harbour, New York. It sits out in the distance across the mudflats, visible from the shoreline near the Eagle Dock Community Beach (on Shore Road) and the adjacent Shore Road Sanctuary. Their osprey cam has gone live and the two adults are present.
I think each of you had your eyes on that beautiful eaglet Snow at Traverse City, Michigan, when its nest slid, and it fell. All the while, we noted that the adults were the most incredible parents. Snow had no parasites or infections and was well fed and feathered on the initial examination. Snow was strong, and her two fractures are healing nicely, and she is receiving the best of care at Northern Sky Raptor Sanctuary. Today, they announced that Snow is a female! I will note that the parents continue to go to the nest. Yes, raptors have feelings and they are missing their Snow. What a lucky eaglet to have such good care. Many do not.
I am confounded. We are used to seeing fishing line and baling twine on US osprey and eagle nests. It was not until this year that it seemed to be a common occurrence at UK osprey nests. Yesterday, the great folks at Glaslyn successfully removed the fishing line and hook that were wrapped around the youngest chick from the nest of Elen and Teifi. Thank you to everyone who notified them and those who helped quickly!
We love Luna and Sandy – Jackie and Shadow’s soon-to-fledge eaglets – at Big Bear. They are getting closer and closer. SK Hideaways caught Luna getting higher! https://youtu.be/If_H8omr7nk?
This is what our ospreys are up against. The industrial fishing (not the commercial fishing of the locals) needs to stop. Omega needs to be mothballed.
One of Canada’s leading authors, Margaret Atwood, is saving Pelee Island (along with her family) for migratory birds)
Oh, there are chicks dying in Finland. The latest is at LS #5.
I had many questions about Steelscape’s camera. It is not streaming. Our ‘sleuth’, PB, had a contact and has discovered that the individual who wanted the streaming cam and who was in IT has been made redundant. These things happen. I continue to be thankful for the Achieva Osprey cam – especially this year, as it has been a stunner, but the individual who led the effort might no longer be with that branch. There was once an active FB group just for the nest.
There is one osplet at The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbour, New Jersey (south). Baby appears to waiting for fish. This is the first time I have checked on this nest. Does anyone have details?
Beautiful family portrait of White Stork family in Lubla Parish, Poland. Storklets are Eliasz & Gabriel.
Big Red doesn’t like her babies to fledge when it is raining. Of course, she is so smart – their feathers would be heavy and it is also windy. To keep them home, she often feeds them constantly!
So where are the other two? Are they at the end or down on the ledge? It appears that the first fledge might have been at 1825. I await official confirmation.
All is well at Hellgate Canyon with Iris, Clark, and Baby.
The oldest chick that died of hypothermia at Charlo, Montana overnight has not been removed from the nest. This is so sad. Let us hope that nothing happens to Only Bob.
Three little ones at Osoyoos. Pray for this nest and the others that are struggling – perhaps, in reality, that is almost all of them in one way or another.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 18th June 2026
It was wet and windy today, and there was a moment which could have been nasty but fortunately wasn’t – a gust of wind caught Dorcha and flipped her over, taking a chick as well. But Dorcha righted herself and the chick quickly crawled back under her with no harm done. On the 6th anniversary of Legendary Louis and the Day of Nine Fish, it was a slow fish day, Louis only brought two fish and the second was such a tiddler it was gone in four minutes. Chick1 achieved a milestone by swallowing the small tail, while earlier Dorcha had struggled to swallow the much larger tail of the first fish. The Nest Two tally now rises to one hundred and fifty three, and Garry LV0’s single fish takes the Nest One tally to one hundred and twenty two. Aurora 536 spent most of the day incubating the unviable egg, how long she’ll keep doing that is a matter of speculation. Heavy rain and light winds with a low of 15°C is the overnight forecast, changing to light rain showers, a gentle breeze and a high of 17°C tomorrow.
Thank you so much for being with us. It is time to do a wee bit of weeding in the garden before getting the lads inside. We hope that you had a wonderful Thursday. Take care of yourself. Please get outside if you can. Nature is regenerating!
Thank you to ‘MP’ and ‘PB’ re the Steelscape streaming cam, to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their videos and for that incredible daily summary of happenings at Loch Arkaig. I am grateful to everyone who owns a streaming cam that stays on and lets us watch these incredible birds. Streaming cams cost money and human power – so thank you! And to everyone who posted information, put images and events on FB – we are so grateful.
We woke up to blue skies and sunshine! And, while sipping our tea and munching on croissants, we counted two Blue Jays at the feeder! Did I tell you about the Cooper’s Hawk hiding in the lilacs that Mr Blue Jay flushed out on Sunday? It was a frightening moment. Mr Blue Jay was screeching at the top of his little lungs. I thought the hawk had his mate or one of their newly hatched chicks BUT maybe Mr Blue Jay just say the hawk loitering in ‘his lilacs’ and wanted him gone. He sure chased him out of the neighbourhood. Imagine.
Ann is taking Don to his annual appointment today and I am going to sit on the deck with Toby and relax. We had an accident yesterday. I know each of us has spilled a cup of water and marvelled at how much there is when you go to clean it up. Well, imagine an extra large mug of hot chocolate. My goodness. Poor Don just couldn’t hold it (early Parkinson’s). The key is like training dogs – nothing negative. Our little Bissell worked overtime after I had scrubbed with a brush. The space is dry but there is still a dark stain in one spot and hopefully after a couple more bouts of cleaning, we can get that out. I bought this big old carpet years ago when wool and silk carpets didn’t cost the price of a car. I love it but, is it time to give it up?
From our monitor, ‘V’, who is writing a book on her twenty-year experience with ospreys living right in front of her. Sadly, life has changed for the birds, but today VV sends us some good news. Please note that I am protecting the location for obvious reasons and the individual.
“Most of my observed nests are a bust again this year. But one of the two nests in front of my house still has at least one chick still alive (bad early bullying, haven’t seen bobble heads in a few days, but someone is still getting fed)— but in the oldest nest, THREE chicks have reached dinosaur stage — first time parents, male an excellent fisher. We’re rigging up a pulley to that nest so we can start adding fish if times get too lean for them. 🤞🏻”
More good news from ‘V’: “It seemed one of the nests up the road also had feeding going on as I drove by. So perhaps there will be a couple fledges from here this year. I can’t imagine we’d be so fortunate.
The fish- pulley apparatus has been “rigged” — waterman vernacular — and we’re going to try to attach it in the morning when the tide is lower. That’s what someone needs to video, the 74 year old woman wading out to the piling for the 83 year old man to haul and attach a bird feeder. Dodo birds to say the least. Ha!”
V is my hero. Not afraid to save their babies. There are others – I’m like a geisha – I never tell, but there are a number this year that have decided to establish fish ponds to help their ospreys.
There has been questions about Iris’s other two eggs. Egg 2 is 40 days today. Not going to hatch. It is possible that Egg 3 might hatch. Personally, if every osprey nest fledged one very healthy chick, we should feel blessed. I keep thinking about Dewey Beach in the same way. One healthy – not four with 2 or 3 dying of starvation and battering.
Baby One is doing just fine. One nice, strong chick. Yesterday, it disappeared into that bark that was brought in, and many of you became concerned that something had happened. You had to look closely to find its little head.
Another human is helping some storks, with one of the adults in trouble. There are so many compassionate people throughout the world. Sometimes we have to pull away from the news – and just look at the good or we can easily drop ourselves into despair.
“One of the storks with a leg ring has both legs wrapped in long pieces of metal bands. It can’t free itself from the tether. The parent with the ring was in the nest this morning and again this afternoon, and you can see that its legs are still tied. One parent is feeding the young, the other is charred with soot, but it’s not enough food. Yesterday, the storks received a large portion of meat food from a human, and today, the human also threw a large amount of fresh meat into the nest. Storks are afraid of people; it will be difficult to remove the metal band (because it’s not a string) from its tangled legs. Perhaps this stork will be caught on the ground and its legs will be freed.”
‘J’ sends us the latest installment of Kakapo news.
Kakapo Files podcast episode 18: 15 Jun 2026
Six months after this record-breaking kākāpō breeding season began, all 91 living chicks have fledged and left the nest. The chicks remain with their kākāpō mums and are still being fed by them, as well as eating a range of plant material, and as cold wet midwinter weather sets in the chicks are learning to find dry roost sites. The Kākāpō Team’s Daryl Eason and Andrew Digby answer listener questions, including why did Kākāpō cam star Rakiura spend so much time in the nest digging, what can you learn from a piece of egg shell, and could old museum specimens be a source of lost kākāpō genes?
In this episode: 02:06 – Island news with ranger Daniella Whitaker 06:21 – Update on Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura 11:43 – Sick kākāpō 15:19 – Are kākāpō smart? 18:19 – Previous nest cams 20:05 – Why did Rakiura dig so much in her nest? 24:00 – Do kākāpō compete with other species? 25:30 – Kākāpō on Coal Island and at Sanctuary Mountain Mangatautari 30:57 – Museum specimens and lost genes
Learn more: Follow the Kākāpō Files podcast to keep up to date Listen to the Voice of the Kākāpō series for a recap of the 2019 breeding season. Also listen to the episodes covering the interim 2022 breeding season, and about how a few male kākāpō have fared in the North Island, in the fenced Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari For more New Zealand science and nature find and follow the Our Changing World podcast, and subscribe to the show’s monthly newsletter
Dewey Beach. This must be a female – and continue to send positive wishes to her so that she fledges!
The trio are so fully feathered at Manton Bay and the nest of Blue 33 and Maya.
‘PB’ reports that Cowlitz has its first hatch today.
The reality of not enough fish is spreading through the nests – Forstythe, Field Museum, Farm Field amongst others.
Heidi reports on the loss at Field Farm:
Heidi also reports on The Bridge Club osprey nest in NY.
‘PB’ reports on Achieva:
Charlie and the New Female together on the nest at Charlo Montana feeding their two babies.
Look at those beautiful juvenile feathers on the Pitkin County Trails Osprey nest in Colorado!
It can be very dangerous being an osprey chick during fish deliveries. We have seen chicks killed, almost smashed…today it was Louis turn at Lock Arkaig 2 to flip a chick. Geemeff has it on video: https://youtu.be/boMblyAoBC4?
A very successful nest is Wolf Bay in Alabama! One of the three chicks has fledged and the live feed has now returned. Aren’t they gorgeous?
At Osoyoos in British Columbia, Canada, the three osplets are still alive. Please send this nest good wishes. They have had trouble with heat and getting fish to the nest for many years.
So far it looks like we still have four osplets alive at the Blackbush nest in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Two big osplets at the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum osprey nest.
The Fortis Exshaw streaming cams in Alberta appear not to be working.
We still have two osplets at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. I will try to find any news I can about the woman who was caring for three osplets alone in Minnesota and post it tomorrow. If you happen to know, send me a note!
At the Red-tail Hawk nest of Big Red and Arthur (one of my favourites) the two older chicks P1 and P2 are preparing to fledge. Cornell did a video of their anxious moments: https://youtu.be/vS44rBVDG_U?
They are so cute. Big Red and Arthur will be showing them where to fly to – and you can count on Arthur for making sure that his babies are well fed after they fly.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. There is so much happening – it is very difficult to keep up.
It is so nice to have you with us, and I appreciate all your notes, your e-mails, comments, and good wishes. Everyone is so kind, and it means so much to me. I want to add that there is something odd going on with my e-mail at times. Several letters from one of my friends in SF, who supplies us with those wonderful videos, SK Hideaways, were a week late in arriving in my ‘Inbox’, and they all came at once. I could be missing yours, or they might not have arrived – so if you sent me something and I did not respond, please resend. I do try to reply within 48 hours, and normally the same day if things at home are going smoothly.
Thank you to everyone who sent me news, posted information or images on FB, created videos – I am so very, very grateful. To the owners of the streaming cams, we are all so very thankful that you allow us to watch these incredible families.
