Oh, my day was made perfect when I woke up to see that both Tiny Tot and Little Tiny Bob both had had fish this morning.
The Cumbria Wildlife Camera has no rewind feature and shivers went up my arms as I struck it lucky for the late afternoon feeding! Little Bob is right in there and is starting to get a nice size crop. Warm fuzzies and tiny tears.
Here is a very short video of Little Tiny Bob getting some good bites.
If you look carefully, up by Blue 35’s head, you will see Little Tiny Bob with its nice crop. Big Bob is facing the opposite way.
Tiny Tot slept on the natal nest perch at the Achieva Osprey Nest in Florida last night. He went to sleep without any fish but woke up hopeful this morning. He kept flying on and off the nest in expectation. And then at 10:26:49 Jack delivers a fish! Tiny Tot has not been forgotten. Isn’t it just lovely? Warms my heart for this little one.
There is always a bit of a scramble as the juvenile grabs the fish out of the parent’s talon.
Tiny Tot is enjoying his fish in peace. No intruders and no siblings there to annoy him.
Liz Brackens reports some exciting news from Loch Arkaig. Last year, Louis and Aila raised three fabulous Ospreys. Louis is a fabulous provider. He would even fish at night and take on tandem feedings with Aila to ensure that little all of the chicks including Little JJ7 grew and thrived. Sadly, Aila did not return this year from her winter migration. Louis waited and waited at the nest. He bonded with another female and they took on nestorations on a different nest – not the one Louis shared with Aila that has the camera. Everyone was happy that Louis had found a new mate. This morning Liz reports that the nest behaviour has changed. Normally Louis would bring a fish to the nest and the new female would take it off the nest to eat it. Louis would then incubate the eggs. But this morning that behaviour changed. Louis brought a fish to the nest, stayed for a few minutes before going to the perch. The female ate the fish on the nest. Do we have a hatch?
The 1000 Islands Environmental Centre in Wisconsin posted a video of their four eaglets. They are doing fantastic. There are three parents. In this nest, there are two females and one male. Some of you may watch the Love Trio Nest on the Mississippi where there are two males, Valor I and II and Starr, the female. I grabbed a screen shot from that video for you. There they are all four of them getting ready to branch and then fledge. Goodness. I cannot imagine trying to hunt and feed four – good thing there are three parents!
This morning Aran arrived at the Glaslyn Nest where he collected the morning’s gifted fish. He then went on to defend the nest against intruders. It is wonderful that he is healing. Let us all hope that his wing is in excellent shape when winter migration comes in September.
And there is more fledging news. Big Bob on The Landings Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island near Savannah fledged this morning at 8:22. He is going to hover and land on one of the branches above the nest. There is a fish delivery about half an hour later and Big Bob had a bit of a time figuring how to get down to the nest and eat. Oh, these fledglings are so funny.
Here he goes hovering. He will land on one of the branches of the tree off camera and make his way to a different branch where we can see him.
Oh, Big Bob wants some of that fish! But how do he get down now that he is up on the branch? That seems to be his quandry. Of course, he will figure that out. Hunger is a great motivator.
After doing a lot of calling, fretting, and pacing on the branch, Big Bob jumps down!
There are going to be a lot of fledges. This morning at the Pittsburg Hays Bald Eagle Nest both H13 and H15 fledged. Early in the morning while the IR is still on you can see the three – one on the nest (H13) and two branched (H14 and 15). You might recall that this nest is a big event for the Pittsburg community. This is the first pair of Bald Eagles that have bred in 150 years. H13 has already fledged on 6 June. He was 75 days old. Today, H14 and 15 fledged. They are 77 days old.
The juvenile on the nest below is H13 having a food drop.
There will be a lot more fledges in the coming week. Things are really ramping up. Thank you for joining me today. It is a beautiful sunny 24 degree C day on the Canadian prairies. The birds are so happy that the temperature has dropped from the heat wave last week.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Achieva Osprey, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, Pittsburgh-Hays Bald Eagles and Pix Cam.
There is actually something refreshing happening in the United Kingdom. All of the Osprey hatches are called ‘Bob’. The term references the fact that after hatch they are all ‘bobble’ heads. There are Little Bobs and Big Bobs and sometimes Middle Bobs and there are also Only Bobs. Strangely, unlike some of the North American sites, there doesn’t seem much discussion about whether they are male or female – or maybe I have just missed that. When the chicks are banded, information is usually given out on their gender. At the same time, blood tests may be taken to formally determine the gender and to put their identification into a DNA data base. When the blood tests have not happened there have been, on occasion, a few surprises – a particularly large Bob thought to be a female might return from migration and be found to be a male. But, generally, they seem to get the gender right with the weight and measurements.
There has been a lot of worry about Little Bob at the Foulshaw Moss Osprey Nest of White YW and Blue 35. For a day or two I was even afraid to look. The Cumbria Wildlife Trust does not have a replay feature so when you are watching it is live. Sometimes the chicks are eating and sometimes they are sleeping. I was very lucky this morning and arrived there on time for a feeding – and it was marvellous. One of those feel good moments of a humid Friday! There were the three of them all lined up behaving themselves. Little Bob was getting most of the bites and then I realized I could film it for you. He is still getting some in the video but, prior to this he was getting more. The still image below captures one of those moments. The little one is beginning to get full in the video. That is a wonderful sight to see. Tears. This little one is another like Tiny Tot. Oh, send all the warm positive wishes you can!
Blue 35 is an excellent mother and she really seems to have this feeding under control today.
I want to thank the Cumbria Wildlife Trust from whose livestream I took this clip and the screen shot. Check out their live camera here:
The ‘Only’ Bob and Blue 5F Seren got really excited when they saw Dylan arriving with a whopper of a Rainbow Trout. Look – he hadn’t even eaten the head off! Incredible. I love the expression on Only Bobs face with his mouth wide open. Only Bob looks like he is saying, “Wow, Dad!” I bet Seren can already taste it.
Those dads often look like they could surf or ride skateboards really well.
“Only Bob, don’t you think you could have just one more bite!” I wonder what the size of that crop is after eating most of a trout? Only Bob just seemed to fall down in a face plaster. There are clearly some advantages to being an Only Bob and not living in a nest with Three Bobs.
I want to thank the Carnyx Wild Wildlife on the Web and Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymruy whose livestream I took these screen shots. Check out their live camera here:
The Two Bobs up at the Dyfi Nest of Idris and Telyn were also enjoying a great big fish that dad had brought in. It seems like the weather and the wind are really working in favour of the fishing today.
One Bob is already fool and in a food coma.
Well, I had no more than turned around and Idris had another fish on the nest for Telyn and the Two Bobs. Is there some kind of fishing competition going on today between these male Ospreys? That is a really good looking fish, Idris!
You might recall that there was a mesh bag on the nest one day and then a bin liner. Telyn removed the bin liner – and I am not sure which adult removed the mesh bag. It is a really good lesson for humans to dispose of their litter carefully. You never know where it is going to wind up – in the rivers, wrapped around the little talons of the chicks, or stuck onto an adult.
I want to thank the Dyfi Osprey Project from where I took my screen shots. You can watch Idris and Telyn live here:
The condensation on the camera at the LRWT Manton Bay Osprey Nest doesn’t really let you see the Two Bobs of Maya and Blue 33 (11) very well. Blue 33 (11) is one of our super stars when it comes to bringing in fish for Maya and the chicks. These Two Bobs are growing and growing. It is fantastic to see them. I hope those of you that read my blog on a regular basis enjoyed that short BBC One show on Rutland with the film of Blue 33 (11) diving for that fish – and being successful first try. Amazing.
Thank you to the LRWT Rutland Osprey Project for their streaming cam where I took this image. You can check out all the action of Maya and Blue 33 (11) and the Two Bobs here:
And last, but never least, is the Osprey Nest up at the Loch of the Lowes in Scotland with Laddie LM12 and Blue NC0. Their Two Bobs are doing remarkable well. I worried so much about Little Bob and NC0 not being able to handle two chicks – and then sometimes Laddie was only bringing in appetizer size fish – but things have turned around there and these two look excellent.
It is so nice to see them leaving that Reptilian Phase and getting their juvenile beautifully curved feathers. Older Bob on the left really has a lot of peach coming in. You can see that Little Bob is a bit behind but he seems to be catching up.
What a beautiful setting. It looks like Laddie has been filling up the nest with moss. Maybe he didn’t know there is a Friday fishing competition!
Thank you to the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Friends of the Loch of the Lowes for their streaming cam where I grabbed my screen shots. You can watch all the antics of Laddie and NC0 and the Two Bobs here:
They are all doing well. Aran continues to improve at the Glaslyn Nest and the community continues to care for him and Mrs G. Everyone hopes that he is completely healed from his wing injury before migration in September. Today was especially heartwarming for me to see Little Bob on the Foulshaw Moss Nest getting fed right up with the other Two Bobs. He is so very tiny and the oldest Bob has been especially cruel at times. This was just a warm fuzzy day at that nest. Let us hope it continues.
Thank you for joining me today. I hope your Friday and the weekend is as good as it has been for these Osprey families today. Take all good care. See you soon!
Well, dear Tiny Tot did return to the Achieva Credit Union Osprey Nest this morning. Made me feel all joyful! He was on the perch and a bird buzzed him at 12:09:58. A full seconds later Tiny Tot leaves the perch. Was he in hot pursuit? Or was he just fed up being annoyed? The adult intruder had been on the nest earlier, too, when Tiny Tot was not there but it seems to be the Mockingbird that was a nuisance. Small birds love to annoy Big Birds. And how much longer will Tiny come to the nest? I wonder.
That adult intruder comes in every so often just to check things out. When Tiny arrives, it leaves! Tiny has made an impression – don’t mess with Tiny! Good.
Here comes Tiny heading for the perch at 11:07:27! You don’t see the adult Osprey – it took off the minute it saw Tiny arriving. Jack really does need to agree on a hefty amount of fish for this little one for securing the family nest all the time. :)))))
Oh, it is so nice to see you, Tiny Tot.
Tiny Tot is on the perch. If you look to the right and slightly up you will see the nuisance bird flying away from the nest.
Tiny flew off at 12:10:28 to the left.
Across the continent, Rosie is on the Whirley Crane nest in Richmond, California, with the trio. The chicks were banded on 4 June.
Isn’t that just a gorgeous location for a nest? Richmond is a great provider. This is their fifth season as parents. Rosie will stay around til the trio are well and truly fledged and independent then she will migrate. Richmond does not leave the area in the winter so he will be there helping the fledglings if necessary until they leave the territory.
Those white storks in Mlady Buky are really growing. Just miss a day and they look all grown up! And look how clean and dry they are. This is one of the best feel good stories of this year – it really is. I would love to wake up every morning and be surrounded by people who care about all living things.
Look carefully. You can see the throat pouch in the image below. Remember storks make a lot of sounds but they do not have vocal chords like songbirds. Instead, they clatter their bill together very, very fast and the noise resonates in this throat pouch making it much louder – like an amplifier.
Looking at how quickly these three are growing made me realize that I also need to check on Karl II and Kaia’s three storklings. They are the Black Storks in a nest in Southern Estonia.
Here is Kaia looking down at the three of them. Oh, I am so hoping that enough food arrives on this nest so that the little third hatch will survive. Kaia is a new mother and Karl II’s old mate, Kita, laid 5-7 eggs and they could not feed them all. Kita was known for tossing one or two of the small ones off the side of the nest. It is understandable when there is a food shortage but it looks like Karl II might have this under control and if Kaia only lays three eggs then they might fledge all their storklings without hardship.
Karl II and Kaia take turns feeding and watching the storklings. That is Kaia above. She has no bands on her legs – makes her easy to recognize. Those long legs help her wade through the long grasses and water in search of food.
Here comes Karl II. See his band. Kaia moves off the nest for her break to eat and forage for food for the storklings. So everything is just fine on this nest also. So far the day has been good for the birds I have checked on.
Taking turns.
In Wales, the camera operator gave everyone a good tour of the landscape that is the territory around the nest of Aran and Mrs G. For those of you unfamiliar, Mrs G is the oldest Osprey in the United Kingdom. She is 21. Her and Aran lost all three of their 2021 hatches due to Aran being injured while protecting the nest. He lost some primary feathers and could not fish. The community provided a fish table. Everyone ate but the wee ones not having food for 48 hours meant they could not be saved. Aran and Mrs G are getting their strength back and Aran is now flying much better. They are a strong established couple and will return next year from their African migration to try again.
Isn’t this just the most idyllic setting? There is a beautiful pond, an old stone fence along with cows and sheep. You can almost ‘hear’ the landscape!
All the rain made the Welsh countryside emerald green.
Now look carefully. Can you spot the Osprey?
Gorgeous landscape around the Glaslyn Osprey Nest.
The Two Bobs at the Rutland Manton Nest look almost as big as Maya and Blue 33 (11). Looks like it is time for some fish!
Blue 33 brings in a nice fish for Maya and the lads.
Now this image is really making me happy. The other day Idris got one of those mesh bags that holds produce – like oranges – caught on either his talons or a fish. It got into the nest with Telyn and the two Bobs. Thankfully no one was injured. The staff were watching it closely and if necessary, they would remove it. Otherwise they were going to wait to remove the mesh when the Bobs are banded at the end of the month.
Here is an image of the Two Bobs and the mesh the other day. You can imagine how worrying this was for everyone. You can also see the flat crops of each of the osplets, the down off their heads and the feathers growing in, and their deep amber eyes. They are in the reptile phase and for some, this is not so attractive as when they have either their natal down or their juvenile feathers. They really do remind us that Ospreys were around 50 million years ago – and as my son tells me – scientists only figured out that dinosaurs had feathers a few years ago so are they birds? or dinosaurs?
Another way that humans endanger wildlife is not disposing properly of our rubbish.
And this is today. Oh, what a relief. I hope someone finds that mesh and disposes of it properly.
Mesh is gone fron the Dyfi nest! Yeah.
Wattsworth has brought in a really nice fish to Electra on the Cowlicks PUD Osprey Nest in Washington State. I sure hope she takes the time to feed each oproperly. There was an awful lot of aggression on this nest yesterday and I am going to put it flatly on Electra for the lack of feeding when she had fish in hand on Sunday.
Wattsworth delivers a big fish – now feed your babies til they are bursting Electra!
And speaking of little bobs – oh, my. The third hatch at Foulshaw Moss of White YW and Blue 35 is really a wee lad. Everything is fine as long as food is not around but there is also a lot of aggression and it seems that there needs to be more fish delivered. Come on White YW!
Bob Three is really so tiny. He is cuddled up with sibling 2 having a nap. Of course sibling 1 is so big that it wants all the food but – Bob 3 is still here with us today and that is a good day in my books.
Wee little hatch 2 at Foulshaw Moss Nest in Cumbria.
The only child of Dylan and Seren is just in fish heaven. Growing up with no competition, s/he will need the parents to help it understand how to survive in the wild – the fight for the fish! I wonder if they will do that?? Certainly Bald Eagles train their only eaglets by pretending to be surrogate siblings. Samson did a wonderful job with Legacy on the Northeast Florida nest in Jacksonville.
All that chartreuse is moss. The first time I looked I thought it was another mesh bag. Is it just me or does this nest need some tidying?
And my last check in, the two Bobs up at Loch of the Lowes with Laddie LM12 and Blue NC0. Gosh. They are looking good, too.
It is so nice to stop in and find that everyone seems to be doing alright on a Tuesday. No telling what Wednesday will bring but for now, these birds are surviving.
I want to thank ‘S’ for writing to me and telling me that Tiny Tot had returned to the nest. It is much appreciated as are all your letters. Tomorrow I am going to explain something I learned today – the difference between the Migratory Birds Treaty of 1917-18 and the Wildlife Protection Acts of each individual province including my own.
Thank you for joining me. Smile. It is a great day.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Mlady Buky, Eagle Club of Estonia, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes, Dyfi Osprey Project, LRWT and Rutland Water, Clywedog Osprey Project, Carnyx Wild, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Achieva Credit Union, Bwyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife Trust, Cowlitz PUD, and Golden Gate Audubon.
There is a lot of excitement today in Wales. First up it is the tenth anniversary of the very first hatch at Dyfi in almost 400 years. At the time people were getting in their cars and driving as fast as they could to get there to see the historic birth.
The parents were the infamous Monty and White 03/08, a Rutland hatch, who was called ‘Nora’. Monty is named after the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust. Monty arrived at the newly erected platforms on the western coast of mid-Wales in 2008 but he did not breed until 2011. This historic hatch, the first of many future ones, turns out to be Einon (Blue DH), the second egg. The first egg hatched second andit was Dulas (Blue 99) followed by Leri (Blue DJ).
They were all fitted with satellite trackers and this is what they looked like at the time:
Here is an image of that historic hatch. Monty is unringed and he was incubating the eggs at the time. Nora looks on. Monty’s first hatch!
And here is the video. The camera work is a little grainy but it is a historic document and how wonderful. The reintroduction of Ospreys to Wales was on its way. Many of Monty’s chicks now have their own nest and there are, of course, Monty’s grandchildren.
Today, Monty’s last mate, Telyn, is on the Dyfi Nest with Idris. Telyn picked a good mate to try and fill Monty’s shoes. Here they are today with their two Bobs, a big fish, and a worrisome piece of netting. Idris is standing on the fish he just brought in and Telyn has the blue Darvin ring, 3J.
One of my favourites out of Monty’s and Glasni’s (before Telyn) chicks is one that my friend ‘T’ introduced me to – Z1 or Tegid of the ‘white egg’. He was a tiny scrapper who survived his migrations and has been breeding on an unmonitored nest in Wales for the past two years. He hatched in 2016. Tegid is one of the little third hatches that I am acquiring information on – you see I don’t always buy the fact that the idea of the survival of the fittest always means the big bully sibling. It is like Tiny Tot, the third hatch on the Achieva Osprey nest in 2021. He almost starved to death and today, through being clever, tenacious, persistent and having a strong urge to live, Tiny Tot has been protecting his natal nest from intruders. I hope one day it is his! (if he is really a he).
Z1 is really a handsome bird. My goodness. I wonder if his sibling, Z2 Aeron on the PC nest near Dyfi this year, is as good looking.
Just stopping in to catch up a couple of other nests. Only one egg out of the three hatched for Dylan and Seren at the Clywedog Nest this year. That Bob is really spoiled!
Everything is fine up at the Loch of the Lowes. Both of the chicks are really in the reptileian phase of their plumage. They are so dark!
I love the image below – little Bob staring Big Bog straight in the eyes like he is telling her not to mess with him!
NC0 filled both of them up and they went into food comas. She had some fish and a nap herself.
The two remaining osplets on the Urdaibai Biosphere Osprey nest appear to be fine. There is some concern about their eyes but, hopefully it will prove to be just an irritant.
Landa removed the body of sweet little Zuri from the nest where she had buried it at 17:31:03.
The three Bobs at the Foulshaw Moss nest in Cumbria had a nice big feed by mom today. It was especially nice to see the smallest Bob get its fill. Sometimes it is hard to be the smallest one but, again, look at Z1 Tegid or Tiny Tot. These little ones can do great things. Little Bob is two weeks old today and its two bigger siblings are entering their biggest growth spurt where they will gain 40g a day. That is the equivalent, Foulshaw Moss says, of a human gaining 2kg a day! Wow.
There is lots more news but one event that also got everyone cheering today was the skycalling of Poole Harbour translocated Blue 019 and her landing on the Glaslyn Nest. She was last seen in January 2020 when she was photographed in the Gunjur Quarry in The Gambia. No one knew if she survived. She put on a good show for everyone today surprising them since normally it is the males that do the skycalling. Skycalling is a high pitched peeep-peeep-peeep sound. She is gorgeous.
Maybe this Poole Harbour girl will find her a Welsh mate!
And for me, Tiny Tot has had at least two deliveries today. Diane brought him a breakfish at 8:37:17 and there was another delivery at 2:50:14. Maybe he will get an evening one, too! He certainly deserves it.
Thanks for joining me. What a fabulous day in the history of the reintroduction of Ospreys in Wales. Take care. Stay well and cool if you are in the area of the heat wave.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, Urdaibai Biosphere Park, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes, Dyfi Osprey Project and Carnyx Wild.
Can the little Albino Osprey named Zuri see to grab prey from its mom, Landa? That is the question today at the Urdaibai. Yesterday the wee one with its pink eyes and beak had a few tiny bites of fish and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Today, it appears that its eyesight might cause issues in seeing the fish in order to grab it. Let us all send warm wishes over that way in the hope that this is sorted for the better!
Storms moved into the area later in the day. Let us hope that the damp cold moves out quickly!
And there is some good news coming out of Urdaibai. At 16:24:17, Zuri ate some fish. He was able to grab it. Continue with your warm wishes.
Here is a really good image of the nest and perch at the Urdaibai Biosphere.
The BBC did a special programme on Poole Harbour Ospreys. Poole Harbour is on the southern coast of England.
It is hard to imagine, in 2021, that it was 1993 that the first idea for reintroducing Ospreys to the southern coast of Britain began with discussions between Roy Dennis and Colin and Jenni Tubbs. Sadly, Colin died four years later and the project sat. Dennis discussed the possibility with others making several trips to the site and plotting out potential nest sites but, the Poole Harbour Osprey Project got its wings so to speak in July 2016 when funding came through. Eight birds were released successfully with trackers in late June in the area. Between 25 August and 23 September Dennis says that all eight set off for migration for Africa. It was 2017 and three were known to have arrived successfully in Africa. Dennis describes the details and all those involved in pages 393-407 of his most recent book, Restoring the Wild.
The following April, 2018, Blue ringed CJ7, a Rutland three year old arrived looking for a mate. That mate was Blue L57 but in 2020 he did not return from his migration. CJ7 was the subject of the BBC programme. In 2020, CJ7 took ownership of the main nest of the Poole Harbour osprey Project. She wanted a mate. In 2021, she laid five unfertilized eggs which the Ravens acquired.
And then, when the interview was being filmed, as if by magic, a male appeared on the nest, a two year old, a 2019 bird, Blue 022. He got busy with mating with CJ7 right on camera to the surprise of the live audience! It is too late for chicks this year but let us hope that this couple have a long productive life on the Poole Harbour nest.
Blue 022 is a two year old. So happy he stopped in at Poole on his return journey from Africa. Let us hope that this couple raises many chicks on this prime nest on the southern coast of England. Their mating marked a first in 200 years for this part of England. Imagine the celebration when there are chicks on the nest!!!!!
Tiny Tot had an early morning fish delivery to add to the late night one on 2 June. So far Jack is rewarding Tiny with fish as Tiny continues to protect the natal nest. That morning fish delivery came at 6:26:54. sibling #2 hasn’t been around for a day and a bit. Maybe he doesn’t want to battle with the intruder. But better, he is off catching his own fish! That would be brilliant.
After his breakfast, Tiny Tot started doing some nestorations. Gosh, remember. Males return to their natal nest. Oh, how grand it would be if this became Tiny’s nest in the future (now I really hope that Tiny Tot is a male!).
So a fish late last night and one this morning. All of us can relax for the rest of the day.
Good news is also coming out of Glaslyn. Aran’s wing is visually improving and his flight feathers are aligned. Oh, that is simply wonderful. We were all concerned about Aran being able to make his migration to Africa and here it is 3 June and he is healing splendidly. He has taken a fish from the nest and is eating it on the perch. Mrs G would really like some of it! The males are hard wired to provide so let us hope that Aran shares.
And good news out in San Francisco. Fauci and Wek-Wek, two of the fledgling Peregrine Falcons of Annie and Grinnell were on the tower this morning prey calling. Oh, it is so good to see them!
Oh, I couldn’t leave without checking on the storks today. Let us make it one more good moment! My friend, ‘R’ in Pennsylvania really likes the storks so these images are for you, ‘R’.
The community is doing splendid. Both dad and the three storklets are in fine health and the nest has lovely dry straw on it. What an amazing effort.
Dad stork is protecting his babies from the direct sun.
I wonder if they are watching for a fish delivery.
It is nice to close this Thursday posting on a real positive note. So far everything that is going on at the nests appears to be good. Fledglings are returning, storks are growing, the Poole Harbour Osprey Project has its legs so to speak, Tiny Tot has had a fish, and sweet little Zuri has grabbed some fish.
Thanks so much for joining me. Stay cool if you are in the heat warning area of the Canadian prairies, take care, stay safe.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Achieva Osprey Cam, Urdaibai Biosphere Park, Mlady Buky, UC Falcon Cam, Poole Harbour Ospreys FB Page, and Bwyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife.
My regular readers will know and might be scratching their heads about all the Osprey posts. Like 400,000 others, I rejoiced when Louis helped Aila feed the three chicks on the Loch Arkaig Osprey Nest. It renewed my faith in Ospreys after having had a rough season with a couple of other nests. Mary Cheadle posted this image taken from the streaming cam last year of Louis helping with the three little ones. That is JJ7 Captain being fed alone so he is not bothered by the two older and bigger siblings. I mean how brilliant is that! It was 3 June 2020. What a beautiful family photo. They all fledged. Sadly, Aila did not return from her winter migration this year. Louis has a new mate off camera on another nest. I hope he is helping with the little ones too. This family gave me hope – hope that not every third chick died of siblicide. And then there was Port Lincoln and Tiny Tot – but Tiny Tot’s survival has really moved me. So, I haven’t stopped my love for Ospreys – it has grown!
Osprey dads vary in their dedication and care of their family just like human dads. Some help with incubation and feeding the wee ones while others bring in lots of fish and do territorial protection. And then there are some who don’t have another nest but still do not bring in any fish and their children starve to death. Then there are the moonlighters like Louis in Missoula, Montana who has two nests but he only takes care of one. A reader asked me if I had heard of or watched the Cowlitz Nest in Washington State. I don’t. I know about it. It is the nest of Electra and Wadsworth. At present there are two chicks. Wadsworth helped incubate the eggs and everyone thought he might have changed his ways but no fish deliveries til this morning – when people feared the little ones would die. After Tiny Tot and then Glaslyn, I am afraid that I do not need the drama. I hope that Wadsworth continues to provide for his family – that is HIS job. Electra’s is to keep the chicks warm and dry and to feed them.
We now know that Ospreys in need will accept fish that they did not catch. The laws in Europe and the UK permit feeding tables. In 2012, Rutland provided one for one of their nests. I heard of an instance in Canada but it is not clear to me what the circumstances were or even when the event took place. I understand the Ospreys did not accept the fish. Mrs G and Aran readily accepted the fish from the staff and volunteers at Glaslyn. They are alive today because of the insights and generosity of these fine caring people. So what about the situation with Electra? On the surface it appears that intervention cannot take place unless the situation has been caused by humans – according to US wildlife laws written more than 50 years ago. But that cannot strictly be the case. This February E17 and E18 were removed from their natal nest by CROW, a wildlife rehabilitation clinic in Fort Myers, Florida, because the eaglets had conjunctivitis. This is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) that lines your eyelid and covers the white part of your eyeball. Humans tend to call it pink eye. The eaglets remained in the care of CROW for five days. To the people that had the backbone to get the care those eaglets needed – bravo! Just how they got around that archaic law of non-interference is unknown to me but they did and I am glad. I put out a call to help Legacy if, in fact, the bout of Avian Pox she had worsened. Thankfully, it was not necessary. But I sure did ruffle a lot of feathers – and they weren’t on birds! At this point in the history of the planet, the unseasonal weather, the lack of prey, the loss of habitat and the resulting woes of the wildlife rests right on the shoulders of us, humans. But if the community were to get permission to supplement the feeding of Electra and her chicks, I would highly recommend that they contact the Glaslyn Center in Wales. It is the fine details that matter. You don’t want Electra to bolt and not return! Still, I hope that Wadsworth shapes up and takes responsibility for his family.
This morning the intruder was back on the Achieva Osprey Nest. Today, it successfully got Tiny Tot off the nest. Jack flew in and dispensed with the intruder and stayed doing guard duty on the perch pole til late in the afternoon.
At 3:58:58 Tiny Tot returned to the nest very hungry! Here is his approach and landing – gosh he is a good pilot!
Here comes Tiny lining up with the runway.
Landing gear down.
Wing tips going down. Perfect.
Now that he is safely home and there is no intruder, Tiny Tot is rather impatient and would really like some lunch!
Looks like sibling 2 has a similar idea. Oh, dear.
Tiny Tot isn’t the only one waiting for dinner rather impatiently. Big and Little from Duke Farms have been sitting on the nest or the branches around the nest hoping for a food drop. You might recall that the pair of them fludged and the parents were able, after a few days, to get them back to the nest. The parents come with prey but sometimes the youngsters timing is wrong. Big got the last drop. Little has to be really hungry. The amount of time they are hanging around the nest tells me two things. The parents are not doing prey drops elsewhere and the juveniles haven’t had much luck hunting on their own. Fingers crossed for them today.
The storks that are being fed by the villagers of Mlade Buky in Czechoslavkia are really growing. Here is their delivery of little fish today.
And here is them with their dad a little later. What a wonderful caring community. It looks like these three are going to survive thanks to their help. Let us hope the storks bless this village!
The kindness of the Glaslyn community is helping Mrs G and Aran gather their strength. They continue to provide fish for the pair and will do us until such time Aran is healed and can fish.
Laddie has joined NC0 on the nest. NC0 has just had a bath and her hair has that wind swept pandemic look! Laddie looks at her adoringly! Meanwhile Little Bob is thinking it is time for some fish. Laddie is thinking intruders! He will stay on the nest for awhile helping keep NC0 and the two Bobs safe.
When it is all quiet Laddie brings in a nice fish. Little Bob eats his fill and doesn’t want anymore. NC0 offers to both of them several times before tucking in herself.
There were several other feedings throughout the day. This is the last one as the sun is setting. Take a glimpse of Little Bob. He is beginning to get that reptilian look.
Big Red and the Ks are definitely enjoying the sun. Look at those feathers coming in and it looks like Arthur made another squirrel delivery!
Soon these Ks are going to be running up and down that ledge jumping and flapping and causing everyone to have a small heart attack.
Mom is back on the barge at Port Lincoln and Solly with her satellite tracker is north of Eba Anchorage, past Kiffin Island and Perlubie. Gosh, it is sure good to know that she is alive and surviving. She is 284 days old today. Thanks for the satellite tracking!
It is a beautiful day in Canada. Happy Memorial Day to my friends in the US and Happy Bank Holiday to those in the UK. Thank you for joining me.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I get my screen shots: Achieva Credit Union, Cornell Bird Lab RTH, Duke Farms, Mlade Buky Streaming Cam, Scottish Woodland Trust and Loch of the Lowes, Scottish Wildlife Trust and People Postcode Lottery, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, and the Port Lincoln Osprey FB Page for the information on Solly.
After the death of the middle chick last night, Mrs G kept the wee one warm even though it could barely hold up its head. It died late this afternoon. There has been much speculation as to what happened on this nest but nothing will be known for sure without a post mortem. Did the chicks get a pneumonia from all the rain and the damp cold nest? was it some other avian disease associated with rain and cold? I saw some chatter on another nest’s streaming cam speculate that it was starvation. I cannot even imagine that anyone would say that. The quantity of the food brought to this nest is not an issue. They were fed well. Was it a matter that the chicks had no food for several days that caused this? We do not know if that interruption caused damage to their systems. The Ospreys have been eating and the little ones were eating well. Mrs G tried to feed the little one at 8:20 am this morning but it was just too weak. Another person mentioned the deadly bird flu that is currently in northern Europe. That was the virus, the deadly HPAI of the subtype H5N1. The chicks would have, like others, caught the HPAI by eating an infected wild bird. Dr Thijs Kuiken of Erasmus University is a Virologist who deals with deadly pathogens in birds. I have written to ask him but I suspect that he would say nothing is sure without a post-morten. I believe he might also say that the Ospreys at Glaslyn have only eaten fish and could not possibly have the deadly H5N1. I will let you know when I hear from him.
Mrs G understands that all of her chicks are now deceased. She stood over them for a very long time in the same way we have seen the Bald Eagles at the Captiva Nest and the White-tailed Eagle Nests in Latvia and Estonia when eaglets pass. She was disturbed in her mourning by the crows who were finally driven away by Aran.
Mrs G looks down at her chicks many times. What does she understand about their death that we might not?
In her 21 years, she has lost few chicks. So this is a great sadness for this well established and respected – iconic – Osprey family.
Mrs G flies to the perch where she can still protect her babies and the fish on the nest from the crows if it is necessary while she eats.
Mrs G was ravenous. She has laid eggs depleting her calcium, she has incubated the eggs, and brooded her chicks during the most dire weather. Force 11 winds and steady rain came right when they were hatching. To add to that, Aran, her mate was injured by intruders and could not fish.
The volunteers and staff at Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife set up a fish table for the Ospreys. They placed large quantities fish there from dusk to dawn so that Aran and Mrs G could take them to the nest and so that the Crows would not get the fish (they would be sleeping).
More fish are brought to the nest after Mrs G finishes eating.
Mrs G is not ready to say goodbye to her three babies yet and she is brooding them another night.
Mrs G and Aran will be back to the nest next year. Aran needs to mourn and to heal and grow in his flight feathers and Mrs G needs to mourn and restore her health. It is a very sad occasion indeed but it is hoped that both of the adults will recover fully.
Thank you for joining me on this quick posting. I appreciate the streaming cam set up by the Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife Center. It is where I obtained my screen shots.
I went to sleep Monday night, 24 May, afraid to wake up for fear that the two remaining chicks on the Glaslyn Osprey Nest of Mrs G and Aran would have perished. Tuesday morning there was still no news. But no news is good news, right? Late Tuesday there was an announcement. The staff and volunteers at the Glaslyn Wildlife Centre had sought advice from Dr Tim Mackirill and had set up a fish table (see blog, The Miracle at Glaslyn). They provide fish for Mrs G, Aran, and the two chicks from dusk to dawn because that is when the crows are sleeping. Otherwise, the crows would take the food for the Osprey family.
It is a huge effort and it has paid off -Aran and Mrs G are regaining their strength and the two Bobs (2 and 3) are alive. Indeed, they are doing very well. The Osprey adults have no problem taking the fish from the feeding table. This is really important. I am hopeful that when the urgency has passed that the staff will give details so that other communities can use their methods if it is ever needed.
Here is a quick video capturing one of the feedings on Tuesday:
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I am a promoter of feeding tables in situations like this. Feeding tables work if they are done correctly. The fish that is being provided while Aran’s right wing heals will save all four members of this Osprey family. I also get very upset when people shy away from the work involved in helping non-humans when we have the ability to do so. “Oh, we can’t intervene. They are wild animals.” Yes, of course, but we have already intervened in their lives. We have robbed them of their habitat, we have poisoned the rivers and oceans where they get their fish, we have changed the climate – the list is long. And because humans cut down the beautiful old growth forests, we have also had to provide platforms so they can nest. Cheers and tears for the efforts coming out of Glaslyn.
No more than I had posted my blog on the miracle happening at Glaslyn, than my friend ‘T’ from Strasbourg reached out to me to tell me about a village taking care of a family of storks. The mother was electrocuted when she stepped on the power lines providing electricity to the homes. The villagers felt responsible and so, the community of Mlade Buky took on the task of providing food for the father and the chicks. Are they called storklets? Mlade Buky is in Czechoslovakia. It is east of the Great Mountains and is home to several ski resorts. 2300 souls live there.
The villagers donate 4-6 cm fish, hamsters, squirrels – whatever food the storks will eat. The chicks and the dad are fed three times a day. Fresh straw is also provided to keep the little ones dry. It is spring and rain is frequent. The father is not able to fish for his youngsters as he now has to protect and brood them. You will see him flying over the rooftops as fish is put on the nest. Please take the time to watch the storks being fed. It will warm your heart.
I sat and reflected on these two examples – Glaslyn and Mlade Buky. Each is different. Glaslyn supplies a fish table where the adults retrieve the food and take it to the nest. I do not know the specifics. Are the food alive? are they inside some kind of tank? etc. In Mlade Buky, the donated food is placed directly on the nest by climbing up to it. What if the species is not an Osprey (used to living around humans more) or a stork? What if it were a Golden Eagle? Is intervention different by species? I would like to find out because I began immediately to remember the situation with Spilve and her son, Klints. Klints was near to fledging in 2020 from the Golden Eagle Nest in Spilve, Latvia. Spilve was a single parent like the male stork in Mlade Buky. Her mate had not returned and it was impossible for her to protect Klints and travel the distance necessary to get large prey. Klints starved to death on the nest. I have read academic papers about the removal of older chicks who can self-feed to allow the younger to thrive. Could Klints have been removed to a wildlife rehabilitation centre and given prey til such time he would fledge? Do wildlife laws in Latvia prevent intervention?
The list of interventions to help birds on artificial platforms or nests where there are streaming cams for research or public education, or both, is limited. There must be others. As I was searching, I remembered a story of a man saving another stork family.
The couple are Klepetan and Malena and they are a bonded pair of storks from Croatia. Hunters shot and damaged Malena’s wing in 2002. She cannot fly. Her mate is Klepetan. Every year he migrates to South Africa, a distance of 14,000 km returning in the spring. He flies straight to Malena and their nest where they raise their chicks with the help of Stjepan Vokić, a former school janitor. The couple made their nest in his chimney!
Here is a lovely short video. There are others on YouTube. And if you are wondering, Klepatan returned to Malena on 14 April 2021 to start their 19th year together! Talk about a happy story!
We are fifteen or sixteen months in to the pandemic and right at this very moment the city I live in is the hotspot in North American for Covid. It is really nice to have some positive news and certainly these people helping the birds is a cause for celebration!
Thank you so much for joining me. If you happen to know of an instance when a community or wildlife group has set up a feeding table for the birds, please get in touch with me.
I will be checking in on all the nests for a late Wednesday hop through Bird World later. Stay safe. See you soon!
The credit for the feature image is: “File:Pentowo – European stork village – 25.jpg” by Jolanta Dyr is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
It was after 18:00 and there were 308 persons staring at the streaming cam images coming from the Glaslyn Osprey Nest in Wales. It is the nest of Mrs G, the oldest UK Osprey, and her partner, Aran. Why was everyone staring? The weather in Wales has been dire for the past two days. Force 11 winds tore through the region along with what many called a perfect ‘Welsh rain’ – meaning that it was hard and heavy. The first casualty was the second hatch at the Dyfi Nest of Telyn and Idris. The wee one perished from suffocation, purely accidental, about eight hours after being born. Indeed, the rain was coming down so hard that these Osprey females in Wales had to really hunker down on those nests. Even then there were hardly any breaks to feed the babies if they had fish on the nest.
Tragedy may, however, be looming at the Glaslyn nest of Mrs G and Aran. The last feeding was at noon on 21 May nest time. The third chick hatched after. The seas were too rough and stirred up but today the rains stop and even the sun came out. Everyone believed that if anyone could catch a fish it could be Aran. Mrs G was calling out and calling out. The nest was also having trouble with Covids, the crows. Aran has not brought a fish to the nest and people were beginning to wonder if something dire had happened to him. It is simply unlike Aran. He is known for being a great provider. Indeed, loyal fans realize that if Aran can’t catch a fish none of the other males could either. Clearly something is not right. Even the streaming cam has been disabled as concern grows for the welfare of the twenty-one year old Mrs G and her three chicks.
So far the only known casualty of the storms has been the second hatch of Telyn at the Dyfi Nest. All we can do is hope that a miracle happens on the Glaslyn Nest. The image below are the three little ones of Mrs G and Aran who are waiting for a fish delivery.
The third hatch was at 8:05 am 22 May 2021 (nest time).
I will bring you any updates as they are available. Send all your most positive energy towards this nest – it sure worked for Tiny Tot. Maybe it can work for those three wee ones above. Thank you!
Thank you to the Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife streaming cam where I took the image of the three 2021 hatches of Mrs G and Aran.
The force 11 winds that hit the Dyfi Osprey Nest in Wales of Idris and Telyn has scared the pair. Indeed, it hit all of the nests in Wales. As I write this, it is Friday mid-afternoon in Wales and it is only at the Glaslyn nest of Mrs G and Aran that the wind and rain are finally letting up – for now. Just imagine, new born chicks need to be kept dry but they need also to be fed – they can last for a bit after hatching, some say 24 hours. How do you do this when you can’t stand up? and the water is too choppy for fishing? The weather forecast for the long weekend in the United Kingdom is that some areas will receive snow with temperatures dropping to -10. Please send wishes, warm ones, to our friends in the UK.
You could see the fear in the eyes of Telyn desperately trying to hold on to the nest. Idris’s and Telyn’s first chick hatched during the storm. They are both standing on the nest hoping to feed the poor little thing and then worrying that it would literally get picked up and tossed off the nest. Telyn is, as I write this at 9:40 pm on a Thursday night on the Canadian prairies, holding on as best she can.
Idris has brought in a nice piece of fish to feed the little one and Blue 3J, Telyn but the wind is blowing so hard the little one can’t raise its head. 20 May 2021Telyn hanging on for all her might. She has one new hatch and two eggs under there she is protecting. 21 May 2021Telyn is soaked. 2o May 2021
I cannot include the sound of the wind whipping this nest around. It is frightening.
Mrs G and Aran have faced the same horrible rain and force 11 winds but they are not as exposed as Telyn and Idris at the Dyfi Nest. It is finally starting to slow down for the Glaslyn nest bringing the hope that soon all of the Osprey nests will get a break.
Mrs G will be giving Aran an earful about not having a fish on that nest for when she can feed the babies! Or, just as likely, she will put him on incubation duties and she will go and catch it herself! I think she has a small fish tail under her with the two Bobs.
That same weather system is impacting all of the Osprey nests – the same system that brought the heavy rain earlier. Maya at the Rutland Manton Bay Osprey nest is also hanging on to the nest.
One can also imagine the difficult fishing conditions that this is going to present to the males who now have little ones who will need to eat in a few hours.
Maya hanging on with her beak and her talons to the nest protecting the Two Bobs. 21 May 2021
Blue 33 (11) showed why he is one of the great super dads in the world of Osprey – he made sure there was fish sitting on the nest for Maya the minute she needs it! I am really impressed. The waters around Manton Bay have been really choppy. These other younger males, such as Laddie, should be doing this. They know when the bad weather is coming albeit they might not be able to gauge just how bad it will be.
It is still really windy on the 21st of May. Maya is sporting one of the new punk hair dos.
The same treacherous winds are rocking the Poole Harbour Osprey Nest around. Blue 022, the 2019 translocated male, and CJ7 have been working on the nest and mating to the delight of hundreds. CJ7 waited for a mate last year and laid eggs here – not fertilized – that were taken by Ravens. Now she has a chance for a very keen two year old to bond with and create a family at her nest. I wonder, however, if it isn’t too late for the 2021 season? Would love to be proved wrong.
What you are seeing below is the work on the nest. You can not hear the ferocious winds or see that nest moving. Fingers crossed that this system moves out of the area quickly!
The unringed young man courting Blue 152 at the Loch Arkaig nest decided that it would be a good time to bond when the winds were whipping around – don’t think it worked out quite the way he was expected! He was blow off his lady!
Sometimes wind is welcome. There is nothing more stunning than seeing a pair of juvenile Red-tail hawks find the thermals and go soaring in the sky. I remember watching Big Red soar last year – it was so beautiful. I can still see J2 and J3 soaring together last summer. What a grand sight it was – the two brothers (or at least we thought they were two males) out having great fun together. J3 kept going that day, the little one, finding his way in the world while J2 came back down and stayed another week or so.
Tonight on the Achieva Osprey Nest, the wind was also gusting. Tiny Tot has, of course, been doing more wingersizing and has started hovering. This evening that seemed to take on a new intensity in part because sibling 2 was on the nest. It is easy to forget that sibling 2 was responsible for Tiny Tot not eating, sometimes for three days at a time. I can still see, if I close my eyes, the two instances where Tiny Tot went into a rage and went for sibling #2. I am sure he felt he had nothing to lose – he was already going to die if he didn’t get some food. It was the second instance that I believe Diane took some notice because it was that day or the morning after that she brought in a big catfish and made sure Tiny Tot ate its fill. With that little bit of background, it is easy to understand that there is a higher level of competition between the siblings now that #2 is returning to the nest for food.
Synchronized wingersizing. Tiny Tot and sibling #2. 20 May 2021
Tonight, around 8:15 Tiny Tot put on a performance. He let the wind hit his wings and he flapped and he hovered jumping all over part of the nest. You could almost see him saying, ‘See, I can do it, too!’
I hope that the presence of sibling 2 does not encourage him to fledge – although, Tiny Tot will fledge. Let us all quietly wish that he knows to fly out and return to the nest, exploring his surroundings for several weeks while still being fed by mom.
Wheeeeeee. Look at the height that Tiny got on that hover! Of course, he’s a bird and flying is what he lives to do.
At one time it looked like he was flapping a lot so he would irritate sibling #2 and he would get off the nest!
Oh, Tiny Tot. When the wind takes you away, remember to come back – stay with us a little longer and get your bearings. You are certainly equipped to survive and if only 1 out of 3 does survive, my money is on you!
What a gorgeous bird you have become!
It was soooooooo nice to wake up and have Tiny Tot still on the nest this morning!
Switching gears quite a bit, you may recall the two White-tail eaglets at the nest in the Matsula National Park in Estonia. EE1 and EE2 died within approximately 24 hours of one another. When the chicks were removed from the nest for the post-mortem, many felt that it had been poison consumed by a prey item that they had eaten. They thought they had died of secondary poisoning. The results have come in and both of the little ones died of Avian Influenza Virus (AIV).
There are many subspecies of AIV and the posting did not specify which one the eaglets had. We commonly think of ‘bird flu’ with caged chickens, geese, and other water fowl but AIV is also found in raptors. They can ‘catch it’ from eating infected carcasses. The virology journals have a large number of studies on the transmission. While it is very sad that the little ones died, there was absolutely nothing that the parents, Eve and Eerik, could have done to prevent the deaths. They are opportunistic hunters and take what food they can get – the prey isn’t labelled contaminated with bird flu virus or rodenticide. It is very sad but there is great hope that the parents are large enough and strong enough to overcome AIV – because they would have eaten the same carcasses. I do hope Eve and Eerik are alright.
I want to leave you with a few images of Big Red and Arthur’s Ks. They are growing so fast and are sooooo cute.
It is really going to be a hot one for Big Red, Arthur, and the Ks. The temperatures are heading up to 31 degrees C. Yesterday, in the image above, Big Red provides shade for the Ks. She positioned herself in different areas of the nest so that the little ones would not get over heated.
It is noon and the shade is still on the nest. The Ks are having their lunch, lined up nicely just like Big Red teaches them to do. She will remain vigilant in keeping her wee ones cool as she can. I wonder if these high temperatures are impacting Arthur’s hunting?
The weather is raking havoc for many bird families – from the high winds and rain to unseasonable snow and -10 degree temperatures forecast for much of the UK nests to the heat in the US.
At 4am on 21 May 2021, snow began falling on the nest of Iris in Missoula, Montana. The eggs were exposed. If there was any thought that they could have been viable, they definitely are not now.
Snow begins to fall on Iris’s eggs in the early morning hours of 21 May 2021.
I think just about everyone is having a long weekend. We may call it by a different name but, for those working, it is a chance for an extra day not to be at the office. So, please enjoy! The much needed rain has come to the Canadian prairies. The leaves have burst and my garden is green and full of Brown Thrashers thumping the ground. It is cool and winter socks and sweaters are the order of our Friday!
Thank you to the following streaming cameras and their sponsors where I get my screen shots: Achieva Credit Union, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, Scottish Woodland Trust and People Postcode Lottery, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes, Dyfi Osprey Project, Poole Harbour Osprey Project, Brwyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, Cornell Bird Lab and Montana Osprey Project, and LRWT Manton Bay.
