First, Salmon Idaho is an osprey nest not a Bald Eagle which is what I inadvertently said in my last posting. Apologies. There is still issues with baling twine all over that region. It is endemic to farming where they should be looking at other methods than twine and cord. Most of our farmers put their hay and straw in a type of plastic wrap that does not do so much harm to the environment as lose pieces of twine.
It was the middle chick that got pulled off the nest and died. Dad is bringing in some nice fish but they can always use more and more as there are four to feed – dad, mum, #1 and #3.
Clark brought in a huge fish. Iris got some bites, baby was full and then more feedings. Looks like that fish was gone – with Iris taking what appears the tail later.
At one point the baby got out from under the adults. It caused worry. They are seemingly obsessed with nest material and also intruders. Fingers crossed. It is chilly in Montana. 65 F.
Daddy Clark came in with another whopper – maybe even more than a whopper! So happy the fishing is good. He is taking excellent care of Iris and baby.
Oh, look at that little morsel of fish for the baby. So tiny. It’s already getting a crop. Well, if there is only one, I am fine with that. Better to be spoiled rotten and have a fat bottom than be thin. (My vet wouldn’t agree with me – even Hugo Yugo is a little ‘plump’). I think all osprey chicks should be plump.
Big Red and Arthur’s oldest is now good at horking chipmunks whole! These three are doing so well. Two look just like Mum with their beautiful peachy chests.
I cannot possibly tell you how much I love that ‘old hag’ – as Laura Culley used to call Big Red in endearment.
I have heard from Sassa Bird and it has started to rain in Latvia. This promises frogs for all the very hungry storks that have chicks in the nest in that country! So happy.
Wow. This is fantastic news from Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Now, if more males would happily share these duties, we might not face the dire consequences we do when the female goes missing.
We need to do better cleaning up. If you are going to fish – and yes, I know that lines break – lend a hand and clean up anything you do see and never leave anything behind, when possible. It can be deadly to wildlife.
Before I even get to the end. ‘The Girls’ are fine. The Calicos are keeping comfy in Don’s room guarding it in case Missey might want to go in there. Meanwhile, Toby is my ‘Velcro Dog’ and he is always with Hugo Yugo. They are my shadows. Missey is out here with me, too!
My new camera is not always so great. I wanted to get the babies being fed but it just wasn’t quick enough. Here are three of them wanting food – they can feed themselves, but like all babies, everything tastes better when Mum does it.
We are so happy. This is four fledglings for the European Starlings that trusted our lilacs to protect their eggs and chicks from predators. We no longer have the Grackles come but this is so great. Mr and Mrs Blue Jay as well as Mr and Mrs Crow have babies and soon their fledglings will be at the feeder.
Years ago, we vowed to care for the animals that came to our urban lot. So far, knock on wood, we have been able to keep that promise. When Tolu, the bathing lady, asked the other day, I told her it was a matter of priorities. We no longer travel around the world, spending the summers in wonderful exotic locations. We do not drink, smoke, go out to restaurants, or hardly drive anymore. The purchase of bird books has dwindled because there simply aren’t that many out there worthy of holding a space on the bookcase. Mind you, I am waiting for a delivery of of this book today. I hope it is good. I always donate a book to the last charity event for Loch Arkaig so this might be the one for this year!
Funds are simply to keep the house, provide help for Don and me, and feed the animals and us. What is incredible is that we really need very little. Yes, corporations and fast-fashion companies would like us to think that we do, but in reality, that simply is not the case. Besides, the happiness that these amazing creatures provide cannot be measured in financial terms – our hearts and souls are lifted and made lighter just watching them.
Intruders are causing sibling rivalry at Glaslyn as Teifi is unable to fish.
I have good news coming from our good friend Sassa Bird in Latvia – first, it is raining, and the storks should now have frogs to eat and little fish. There are three baby osplets in the Latvian nest, but the camera went down in May, so we will not know the end result until banding time in July. Osprey parents are Selga and Svings. Great news: the Golden Eagle Mum at Kaljukotkas 2 in Estonia, who was missing, is now home and protecting her baby from the heavy rain. Sassa Bird also sent the forum link that has a discussion and images of the Black Stork nests, and they are doing grand. Please look: https://forums.dabasdati.lv/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=4453&start=480
The third hatch osplet at Field Farm has died of siblicide/starvation. Heidi gives us the details and an image of all three on a better day.
Port of Ridgefield. Two good fish deliveries as per chat with times: 6/13 nice headless breakfast fish at 5:32:44. Nice big headless fish delivered at 9:57:18. The third egg did not hatch.
Only one very ‘thin’ chick survives at the MNSA Osprey platform amidst all the human debris.
Two tiny babies at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
Wildlife Haven is now the only wildlife rescue in my province and the strains of that are beginning to show. Here is their latest patient update – another turtle, a bat, and some surprises.
Wild Heart Rehabilitation in Oklahoma has some advice if you think a fawn is in trouble.
Important info about what NOT to do about fawns, so might be worth a read. Thanks, ‘J’. The same might be said for a clump of bunnies – leave them alone. Observe to see if parent comes to feed.
Rutland Water is celebrating 50 years of success at reintroducing the ospreys! You can take boat trips to see them including Blue 33 fishing for Maya and the kids!!!!!!!!
Thank you Geemeff for these great images.
We are already experiencing a decline in fish in some areas of the NE as Omega Protein has had six ships out sucking up the Menhaden and all the Bycatch this weekend. It is truly sad.
The birds are on the move to the delight of bird watchers in the UK.
Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers
It looks like another stormy Saturday in Winnipeg. The trees are whipping around and the sky is heavily overcast and dark. We even have the heat on! After last week that sounds so funny. Stll it is beautiful and green.
Some of the kids wish you a great rest of the weekend. They are napping.
Poor Toby doesn’t fit anymore. He doesn’t understand why.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourselves. We hope to have you with us again soon.
Thank you to everyone who sent me a note, including ‘PB’ who is loving those fish that Clark brings in, those who post on FB with images and information, groups, newsletters, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to stare at our screens, wondering what is going to happen today. We are grateful to all.
I do not believe I have ever seen a clutch of four eggs hatch this close together and I am so delighted. No problems between chick 1 and 4 —mind you, falcons normally never have a problem raising four. Imagine what this would be like on an osprey nest???!!
Brutus was released today. The Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey did a fantastic job rehabilitating Winter Park’s oldest eaglet. I wonder if Brutus has any idea how strong and determined ‘little’ Peanut is!!!!!!!! Watch the nest to see if Brutus returns.
Near Glaslyn, Aran has. been seen with an unidentified female sitting on a fence and at a nest platform put up by Friends of Osprey. I am over the moon for this very ‘nice’ male osprey who lost his nest to Teifi along with his mate, Elen, because he returned late in 2025. It didn’t matter this year -that relationship had already started.
Looks like they are bonding!!!!!!!!!!
Elen has laid Teifi’s second egg today.
It is going to be busy in the Glaslyn Valley this summer!!!!!!
Take care, everyone. Just a quick note to let you know all this wonderful news. There is lots more happening. Will report tomorrow.
Thank you, ‘PB’, for the news about Brutus. Thank you to everyone in the Glaslyn Valley reporting on Aran and to the Friends of Osprey, who had a platform just waiting for him and his new mate. Over the moon. Finally, thanks SK Hideaways, who have to be so excited over the events at the San Jose City Hall Falcon scrape.
We are one week away from the autumn solstice. It is a beautiful Saturday on the Canadian prairies. It is 24 C. The sky is a hazy light blue with the sun beating down on the garden. The cranberry bushes are turning flame red, the leaves have been turning for some time, and early in the morning, sitting on the deck with Toby and a coffee, we can hear the geese far above us honking.
Time passes too quickly. Not two blinks ago, the children were getting out of school for the summer holidays, and now they are back. We are even having our annual street party tomorrow. It felt as if the last one was just months ago. Do you ever feel this way? Like time is melting between your fingers? Still, it will feel like aeons until Gabby and Beau have their first egg. Time will drag til the ospreys return, and then it will fly again!
I am happy to report – thank you to all the good energy you sent – that Baby Hope is completely healed and new fur is growing over her injury! I cannot tell you what a relief this is. We worried that she would continue to scratch at the injury so that it wouldn’t heal. Toby is also fine. He is a little ‘stiff’ going down the stairs but he is back to wrestling some with Hugo Yugo. They continue to sleep together in the big dog bed. It is so sweet. Missey and Calico are well, too. I cannot ask for more.
So what is happening in Bird World? For the most part, the ospreys are gone. Tiger Mozone reminds us it is approximately 178 days til they return in the UK. What will we do without them? — Watch Port Lincoln! And the Bald Eagles, right?
We will start with two video offerings by SK Hideaways to get us excited! None other than Monty and Hartley and, of course, our favourite Big Bear Valley Eagles – Jackie and Shadow.
San Jose City Hall Falcons Hartley & Monty (2025 Sep 14)
Monty arrived to tidy up the nest prior to Hartley’s arrival. Their meeting was a veritable beaky kiss fest. Guess three successful broods is the key to a successful relationship.
Heidi reports that the male is still at Field Farm feeding his two juveniles who fledged mid-August.
It has gone quiet at Rutland Manton’s Bay Osprey platform.
Making the departure of Blue 33 and Maya complete, Colin, the Cormorant has moved into the nest!
As I shift the blog to Mondays until the first hatch at Port Lincoln, I hope to fill you in on some of the books that Calico and I have been reading. Yes, it has been more than two years, and we are still having story time – four cats and a dog! Here are our first offerings. Some will make great holiday gifts.
The Naturalist’s Notebook for Tracking Changes in The Natural World around You by Nathaniel T Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich (2017).
It is a beautifully illustrated book with gilt edges and just the right size to hold and read comfortably. The authors discuss their ancestors and how they learned to observe the changes in the natural world, day by day and month by month. In the back is a five-year calendar divided by the seasons, reminding us to be present in our lives. I am particularly fond of the extensive calendar, which allows me to easily compare the arrival of the Starlings, the fledge of the Blue Jay babies, and the first honks of the geese flying overhead to their winter homes. It would make a lovely gift for someone just beginning to learn about the world around them, or for someone like me who wants to keep track of what is happening in my garden. $24.95 CDN.
The Company of Owls by Polly Atkin.
This is a review on Goodreads – and it is spot on! Atkin, like Wheelwright and Heinrich in The Naturalist’s Notebook for Tracking Changes in the Natural World around You, observes owls that live near her. She doesn’t travel far and wide, and like so many, she is not a professionally trained expert in the behaviour of owls. She is a person, just like all of us, who loves animals and birds and is a keen observer of their lives. That review reads: “Polly Atkin does not profess to be an expert on owls or anything else. This refreshing book brings the love of birds, especially owls, right from her heart to yours. It also brings the sights, sounds, and weather (oh, the weather!) of England’s Lake District right into your sitting room.
In The Company of Owls, we are treated to the author’s observations of the owls that choose to live near her. This nips off to other places she’s lived and visited, which adds richness to her descriptions, but it is her ‘home’ birds, and particularly one year in their lives, that is the primary focus.
The author has wonderful descriptive powers, and it is no surprise to glean her interest in poetry from her tale. Her description of the bog habitat where she went looking for short-eared owls is superb, although given the daily walks that provide the basis for her writing about her local owl family as they grow, it is amazing that there is no hint of repetitiveness.
Atkins supports her story with solid research, comparing owl numbers now with the records since Victorian times. These details tend to slip in as anecdotes, and more narrative quotes combine to give a really good picture of how owls have fared over the last century or so.
It’s a very personal record, and she isn’t afraid to reveal her own mistakes, which brought me back after a slight dip in attention in the middle of the book. On the whole, I think this is a really good book for the cosy bird lover, and people who like to know all the birds on their patch, rather than the twitching variety. I’m a patcher, of course.”
Both of these books take a very personal look at the natural world that is around them. They are inspirational to each of us to look just outside our back door – we don’t have to travel the world checking off lists – great things are happening beside us – now.
The power couples of Florida’s Bald Eagle streaming cams are returning to their nests and restoring them for the new season.
M15 and F23 have been home at SW Florida working on their nest.
Beau was absolutely delighted when Gabby arrived home to their nest in NE Florida early.
Ron and Rose are at the WRDC nest near Miami.
Now what is going on with Connie and Clive at Captiva?
In California, Andor and Cruz are at Fraser Point.
‘A’ is keeping a close eye on the Royal Cam chick for us as well as the others in Australia.
“Dad came in a couple of hours ago and fed his big girl breakfast. She was very excited to see him, and watched him closely as he took off after the feeding. It is hard to think this may be the last time they see each other. We (the viewers) hope not because Miss SS Trig still has what the viewers are calling a belly mohawk, with quite a bit of tummy fluff we would like to see gone before she leaves. Her feather development when compared with dad’s this morning was obviously still a week or so away from being ready, so we do hope she doesn’t get overexcited (or caught in a storm Lillibet style). Miss SS Trig is 229 days old today (Lillibet fledged at 219 days, the second youngest ever, the youngest being 218 days old a few years ago). And that number I was trying to read the other day wasn’t 555 at all – her number is YE55 (so the E looked like a five and the Y was further around her leg and not readily visible). This may become important later on, as she will lose the GPS device with her first moult, I presume. I did read something about this being a better GPS device but can’t remember what it was.”
Wow. Doesn’t SE35’s feather development over the last few days astonishing? So much more advanced than SE36, who is still a fluffball with few discernible black lines along its wings. This afternoon, the pair have been left alone on the nest in the dappled sunshine, working as hard as they can at converting fish into eaglet feathers. The effort is obvious, as they are flat out like a lizard drinking (sorry – old Australian saying). SE36 has a huge crop so has obviously eaten well today. SE35 is never hungry so there’s no need to update you there! Oh they are exquisite at this age, are they not? Every bit as gorgeous as they were last week and probably just as beautiful as they will be next week when their plumage will be completely different to what we see today. (In other words, they are absolutely lovely every single day of their growth, from the moment they hatch to the day they fledge, and even then, their plumage has many stages to go through before (hopefully) they finish up looking like Lady and Dad.
I did mention to you that the juvenile red wattlebird in my garden has breast plumage that reminds me of the young falcons but from doing a bit of reading, I think those vertical striations (in either greys or caramels with cream) must be common to many (perhaps most) young birds – the red-tailed hawks have a similar pattern. Obviously, it is an excellent camouflage because it is very similar to the way objects appear when struck by the rays of the sun glinting through leaves.
But I digress. I came here to Olympic Park to say that the littles are doing fabulously well, as usual. Lady is such a devoted mum, and Dad, despite or perhaps because of his advancing years, is an incredibly reliable provider, even in difficult conditions. I have to believe that is the result of his experience – he must know exactly where he can fish when the winds are coming from a particular direction or when there is prolonged rain or whatever the prevailing conditions are. These are the advantages of old age I suppose. And Lady is no slouch herself – she often brings in a late afternoon fish when she has the chance to stretch her wings. It’s easy to forget how old these two actually are. Their fertility appears stable – two fertile eggs per year.”
Incubation continues at Port Lincoln Osprey barge.
It has been a wonderful year at the Osprey House Environment Centre. If you didn’t follow the nest, the fledgling from 2024, helped the parents to care for the little ones in 2025. It turned out marvellous. The babies thrived and now the first one has fledged.
Incubation is still going well for the falcons in the CBD of Melbourne at 367 Collins Street.
Little Gimbir is winning hearts and minds as he has proven to be an exceptional hunter and provider for Diamond at the Charles Sturt Falcon scrape in Orange.
The Wedge-tailed Eagle is the largest in Australia. This is a short film, 18 minutes by Filming Wildlife, of this large raptor hunting! https://youtu.be/TEJ7gSYUOek?
Meldrs, the Golden Eagle fledgling of Spilve and Grislis, no longer comes to the nest in Latvia but is out following the adults, learning to hunt.
‘L’ from South Carolina sends me the most gorgeous images of a Cooper’s Hawk that visits their garden often, drinking at the bird bath. It is a reminder that we should all put out water for the birds that stay and those, so thirsty, that are passing through on migration. (The hawk is enjoying a Shrike lunch).
Emergence Magazine is launching its next volume, Seasons. I am attaching a link to a film, Crying Glacier by Lutz Stautner. The author says, “In the trickling, creaking, and gurgling heard through hydrophones and contact microphones, sound artist and composer Ludwig Berger listens for the voice of Switzerland’s dying Morteratsch Glacier. Directed by Lutz Stautner, this short film follows Ludwig on one of his many visits to the glacier, where he gathers its hidden sounds, the pop of centuries-old air bubbles and the groan of ice, inviting us into the intimacy of listening to more-than-human voices. One hundred years from now, we may only be able to hear the sounds of glaciers through recordings like these.”
Dedicated individuals continue to fight to end the industrial fishing of Menhaden if the osprey and other species are to survive in the Chesapeake Bay and region.
It’s migration. Please encourage everyone to turn off their lights!
One lucky little gosling.
Your smile for the week comes from Toby who is busy excavating peanuts in the flower pots where the squirrels have hidden them!
Very pleased with himself.
Toby had his operation on Tuesday. He can’t have a bath for another week and a half! He is so dirty and stinky!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for being with us today. We hope that you had a lovely weekend and were able to get outside and enjoy lots of fresh air and bird song. Take care. We will be back with you again on Monday the 22 of September. Fall will have officially begun!
I want to thank our notable contributor, ‘SK Hideaways’ for their videos highlighting the nests we are following, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos and the authors of posts such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name but whom I have tried to cite in bold. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers and journals that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.
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.
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.
If you have been watching the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey nest you might be wondering why so much fish are coming to the nest today. When I was learning about hawks, the female stuffed the kids all one afternoon. At the time I could not figure out why. I was told by a respected falconer, Laura Culley, that the raptors will feed their chicks full to the brim and more to prevent them from flying when the weather is not good. They know that that the chicks do not have enough skill in their flying to deal with torrential rains and wind. Smart!
‘R’ confirmed that there will lots of rain coming to the area of the nest. Gainsville is just north of the northern most dark green band in the centre of Florida. The nest is not currently in the areas of higher winds. Thankfully. This can change.
Both Big and Middle slept on the nest tonight. Fantastic. If the rains start early, they will both stay on the nest as well. It is the safest place for them to be.
The Tropical Storm tracked more south! The nest did not get the heavy rain predicted.
Mum brought a nice chunk of fish to the nest Saturday morning. It looks like Big got it first. They are so civil these two! Then Middle had some and then Mum is feeding Big.
There is bad weather coming to the Black Stork nests in Estonia tomorrow. Janika left the chicks overnight in the nest in Jegdova County in the southern part of the country. The temperature is 8-10 degrees C – too cool for the chicks who really need to be brooded by their mother. They should be 22-25 C now til they get their other feathers. But Janika had to make a choice. She has no mate. Jan has now been missing for well over 50 hours. She needs to feed herself and her chicks. Does she leave them in the rain and cold tomorrow to hunt? or tonight when it is cooler but not raining? It is very, very challenging for these parents. They make the best decision that they can. She does not know that Urmas will bring fish.
It is 0300 and the birds in the forest are singing. The chicks are sleeping. Janika is not home yet.
The morning is coming to the forest. The chicks are waking up. They must be very, very cold. I hope that they all made it through the night. It is possible that Janika will abandon the nest. Black Storks are entirely different than White Storks. The White Storks in Mlade Buky, The Czech Republic, did not mind the human intervention but Black Storks could be very different.
Saturday morning and Janika has returned and fed her storklets. There was also fish remaining on the nest from Urmas. All four ate. Janika has been aerating the nest and preening the chicks. It is not believed she has found the pond with the fish basket set up by Urmas which is less than 1 km from the nest. I hope she does!
Images of Janika aerating and preening.
This is the fish basket that Urmas has placed in the small pond of water with the decoy trying to lure Janika so she does not have to travel so far for food.
There is also a note in the Forum that Urmas may take the chicks to the Vet Clinic at the University of Life Sciences. They will be watching the nest closely. Fortunately the bad weather predicted did not happen but it was terribly cold for the little ones last night.
If you would like to follow this nest, here is the link.
There has been much sadness at the Latvian and Estonian nests. To my knowledge, Grafs and Grafiene did not return to their nest this year in Latvia. With the problems at the Jegova County nest of Jan and Janika, I hope that Karl II and Kaia have all their chicks to fledge this year.
Karl II was brooding the chicks last night and he often got up to aerate the nest.
Talk about intruders. A Raccoon climbed the whirley crane to get to Rosie and Richmond’s osprey nest with their three osplets!!!!!!!!! Why are these raccoons becoming such a menace to the nests? Ospreys do not eat mammals!!!!!!
There is really good news at the West End Bald Eagle nest of Thunder and Akecheta. Ahote who was the youngest and the eaglet that fledged has made it to the top of the rock near to the nest known as the Transmitter Rock. You can see him on the left and his siblings Kana’kini and Sky on the natal nest.
Thunder and Akecheta can lure him to the natal nest with food or deliver prey to him where he is. This is an amazing image and the camera that is providing it was just installed last year by Dr Sharpe.
Takoda at the National Arboretum Bald Eagle nest is enjoying a lovely fish. He began self feeding and then one of the adults (Mr President or Lotus) came in to feed him. Takoda has branched but not fledged (as far as I know). What a beautiful eaglet he is!
We are definitely on fledge watch for the three eaglets at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest! I wonder if they will all go at once! They are all ready and maybe rivalry will step in. That would just be incredible – as long as each of them makes it home for dinner.
It is fledge watch for Liberty and Guardian’s two eaglets at the Redding, California nest, too.
Dylan came with a nice fish at 20:36 for Seren and the three Bobs at the Llyn Clywedog nest – before the rain. He offered her a piece of fish on arrival and then she feed the kids. The Welsh call the smallest chick, the third hatch, ‘Bobby Bach’ – and Bobby Bach certainly holds his own in this nest. No worries!
What a cutie. Right up there and getting a crop – not afraid of the older siblings now decidedly in their reptile phase.
Everyone got to eat well before the rain set in and night fell. That storm is brewing too. Hopefully the winds will not be too bad. Hold on everyone.
Idris also came in with fish for Telyn and the chicks. He even took some time to feed one of them! The winds really began howling during the wee hours of Saturday morning on their Dyfi nest in Wales.
Aran caught a fish and brought it to Mrs G at the Glaslyn Osprey nest. It had already started raining there and everyone was a bit soggy. Bobby Bach got himself up to the front – thank goodness he is so tiny compared to the others – and had some fish before bed.
Louis and Dorcha are a pretty good team. I admit to falling in love with Aila – this was the first nest I watched so many years ago now. But, I like Dorcha. Louis is so special. I wonder if she knows how lucky she was to land on his nest last year? Today he brought in three whoppers. Dorcha is just feeding the chicks the last of the fish before the sun sets on Loch Arkaig.
Blue NC0 was busy with the wee three at the Loch of the Lowes as the sun was setting. These nests are so regular you can know something is right – or wrong – by the feedings and fish deliveries.
Orion, the chick of Martin and Rosa at the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle nest fledged Friday. He returned for a nice fish dinner Friday night!
An adult brought in a fish to the ND-LEEF Bald Eagle nest at 08:15:48. One of the older siblings got it. It is unclear how much fish Little Bit 17 had or did not have. It did appear that Little Bit might have had a crop a little later. The issue, of course, is the camera position. We cannot see what happens on the porch.
There is a real nice write up about the little Peregrine Falcons, Grinnell Jr and Lindsay, today. They are soooooo big and healthy. Just look at those legs! and all those beautiful juvenile feathers coming underneath that white down.
For all my fellow duckling and gosling lovers, have a look at these lovely babies taking the leap from a nest box in Japan!
Thank you so very much for joining me today. Take care everyone. Have a wonderful Saturday! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages: NOAA, UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, Eagle Club of Estonia, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, Explore.org and Institute for Wildlife Studies, NADC-AEF, Pix Cams, Friends of Redding Eagles, CarnyXWild, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Woodland Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig, Cal Falcons, Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagles, the People’s Post Code Lottery, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Friday was drawing to a close. Big Red had been restless all of Thursday and it was a wonderful relief when L1 hatched and was deemed ‘perfect’ after a worry over some blood coming from the egg earlier. Tonight (Friday late) Big Red is trying as best she can to get some sleep while L2 is hatching. The cracking is such that we now have gone beyond a mere pip.
If all four of the eggs hatch, Big Red s going to need to grab those naps as much as she can.
Big Red is not giving away any hints Saturday morning. But you can see the more than pip in the back right egg and a pip in the back left egg. L1 is doing fine. Being an Only Child – even for a short time – has its advantages.
Arthur brought in another starling in the morning. There are now 2 Starlings (one partially eaten), 1 grey bird, and a partially eaten snake in the nest.
Dawn is just breaking in the Tucholskie Forest in Poland. You can hear the songbirds singing as the sun rises through the pine trees. This just reminds me of a fairy tale forest. White-tail Eagles are so beautiful with their lighter heads and darker bodies – all seemingly touched with a bit of silver.
Mum left to take a wee break. Both of the eaglets are still alive and appear to be doing well.
Mum returns to brood the chicks in the soft morning light.
Do you know the Anacapa Peregrine Falcon Nest? This couple have been together since 2013 raising chicks on the cliff face on the remote Anacapa Island in California. They are known as Mr and Mrs A.
Anacapa is part of the Channel Islands where we have a couple of familiar Bald Eagle Nests, Two Harbours (Chase & Cholyn) and West End (Akecheta and Thunder).
Two chicks have hatched this year. Just look like white fluffy little teddy bears with big pink beaks and pink toes and feet. So cute. They are 3 days old. It is hoped that the third egg is non-viable. It is typical for not all of the falcon eggs to hatch. These chicks are big and strong and that chick would be behind.
Here is a feeding from yesterday.
This is a feeding from today.
This is the link to the streaming cam for all you falcon lovers!
I want to check on the status of the Black Stork nest that was the home of Grafs and Grafiene last year. The very late arrival of the female last year caused issues at the nest. The male returned earlier in April this year. Many on the Forum are wondering if it was Grafs or another male. The male worked away bring twigs and moss to prepare such a nice nest. Now it is the 22nd of April and there is no female yet. The male sings and looks around. Fingers crossed for a quick arrival of a female to this gorgeous nest in Sigulda County. Come on Grafiene!!!!!
Here is the link to the nest:
Karl II is working very hard on the nest he shares with Kaia. He is very handsome!
Karl II and Kaia have had a male intruder land on the nest. Kaia helped magnificently in defending the nest. Unlike other species, the males and females will defend the nest against opposite genders. There are apparently a lot of single male floaters due to a lack of female storks. They are causing problems with established nests. We are waiting for an egg at this nest!
Here are the couple defending their nest.
Mum and Dad returned to Glacier Gardens yesterday! Looking forward to another great year up in Alaska. Kindness was the sweetest little eaglet. It was a great name and touched the heart of so many. It is so nice to see Mum and Dad.
There are now three eggs at the Llyn Clywedog nest of Dyland and Seren Blue 5F. Dylan is a great fisher but he also loves to incubate and he wasn’t wanting to give up that spot Saturday afternoon!
Mrs G and Aran have two eggs now.
Cheers are happening in Poole Harbour because CJ7 and Blue022 have their first egg. There will be more. The first hatch will be historic – the first Osprey in Poole Harbour in over 200 years!!!!!!!!! Incredible. The community worked hard to relocate Ospreys to the area and it looks like they will have success this year.
This is such wonderful news for this couple that began bonding last breeding season.
The very first osprey of the 2022 season has hatched in the Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve in Maremma in Tuscany, Italy yesterday.
The situation at the Florida-Gainesville Osprey nest is not improving. I captured a couple of images of Little Bit taking a few bites of a fish on the nest before Middle went after him. You have to look carefully. Its tiny head is in the very centre of the nest under the tail of that fish.
The minute the older sibling notices Little Bit move it attacks despite it having a full crop.
The two large siblings prevented Little Bit from getting any food even though they were clearly full.
Feeding and any movement by Little Bit triggers their aggressive behaviour. The ability of both Big and Middle to dominate the food coming into the nest is directly seen in the growth progression of the three nestlings. I often smile when I see people in chat rooms saying not to call the dominant birds bullies but in his 1979 article “Sibling Aggression among Nestling Ospreys in Florida Bay” in The Auk (vol. 96, no 2, 415-17) Alan Poole says just that in discussing the difference in size of the nestlings “however, 3 days after the first sibling bullying was seen, nestling A was 165 heavier than B…” (416). The older two are simply that – bullies. What I did find interesting about Poole’s study was that he did not find the same level of aggression in the Ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay area. Some of you will have observed, as I have, sibling competition and aggression at several Florida Osprey nests such as Achieva Credit Union (2021), Captiva (2022), Pink Pearl (2022), and Gainesville currently. You might well know of others in the last couple of years.
Little Bit mustered the courage to get to the beak but there was no fish left.
In the image below you can see the size difference between Big, Middle, and Little Bit. The older ones will continue to have the advantage unless this chick gets fed – it had a few bites yesterday and some fish later on the 21st. Tiny Tot lasted for 72 hours before getting some fish at Achieva in 2021. Indeed, that chick had – in a month – the equivalent of 12 full days without food. She went on to become dominant. It remains unclear to me if Little Bit will survive the weekend, sadly.
Little or MiniO fledged yesterday morning early (the 22nd) and has not returned to the nest. It is unclear to me whether she is in a tree or is grounded. Middle (or Little) is in the nest with Lena fish calling to Andy.
I never like to close with sad news but I have just heard that two of the eaglets at the Denton Homes nest have died. It is suspected that it is Avian Flu. We will see if the third survives but it is doubtful. The Dad is there and is very confused. The surviving chick is in the nest with the two deceased ones. — It was thought that Avian Flu was mostly staying on the East coast. This is a move into the heartland being triggered by migrating birds? There will be concern for other nests in the region. Please send them your warmest and most positive energy.
We have had rain since the wee hours of the morning on Friday. It has filled several of the low areas of the garden with water. The worry is that they are reporting a drop in temperature that would freeze the ground surface causing the rain not to soak in (the ground is already saturated) and create wide scale flooding. We worry about the animals. All of the squirrels, Hedwig, Mr and Mrs Woodpecker along with a myriad of Juncos, Sparrows, Grackles and Starlings have been trying to eat. It is difficult to convince Hedwig that we have special food for him on a plate that is relatively dry!!!!!!
Thank you for joining me. I hope to have some happy news on Big Red and Arthur’s L2 later this evening. Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures: UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, Brywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Captiva Ospreys and Window for Wildlife, Cornell Bird Lab RTH, Biehki Online Bory Tucholskie, Estonian Eagle Club, Diaccia Botrona Nature Reserve, CarnyxWild, Explore.Org, and the Latvian Fund for Nature.
No one can seem to settle on the exact time because they were so excited to see her fly in – and the camera does not have a clock. It looks like it was around 12:32 for the oldest female Osprey in the UK to arrive home to her nest in Wales.
Mrs G is thought to have been since first during the middle of the summer in the Glaslyn Valley in 2003. She would have been two or three looking for a nest and a mate. She first bred in 2004. No one knows precisely how old she is but taking from all the clues, Glaslyn believes she hatched in 2000 or 2001. That would make her 21 or 22 years old this year. They know that she has laid 54 eggs from 2005 to 2021. It is not know how many eggs were laid in 2004. Out of those eggs with her two mates 11 (98) and Aran, 46 hatched and 41 fledged.
Mrs G is also a grandmother having 112 grand chicks that are known – there could be more. She now has 10 great-grand chicks and there will certainly be more this year!
It was a sad year for Mrs G and Aran last year. There were three chicks. They hatched during a period of wet and cold. Aran was injured at the time they were hatching and could not provide food and Mrs G could not leave the chicks to fish. The community of Glaslyn provided a successful fish table for the family which kept Aran and Mrs G alive. Sadly, by the time it was put up the chicks were already past the stage where the food would help them.
Everyone hopes that this will be a much better year for this Welsh Osprey icon and her mate, Aran.
As you can see from the image above, the community at Glaslyn has been working on the nest creating beautiful reinforced walls so all that Aran and Mrs G need to do is bring in the nesting material.
What a gorgeous place for an Osprey nest! Glaslyn means ‘Blue Lake’ in English.
The Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn is located in the northwest of Wales.
Mrs G sits in the nest and, like the rest of us, waits for her mate, Aran, to return from his migration. His injury last year seemed to have healed by the time he flew away in September.
Aran is an unringed male that showed up in Glaslyn in 2015. It is believed that he was 2 or 3 years old when he arrived, perhaps just turning 2. He has been with Mrs G since that time also breeding with another female Blue 5F (Seren in 2016. She is now at Llyn Clywedog with Dylan). Aran is well known for bringing in whoppers of fish to the nest that weigh as much as he does!
This is simply wonderful news. Everyone is cheering the return of this iconic Osprey, Mrs. G. If you like Ospreys, then turn your attention to the monitored nests in the UK.
Here is the link to this wonderful nest:
Thank you for this quick check on a Saturday morning on the chilly Canadian prairies. No doubt more Ospreys will be arriving in the UK today – let us hope some are at the monitored nests. There is a rumour that Seren has been seen at Llyn Clywedog but it appears their camera is not operational. Take care all.
Thank you to Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.
Lady Hawk has posted some close ups of the Royal Albatross cam chick, Tiaki, doing some wing exercises. Tiaki is all grown up, a beautiful juvenile, the daughter of LGL and LGK. She will fledge soon beginning her five or six year journey at sea – never touching land – til she returns to the headland to begin finding a mate. Perhaps one day Tiaki’s chick will be the Royal cam chick. I do hope so. It will mean that the seas are safer places for our beautiful squid eating birds.
The Audubon Society has posted some really good news. The Masked Bobwhites are once again seen in southern Arizona. They were believed to be on extinct or on the edge of extinction because of cattle grazing in the Arizona deserts. Today they are listed as ‘critically endangered’.
They are a small round quail. When I was a child, we would travel to visit relatives in Arizona every summer. Oh, was it hot! But there were always Bobwhites. It is nice to hear that they are now returning.
This photo was taken on the 10th of September. I wrote about it at the time because in migration news, this is great. The son of Aeron Z2 and Blue 014 at the Pont Cresor nest in the Glaslyn Valley – and the grandson of Monty and Glesni – had reached Brittany. That was 12 days ago. He would now be further on his migration, perhaps stopping in Spain. The photo of Blue 494 was taken by Colette Leclerq.
Photo by Colette Leclerq, Brittany France
Speaking of migration and waiting and wanting news of Blue 464, it is more than time to check on the Black Storks from Latvia and Estonia.
First up, Karl II, his daughter Pikne, and his son Udu. They are from the Black Stork nest in the Karula Forest in Estonia. This map is taken from the Karl II migration pages of the Forum.
Udu is now in Hungary near the fishponds at Banhalma. Karl II remains around Kherson Oblata in the Ukraine. Pikne has doubled back and remains in Moldova. What I think is interesting about this map is that Udu has turned and is heading towards the Asia Minor route. There was a question as to whether he might go the western route to Africa but it seems he will be flying over Greece.
This is the data from BirdMap. You can access the BirdMap here:
I was wanting to see about the Black stork Julge. He is Jan and Janika’s only surviving chick this year. He is now in france. You can see him still heading over the westerly routing.
The birds that are in the centre of Africa are two Ospreys!
So far everything looks in order and everyone is still safe.
I cannot bring you a late afternoon update on the Port Lincoln Ospreys. The camera was frozen for most of the day and has just returned to normal. Mom has the kids covered tight. It is only 8 degrees at 16:00 with winds blowing over the water at 11 kph.
I can show you a bit of what a beautiful day it was on the Canadian prairies. I really need to practice with my camera and my tripod. These are some images today taken at a distance of about 68 metres. I found the tripod tricky to use – I need a counterbalance for it – so these are all hand held. The set up was heavy. But there were a few passable images.
A female Mallard. This species is very common in Manitoba. They have, on occasion, fooled me so I have had to go to our local eBird expert. This is a real beauty.
The Canada Geese would like the entire pond to themselves. They swim after and honk as they pursue the ducks.
There is your dabbling duck. She knows that goose is there but is trying to ignore it.
The park was just beautiful. It was 25 degrees today. One of the fountains was not working and that end of the pond had men working. Still the geese on the other side were a bit curious.
All of the Wood Ducks were either up on the islands or down by the fountain that was working. This is a female and she is such a cutie. I sat and watched her swim in and out of the water droplets for quite awhile.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Tomorrow is a day away chasing shore birds. I hope to have a posting tomorrow evening (Thursday). Take care everyone. Stay safe. Stay Positive!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams or FB pages where I took my screen shots: Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Friends of Ospreys, and to the Eagle Club of Estonia, BirdMap, and the Latvian Fund for Nature.
If I mention the name Aran, who is the first to come to mind?
This morning there was a posting about a ‘miracle’ chick – indeed, 2 miracle eggs and one of those being a chick that never should have hatched but did. These stories always interest me because, I immediately think that they are third hatches. This was not the case with these two little bundles of joy.
What a beautiful couple. They have been together now six seasons. You can see Aran’s prominent feather problem.
Mrs G (left) and Aran (right). July 2021.Mrs G 3 September 2021Aran in one of his favourite spots before he migrates. September 2021
Aran arrived at the Glaslyn nest, unringed and, as you know if you follow the Ospreys of the UK or Wales, specifically, in 2015. The public wanted the couple named. The female who had raised chicks at the nest previously was to be Mrs G, after Glaslyn. Aran was named after the local mountains, Eryri. The story is lovely and deserves to be read in its entirety. I am enclosing the news from Glaslyn. The story of how Mrs G and Aran came together and how Mrs G’s sixth and seventh eggs – yes – 6 and 7 – came to hatch is remarkable. It makes you feel good. I can add that WO was last seen a couple of years ago in the north of England. So, he really was a survivor! (I intend to check the listings to see if W0 has been spotted this year and the circumstances).
I did get my hair cut and the minute I got home I went to check on the PLO nest. In his book, Soaring with Fidel, David Gessner explains the term ‘Kathleening’. It is when a person claims to have seen the biggest, and the most after someone tells their story. I do not want to sound like I am ‘Kathleening’ but, seriously, Mum was feeding those kids – again. When I left they were eating and when I got home they were eating.
Are those babies getting squirmy? She hardly got them covered and she is feeding them again1
Mom has decided that she wants the fish on the other side.
Yeah for Mom. She pulled that fish over the nest of babies without clobbering one of them.
Mom has decided that it is time for some more fish. The little ones will make their way to the table shortly.
That’s Little Bob on the left with the two older sibs facing in the same direction. Little Bob has his mouth open and he is looking at Mom.
Little Bob has a nice crop. He is the one on the far left. You can still see his egg tooth. It will be gone soon! Big Bob is in the middle. She is the one with the most pin feathers and Middle Bob is on the right.
Mom is looking for another delivery and the three Bobs are waiting at the table with their napkins tucked in and forks at the ready.
It is 12 degrees C with 11 kph winds. What a difference from the days when it was blowing at 34 kph. Dad was able to get some rather large fish those windy days. I wonder if it is the same with the calm water???
I have been notified that the Season of the Osprey, the much awaited documentary put out by Nature and PBS will be shown in the US on 27 October at 00:00:30. Please do check your local stations to make sure this is correct!
That is it for me tonight. There will be at least another 7 or 8 feedings today before Mom gets some time to rest. I will bring you the details tomorrow. Take care everyone! Thank you for joining me.
Thank you to the Port Lincoln Osprey Project’s and Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn’s streaming cam where I took my screen shots.
Everyone loves a new hatch and the two little Osplets at PLO continue to just make me go “awwwwwwwwwww.”
Look at that nice fish Dad has brought in for Mom and the Little Bobs. They are both lined up, mouths open, watching with their eyes which aren’t focusing 100% yet. Oh, so sweet.
There is a pip in the third egg. It was seen about nine or ten hours ago. There is not much progress. Will it be a successful hatch? We wait.
The feedings seem to come often, sometimes an hour apart. That will do much to instil food security to these two – of course, along with those good catches of dad’s.
Around 08:07, viewers might have thought there was bonking going on but it is the lack of clear focus and just seeing a ‘beak’ that they try to aim for. Not intentional. You will know for sure when the pecking is meant to be harmful.
You get a glimpse of the crack in the third egg at 07:15.
The cam operator at Port Lincoln gave everyone a tour of the area. I want to share it with you in case you did not see these beautiful images.
It is a lovely area for an Osprey nest.
This is a great image. It shows you Mum and the nest on the left. You can see how it is raised up. Then look down on the deck. That is Dad’s man-cave. Looks pretty good. He has a nice perch there or there are perches on the ropes that eventually the juveniles might use.
The Port Lincoln Osprey Project has permission for three satellite trackers for this year. This is due to the success of Solly! Yes, you can close your eyes and see me jumping up and down. It is often difficult to demonstrate the merit of using technology but I think the data coming from Solly’s transmitter turned some heads. Now PLO just needs to get the funds to purchase them. With no eggs on Turnby Island, this means that all three of these chicks, if there are to be three, ‘might’ get one.
There have been a few visitors to the Achieva Osprey Nest since Jack and Tiny Little vacated in August. One of those came today – a very hungry young male, I think.
There was a posting on Twitter this morning showing an image of an Osprey eating a fish on the Mt Sentinel tree. It is presumed to be Iris. If so, she is still in Montana and has not come to say goodbye to her nest yet.
I ‘think’ Aran is still in the Glaslyn Valley. I caught sight of an Osprey as the trees were blowing. The Osprey is in the tree behind the pine branch.
Ring-Bill Gulls on the dock. They do not seem to mind the more choppy weather.
The leaves are turning and the landscape is simply stunning.
The Cormorants were very clever. The choppy waves were driving the little fish into the edge of Clear Lake. They waited and were catching their lunch. Very impressive.
Thank you so much for joining me. It is definitely fall in Northern Manitoba and there are few birds about. I was told about a possible sighting of a Blue Heron but I am holding out for some loons! Fingers crossed. Take care everyone.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots: Achieva Credit Union, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn.
