Tag Archives: Finnish Ospreys

Monday Afternoon in Bird World

18 July 2022

Hi everyone…

So many places are experiencing extreme heat right now. Remember all our feathered friends need water just like we do. Don’t have a bird bath? That is definitely not a problem! Cereal Bowls…quiche dishes are great. Make sure that the dishes are not any deeper than 7.6 cm or 3 inches. Some people put stones or rocks in the larger bowls for the birds to stand on. Metal gets hot…ceramic is good. Even a small desert bowl will help them. Fill it often!

I began to put out more water sources for the birds when someone I respect in the UK mentioned to me that dehydration cannot be ruled out in Ospreys on high nests in the heat. It made me think of Molate.

SF Ospreys posted a tribute to Molate. You will definitely need tissues.

There is no way around it. Another name was added to the list today.

Kieldner Forest is confirming fears that Mr YA from nest 1A is injured or dead. There remains one osplet to fledge.

Mr YA was an incredible male Osprey. Kieldner said, “YA is effectively Mr Kielder, having raised 26 offspring to successful fledges. Two males, UV and Y1 bred successfully giving him 4 grandchicks last year. Female offspring have been seen in Scotland and his legacy will continue to contribute to the success of the UK population.”

It will be another really hot day for Mum and the babies at the Osoyoos Osprey nest. They had that lovely left over fish this morning. And it looks like Dad has brought in 3 other fish, one a little larger than the smaller ones. Yeah for Dad. It can’t be easy. Not bad…it is not yet 1400 on the nest as I write this.

Oh, how I wish all of the nests would put in the temperature and wind speed. My friend ‘N’ in Maine tells me that it is hot there, too..the kids don’t look so bad on the Boathouse Osprey nest. I wonder if being above water might help. Looks a little rainy to me…

At the Janakkalan Osprey nest in Finland, that big female sure can eat the fish! She finally got her fill at 17:11 and the smaller osplet got to eat.

Dad is taking good care of the two chicks. He brought in another nice fish at 23:38. The female is just not around that much and I am beginning to start to wonder about her health – again.

There is Dad with a really nice fish for the two. He continues and will continue to supply fish for them. They have not fledged so he has a lot of work to do. Mum’s role was security and feeding…both now can feed themselves although the younger might be happier if Mum did it!

Poor Alden!

Dad came down to check on Lady to see if she wanted a break from brooding 29 and incubating 30 while it pips its way out of the shell. They had a bit of a conversation.

Lady always seems to just ‘glow’ once one of the eggs has hatched.

Oh, how I wished the eaglet would turn around! The white spot on the beak is the egg tooth that helped this white fluffy ball break through that shell.

Australia is waking up and the sun is setting over Finnish Osprey nest #1 of Eura and Eine. The Only Bob is so sweet when it is asleep!

Beautiful Eine. Her and Eura are occupying this nest for the first time.

It appears that Dorcha has had a bath and gotten rid of the blood on her leg. I cannot see any new blood…and that is wonderful. Louis seems to be having a great day fishing! Just look at the size of that chick compared to Mum! Wow.

The cam operator at the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Mrs G really gave us some great opportunities today to get some good shots of the couple with their fledgling 497, the osplet with attitude.

From the bottom: Aran, Mrs G, and Blue 497

I really hope that the rehabber at Humane Indiana Wildlife has second thoughts about releasing ND17 back at the natal nest…because there really isn’t much left of it and well, the prey in the area is not that good. We saw that this year with the high river and the reliance on road kill.

I have not seen any new updates on either Victor or Little Bit 17. Let us all assume that no news is good news.

Sharon Palmer-Hunt put together a fantastic video on the Bald Eagle season on Gabriola Island including the arrival of Malala! Enjoy!

Tomorrow we can hopefully look forward to welcoming WBSE30 into the world. Then the fun begins!

Thank you for joining me today. Please take care. Stay cool…drink lots of water! Put water out for the birds, too. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: SF Ospreys and GGA, Kieldner Forest Ospreys, Osoyoos Ospreys, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Cal falcons, Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery and the Woodland Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Notre-Dame Eagles ND-LEEF, and GROWLS.

Life and Death in Bird World…

18 July 2022

We are going to start off with the good news…a hatch! Sydney’s Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre is giving the official hatch time of WBSE 29 at 1426. There is also a pip in WBSE30’s egg.

Beautiful Lady. By the time we wake up tomorrow morning there should be two healthy White-bellied Sea Eaglets in this nest getting ready to bop and bob.

I thought I might make it through Sunday evening without finding out about another Osprey death. Not so. A much loved male Osprey of a long time mated pair in Bitterroot Valley, Montana was shot with a soft bullet and died. Local animal right’s activists have issued a reward for the identity of the shooter.

Shootings of protected raptors are on the rise in the area. There were 7 last year and already there are 5 this year in this single area of Montana. Reports from wildlife rehab clinics often cite either shootings or – heavy lead toxins due to the eating of prey with bullet fragments – as the major reason for eagles to be in care or dying.

It is, of course, illegal to shoot a protected species but, it doesn’t seem to matter. It has happened in my City, all over the US, in various countries in the EU such as France and Malta. And, of course, there are the ongoing issues in the UK on the private estates where grouse hunting is permitted.

https://mtstandard.com/news/state-and-regional/bitterroot-osprey-shooting-leaves-activists-looking-for-answers/article_fe7ff6c8-f90b-535f-98b6-9a3826e123ee.html?fbclid=IwAR3qVHQb8gMmqRYhFw6CQZX24PHNfYuaFMh57p_EOndiZBTT7NLxDI5dwno

There is good news coming out of the Osoyoos nest. One look at the image reveals the remains of a large fish still on the nest. ‘A-M’ mentioned on the chat that both chicks had eaten well today and Little Bob even had a really full crop. Apparently both parents brought in 2 big fish. It is wonderful to see Mum with a big crop, too. Oh, we could not ask for anything better coming out of the heat in the area. Fantastic.

With all the sadness, the fact that this nest got 2 great big fish and everyone is full and there is still fish is something to celebrate. I wanted fish to fall from the sky but coming in from the lake is just as good.

To also put a smile on your face, Lilibet at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Mama Cruz had something to say to the fox cub that keeps getting on her nest! And she was very vocal about it.

There is other good news. The youngest osplet of the trio at Llyn Clywedog fledged at 10:22 on Sunday the 17th. Congratulations Dylan and Seren for another successful year and to all those at Llyn Clywedog in Wales.

Seren on one perch and two of the fledglings on the other perch.

The two osplets on the Llyn Brenig nest in Wales have not fledged. They certainly have grown since I last checked on them! Mom looks happy and I bet that fish Dad brought in really tasted good.

Dorcha looking over her two osplets as the sun was setting on Loch Arkaig.

and dawn over Loch Arkaig. I has been impossible to tell how Dorcha is doing. Hopefully she will go for a good swim and get the blood off from her injury – continuing good thoughts for her to heal quickly.

The area is so beautiful.

The Glaslyn Valley nest of Aran and Mrs G is so very different than Loch Arkaig and Loch of the Lowes. The cows and the sheep make the entire scene look like it could be a 17th century painting.

At the Loch of the Lowes, one of the fledglings slept ‘adult style’ on the nest perch all night. There is another (or two?) osprey/s on the dead tree at centre left. Where is everyone else? Laddie? Blue NC0?

Later. Waiting for a delivery!

Dad delivers fish to the Janakkdan Osprey nest on a regular basis. Here is the last delivery for the 17th at 19:28. The osplets will take turns self-feeding.

I have not seen the female on the nest for some hours – from 1900 to 0700. The chicks have not fledged. Some on the chat questioned if she has begun her migration. No, it is too early. Let us hope that she is well.

It is possible there is a perch and Mum is there. She was on the nest at noon today. Both chicks appear to be capable of eating on their own. One better than the other but it has had more practice.

‘H’ reports that it is Smooth Dogfish Shark for breakfast at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest! Dad brought in two in quick succession. Everyone was hungry – one fledgling trying to self-feed and the other being fed by Mum who eventually feeds both.

While the ospreys in Delaware were enjoying their Smooth Dogfish Sharks, Karl II was delivering large fish to the Karula National Forest Black storkling nest – that includes Bonus, the adopted storklet of Jan and Janikka. I am so happy that the four are doing so well and so grateful to Urmas for his fish basket! Thank you, Urmas.

The camera was down at Glacier Gardens for part of the 17th. NitBot reports that there were four fish deliveries with Peace getting 1 fish and Love seeming to get the other 3. It is so hard to see the eaglets – is it condensation on the camera? and the cars racing up and down that road are making me nervous. But…Liberty and Freedom know best!

There is no word yet on what caused the 9 day old osplet of Tom and Audrey at the Chesapeake Conservancy to suddenly die. Will keep you posted on any news. Its death was entirely unexpected. There was lots of fish and it was eating well.

Everything seems to be fine for Dory and Skiff and their three osplets on Hog Island in Maine.

Here is a short video of Dory feeding the three just a short while ago.

Like everywhere else, it has been hot and stormy on the Canadian Prairies. If you are in an area of high heat and have shallow bowls (no deeper than 2 or 3 inches), put some water in them if you do not have a bird bath. All manner of raptor are coming to cool down including the local crows and owls – even the rabbits have been in to drink water and get in the shade of the lilacs and ‘the bush tunnels’. I will try to get a photo if I can but Mr Crow was on top of the sunroom/greenhouse this morning telling me that he wanted breakfast!

An osprey expert in the UK told me that never rule out dehydration in the death of Ospreys. He was talking about Molate. But, remember that all of the birds can suffer in the heat without water!

The image below is (I believe) Hedwig’s baby. It is really cropped and blown up – the rabbit is tiny. Those are dandelion leaves and they are not long. He thought he was hiding behind some of the builder’s garbage! But we saw you, cutie pie. Caught in the act. You can eat all of the dandelion leaves you want!

This is Hedwig the Elder over eating the seeds that the birds spill everywhere! What they are really enjoying are the tender shoots.

Bye Hedwig!

Hedwig and Little Hedwig took off together to go to their burrow which is across the back lane underneath a garage.

It has been a week since Victor was rescued. I have not seen an update but it is early in California. Looking forward to some news. Things are rather quiet in Bird World — and goodness, gosh, golly…quiet is welcome. There will be more fledges in the UK and another baby Sea Eagle tomorrow. Something to look forward to….

Thank you for being with me today. Take care Everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Osoyoos Ospreys, Explore.org and IWS, CarnyXwild, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and the Wildlife Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch of the Lowes, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR, Eagle Club of Estonia, Glacier Gardens, Chesapeake Conservancy, and Explore.org and Audubon.

Sunday in Bird World

17 July 2022

Good morning everyone. Yesterday was a very tough day in Bird World. So before I begin today I want us all to smile and I cannot think of anyone better than Ervie to do that —our favourite Osprey juvenile at Port Lincoln Australia. He was at the beach in Delamere today. The FB posting said it was cold and blustery. Here is our beautiful lad soaking his talons in the salt water and flying about.

Oh, Ervie what a darling you are. You are doing so well. We all wish we could sit on the beach with you and cool our talons, too. We all hope your talon is growing and that you are catching some fine fish. Your crop certainly doesn’t look empty!

___________________________________________________________________

There is much news coming out of SF about Molate. On the chat yesterday an individual identifying themselves as ‘Video Assistant’ remarked that they had gone over the footage of Molate’s fall and were able to determine that he hit the grid, there were a couple of jerks, and nothing. In other instances, others associated with GGA said that Molate took a couple of difficult breaths, became unstable losing his balance, and fell off the nest. This is one of the most recent posts by SF Ospreys and might answer questions:

GGA and SF Ospreys have tried very hard to keep everyone in the loop as best they can in this difficult situation. It is a difficult call – to leave the body of the raptor there without knowing what caused it to be ill – or to leave it and allow the family to go about their daily lives without the stress. Clearly, none of us wish to see Richmond, Rosie, or Brooks suffer any further. My condolences go out to this long standing Osprey family in SF and all those who love and care for these amazing birds on the Whirley Crane.

There was a fledge at the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Mrs G. Congratulations to Blue 497 is 52 days old and she took her very first flight at 08:11 Sunday the 17th of July. Back home on the nest safely on quite a breezy day in Wales.

At the Welsh osprey nest of Idris and Telyn, Pedran continues to take some glorious flights around the nest to show the others how wonderful it is off the nest. It looks there is another one on the perch but I cannot tell which one it is. This is a great view of the nest and the river…I wish that Dyfi would leave it like this!

The cam operator at the nest of Dory and Skiff on Hog Island in Maine gave us some lovely close ups of the chicks feather developments this afternoon. These three are doing great. No problems being reported.

Small fish continue to come to the Osoyoos nest. The temperature will drop from 34 to 30 today but we really need it to go much lower to get those nice sized fish to come up higher in the water. Dad has to do a lot of fishing to try and find even wee ones in this heat.

Does the lake at Osoyoos ever get stocked with fingerlings?

The male at the Canmore, Alberta Fortis Exshaw Osprey nest continues to catch some really nice sized fish. The trio and Mum had a good breakfast this morning!

The two osplets on the Janakkdan Osprey nest in Finland continue to perfect their self-feeding. Mum has been on the nest in the afternoon and she continues to appear to be improving (not a vet – so this is just my observation).

The second osplet wants some fish but the older one is not giving that nice fish up just yet and is telling the other one clearly to wait its turn! No worries. There will be fish left! But will he share?

Only Bob on the Finnish #1 nest had a really nice meal. Look at that crop!

It looks like Tom and Audrey’s only chick will be the Only Bob on the Chesapeake Bay Osprey nest this year. S/he is 9 days old today and the Conservancy has declared the remaining egg nonviable. Just think…no one to have to share the fish with other than Mum. Sweet Osprey dreams little one.

Remember how loud Grinnell Jr was during the banding? He still is – bet you could hear him across the campus at UC-Berkeley!

Speaking of the University of California Campus at Berkeley. ‘B’ wrote me a note to say that one year Annie and Grinnell’s fledgling had gotten trapped between the glass railings on one of the buildings. UC-B learned a lesson and has a grounds maintenance person hang ribbons on all the balconies of a nearby building to prevent bird strikes. They did only the buildings that would probable sites for bird strike. How wonderful. Thanks, ‘B’. This would be a great solution for Cornell.

Yesterday, Ferris Akel held his normal Saturday birding tour of the area around Ithaca – Wildlife Drive, Sapsucker Lake, ending up on the Cornell Campus. He was able to find all four – Big Red, Arthur, L2 and L4. One of the highlights of yesterday’s tour was getting to see one of the fledglings soaring. I did a short video clip. There are trees that get in the way but the juvenile does come out and soars again. Big Red had also been soaring in the thermals showing the eyases how it is done. It is beautiful to see them flying free, high in the sky.

The Kakapo Recovery team is very happy. After a drop in the number of the flightless parrots, they announced yesterday that the current number of Kakapo is at 216. Amazing. It can all be attributed to the hard working team that does wellness checks, changes batteries in the transmitters, and knows these birds as if they were their own children. Congratulations everyone.

The Kakapo love to hide and the only way to find them is to attack GPS transmitters!

Katy Rossiter has produced a compelling podcast on the Kakapo. If you would like to learn more, have a listen:

Thank you for joining me today. There will be more fledges in the UK. Dorcha has yet to get the blood off her feathers but she appears to be doing OK. Telyn had an injury, too, and she is OK. Let us hope that each of our birds stays safe today. Looking forward to a good report on Little Bit 17 shortly and more information on Victor. Thank you so much for your letters and comments. It is much appreciated. Everyone wants the best for the birds – at the end of the day that is the underlying cord that connects us all. I hope that each of you has a very wonderful Sunday wherever you are. Take care. See you soon.

Thanks to the following for their videos, their postings, and their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: The Kakapo Recovery Group, Ferris Akel Tours, Cal Falcons, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, Explore.org and Audubon, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, Chesapeake Conservancy, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Fortis Exshaw, Osoyoos Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, and Port Lincoln Ospreys.

Victor is doing physical therapy and other brief news in Bird World

16 July 2022

Oh, everyone is watching for news about Victor so you will already have seen what I posted below – but, oh, Physical Therapy for Eagles. Makes me smile. All of us are hoping beyond hope that they can find what is wrong with Victor so he can be ‘fixed’. That is the key isn’t it: what is wrong with Victor?

What a great little video clip. Chase teaches Lancer to work for that fish!

The Mum at the Jannakadan Osprey nest in Finland was eating a morning fish and appeared to be much better at swallowing. What a wonderful sight. Could it possibly be that the fright for the health of the Mum is over? Oh, goodness,. wouldn’t that just be a blessing!

Thank you ‘B’ for sending me the latest update on Victor that was posted on the Ojai Raptor Centre’s FB page below the image.

Look at Victor having to work those legs.

Victor being held up so that he can work his legs.

“Physical therapy time! ORC staff Veterinarian Dr. Stephany Lewis uses this technique for physical therapy for our raptor patients, as well as an assessment and monitoring tool for animals with neurological diseases. Spinal trauma is extremely difficult to diagnose on avian radiographs, but should be visible on CT scan. The CT scan on this eagle performed at VMSG did not show any evidence of spinal trauma, though further review of the CT is still pending. A West Nile Virus PCR test and a toxic heavy metal blood panel are still pending and we will update as we know more about this case.”

Did you notice that old clean towel with the holes cut through to support Victor? Do not discard your old towels that are clean. Keep them, gather others from friends, family, and neighbours. I kid you not – they are used so much in the wildlife rehab clinics. Then deliver them to your local clinic. They will be ever so grateful!

Dear Victor. So many people are sending you love and support. You can do this little buddy! If you go to the Ojai Raptor Centre FB page they also have some videos of Victor working those legs. Please watch. He is working so hard.

There was also a posting by Humane Indiana Wildlife – not specifically about Little Bit ND17 but all the animals in their care. Take the time to read down closely. I am going to take a giant leap of faith and presume that Little Bit will also be required to have hunting skills and be independent before he is released. That is just terrific news. The staff had never mentioned this but surely it is their intention. Here is their statement on their FB page:

This morning I have another video of that teenage osprey with attitude. It is nest #3 — thanks, ‘S’. I am not sure whether to feel sorry for Mum or just roll in laughter.

Small fish continue to come to the Osoyoos nest – both chicks are eating and Mum got the tail but this nest has to be ‘hungry’. Thanks Dad for all your hard work trying to find fish in this hot weather.

There have been intruders around the Hog Island Osprey platform of Dory and Skiff. The three kids really know how to pancake when someone is around.

It is fish deliveries and practice eating at Mispillion as the two fledglings continue to have some fun flying. This nest has done well. It has been fun to watch Mum decorate. I wish I could send her the sunflower the birds planted for me. I think she would love the yellow.

If you love the Llyn Clywedog nest of Dylan and Seren in Wales, then you know the name John Williams. Last year he did a lot of spotting and driving and figuring to find out where Dylan was getting the Brown Trout if he wasn’t catching them at the Reservoir. He is the person who also gives us some great images of Dylan out fishing sometimes. Here is some more information on John but also the history of the nest if you want to keep a record.

About me and the nest.

That is brief news this morning. Will be watching for a pip at the WBSE nest in Sydney. It looks like the little one at Chesapeake Bay will be it for Tom and Audrey this year! Grow fast..you are the youngest of all the babies of 2022. Take care everyone. Have a wonderful Saturday. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Ojai Raptor Centre, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Humane Indiana Wildlife, Osoyoos Ospreys, Explore.org and Audubon, Mispillion Harbour, and Explore.org and IWS.

Early Friday in Bird World

15 July 2022

Good Morning everyone. It is going to be a hot sunny day here on the Canadian Prairies with a temperature of 31 C – a good day to get outside early for that walk! There is a heat wave across the southern areas of western Canada right now and it is going to have an impact on our Osprey nests.

I had a lot of questions about the ducklings in my blog yesterday. Here are the ducklings again. They do not all belong to the same Mum. There were 35 in total but, the individual who took the image couldn’t fit them all in the frame. They are Mallards. The females rotate taking all the ducklings to the pond to swim and eat. The other mothers get a chance to relax and eat grass. What a great system! And what well-behaved ducklings. Incredible. ‘Duckling Daycare’.

The other day Suzanne Arnold Horning took an image of the three Ls (minus L3 who is in care) on the grounds of Cornell. Every year there are a few opportunities when the three get together on the top of a fence. This was the magic moment for 2022. What a treasure. Who would know that L1 would not be with us today as we woke up? Their lives are ever so fragile and we are so lucky to be able to observe them. So glad L1 flew, and hunted, and played with her siblings. And so sorry for Big Red and Arthur who, more than likely, saw that fateful moment that took their first hatch’s life.

L1
The Ls, 1, 2, and 4 on the fence by the track. Cornell University.

Ferris Akel was kind enough to go to the Cornell Campus last night and look for Big Red, Arthur, and the two remaining chicks in the wild. There is a lovely community that has bonded around Big Red and her family. It was getting dark when Ferris took these last images of Big Red hunting a squirrel and Arthur on top of the same building where they found L1 yesterday morning.

Arthur was on the other end of the building. Earlier they had been on a light pole overlooking the area where the two chicks were – observing from a distance and perhaps thinking of L1.

Both osplets at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest in Delaware have fledged! Congratulations to Mum and Dad and all those cheering them on. Thanks ‘H’ for letting me know! The pair are having fun taking short flights on and off the nest.

One on the perch and the other one flying.

Tuckered. Flying is hard work…turns fledglings into ducklings.

Audrey is busy incubating the remaining egg and brooding Big Bob. It is possible that Big might turn out to be the only Bob on the Chesapeake Bay nest of Tom and Audrey for the 2022. Big is the first hatch of the second clutch for these two. He needs to grow big and strong and fly good to meet migration deadlines.

Right now all Big Bob wants to do is sleep and eat. Cute.

The two chicks on the Janakkalan nest in Finland continue to work on their self-feeding. Dad continues to bring the fish to the nest. One is better at self-feeding but the second is getting there. Hunger is a great motivator and when one chick has opened up the fish it is easier for the smaller one to eat. Send positive wishes to this nest. They can both survive if they feed themselves.

Everything appears to be good at the Boathouse Osprey platform on Hog Island. Morning stars glittering around Dory as she stands on the edge of the nest.

Another nest just needs fish. The heat in British Columbia is driving the bigger fish deeper into the water. The male at Osoyoos is only able to bring in little twiddlers. More fish is needed…It is going up to 34 C today. A cooker. The Ospreys need all the hydration they can get. Too bad Dad doesn’t have a fish basket on that lake.

The temperature will rise from 9 C to 29 C with a heat warning at the Canmore Alberta Fortis Exshaw Osprey nest today. Wish for fish here, too.

Peace and Love, the eaglets at the Glacier Gardens nest, were ready for their morning breakfast. There is condensation (I think that is what it is) moving about on the camera lens so it is hard to see them. Their juvenile plumage is really coming in and both continue to be healthy. — Which reminds me. The news on H5N1, the highly pathogenic avian flu, is that it is waning. Thank goodness.

The latest Twitter posting of Cal Falcons show an incredible prey exchange caught by the photographer moon_rabbit_rising

Annie and Alden are making sure that these two are so capable of getting their own prey when they leave the home territory. Would love to see this in real time…

While we wait to hear what the Ojai clinic can determine is causing Victor, Andor and Mama Cruz’s eaglet fledgling, not to be able to stand, here is an uplifting story of a sub-adult Bald Eagle that was shot and got a second chance at life. Thank you ‘C’ for making sure I had a smile on my face the other day. So grateful to the vets and the rehabbers who take our feathered friends into their care and work miracles for them.

If you saw a raptor (or other bird or animal in need) who would you call? ‘B’ sent me the answer if you live in the United States. Here is a site – Animal Help Now – that will help you find all of the wildlife rehabbers in your area and their specialties. Note that some only take turtles and amphibians, etc. You enter your address or a city and you get a list. Please bookmark this site. You never know when you are going to find yourself in a park with an injured waterfowl or raptor or on the highway. This will save you a lot of time fumbling around and it could make a real difference to the life of the injured wildlife. USFWS does not help and neither does the DNR – so do not bother calling them. If you know of a similar website in other countries, please let me know. We are all here to help and getting to the right person is critical. Thanks ‘B’.

https://ahnow.org/#/

Fledge watch is on for most of the UK Osprey nests that have not already had fledges. Keep an eye on Brooks and Molate at the SF Osprey nest of Richmond and Rosie, too. Time is passing very quickly.

There was a fox cub seen on the Fraser Point nest last night. It is a good thing Victor was rescued when he was. Lilibet was not on the nest at the time the cub came poking about.

Pip watch at the WBSE nest of Lady and Dad in the Sydney Olympic Forest nest. Yesterday Lady let Dad incubate the eggs. Will she let him today? If not, watch that first egg closely.

Thank you so much for joining me this morning. There is so much happening with all the nests – I am just glad we don’t have eggs hatching at all the Australian nests right now. We would all need several computer monitors! Continue to send positive wishes to those feathered friends in care and to those nests that desperately need fish today – big fish – like Osoyoos. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their photographs, streaming cams, FB pages, and Twitter posts where I took my screen captures: Suzanne Arnold Horning, Cornell Chatters, Ferris Akel Tours, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR, Chesapeake Conservancy, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Audubon and Explore.org, Osoyoos Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw, Cal Falcons, Explore.org and IWS, Glacier Gardens, and Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre.

Thursday in Bird World

14 July 2022

Ah, the rain continues to fall and it is cold and damp. It sure looks like it is a beautiful day on the New Jersey shore where the Banegat Light Osplets of Daisy and Duke are now 6 weeks and 3 days old. Duke has brought in fish and then removed them must to the angst of the kids.

For those who missed it, Little Bit ND17’s blood work came back with a negative to the West Nile Virus. He is flying but is not yet steady on his take off and landing. More work will be done by the Humane Indiana Wildlife on this and getting his wings stronger for release back at the park where he hatched. It is then hoped that he will rejoin his family and be taught to hunt his own prey. I am very grateful that Humane Indiana Wildlife were able to pick up and take Little Bit into care and get him this far into returning to the wild. I wish they had a way to train him to catch his own prey and a prey rich area to release him. That said, not all facilities can undertake that level of rehabilitation. We all wish ND17 a super successful life. He certainly deserves it.

Little Bit’s tail feathers have grown with all that good food and care.

Eyes have been on the Janakkdan Osprey nest in Finland since the female was observed having a difficult time swallowing and feeding her chicks. I have been alerted by ‘S’ in Finland that there is some concern that the female may have contracted Trichomonosis. This is a parasite that can come from contaminated water or transfer from bird to bird. Feeding chicks could spread the disease so it is good that the chicks are self-feeding more now!

Here is an article explaining this disease. You will note that this disease can impact all species of birds. It is highly contagious and could impact all manner of birds in the area sharing the same water source.

https://www.animalwised.com/trichomoniasis-in-birds-3605.html

Today, Mum has observed her chicks trying to self-feed. One chick is better than the other who wants to be fed. We hope that her health will improve and that these little ones, who are nearing independence, will continue to master their feeding skills and do not catch the disease — if that is what is plaguing this female.

One chick is eating well while the other is calling at Mum to feed it. There are two fish on the nest that I can see.

The chicks have been ringed at nest #5 in Finland!

Here is the video showing this momentous occasion in the chick’s lives. Thank you so much for sending me this link, ‘S’. It is much appreciated.

I am always interested in the human intervention that helps our feathered friends. Several have sent me the most delightful stories and I am going through them so that I can show them to you. They are delightful. Since we have been looking at the Finnish nests I would like to share with you today a story from Finland sent to me by ‘S’. The story is my words based on what ‘S’ told me. If it is inaccurate – blame me!

In 2020, there was a lot happening at Finnish Osprey nest #3. The female described as both funny, timid, and hassling) Helmi thought that her time off caring for her chicks was finished and she left for migration (or was injured/killed) and did not return to the nest. The big female chicks on nest #3 managed to self-feed quite nicely and entered into a fierce competition of who was now the boss of the nest! Then all of a sudden fish deliveries waned because of poor weather. People on the chat got hysterical as they believed the chicks would starve to death. The cameras were turned off. And….as is sometimes the case, humans came to the rescue with a delivery of fish on the nest for the chicks. And all was well. It is like a fairy tale for Ospreys –fish falling from the sky into the nest!

There are several new videos out from some of our favourite nests. The first one features Mr President and Takoda and a fish!

In this one, we get to see great views of Cal Falcons Lindsay:

Intervention was called for with Manitoba’s own peregrine falcons…a second chance at a full life is granted! Our Manitoba Peregrine Falcons are gorgeous…don’t you think?

Also in Manitoba, one Mum taking all the ducklings to swim!

In the Glaslyn Valley, fledge watch has begun for Blue 497 who is 49 days old today. In the UK the Ospreys fledge from 40 to 53 days old. Males normally fledge earlier because they are smaller and have less growth and plumage development to undertaken before flying than females. At the nest of Aran and Mrs G, the average time for males to fledge is 52.5 days and females at 54 days. Blue 498 is only one day younger so who will go first?

Beautiful family portrait with Aran on the perch. Proud parents of three lovely osplets.

At the Dyfi Nest of Idris and Telyn, the oldest of the three females, Pedran, is 50 days old today. She is officially in fledge watch but, these are all females. The earliest male to fledge at Glaslyn was Tywi in 2020 at 48.7 days and the oldest was Leri, a female in 2011, at 57.3 days. Let’s keep an eye on this nest in 2-3 days for a fledge because the average fledge age between all is 52.8 days.

We are waiting for the second osplet at the Mispillion Harbour nest to fledge. Gorgeous image of Mum with her remaining ‘nestling’. By the way, ‘H’ alerted me to the fact that Mum has now found her favourite yellow metal object and returned it to the nest!!!!!!! The yellow matt is hiding under nesting materials. Is yellow the state colour of Delaware?

Looks like Mum on the perch. It will not be long til both siblings are flying around the nest and the harbour. Looks like some duct tape cam on to the nest….if I say that anyone hosting a streaming cam or knowing of a nest should get permission after breeding season to clean it will I sound like a broken record?

The Woodland Trust is wanting name suggestions for Louis and Dorcha’s two chicks for the 2022 season. If you would like to join in, here is the announcement. Suggestions end Monday and you must vote on The Woodland Trust’s FB page.

And last a quick look in at the Boathouse Ospreys on Hog Island. Dory and Skiff are doing an amazing job – simply amazing with three and Dory a first time Mum.

Dory is feeding the two little ones…Slipjack and Sloop.

Look at that crop on Schooner! Lovely.

Thank you so much for joining me today. There are lots of birds that need your good wishes. We wait to hear what they can determine is causing Victor’s illness and we hope that the two osplets in Finland stay well. Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Audubon and Explore.org, The Woodland Trust, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Banegat Light Ospreys, Humane Indiana Wildlife, Finnish Osprey Foundation, NADC-AEF, Cal Falcons, Manitoba Birding, Bird and Wildlife Photography, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR.

Update on Victor and other Bird World News

13 July 2022

Good Morning Everyone. I hope the start of the week was a good one as we celebrate the rescue of Victor at the Fraser Point nest in the Channel Islands.

Here is the latest news on the Fraser Point eaglet of Andor and Mama Cruz:

As new birds go into wildlife rehab, it is easy to forget some that remain in care. At the Pitkin County Osprey nest, both chicks were pulled off the nest when the female’s talon was tangled in nest material that had fishing line. Here is an image of the chick in care and below it is the mass of fishing line and nest material that came off. One chick died. This one will be in rehab for some time and will not be returned to the nest area as the parents will have migrated when it is ready to be released.

How possible is it for every nest that is on a streaming cam to have the nest material examined and any fishing line, hooks, or other dangerous items removed when the camera gets its annual maintenance? That would help – it certainly won’t keep new items from coming on the nest but it would go a long ways to mitigating issues. Then, of course, there is the whole issue of educating the public about fishing line and hooks! And how dangerous they are to the water birds.

There has been no update on Little Bit ND17 this week. Will post as soon as I see one. No news is good news!

The Patuxent River Park Osprey nest 1 is empty. Was there a fledge?

Tonight there is a huge storm with thunder and lighting at the Patuxent River Park #1 nest. It could even scare me! You can see the nest because the lightning is making the entire sky glow.

Yes, it was a fledge at Patuxent River Park and the new flier has returned to the nest to the delight of Mum and Dad.

It has been 25 hours without her brother, Victor. Lillibet is on the nest panting and hot in the California sun.

The mother has returned to the Janakkdan nest in Finland to her two osplets. There has been lots of fish and she has been feeding them. Let us hope that what has been ailing the female is getting better. They are super beautiful and big osplets. It was just lovely to see her and the chicks are getting stronger and older and should be feeding more to themselves. That will certainly help. Mum does look better than the past couple of days. Fingers crossed. Send those good positive warm wishes to her. They help!

The first egg at the Sydney Sea Eagle nest is 35 days old today. Pip watch begins on day 40 which will be July 16/17. Lady and Dad are busy incubating and rolling the eggs. The cam operator gave us a good look. Thank you!

The White-bellied Sea Eagles are the second largest bird of prey in Australia.

Diamond looking out of the scrape at Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia.

The scrape box on the water tower has been used by falcons for the past twelve years. Before that they made their nest on the water tower itself. The first couple were Swift (female) and Beau (male). In 2015, an entirely new couple were in the scrape. They were Diamond and Bula. In 2016 just when their three eggs were hatching, Bula disappeared and was presumed dead. Xavier means ‘savior’. He came along, just like Alden, right at the moment he was needed. He saved the breeding season. Xavier provided prey for Diamond and the chicks. He proved to be a very capable mate and Diamond accepted him with wonderful bonding displays in the scrape. Xavier is a darling. This will be Diamond and Xavier’s 6th breeding season. Diamond is at least eight years old and Xavier is at least seven years old.

The average life expectancy of a peregrine falcon in the wild is often considered to be quite low, 2-4 years. Our Princess in Winnipeg lived to be 19 years old. It is unclear to me how accurate that 2-4 years estimate is.

Diamond. 13 July 2022
Xavier. 13 July 2022 with a prey offering for his mate.

The other peregrine falcon nest in Australia is in Melbourne. They will start streaming nearer to hatch once eggs have been laid. It is quite interesting to watch the rural nest of Xavier and Diamond with the urban one in Melbourne.

Do you like Great Horned Owls? Would you like to learn more about their lives on the prairies? Here is a free Zoom talk that you might wish to join.

Louis and Dorcha’s two osplets were ringed yesterday. They have two girls! LW6 was 1760g with a wing of 300mm and LW5 weight was 1910g with a wing of 350mm.

Chick LP8 fledged at Loch of the Lowes today. In celebration of this achievement, Louis brought in a fabulous fish! Congratulations LOTL.

The three girls at the Dyfi Nest of Idris and Telyn are really hovering. Who will be next to fly?

Thank you so much for joining me this morning. We send our good wishes to L3, Little Bit ND17, the Pitkin Osprey, and Victor as they continue to work hard to get better in care. Stay safe. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: the Ojai Raptor Centre, Patuxent River Park, the Finnish Osprey Foundation, Pitkin County FB Page, Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Explore.org and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, Prairie Conservation Action Plan, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and Woodland Trust and the Dyfi Osprey Project.

Update on Victor!

12 July 2022

Most of us required some down time after the anxious moments waiting for Dr Sharpe to pick up Victor. Once he was there with Allie from the Nature Conservancy, Victor was located, held up so all could see him, and placed in a large black duffle bag. He was on his way. As Victor’s adventure is beginning, his sister Lillibet has been on the perch for most of the day. Yes, she is surely missing her brother.

I heard from ‘B’ that Lillibet had spent 5 hours on the branch after this moment. She really misses Victor. That is the sad part of all of this. What I did not realize was that Andor is a first time dad at 5 years old. Thanks, ‘B’ for letting me know that – so both Andor and Akecheta first time dads, young males – who did a fantastic job with the Mums this year raising these 5 great eagle fledglings.

Andor will bring a fish in and Lillibet will go to the nest to eat.

This is the update from Dr Sharpe:

That is fabulous that Victor made his way to the creek and was getting water there. That sure helped to keep him going til the rescue came.

There are quite a few nests that need a quick ‘hello’. Just stopping in at the Boathouse, it is easy to appreciate how quickly the osprey nestlings grow. Look at the plumage – Dory and Skiff’s trio are moving into the Reptilian Phase. Soon we will have little black oily heads and they will be long and lanky.

‘H’ writes that we should never worry about Sloop, the third hatch. She notes that he gets at least 2 private feedings a meal and instead of being a little one sail boat he might turn out to be a small warship – the other meaning for Sloop. Oh, I needed that laugh this morning. Sloop reminds me of L4 at Big Red and Arthur’s nest. We worried ourselves sick but L4 would climb over the big siblings to get to the food and he was one of the first two to catch his own live prey to officially become a juvenile. — Dory and Skiff are doing an amazing job as first time parents.

There could be a fledge at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest at any moment! The chicks are flapping their wings. This was 0515. Adults have been bringing in nesting material but where has the yellow matt gone that Mum loved so much?

Breakfast at Osoyoos Osprey Platform. Looks pleasant. Hoping lots of fish come to this nest. I am told that it could be quite hot in this region for a few days. Gosh, the size difference between these two, hatch 1 and 3.

Beautiful mum with her two osplets at the Fortis Exshaw platform in Canmore, Alberta. The blood feathers are coming in on the wings. It is not a great image but you can see the shafts the feathers are growing out of on the chick on the right, their left wing.

Beautiful Mum.

There is still Only Bob and the egg on the nest of Tom and Audrey on Chesapeake Bay. Will the other egg hatch? There is still time but maybe it won’t. Tom has been alarming on and off this morning.

Doing a run through some of the Finnish nests…gorgeous chicks on nest #4. Looking really healthy. Mum has been working on the nest and they have been self-feeding. Lovely. Look at the size of those wings! Both full. No problems here.

At least one of these big chicks – and I am thinking both – are big females with lovely necklaces.

Oh, I love it when the crests are up. Gorgeous Nuppu with the ‘Only Teenager’ at nest #3 in the Satakunta region in Western Finland.

Nuppu is screaming so Ahti will hear her. We need more fish!!!!!!!!

The male at the Janakkdan nest brought in a huge fish for the two osplets at 17:04:16. I have not seen the female who was injured or sick. It is possible that she will not return to the nest. The two chicks are left with the fish to eat for themselves. Thankfully the father is still bringing in fish.

Let us watch and wait to see how these two do with this self-feeding. If the female is injured, dead, and/or left the area, the lives of these two chicks will depend on their ability to rip that fish up and eat it themselves.

Before I close we are on pip/hatch watch for Lady and Dad at the Sydney Sea Eagles nest in the Sydney Olympic Forest which is part of the Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre.

There has also been an update on WBSE27 – this was a fantastic and much necessary intervention. 27 is doing fabulous and this is the kind of news we want to hear about Little Bit ND17 – that he was kept in care until he can fly free like 27, catching his own prey and flourishing. (Note: The first time 27 went to rehab it was too short. She could not hunt and was found emaciated on a sidewalk being attacked by smaller birds).

There will be at least one more update from the Ojai Raptor Centre today. With no broken bones, it will be interesting to see what it is that was causing Victor to lose his balance and not be able to stand. He is in good hands, eating well…our thoughts go out to Andor, Mama Cruz, and Lillibet who only know that he is gone from their territory.

Thank you for joining me for this quick check up this morning. There is a tiny lull as we wait for fledges to start happening and keep a close eye on a couple of nests for progress and pip/hatch. I have not seen any new updates on Little Bit ND17 as of this moment. They could post one anytime on the Humane Indian Wildlife FB page. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Explore.org, Institute for Wildlife Studies, Channel Islands Eagle Lovers, Audubon Explore.org, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR, Osoyoos Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw, Chesapeake Conservancy, the Finnish Osprey Foundation, and Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre.

Late Sunday and early Monday in Bird World

11 July 2020

Dr Sharpe has posted that he will arrive at the Fraser Point nest between 12-2 nest time. We wait.

It is always a hard day when a chick dies on a nest but to lose a beautiful little Osprey to starvation/siblicide is very difficult. I am speaking of the third hatch at the Janakkdan nest in Finland. There is various speculation about what is going on at the nest. Is the female injured in some way? Another chick is lethargic on that nest and it is feared that all three will be lost and then, also, perhaps the breeding female if the injury is acute. Some are asking if this is H5N1, the highly pathogenic Avian Flu. That could only be determined by testing and so far it is believed that Ospreys would be more immune because they eat fish almost exclusively. Whatever is happening it is very sad and it causes one to feel helpless.

There was also Victor with his injury wanting to jump and fly with Lillibet to only go tumbling to the ground, well…gosh. It can take the wind out of your sails. It will be a long wait for Dr Sharpe to get to the nest. He will have to get to the boat, get to the island and then get to the nest. Will this require a very difficult climb? I do not know the terrain he will be going through but, I trust Dr Sharpe. If anything at all can be done to give Victor a second chance, Dr Sharpe is the person who will pull this off. But, for now we wait and it is going to be agony until we know that he is on the ground and has Victor. Then we wait again. You can be assured that Dr Sharpe will give Victor an exceptional meal and maybe some fluids – Victor cannot help but be dehydrated.

There is sadness across the Manitoba Peregrine community this morning. The resident male, Hart, was found dead. He was 10 years old. The Manitoba Peregrine Recovery Project works diligently to return the numbers of these beautiful falcons in our community.

Here is the link to the blog with information about Hart and the falcons that live in my community. the text narration gives you an idea of the struggles that happen with all our feathered friends. Condolences go out to everyone associated with the MB Falcon Recovery Project.

Heartbroken

Most of the birds that I write about are big birds of prey. I love them. At the same time, the Albatross pull at my heart strings, ducks make me laugh out loud, and well, I have really come to adore storks. Today Hob Osterlund posted a really touching image of a Laysan Albatross male and his chick.

Continuing with the mantra of Margaret Mead, “Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” – Hob Osterlund works tirelessly for the Laysan Albatross. Osterlund had a dream and because of it she moved to the island of Kauai. She was overcome with the love of the Laysan Albatross on her arrival. Osterlund is the author of Holi Moli: Albatross and other Ancestors, is the Founder of the Kauai’ Albatross Network, has worked to relocate albatross from Midway Atoll to Kauai’, is an artist, and many more things to thousands of people. She did the illustrations for A Perfect Day for an Albatross by Caren Loebel-Fried.

Moli is the word for Laysan Albatross. They are revered spirits on the island of Kauai’. For the people of Hawaii, their ancestors can take the form of birds or animals. This is ‘aumakua’. Laysan Albatross are among the aumakua.  

Do you know who Wisdom is? Wisdom is the oldest known banded bird in the world. She still raises a chick and she is now at least 71 or 72 years old. She laid an egg and raised a chick in 2021. (Albatross often take a year off between laying eggs so that their body can be in good shape).

Wisdom’s breeding grounds are the Midway Atoll. Wisdom and her mate, Akeakami, return every year to the same nest site. This behaviour is known as nest fidelity. Millions of birds have nest fidelity at the Midway Atoll and there is a race on to figure out what to do with rising sea levels. Wisdom has hatched 40 eggs and outlived many mates. Albatross normally return and find mates at 5 or 6 years and return later to make a nest. Her 2011 chick – banded N333 – that survived the tsunami on the island, has returned and Wisdom now has a grandchick. How special. That year 110,000 chicks were killed by the raging waters of the tsunami covering over the shore. Wisdom’s chick survived because her nest was located inside a protected dune area.

Invasive species such as rats and mice that were killing the birds were dealt with in 2020. It is a problem around the world on small islands where birds nest – particularly albatross. Teams of scientists and volunteers work tirelessly to try and rid the islands of rats and mice that humans have brought on to the land. Climate change is another extremely serious issue with rising seas. Some translocation work has been done between the Midway Atoll and the island of Kauai.

Wisdom and her wee little moli.

This is Wisdom’s 40th chick Kukini hatched in 2016. Kukini means ‘Messenger’.

Here is a lovely article on this magnificent Laysan Albatross – Z333.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/worlds-oldest-bird-just-turned-70-why-so-special

To clear my head, I went to sit with the ducks. I came away delighted. There are ducklings of every age!

Before I begin, there are goose eggs bobbing about all over the water. The spring floods that hit our region made the water level in the park pond rise and rise covering all of the nests of the Canada geese, the Mallards, and the Wood Ducks. It was a very, very sad time. The birds laid more eggs and it rained and rained and rained again. What I am seeing is that at this particular pond, the majority of survivors or second clutches are ducklings.

This Mallard mother seemed to be in charge of about eleven little ducklings.

It is incredible how well behaved the ducklings are. There they go – right behind Mama Mallard. They have really grown since I first saw these four about 8 days ago.

Mama Mallard is incredibly beautiful.

It was equally sad not seeing one gosling today. The reflections from the trees on the water was very painterly and this Canada Goose really stood out with all that chartreuse.

Because the male Wood Ducks get all the attention, I tend to take more photographs of the females. They are incredibly gorgeous but so overshadowed by the bright colouring of their mates.

Wee Mallard keeping an eye on me but not giving up his spot!

Mother Duck has all the little ones – and they are tiny – hiding in this type of clover grass on the edge of the pond. You can just see their wee heads.

This one looks like he has had a great feed. There are so many insects darting over the water and to see these little ones just quick as a flash grabbing and eating them – it is amazing.

This wood duckling is getting her ‘pin’ feathers. You can see them pushing out of the shaft or the quill.

This is Mama Wood Duck. You can tell the female by her white tear drop eye patch.

To my delight there were Wood Ducks everywhere around the island – on it, around the shores but, always on the north side. At the start of the season there were no Wood Ducks at this park and I was truly heart broken.

Are you a fan of Mrs G and Aran at the Glaslyn?

Raptor Persecution UK wrote a blog about the history of Mrs G today. She is the oldest breeding Osprey in Wales. She has raised 41 chicks to fledge. At least 5 are breeding in the UK and she has 3 grandchicks. I will post a link to that blog if you are interested. There is also a fascinating family tree included.

Guest blog: Ospreys in the Glaslyn Valley

I am extremely grateful for ‘S’ who has supplied me with links to various cameras, wonderful historical and current videos, and all information to keep me learning about the Finnish nests. One of the fun things I learned is that the Finnish word for Ospreys ‘saaksi’ , when translated by Google, means ‘mosquito’. We have so many mosquitoes in Manitoba – I wish they were Ospreys. I will be including some of these for you if you are also not as familiar with the Ospreys of Finland. What beautiful countryside to have a nest! Yesterday I needed some laughs – like everyone and there was that chick on nest #3. What a character. ‘S’ describes him as a teenager without brothers and sisters to fight with so he has to fight with Mum. I am not sure you saw this video the other day when I posted it but this will give you some insights into this little character! Thank you ‘S’ for your kindness.

This little video shows the chicks in nest 4 having received their rings and some fish being left on the nest. The female returns and stares at the two nice fish wondering where in the world they came from! Enjoy.

I will bring a round up of the nests this evening. For right now, however, all eyes are on Fraser Point and Janakkdan nest. Please send all your positive wishes for Dr Sharpe, his team and Victor and for the Osprey family in Finland for the Mum to recover and the surviving two chicks to get healthy.

Thank you for joining me this morning in my attempt to move your attention elsewhere. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or blogs or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Hob Osterlund, USFWS, The Peregrine Chick, and the Finnish Osprey Foundation.

Wednesday in Bird World

5 July 2022

Good Morning Everyone. It is such a blessing to have a beautiful day – almost mosquito free!

There are many times in our lives when we just need a good laugh..one of those rolling on the floor, letting it all out kind of hysterical moments. Just sit back and watch this Osprey couple solve a problem while the little one looks on. It took a day but they did it! Thanks to ‘T’ for the first volume and to ‘R’ for finding the finale – . Enjoy.

Just a note: This is the nest of Ossie and Alma. With the tragedy last year with the goshawk, the nest was abandoned. This is a new couple Eura (male) and Eine (female). May the wings of the goshawk never grace their territory.

You might remember that two osprey chicks were pulled off of the nest when the Mum got her talon caught in monofilament line. One died and the other was transported from the Pitkin Osprey nest to the wildlife rehabber. Thank you to everyone who got to that nest in a hurry and helped that baby. Here is the story and an update on the chick’s status:

Humans come to aid of Emma Osprey chick

Every once in awhile I get the question. This is a popular one at the moment: Do the female Ospreys fish? Yes, absolutely they do. Most will wait til their chicks are older than 35 days. At that age they are less likey to be predated. Some Osprey mothers have to fish to supply the food for the family earlier. Blue NC0 has been fishing for about a week and a bit at Loch of the Lowes. Rosie is a good fisher too and she brought in two very rare and protected fish to the nest today. Don’t tell anyone! The females will be entirely responsible for their food once they begin migration until they return to their nest during breeding season the following spring.

Another extraordinary effort to get a juvenile eagle – like our Little Bit 17 – to a rehabber so that it has a chance on living and flying. I will put a map of BC underneath so you can see where Powell River is!

Oh, wow. Another ringing and this time it is the historic moment that Ospreys return to Poole Harbour.

https://www.dorset.live/news/dorset-news/first-wild-osprey-chicks-england-7294802?fbclid=IwAR3lckBYdTwTjLC670Cd0c5ps_-JJX4AioxsOsAYYdny6D_hKle-asLUQ7g

Do you love the Dahlgren Osprey nest of Jack and Harriet? ‘H’ caught them on the nest today! How wonderful to see all three together. That nest has been empty for days. Thanks ‘H’ – this is a great screen capture.

It is the time of year when people are out fishing in Canada (and elsewhere). Yesterday at the Nature Centre there were dozens of youngsters with poles. Here is another reminder of what can happen to our birds. Let’s all make an effort to help our birds by spreading the word about the dangers of fishing equipment. This is a pickerel rig – line, hooks, lead sinkers – it is all there! I can only imagine what could happen to this beautiful Osprey.

So help spread the word to fishers – not only clean up after yourself but also anywhere you see fishing tackle, old line, make an effort to clear the shores and trees of it. Of course, there are fish that will break the line and take the hook and line with them and these also wind up on the nests of our Ospreys and Eagles. Herons get tangled. Pelicans have hooks in their pouches. It is endless.

I have no idea who took this imagine. I wish I did! It is a good one to share if you hope to make the point about the dangers that fishing tackle can have on wildlife.

Poor Dorcha. After Aila not returning in 2021, Louis did not take his new mate to the nest that he shared with Aila. Instead, Louis chose the alternative nest. The weather is much worse at the new one. It has pitched rain all season – and the winds have been gale force. It was like that last night at Loch Arkaig. Dorcha is still wet and keeping the two big kids protected as much as she can.

Later in the day, everything began to dry.

In contrast, Blue NC0 and Laddie LM12 have had nice weather at the Loch of the Lowes. I am told that Loch Arkaig has its own kind of micro-climate different from the rest of Scotland.

Notice how large the chicks are compared to Mum. Once they fledge, Blue NC0 is going to begin building up her strength and eating so that she is fit for migration. Laddie will remain at the nest and leave last – staying to feed the chicks til they leave. Then he will begin his journey.

Blue NC0 fish calling later in the day.

It is always good to know where places are in relation to one another. Here is a map showing the distance from Loch Arkaig and Loch of the Lowes. I want to draw your attention to Aviemore, too. There are some incredible ospreys that live in that area on private estates. If you ever plan to go to Scotland or the Lake District, print up a map and locate all of the Osprey nests with wildlife centres and hides so you can go and see them. Many are very close together. The same goes for Wales.

The Osoyoos chicks are both on the nest —- thankfully and Mum is feeding them their breakfast. It looks like it could be a morning without rain! The nest and the chicks need to dry out. Love the crop on the big one. Hope that baby gets enough!

The Ospreys in Canmore, Alberta are going to have a nice day! Beautiful sunrise this morning. The high will be 21 C or 69.8 F. Perfect. Last year the chicks were literally jumping off the nests in British Columbia and Alberta due to the heat. (Not at this one). Twenty-three were rescued in lower British Columbia and taken into care so that they would not perish. That was just remarkable. So glad that the weather pattern is different this year for them.

Oh, beautiful Boathouse Osplets on Hog Island in Maine. They are all Reptiles!!!!!!!!! That wonderful charcoal coloured thermal down is in and you can see the wee little dandelions of natal down that will come off. Their heads have lost the ‘soft’ look and appear as if they have been smeared with oil. The coppery red feathers are on the back of the head area, the nape. Little Bit is right in there between the two older siblings.

Aran is preparing a fish for Mrs G and the kids for their tea time meal.

Mrs G is anxiously waiting! Looks like a lovely afternoon at Glaslyn.

It looks like everything is fine with the Osprey nests this morning. If you are watching Carthage, TN, ‘H’ reports that the first fledge happened early this morning. Congratulations! And ‘T’ says that the two Imperial Eaglets in Russia were ringed yesterday. Fantastic. So cute.

Thank you so much for joining me this morning. All nests seem to be doing just fine. Take care. See you soon.

Thanks to the following for the streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Boathouse Ospreys and Audubon, Fortis Exshaw, Osoyoos Ospreys, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and Scottish Wildlife Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Dahlgren Ospreys, Bald Eagles Live Nest cam and News, and Pitkin Outside.