It’s raining – again. We had 114 mm of rain, and some large commercial and apartment buildings near where I live had more than 60 cm of water in their basement. My daughter still does not have power after the storm hit last night. I was lucky. I have power and no water or sewer in my basement (I finally checked). Toby and I went out for a last walk. Toby just amazes me. He is smarter than many humans that I know.
He wanted to be in bed with his ‘daddy’ today. Don is doing well, but he will have to do a lot of physiotherapy to get him strong enough to walk again. Please take a page out of the phrase, ‘If you don’t use it, you will lose it’. Besides nature being good for our mental health, walking is essential to keep us moving!
Thank you for all your good wishes. They keep me going.
There is concern growing for the male mate of the female incubating four eggs at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne. This is the message from Victor Hurley:
C22 is still at Charlo! Then Charlie must still be home, too.
Iris is still home, too! One of the individuals saw her and posted it on the website so we would know she was still around.
Idris continues to deliver to the girls at the nest. I was only able to catch Elsi on the nest today for two fish (flat – flounder?).
Fish are still being delivered to 0U0 by Dad at the Usk Valley nest in Wales.
Frankie and Angel are on migration and a pine marten visits the nest.
Viki sends news on Junior. “After calling and calling last Friday and watching Dad retrieve a fish (two times in the course of the day) to eat himself, but NOT retrieving any fish I threw for him to take to his chick, Junior finally left the nest, and no one has been in it since.
Dad tried with every unretrieved fish I threw to show Junior how to fly over the fish – but Junior wouldn’t get off that nest. Until finally we all gave up and left. Then he did too.
Junior never tried to retrieve a fish that I threw for himself, so I’m not so sure that the live fish I saw him with a couple times didn’t actually come from Mom or Dad. I don’t know.
Dad was still flying about this morning – Monday – and also the male of the nest next door (Mr. Perfect) is still guarding his territory which is being completely disrupted on shore by new home construction – but no Junior or food calling since Friday.
So, I am assuming the best !!!”
I think this is good news from Tweed. I worried about Christopher, but both juveniles (his sister is Kirsti) seem to be doing well and fighting like siblings! Both have protected the nest from intruders who want their fish.
Thank you so much for being with us. Toby and I are going to watch a movie and relax. Take care.
Thank you to everyone who posted information and images on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us glimpse into the challenging lives of our raptors. I also want to thank Viki for her great reporting and for keeping an osprey family alive so that their one surviving chick could live and migrate. She is my hero.I am always grateful to SK Hideaways for their great videos.
You can tell the ‘air’ is different. The beautiful emerald colour at the top of the trees is quickly fading into gold, red, and copper. Summer is ending, and fall is here despite the fact that the temperature is 24 C.
Thank you again for all your amazing letters and your support. I can tell you that I really need all that positive energy. Each of you has asked for an update, so this is a snapshot of the past two days. Don was moved into a private room with a window. The doctors felt that he was not progressing because of the overstimulation of the brain in the emergency room. I fed him his lunch yesterday – he was ravenous. Today Jaine and Carter (daughter and oldest grandson) went at lunch to feed him and give him some homemade cookies. His appetite is good. Unfortunately, after they left, he fell. (He was not in his bed but in a wheelchair in the hall – a nice change from staring at the walls. I was told I could not get him a telly because it clamps to the rails on the bed and he could injure himself). Then he got agitated and was up again. This time it took five people to get him back, and they had to sedate him. All the nurse kept saying when she called was ‘he is big and strong’. He has a security guard with him now! I keep wondering what else in the world is going to happen? Something is certainly wrong, and as far as I can tell, it is one of the percolating infections he is trying to fight.
There are so many things, but if you have loved ones who are dehydrated, it can appear they have memory issues when they don’t. Infections cause sudden changes in behaviour and great agitation, sometimes violence. Please remember these two things because not everything is as it seems.
Bird World is pretty quiet.
The Royal Cam chick is 222 days old today. In about two weeks, Awoheh will be at the average for flight. The albatrosses return to Tairora Head when they are approximately five or six years old after foraging off the coast of Chile.
Blue 33 was still at Rutland but everyone else appears to be gone.
Beautiful fish for Wensi at Hellgate Canyon.
Idris is delivering some big ones to the Dyfi nest in Wales!
Teifi remains busy at Glaslyn.
Blue 8P7 is screaming for fish and Louis does not disappoint at Loch Arkaig.
No activity at Blackbush that I could see.
Fish still coming into the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest for the two juveniles that have not left.
No prey for 37 and 38 at the Olympic Park WBSE nest so far today. Adults have arrived twice empty taloned.
Incubation continues at 367 Collins Street. Four beautiful peregrine falcon eggs!
Gorgeous Mum at Port Lincoln Osprey barge hoping for a breakfast fish from Dad soon!
More osprey nest news from South Australia:
Maria Marika gives us news of the black storks.
Lin Lawson brings us news from Charlo, Montana.
Remember to get your purple out to honour Jackie on the 4th! That is this Friday.
Thank you for being with us today. I hope to be back with you tomorrow but it could be Friday or Saturday depending on what is happening at the hospital. In the meantime, please take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to all the owners of the streaming cams who let us watch these amazing birds, and to those who posted information and images on FB. I am terribly grateful.
It is windy, and you would think, by looking at the low dark clouds, that we were going to have a storm. It rained solidly last night – the proof I have is that there were puddles everywhere. Toby and I went to bed early and slept through it all, from 9-9. Yes, I was exhausted. On our walk this afternoon, we saw the first golden copper leaves scattered about the boulevard. Fall is really here and it is just the end of August. Temperatures remain in the mid-twenties despite the ‘autumn feel’.
I did not go to the hospital today. Last Christmas, I went every day and wore myself out. I said I would go every other day, making sure someone is there on my days off. Today, Ann was there to feed Don his lunch, and his oldest friend, Andrew, went up at 3. Despite eating his lunch, something is a ‘bit off’. He talked with his eyes closed and knew his friend, but he also went in and out of a very deep sleep. I know that in late stage Lewy Body Dementia, the person sleeps much of the time. Again, it is a day at a time. Thank you for your kind notes and all your good wishes.
Geemeff has arrived at their adventure destination safely. I hope they have a fantastic adventure!
SK Hideaways has sent their complete video listing, but I am adding one- SE38 finally gets a big meal. Lady persisted. Thank goodness. Everyone is worried, and many have stopped watching the nest because they fear 38 won’t make it. So here is this video by SK Hideaways: https://youtu.be/gjJ01khy2fA?
SK Hideaways Videos, Week of 23 August 2026
367 Collins Street Falcons ~ Melbourne ~ F24, M24 (maybe) Courtesy Victorian Peregrine Project South Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibsohQ14cY North Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKk0ivuWe4 Mum Lays Egg #3 in a Hurry ~ Dad Works Out the Incubation Fit ~ 2026 Aug 28 Congrats to mum and dad on egg #3. The delivery seemed almost effortless for mum. But dad puzzled a bit to get himself on top of all 3 eggs. He got there in the end and has plenty of time to practice. Video: https://youtu.be/INETWMjvFjo Mum Delivers Egg #2 ~ The Pushes & Proof 367 Collins St. Falcons 🪽 Melbourne, Australia ~ 2026 Aug 25Mum laid egg 2 in just a few minutes in the evening, bringing this one in what seems quick succession to the first. Dad will be excited come morning. Video: https://youtu.be/kRjyyXG3krA
Welcome Egg #1 ~ A Tidied Nest with Mom and Dad 367 Collins St. Falcons 🪽 Melbourne, Australia ~ 2026 Aug 25 As 367 Collins Street begins the 2026 season, we see mom and dad with egg #1, which apparently was laid yesterday (24 August). Let the gutter stomping countdown begin! Video: https://youtu.be/1m7TM399Xc0
FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Shadow, Jackie (dec. 9 August 2026), Sandy, and Luna (last seen on camera 23 July 2023) 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/4wGjwVg Shadow & Kaydee’s Rock-Star Quality Morning Duets ~ Introduced by Fiona ~ 2026 Aug 26 Shadow and Kaydee woke the valley in the wee hours of the morning with stunning duets before heading out from the roost tree for the day. They made a quick stop on the Lookout Snag along the way. Video: https://youtu.be/YULMHzwlwJk Shadow’s Stunning Close-Ups on NestAfter Brief Meetup with Kaydee ~ 2026 Aug 25 Shadow and Kaydee gave us a great fly-by as they headed to the Lookout Snag for a brief chortle-snortle. They then spent the rest of the afternoon doing their own thing. Shadow gifted us with a long visit to the nest. FOBBVCAM double-gifted us with some stunning close-ups of gorgeous Shadow. Beyond grateful. Video: https://youtu.be/doOEAyr4Jzo
Shadow OK with Stick Shuffling on Nest ~ Not Ready for Kaydee’s Beaky Kisses ~ 2026 Aug 23 Shadow and Kaydee met on the nest before dusk. Kaydee practiced branch management while Shadow mostly watched. He joined her for awhile, but when she extended beaky kisses, Shadow was not receptive. His hormones are not in a bonding phase, so his withdrawal from Kaydee is not surprising. I’m trying to leave it there (ignoring every human impulse to describe it otherwise). At evening’s end, Shadow and Kaydee once again roosted together in the Roost Tree. Video: https://youtu.be/6BVc4os6MOU
Sydney WB Sea Eagles ~ Australia ~ Lady, Dad, SE37 (hatched 13 August), and SE38 (hatched 14 August) Courtesy Sea-EagleCAM@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park (https://www.sea-eaglecam.org/video.html) Nest cam also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw4pdgy3-U0 Sydney WB Sea Eagles SE38 Struggles to Find Courage to Eat ~ Lady’s Encouragement Helps ~ 2026 Aug 26With SE37 firmly established as the alpha sea eaglet, SE38 has become fearful of any beaks coming their way, including a parent offering food. This video is a fascinating display of the behaviors resulting from the hierarchy of these eaglets. I am pleased to report that due to Lady’s persistence and gentle encouragement, SE38 ultimately got a good meal during this feeding. We watch and learn ~ always. Video: https://youtu.be/ugAnJczXunw
Wensi says her parents are still home so where are the fish?????
Blue 33 and Maya still home at Rutland.
C22 was at Roger’s Place but no sign of Charlie.
Juvenile still at Dyfi. When will Idris get to fish for himself?
Teifi is still delivering at Glaslyn! Beautiful fish. Elen was also seen today.
Juveniles still fish calling at Lyn Brenig.
And Louis is still fishing at Loch Arkaig!
Blue 6T9 got the prize at Poole Harbour…fish still being delivered.
The garden is just bursting with birds wanting seed and water!
Hugo Yugo watching the crows.
Beautiful Hope.
The three baby Crows this year.
Thanks so much for being with us today! Please take care. I won’t promise to send out a blog on Tuesday as I intend to spend most of my time at the hospital but definitely Wednesday.
Thank you, SK Hideaways, for the great video list! Thank you to Wings of Whimsy, everyone who posted on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams where I peeked at our juvenile ospreys and eagles. We are so very grateful to all of you.
It is ‘the golden’ time in the garden. The sun is setting and there is a peachy-apricot- with a touch of lilac glow that kisses all of the western branches of the trees and the shrubs in the garden. Mr Crow is cawing. There are gulls, hundreds of them, flying overhead. They have found insects! The feeders are now quiet. Toby is beside me on the bench and like ant toddler, he wants my attention. No more computer!
I cannot wait to take him to the beach next Saturday. I think a lifejacket needs to be purchased, just in case he is not the great swimmer I think he is. Don is going to sit and watch his grandson, Carter, fishing. It is set to be the perfect end of the summer – ospreys included. The family and their chicks are still at their nest! So excited.
Today I am baking a peach kuchen. Every summer I make at least one, usually a plum one, in memory of one of my dearest friends, Rosemarie. We lived in Southern Manitoba, and our children were friends in the 1970s. She was remarkable. Her parents had sent her over the Berlin Wall to freedom – and that is how she came to be in Canada. I treasure all the recipes she taught me and the time we spent together. They moved to BC, where her husband had a position with the CBC. I left for the UK, and we lost touch. Thank goodness for memories!
Prayers for the people and wildlife in the zone of the hurricane.
The Guardian shows how rewilding can help against drought – and that is something many need to consider.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 21st August 2026 No sight of Amber 8P6 again today so it looks like she might have headed south, very young, but then she always was very determined and ahead of her older sister. Juniper 8P7 is very much still here, on and off the nest throughout the day and always announcing her arrival, occupation, and departure. She’s had to contend with several Hoodie invasions today and shows no hesitation lunging at them to drive them off, defending her fish and using a crow voice just like her mum Dorcha did. At one stage she flew off the nest clutching a fish, circled round, landed with it then took off again, possibly to find a place to eat without attendant Hoodies. Louis brought her two new fish, taking the Nest Two tally to four hundred and fifty, and his personal tally to four hundred and forty five, however there was also plenty of leftover fish from yesterday, and the Hoodies managed to get some while Juniper was away. No activity at Nest One bar a couple of songbirds. The weather was settled today and will continue dry but
chilly overnight with a low of 7°C, continuing dry and bright tomorrow with sunny intervals and a high of 15°C. Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/t5D_e4cLKwI N2 Louis brings fish one but several of yesterday’s are still there 06.07.15https://youtu.be/ZawjOTbmSDA N2 Juniper tries to protect her fish from a marauding Hoodie 11.09.48https://youtu.be/HDLYdQM9HkM N2 Fish number two arrives and so does a Hoodie 11.53.37https://youtu.be/tX2bGpkf4FkN2 Juniper flies with fish and aHoodie enjoys the leftovers 16.40.47
Bonus webinar – next Thursday 27th, with analysis by @SteveQuinn of Louis’ fishing performance and other nest activity this season, and an update from @WTScotland on the restoration of Arkaig Community Forest, with a Q&A afterwards:
The birds are on the move. What can you do to help? Turn out your lights! Ask your town and City to turn off their lights. Leave out water and if you can, put out food!
We now have at least 300 birds eating in the evening. My daughter gave me two triple-tube feeders…we are going through seed as the songbirds make their way south to their winter homes. I am so glad I can help them, along with the ones who live here all winter.
An article about a Snowy Owl – and just to note, the first Snowy Owl, has been photographed in Manitoba this season. Some interesting research – have a short read!
A satellite-tracked female snowy owl in the eastern Canadian Arctic spent 186 days on sea ice, hunting ducks at open water cracks in the pack ice hundreds of miles from land in total winter darkness. The biologists who tagged her expected her to fly south for the winter. She flew north onto the frozen ocean. The finding flabbergasted them. Inuit seal hunters had known about it for centuries.
Jean-François Therrien, a doctoral student at Université Laval working with professor Gilles Gauthier, tagged 12 adult female snowy owls on Bylot Island in Nunavut as part of an International Polar Year research project studying key indicator species of northern ecosystems. When winter came, the tracking data showed something nobody in the academic world had documented with technology. Eight of the 12 owls spent more than 95 percent of their winter locations over sea ice or along the coast. Six adult females spent most of the winter far out on the Arctic sea ice. One stayed there for 186 consecutive days. She was not lost. She was not drifting. She was hunting.
The ocean freezes across the Canadian Arctic every winter but it does not freeze solid. Leads and polynyas, cracks and pools of open water, persist throughout the ice sheet. Sea ducks, particularly eiders, and seabirds concentrate at these openings because the open water is where the food is. The owls found the ducks by finding the water. Gauthier described the hypothesis directly: bird researchers at coastal field sites have observed snowy owls attacking eiders in winter. If the satellite positions of the owls matched the locations of open water leads recorded by other satellite systems, the connection would be confirmed.
The owls were not behaving like the animal most people picture when they hear the words snowy owl. Most people imagine a white bird sitting on a fence post in a farm field somewhere in Minnesota or upstate New York, hunting mice in the snow. That version of the snowy owl is real. It is the owl that shows up on Christmas Bird Counts and birding websites and nature documentaries filmed in places where camera crews can reach. The other version, the one the Inuit have always known, is an owl that flies north when winter starts, lands on sea ice in the Arctic dark, finds a crack in the frozen ocean, and sits beside it killing ducks at temperatures that drop below minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The isotope data confirmed the diet shift. Stable isotope analysis of feathers showed that marine prey made up a substantial portion of the winter diet for owls that chose the sea ice. A snowy owl that breeds on lemmings in the summer and switches to sea ducks in the winter is not a rodent specialist. It is a predator that changes its entire hunting strategy, its prey base, and its habitat seasonally, moving from tundra grassland to frozen ocean the way a seasonal worker changes job sites.
Project SNOWstorm, a US-based tracking initiative that has followed more than 115 snowy owls with GPS transmitters since 2013, found the same behavior at a smaller scale on the Great Lakes. Snowy owls wintering in the northern United States moved out onto frozen Lake Michigan and Lake Erie for weeks at a time, hunting ducks at the cracks that opened and closed between wind-driven ice sheets. The researchers described the Great Lakes behavior as practice for the full Arctic version: owls learning or maintaining the ice-hunting skills that adult females use on the Arctic Ocean in the years when they stay north.
Source: Therrien et al., Université Laval / Gauthier, Université Laval / ScienceDaily / Project SNOWstorm / Birds of the World, Cornell / Old Farmer’s Almanac / COSEWIC (2025).
Bonding sessions are taking place at the Peregrine Falcon scrape of Gimbir and Diamond on Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia.
Great news. Aurora from Loch Arkaig nest 1 has been photographed in Poole Harbour fishing! Fantastic.
Viki sends us her latest:
“I am pretty certain Junior brought a live fish back to the north copse overlooking his nest – I haven’t seen either parent all morning!!!!
I AM AS PROUD AS A PARENT !!!!! He’s gonna make it !!!”
“Well, he clearly still needs plenty of fish as do his parents, apparently. And that little snit will NOT dive for a frozen bait fish I throw – but Dad (and I think Mom) will …. But they took 2 or 3 fish before Dad carried one out to Junior – who, btw, whether he stole that live fish out of another’s nest or not, dropped at least half of it —- TEENAGERS !!!
But aside from all that, I am so proud of that crazy, crafty #2 chick and his dad!!!!
Back out to throw some more fish. Dad is hanging around so maybe Junior will get some and SHUT UP!!! LOL”
“Junior had been practicing dragging his feet in the water. When he saw me coming down the deck with the fish bag he returned to nest but flew off his nest when I tossed the fish and must have been thinking about going for it, but flew off the wrong direction and Dad got it and brought it to their other “veranda” -nest. So I threw another. Junior just looked and kept calling. Dad brought the fish he’d had to Junior and then did four or five more dives for the other fish TO SHOW JUNIOR HOW TO DO IT RIGHT BEFORE MY VERY EYES !!!
Amazing. And now that I’ve picked my second tick off for that effort I’ll hit the shower. Sheesh.”
Viki is my heroine. She has kept this single osprey family alive on Indian Creek, Maryland, where there should have been 5- 60 chicks; one survived because of her. My heart beats softer and happier because good people like Viki exist in the world.
I love this family and I am so afraid that Iris will not return next spring. We want them to live forever, don’t we?
Clark has a fish. No one comes. In flies Wensi…Clark returns with the fish!
Ospreys at Charlo at night but during the day it seems they are over at Roger’s Place.
No one is home at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Mum continues to provide fish at Santiam. I am not clear what is happening at Blackbush.
One of my favourites, Blue 33, checking the nest at Rutland. The gulls are moving in – known as the clean-up crews – when they think a nest is just about at the end of the season. Blue 33 will be the last to leave after all the youngsters and Maya.
At Tweed Valley:
Kielder’s Kirknewton was the intruder at Dylan and Seren’s nest at Llyn Clywedog. How grand.
Teifi and Elen fledged their entire clutch of three. Beautiful osplets!
It is a wonderful day. Viki added a note that I will put here: “Your stamina as a caregiver is extraordinary. I can’t imagine how you get anything else done. Your husband is very fortunate for having been so unfortunate.
Thinking of you – and so you’ll smile –” . And, yes, I did smile at the incredible feat she undertook to keep that osprey family alive. Bravo. In a world when too many ‘count’ the dead, it is a relief that someone dares to feed.
It is exhausting being a caregiver. I am not sure I have any stamina at all. I am busy reading several books, including one that our reader and friend, ‘R ‘, recommended. My goal is to enrich Don’s life as much as possible, try to understand when he has trouble communicating, and recognise that he is also frustrated living in a body where he is not the person he was. Still, we try to make every day a little special. It could be a friend’s visit, a trip to the park, a walk with Toby – it doesn’t need to be much. The trips to the farm are excellent, and we are definitely looking forward to going to the beach next week!
Take care everyone. We will see you soon.
Thank you to all the contributors today – to Geemeff, to the owners of the streaming cams, to those that post information and images on FB – we thank you so very much!
We are inside in the cool of the house. Curtains are closed, and the AC is on low. The water for the birds outside, as well as for the other animals that drink from the feeders, like squirrels and cats, is being changed regularly because it gets very hot. The temperature is 34°C right now, but with the humidex, it feels much hotter. I ache for them – and for anyone who has no cold water or a cool place to be today. The temperatures will drop but still remain around 30 C for the week.
One of the new European Starling fledglings let me get within 60 cm (2 ft) of them at one of the bird baths. The last clutch had three fledglings. They are so beautiful.
We also had a new visitor to the feeder in the recycling area overnight. It is rather cute.
Ping Shen writes: “From Seattle, all 3 Osplets continue to grow (fast) and look to be well fed. When I visited today they were all sleeping fairly peacefully and ten minutes later dad showed up with a fresh salmon. They all still had visible food in their crops when they started eating, so it seems they have been well supplied with fish. Interestingly there is far less bullying compared to last year when the 2nd largest often picked on the youngest – I have seen zero thus far this year. Keeping fingers crossed!”
One of the reasons that I hope to construct a map of osprey nests that fledged their entire clutch is to show where our fish hawks are thriving. Clearly, here in Seattle, there’s plenty of fish for a family of five. This is certainly not the case in the NE, from Long Island to Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Delaware, Rhode Island, New Jersey and even up to Maine. Storms and lack of fish due to industrial/commercial overfishing appear to be the primary cause of the collapse of the osprey population in the NE. I am joyful that this is not happening in Seattle.
SK Hideaways Videos, Week of 5 July 2026 As there are fewer North American eaglets and falcons in nests, we begin to transition our focus to the Southern Hemisphere. As such, we’ve created the first two videos of the season from the Sydney White-Bellied Sea Eagle nest of Lady and Dad (last week being the first). Having said that, we’re keeping our eye on Sandy and Luna at Big Bear, Channel Islands eagle happenings, and fleeting sightings of the four young tiercels in San Jose. Hope you enjoy!
Wings Wide, Sandy & Luna Wave Off Intruder ~ Secure Perimeter (maybe)(2026 Jul 9) While enjoying their beautiful habitat from the Lookout Snag, Sandy and Luna were approached by an uninvited visitor. They both spread their wings and quickly waved them off, then tracked them for some time before doing the rounds of the territory. Whether they were conducting surveillance to ensure the intruder was gone, we’ll never know. But once they circled round and returned to the Lookout Snag, the area seemed clear. Ground reports noted sighting a sub-adult bald eagle near the lake, so chances are good that it had ventured into Sandy and Luna’s air space. Sandy and Luna got an A+ in territory defense for their success. Video: https://youtu.be/voxNZ7CTeDM
When Sandy & Luna Break Curfew,Shadow Knows How to Get Them Home(2026 Jul 6) As sunset approached, Sandy and Luna were still out exploring. Perhaps Shadow enjoys having them on the nest tree overnight as much as we do, as he brought a small but well-appreciated fish to the nest just after 8:00 p.m. Sandy and Luna were there in a flash, sharing a little, playing tug-o-feesh a little. Shadow declared his work done for the day and departed as the eaglets settled on their night roosts. Video: https://youtu.be/6sKl7bQ_JNc
Sandy & Luna Roost Overnight in Mom & Dad’s Tree with Jackie (2026 Jul 7) Ever since Sandy and Luna started sleeping on their own in the nest, they have watched Jackie and Shadow across the way perched in their roost tree overnight. Tonight they decided to try it for themselves. And as a bonus, Jackie joined them. Video: https://youtu.be/ZN22SJlgGms
Fraser Point Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha, Zuma & Ryder Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s
Squees & Lightning Fast Fly-Bys of Sasha, Zuma & Ryder (2026 Jul 8) Of Cruz and Andor’s 2026 three eaglets, only Sasha has visited the nest since fledging. Zuma fledged on June 20th and Ryder fell when the nest partially collapsed on June 22nd ~ neither have returned to the nest. Fans ease their empty-nest woes by listening to the nearby squees and catching fleeting glimpses of mostly unknown juveniles as they land out of camera view or fly by. After all, the eaglets have a lot of island to explore. ( 2026 Jul 8)Video: https://youtu.be/IeQYmmnGWzA
San Jose City Hall Falcons ~ San Jose, CA ~ Hartley, Monty ~ chicks: Jet, Scout, Stewart, and Walton (hatched 21 April 2026) 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 Walton and Scout Visit Over 3 Days ~ Every Glimpse a Gift (2026 Jul 8-10) Visits from Hartley and Monty’s four fabulous 2026 boys are becoming rare. Jet and Stewart have been elusive for quite awhile, but we were fortunate to see visits from both Walton and Scout recently. Here are excerpts from those visits. Video: https://youtu.be/ji8IM9CR59U
Sydney White-Bellied Sea Eagles ~ Lady & Dad Courtesy Sea-EagleCAM@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park (https://www.sea-eaglecam.org/video.html) Nest cam also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw4pdgy3-U0 Lady & Dad Welcome Egg #2! Celebrate with Honk Fest Duet (2026 Jul 7) Lady laid her second egg in the wee hours. Labor seemed quick and easy (easy for us to say). Dad arrived near dawn, and he and Lady performed their honking duet to celebrate. Congrats, Lady and Dad! Video: https://youtu.be/U7bi8_Y4aQc
Do not forget to put in your name suggestions for Louis and Dorcha’s chicks! The deadline is noon UK time.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigSaturday 11th July 2026
As far as we could tell, given the Nest One cam downtime, Aurora spent last night off the nest and she and Garry weren’t around much today. However they both turned up after 9pm tonight, Garry with a fish he wouldn’t give her, and at the time of filing this report, half past midnight, Aurora’s still on the nest settled on the egg. That single fish takes the Nest One tally to one hundred and sixty, while over on Nest Two, Louis brought four fish for the family, taking that tally to two hundred and sixty eight. It was slightly ironic that he only brought four fish today, day one of Week 13, as Steve Quinn had just posted the Week 12 stats which show Louis broke many records. Hyvor doesn’t allow links to comments, so enter Nest 2 fish summary to week 12 (where does one start!) into the search bar (click on the little magnifying glass on the right above the featured comment) and have a read of the impressive week Louis put in. And the impressive work that Steve puts in collating and analysing the fish stats every week! The chicks are maturing daily – 8P6 warned off a Hooded Crow today, leaving Dorcha standing staring at her with a forgotten beakful of fish for a few moments – and both chicks are standing to exercise their wings now, so we might start to see helicoptering fairly soon. The weather forecast for Inver Mallie states 0% chance of rain, with light cloud and light winds, an overnight low of 14°C and a high of 23°C tomorrow, however it’s been raining gently on both nests for the past hour. Still plenty of time to get your naming suggestions in before noon on Monday, remember to use hashtag #2026NAME.
Geemeff has sent two other items. The ‘Osprey Song’ is something that I often play at home. Don really likes it along with some other ‘tunes’ from when he was a young man. If you have not joined in, do so. It is a real lift to one’s spirits.
and a fabulous song – but beware, it’s a real earworm… The Osprey Song,as performed by the Juniors at Hurst Lodge School. Sadly, I cannot post the link for some reason so please go to YouTube and search for The Osprey Song!
I was very excited to see that Kathryn Kier and Penny Albright (a Canadian and a lovely individual who kept us informed about the osprey on Sanibel Island during the winter) are collaborating on a children’s book about Aran’s first year at Glaslyn. While intended for a 8-11 year old audience, I hope that an ‘oldie but goodie’ like all of us might enjoy it, too!
What a wonderful fundraiser! I love the image of Aran and Mrs G above.
Still four at Blackbush and little 4 had a crop. Decidedly likes to stay away from the bigger siblings.
Early fish for the only surviving bob at the Osoyoos nest in BC.
At least one fish for the only surviving chick at Cowlitz PUD.
These nests are suffering. The fish are small in comparison to those coming in at the UK nests where there could be 5-7 fish a day!
Idris preparing a fish for his trio and for Telyn.
Teifi has been bringing in so much fish there is one on the nest almost unnoticed by the trio and Mum, Elen.
Mealtime at Poole – four big healthy chicks—indeed, four females!
Two beauties in the Usk Valley!
Flora had not been seen at the Alyth SS nest for ever so long but she made an appearance a few days ago. How grand.
Beautiful day at Llyn Brenig.
Want to see a big fish? Look at this one that Blue 33 brought in to one of the fledglings at Rutland. Now – remember what I said – you need tonnes of those tiny fish in the US or some nice big ones like this to have healthy osplets. The system in the NE is broken and the storms are harming the other nests. There are exceptions – just look at Seattle!
Thank you for being with us today. We are bored from being in the house. We have moved all the furniture in the living room and returned my grandmother’s heavy pedestal table in there where we will begin to have our supper in the fall. I would love to put a huge bouquet of flowers right in the centre – so welcoming – but ‘The Girls’ like to eat them. The only place I can have flowers is on the sink/gas stove top side of the kitchen!!!!
Take care of yourself. I will see you soon. I cannot promise a post in the next couple of day – lots going on but I might manage a short one.
Thank you to Ping Shen for their observations and images of the Seattle trio, to SK Hideaways for their videos and to Geemeff for their daily summary and videos, to all who posted information and images on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams – forever grateful to be able to watch these amazing bird families.
A brief check-in. Toby has his thunder jacket on as we have storms coming from the SW and moving north from North Dakota. We are saturated with rain. Would love to send it to places that need it!
We will have monarchs! Feeding on the dill.
Thinking of all of you as Europe has 50 C temperatures. At least one nest is receiving supplementary fish. This reminds me of Frenchman’s Creek a few years ago.
Way to go Poland!
Pesticides are harmful. They go through the food chain – the birds eat the insects. If you live in the USA, it is possible that your State has some protections, but it appears that the federal government might undermine that with the new farm bill. Have a read and please contact your representatives if you care about birds!
Just look at Snow. Her parents at the Traverse City Bald Eagle nest would be so proud of their little girl. She was already doing brilliantly – can you imagine a well fed eaglet with no infestations, a clean nest?! That is what Harriet and mate provided this beauty before that nest slid down. I think that is rather rare. Many eaglets have insect infestations and are ’emaciated’.
This is the latest news on Snow:
Snow begins the next phase of her journey! Snow’s healing has continued to progress without setbacks, and she has now been positioned for the next step in her rehabilitation journey.Early last week, the medical team cleared Snow for transition into a slightly larger habitat aimed at accommodating more freedom of movement, while still allowing for reasonably stress free administration of her breathing treatments and anti-fungal medications. Those treatments concluded at the end of last week while observation continues for any indications that symptoms are re-emerging. It was then the determination of the team that Snow was ready to move into a full-sized flight enclosure to begin skills training. During Snow’s recovery, we were made aware that one of our collaborating organization’s was hosting an adult Bald eagle on it’s own rehabilitation journey, that could, potentially, serve as an ideal foster for Snow while she develops the skills and strength necessary for the team to evaluate her viability of surviving in the wild. After carefully considering the specifics of her case, our avian care team (in collaboration with the veterinarian and A.R.K.) selected this route as providing Snow with the highest likelihood for a successful conclusion to her rehabilitation process💚 She was officially transferred from our facility into the excellent care of Wildside Rehabilitation and Education Center over the past weekend, where their own highly-trained staff assessed the two eagles compatibility, and took lead on her remaining path to recovery. This option also allowed her to retain the same primary veterinarian who has overseen her treatment from the start, which is preferable. While we will not be personally leading Snow’s recovery through to it’s conclusion with this path, the fortuitous availability of a viable adult foster provided the highest likelihood of successful recovery, and we couldn’t be more thankful to Wildside for offering this opportunity to her, as their reputation for providing excellent care, and decades of service to our regions wildlife, speaks volumes. We can only ask that the passionate community following along on Snow’s journey offers their staff the same grace and support that you have shown, and continue to show, to us We will endeavor to update the community as Snow’s story continues.
In the meantime, our rehabilitation efforts continue for the many other patients currently in our care! To support the high quality care provided by our avian care team, you can: -Donate directly at www.northskyraptor.org/donatenow-Empower our rehabilitation efforts year-round with a small monthly recurring donation at: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/snow-recurringdonorcampaign1-Learn about, and support, our work to build Northern Michigan’s first public raptor center by clicking here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/prcfcaThank you so much for your continued support of our mission!
Sincerely, The North Sky Raptor Sanctuary Board of Directors and Staff 🦅🦉💚
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Us, too! Help us spread the word about our mission and connect with new faces. Share this newsletter with your friends, family and anyone you think would benefit from seeing some pictures of cute birds in good care. Together we can make a big difference in the lives of the Michigan’s raptors!
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Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 29th June 2026
It was a peaceful day with no chick fights or intruders, one fish was delivered to Nest One, first seen in Aurora’s talons, but it was almost certainly caught by Garry and delivered to her during the nest cam down time. The Nest One tally now stands at one hundred and forty three. Over on Nest Two, Louis delivered three fish, the first one, a flatfish, was his two hundredth for the season, and the nest tally rises to two hundred and four. The weather was reasonably settled today, not nearly as wet as forecast, but heavy rain is expected overnight, changing to thundery showers tomorrow, with light winds, a low of 12°C and a high of 17°C. The two chicks are now so big it’s hard for Dorcha to keep them covered, but she does her best until the chicks’ juvenile feathers come through which will keep them waterproofed. At the time of filing this report (midnight), the heavy rain has started and both females are hunkered down pearled with raindrops with Dorcha hunched over the chicks to keep them dry, and Aurora still protecting her unviable egg.
I am signing off. We are expecting heavy rain and thunderstorms. The sky is getting dark. Take care everyone. Please, please leave out water and if you can, food, for the wildlife.
Thank you to SK Hideways and Geemeff, the owners of the streaming cams, those reporting on FB, and PB for alerting me to Beth’s post about the supplementary fish in Poland.
I am feeling very nostalgic. The very first time I visited Japan was in 1988. It was August. My friend, Ikuhiko, introduced me to the culture, the temples, the gardens, the pickles, and the food in a much condensed two-week period. It was the first of so many trips – most of which centred on Kyoto.
Tuesday night, I watched a gardening show from the UK, Monty Don’s Japanese Gardens on YouTube, that looked at Japanese gardens in both spring and fall. It is a strange thing, but I can close my eyes and walk from the JR Station to the little apartment where I stayed a few blocks from the Kamo River and the old area of Kyoto. The place that I found tranquillity, however, was in Ohara, a the Sanzen-in temple on the mountain. It is a very old site, sacred to the Tendai sect, and famous for its gardens. To get there, I had to take the #11 bus, if I recall correctly. At the beginning of the trek were two shops – one with delicious food and the other with textiles created in various techniques using Indigo. They seemed to specialise in Shibori. Away from the road and up the mountain, artists were drawing and painting at the edge of a field. It was the amazing moss gardens at the top that drew me there. I do not have the proper words for how peaceful it was away from the hussle and bussle of Kyoto.
Ironically, one of the other programmes on the telly that Don enjoys, Death in Paradise, is set in Deshaies, Guadeloupe. There are always one or more images we recognise, including Katherine’s restaurant, which is on the beach in the main town.
Wonderful memories.
Tuesday was a very beautiful day. There was a breeze, and the temperature remained mild. No rain, no hail, and dinner was on the deck with the birds singing their little hearts out. Beautiful. Oh, being outside just brightens one’s soul!
Wednesday is busy. We have Tolu; Toby will stay with Ann while Don goes to his psychiatrist’s appointment; and then there is the first day of our South Osborne Farmers’ Market. Think yummy Chinese dumplings and fresh local honey! So this report is shorter than normal.
The weather has been more than windy in Hellgate Canyon. Clark had trouble bringing in a minnow-sized fish. I became concerned for the little one. He stayed with Iris and his baby and finally came in with a good-sized fish around 1020. Relief
It is still very windy at Hellgate Canyon. Clark brought in another fish after 1500 (he might well have brought in more earlier).
Iris feeds the baby while Clark keeps guard. Clark is so protective of his family!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 17th June 2026
Today was calm and routine, no upsets, not much in the way of chick aggression, and no intruders. Louis brought three fish for his family, taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and fifty one, and Garry LV0 brought one fish for Aurora 536 taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and twenty one. It rained on and off today and rain will continue through the night with light winds and a low of 12°C, continuing tomorrow with light rain, a gentle breeze and a high of 17°C.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 16th June 2026
The chicks threw a strop and fought each other, Dorcha took no notice, Louis got his toe nibbled, Aurora got a fish and Garry didn’t spend much time on the nest. He only brought one fish for Aurora, on camera anyway, he almost certainly is bringing fish during the approximately four hours daily cam down time, and his tally now stands at one hundred and twenty. Louis brought four fish for Dorcha and the Nest Two tally rises to one hundred and forty eight. The chicks fought with the eldest coming out on top but then looked ridiculous attacking the nest itself! The weather forecast for the Inver Mallie area is light rain and winds overnight with a low of 13°C, continuing tomorrow with light rain showers, a gentle breeze and scattered sunshine with a high of 17°C.
Fledge watchers are ready and signs will be going up on the Cornell Campus for Big Red and Arthur’s hawklets.
I love Big Red. She knows when her babies are about ready to fly, and she often chooses to feed them. She is an incredible RTH. The number of chicks she has fledged is unknown, as she has only been on camera with her mate, Ezra, since 2012. She hatched in 2003 and was probably raising babies in 2006. She glows when she has chicks. Positively glows.
Big and Little fledged, and Jill, with some help from Jack, is still feeding these two at the Achieva nest. What a wonderful nest this turned out to be this year, thanks to Jill.
Big and Little waiting for Mum to deliver an evening meal. They ‘trust’ that she will being food back. What an incredible nest.
Mum never disappoints. ‘PB’ thinks it could be a mackerel.
Hatch at Sandpoint!
Not quite sure what is going on with Bety and Bukachek this year. Will keep monitoring. Gosh, that nest is full of human debris.
Baby being fed at Cowlitz.
The trio at Dyfi are fantastic. Telyn and Idris are exceptional.
We have a second hatch at Ilomantsin sääkset #2. It is rainy and wet, and I hate that when there are babies in the nest. They get cold and die – let’s hope for sunshine.
It is really raining in Estonia at the nests of the Golden Eagle and Lesser Spotted Eagle. Both Lesser Spotted chicks have eaten, with the oldest having more – a rat that came in later. Wish them better weather.
Some have been worried about Little Bob at Poole Harbour. He was in a food coma earlier and gets up and eats when he is hungry. Everything looks fine to me.
Family portrait at Rutland with swans. Chicks will be ringed soon.
Smile. Little Dewey at Dewey Beach has had seven fish so far today.
Thank you so much for being with us – there is so much happening, fledges, hatches, and sadly, what looks like pending deaths at some nests. Will try to catch everyone up on the latest tomorrow or Friday. I may take tomorrow off -. Need to enjoy some time with Don in the country! In the meantime, take care! See you soon.
Thank you to Geemeff for those two great reports on Loch Arkaig, PB for alerting me to some nest news,SK Hideaways for their wonderful videos. I am grateful to everyone who posted information and images on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these incredible bird families. Thank you.
UPDATE: Clark has returned to the nest. He must have had great difficulty fishing. He came in with a nice one for his beloved Iris who had to be absolutely at her wits end and starving. Time 1106.
I am hardly controlling my tears of joy. After the past week, it just felt like something terrible was going to happen. I could hardly bring myself to hope. But here is the miracle that I was waiting for! Clark is home. Iris is fed. Now, to get those rivers to calm down so Clark can feed their babies. We are on pip watch.
My inbox and FB Messenger are full of comments about how we – humans – have failed our planet and our wildlife. Right now, that focus is more on the disaster that has occurred in and around the Chesapeake Bay. That ecosystem has been destroyed by one company, Omega Protein out of Reedsville, Virginia. It isn’t just ospreys that are going extinct – yes, I am using that word – but also Striped Bass, terrapins and anything in the food chain that depended on Menhaden. ‘The Bay’ is dying. Why isn’t someone doing something? That is the question you are asking.
Those ships are out -.
Last week I received a little book from a friend in the post, Song of the Seasons. a Meditation on Cycles, Story, and Humility by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, a Sufi writer and spiritual ecologist. Vaughan-Lee maintains that the problem is that humans do not believe that our planet is a living entity and that they have dominion over it. “The story of forgetfulness that has distanced us, that has put us to sleep…is about the denial of the spiritual nature of this living, breathing Earth.” (32) “Our senses can again become attuned to the spirit that flows through all things, so that when we hear the birds at dusk, we let their song penetrate our being. Why would we not want that? The song that we hear, in this moment, is of this place, and of this season. And this song wants to be heard….it wants to be heard not just with the outer senses, but with the…ear of the heart, so that that birdson becomes part of us and links us to this moment, to this cycle, to this place. Vaughan-Lee is asking us to be present in this moment – to literally, as Ram Dass asked us to ‘Be Here Now’. At the same time is the underlying thread that every living thing including our Earth is sacred, a belief held by many cultures and religions. So special is the soul that my Jain friends in Udaipur will not even step on an ant or kill a fly. One of my best friends taught me that all things have souls and I will always be grateful to Ikuhiko for teaching me about Shinto.
I feel that the Earth has become nothing more than a commodity – AI centres using up all the water, dredging ocean floors and ruining marine life, and then there is the focus of my anger at the moment, the commercial overfishing of Menhaden in the NE US and in the Gulf region of the US by Omega Protein. It is not just this company – don’t kid yourself. But all is not despair, although I might feel that way today. There are good people doing amazing things around the world, including fighting against the establishment of AI Centres, lobbying for no drilling on lands where wildlife thrive, purchasing electric vehicles and beginning to use alternative energy, growing gardens and teaching others; the list is long. We cannot give up because if we do, we give all the beauty that we love over to what I want to simply call the dark side – those that would destroy all our planet and its wildlife deliberately for their own gain.
I hope this is for real.
As I write this, the rivers in Oregon and Colorado are drying up due to drought and the fish are dying.
I really hope to get to some good news by the end of this blog. And it happened, it is at the top.
Clark has not returned to the nest he shares with Iris at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula. The rivers were raging, and fishing was difficult. He was last seen on the 6th, and that was, as far as I know, the last time Iris ate. Their eggs are ready to hatch. Clark is also known for being overprotective of Iris and their nest, and he lost at least five tail feathers in what is assumed to have been an altercation with a Bald Eagle. Clark was very attentive, and my concern is that he has met with a battle he could not win. I want to be wrong.
At Lake Murray, the GHO took the last two of the three osplets last night.
I wonder what we would find if we put up a big map and put a red pin on places where osprey parents fledged their full clutch. Which ones can you think of? Venice Beach. Achieva (that is a huge surprise). Any others? We will do this again at the end of the season.
Big and Little continue to be well cared for by Mum Jill. Such stability at that nest. Big and Little came together to the nest about the same time that Jill goes fishing every day. She is an amazing mother. I wonder how the female is doing in Minnesota who is raising three osplets alone – from incubation to now. This could be Iris if the Crows wouldn’t take the babies and if Iris would go fishing for them.
Telyn appears to be fine, although some are wondering if she swallowed a braided line and a different hook, one used by poachers. I am just glad she is doing well as are her three chicks.
Latest updates on situation from Dyfi Osprey Project:
I am going to stop because I am so delighted that Clark is home I don’t want to ruin the day by finding out something else has happened on another nest. Yes, I am going to stick my head in the proverbial sand for a bit.
Take care everyone. Delight in this miracle and pray for the river to calm so Clark can feed their babies quickly.
Thank you to everyone mentioned in this post and the owners of the streaming cams, authors of newsletters and FB page information. Always grateful.
I hope you never get tired of me saying that a single person can make a difference. Well, today, Pam Breci helped out the osplets in the nest with the baling twine in Idaho. Their own website says they will intervene if the event is human-caused. PB did not take ‘no’ as an answer. Today, she made a difference. Tomorrow it could be you. Never give up hope. Always persist.
“Mary Ann! I have a win!!! Idaho Fish and Game listened to me and will remove the twice at Salmon nest!!! I feel so good I may have saved 3 little lives just by being proactive to find their phone number at Salmon Regional office and talked to person who answered the phone. I bet she passed it on to the biologist there and they have on their website they only intervene if man-made like twine. Here’s what’s on chat.
Do not ever underestimate your ability to make a difference! They have no personnel to undertake this over the weekend, sadly but you will note they will do it next week. So when you see something – don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and advocate on behalf of our wildlife. You can be another Pam Breci – who deserves a gold medal today!
This morning I reported that Telyn had swallowed a fishing hook and line. Here is the blog from the Dyfi Osprey Project. Please read it:
The image below is the family portrait. That is Idris, the amazing Dad, feeding his children. It is night now and Telyn is a little restless on the nest. We hope that her stomach enzymes will eat up all that human debris.
I cannot tell you how angry I feel today. My father loved fishing. My sons loved fishing. My oldest son is in Asia at a conference and will be going fishing with friends. My grandson goes fishing. For my son the quiet in his little boat like thing in the mangroves is his sanctuary. But this puts me in a real quandry. Don quit fishing when he realised the mess that humans leave that wildlife have to deal with. I don’t even know how we could clean it up – baling twine in farming areas like Idaho and Montana. Dr Green and his team spend lots of time removing baling twine. But recently we have seen Jackie eat a hook and line. Now Telyn has. How many others that are not seen are hurting, bleeding inside from the barbs on those hooks. My only consolation – if I am right – is that the hook is smaller and barbless in the UK. I want to be hopeful.
Hugo Yugo will be going for dental surgery on Wednesday. Poor thing she had to go to let the vet have a look to make sure that she needed the surgery. Look at the two of them – Toby and Hugo Yugo are seriously joined at the hip so to speak.
Toby weighs 29.3 lbs. Hugo Yugo weighs 12.2 lbs. This carrier is meant for a 16 lb pet!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugo Yugo is so traumatised from just being at the vet that she will not stop howling. Poor thing.
The garden is beautiful now. The rain turned everything emerald green but the wind and rain destroyed the blossoms on the lilacs. The cherry blossoms lasted about 40 hours. I just love the garden right now and when I looked there are some buds on the Prairie roses.
So I want to check on some good nests and I want you to look at the calendar. Iris and Clark will be on pip watch on Monday!
Big Red’s babies are beautiful and they are getting their juvenile feathers fully in and flapping like crazy.
There is great news coming out of Dale Hollow. DH23 is back in the nest after being knocked off during a prey delivery.
Right now Louis and Dorcha have two chicks, but Geemeff thinks that there is a pip in the third egg!
Blue 210 has fed part of the dead chick to the remaining chick on the nest. Dad has brought in 3 fish and a tail, which he ate early in the day, but this nest needs more big fish! Nothing late.
I love Little Dewey.
Blue 33 feeds his babies while Maya takes a break at Rutland.
Teifi and Elen hanging out on the perch while their babies nap.
We are happy to share that Snow has not presented the medical team with any new complications since his initial assessment, and he, so far, continues to respond well to his supportive care regimen consisting of stress management, medications for pain and inflammation, and a healthy supply of clean food (he’s a hungry boy!).
We have two ways that YOU can help Snow’s recovery efforts… read on for more!
Many of you have asked for a quick explanation of what the coaptive approach to treating breaks and fractures entails:
-In scenarios where bones are still developing, the goal is to take a path that provides the highest likelihood of ensuring proper long term function.
-In Snow’s case, the curved edge carpal splint (orange foam in the photos) will support the shape of the wrist in the right wing during healing, with the splint itself being removed, and alignment inspected (using a combination of x-ray imaging and manual palpation), twice each week.
-3 to 4 times a week, the body wrap holding the splinted wing up for support (orange vet wrap tape) can be released for range of motion exercises in the shoulder and elbow while still leaving the wrist supported by the splint.
-On Snow’s left side, the ulna fracture is supported with a wing to body wrap (the pink vet wrap tape).
-This wing will also receive full range of motion therapy 3 to 4 times per week aimed at preventing synostosis (the ulna accidentally attaching to the radius) and to keep developing muscles from tightening.
One of the key medical components for the effective treatment of breaks and fractures is X-RAY IMAGING, and for Snow’s treatment plan, he will require a fair number of them throughout the process. While we do have access to off-site radiographic imaging, managing the stress of travel for patients that are already compromised is a real concern.
Fortunately, over the past 2 days, thanks to the incredible compassion and generosity of so many of you who have followed Snow’s story from the beginning, we find ourselves well on our way (35%) to being able to purchase a PORTABLE X-RAY MACHINE that would be game changing in how we are able to serve not just Snow, but ALL of our patients for years to come!
***IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE for Snow’s recovery, this is a truly impactful way to do it!
In the meantime, we will continue to serve our organization’s mission by providing Snow, and all of our patients, with the highest quality of care available! As always, you can continue to support these efforts by donating at www.northskyraptor.org/donatenow.
We genuinely couldn’t be more appreciative of the support our community has shown, and we will endeavor to keep you informed as treatment continues!”
I have nothing yet from Geemeff. It has been a busy day. I suspect the minute I hit publish she will post her daily summary. I will include it tomorrow. Take care everyone. We are enjoying a beautiful early summer evening. The birdsong is very loud in the garden but we can no longer see them for all the foliage that will keep them cool and maybe dry when it rains. We did spot a baby bunny this evening. Such a wonderful sight.
See you soon!
Thank you to ‘PB’ for persisting in getting a change at that Idaho nest. Thank you also to PB for the screen capture of Little Dewey and to everyone else who posted on FB or wrote articles, I am so grateful. To the owners of the streaming cams, thank you for letting us watch these incredible birds.
Well, I am going to start with heartbreaking news and hopefully, by the end of this posting, we will have some good news! – No, that isn’t going to happen. I just received word about an event at the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn from Geemeff.
Oh, we need to breathe!
One of the osplets of Lucy and Newman at the Lake Murray Osprey platform was taken by the GHO after 0200 this morning. We know the GHO is there. For several years, the owner tried mannequins, music, but it was the strobe lights that helped the one year. So where are they? Am I missing seeing them? This is heartbreaking. As Heidi says, Lucy and Newmann spent all this time fattening up their chicks for an owl’s dinner. It’s terrible. Yes, I know owls have to eat, but there are certainly enough rodents around to keep them fat!
All those beautiful babies together and happy. It is believed to be the second hatch that was taken.
I really do not like owls.
There has been an amendment to the Eagle and Golden Eagle petition. Here is the new wording. Please read and then go to change.org and support the efforts.
The four osplets at Steelscape are surviving well, and Mum is doing a great job at feeding each of those little mouths. Thanks, ‘PB’ for the image!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 4th June 2026
Today was a much calmer day after the excitement of yesterday’s second chick hatching. Louis kept the family well supplied with fish and Dorcha made sure both chicks were fed and kept warm and dry despite the constant rain. Louis brought three fish including a very large trout which he came back for and flew off with after Dorcha and the chicks had had a meal. The Nest Two fish tally now stands at one hundred and nine, and the Nest One tally at ninety nine following Garry LV0’s two deliveries for Aurora 536, including the season’s first flatfish. More rain’s due overnight with a low of 9°C changing to thundery showers and a high of 14°C.
So far, so good at Dewey Beach. Keep sending that energy. The chick last year died at 50 days. We want Baby Dewey to fledge! He has won all of our hearts.
I am getting word that there is another issue, this time at Dyfi- Telyn has swallowed a fishing line with a hook attached. They cannot use barbs in the UK (a blessing). Let’s hope this comes out naturally and doesn’t cause any internal damage. What can I say? People love to go recreational fishing. They leave their garbage around, BUT also, lines break when fish get caught, and the raptors pay for it.
That was 5 hours ago. Telyn has been eating and let us hope that this hook and line go through her system or come out without any harm. Telyn is an incredible mother and Idris – well, what can I say? He is an amazing Dad.
I want to close and get this news out to you. Kelly Sorensen has published a paper on an alternative to lead ammunitions. Please read and advocate for all our raptors.
Smile. ‘PB’ sent a sceen capture of Little at Achieva this morning adding s/he looks like a Butterball Turkey. These kids are healthy thanks to Mum Jill.
I also want to close with another great image. Dylan brought in a whale of a fish – it looked like it was almost as big as the nest – at 0800 today – for his mate, Seren. They are eating with one another and holding on to their strong bond after the loss of their three chicks.
Gosh, we need a break. It has been a rough year. Sending each and everyone of you a virtual hug.
Thank you to everyone who alerted me about Lake Murray. These adults are much loved, and the sadness extends around the world. The red strobe lights need to be moved up to the nest so they hit the owl’s eyes as it approaches. They should not be on the ground. Someone, please, tell the owner to put them on poles now. Thank you. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams, writers of FB posts and articles.
feeling grateful.
