First. A reminder if you haven’t already marked it on your calendar. Iris’s favourite day to return to Missoula is 7 April. We are less than 48 hours away.
They are returning from migration but the osprey season officially kicked off today (IMHO) with the arrival of the first egg.
It was Maya (unringed) and Blue 33’s first egg of 2026 and it happened around 1805.
Blue 33 flies in to have a good look.
There are two cameras. The rails are so high on the nest this year we might only see little heads for some time.
On the Canadian prairies, it was raining and then it started snowing a bit and everything is brown and grey. No beautiful sunshine. Toby was so filthy from our walk that he had another bath – he is so good in the tub. Tomorrow he will have a mobile nail trimmer arrive to shorten those claws. In the meantime, it is damp to the bone weather here in Winnipeg. I hope it is much nicer where you are.
Check out the darling bobble heads at Big Bear and Achieva. Wink has brought in a huge fish to share with Peanut, who has repeatedly defended itself and the nest against that persistent owl. Storks are returning to Europe. One was on the nest at Mlady Buky the last time I checked. Remember, Milda is on eggs, and by the end of the month, I hope to see the cutest little white-tailed eaglets on that nest in Latvia. Fort St Vrain has a second hatch happening with pip watch on the third and only egg remaining (first two broke) going on for the ND-LEEF eagles in South Bend, Indiana.
FSV56 looking at Mum. What a beautiful sight.
Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams – without them we would not be able to look into the lives of these birds and witness these little bobblehead miracles!
It is a windy, seemingly chilly day in the Big Bear Valley. The lake is a beautiful blue as Jackie and Shadow are in their nest waiting for the arrival of the second eaglet, who is working its way out of the shell. Shadow really wants a turn, but Jackie, being Jackie, has put her talons down firmly.
We are watching the action on the big screen.
I hope you are, too. Over 38,000 people are waiting for a glimpse of our Super Star’s little ones.
As for us, we had a good day. We took a break from checking on birds and hatches to take Toby to the park for a nice walk. Then to the pet store to pick up duck hearts and a good pair of scissors. I met a lovely woman there with a Cavalier. We exchanged notes on feeding strategies, each of us knowing that there are serious health concerns with this breed. So far, Toby is clear, and I know my breeder! That means a lot, but that still does not mean that he might not have heart or joint issues, so we are doing everything we can to help ensure that does not happen. The woman and I also agreed that, even though we would never pick another breed, they are too lovable and devoted. That is precisely what I need in my life right now as the husband I had for so long ebbs away.
I am delighted that Aran and Dorcha are home. I am waiting for Louis and for Blue 35 at Foulshaw Moss to return. Fingers crossed.
I also want to recommend a video by Robert Fuller if you are interested in Red Kites, and I hope you are. He erected a large tower to film them on his Yorkshire property. Here are some snaps off the telly:
We had a beautiful day. Instead of living in pajamas, we put on our lighter jackets and gum boots and headed to the country – to Pineridge.
We sat by the fire and drank hot chocolate. It was glorious.
While we were away…Idris arrived home at the Dyfi Osprey platform in Wales to his mate Telyn, Blue 5F.
Telyn knew he was arriving. She watched as Idris flew in and landed. The sky dancing began shortly after – this devoted pair, so delighted to see one another! Idris arrived almost a fortnight later than he did in 2025.
And he hardly got home and the snow has started falling…
I wonder what other ospreys came in on those strong winds????
Blue 014, the mate of Aeron Z2, has returned home to the Glaslyn Valley and the Pont Cresor nest.
Only Jackie and Shadow know. Pip watch is on.
Baby Hope is excited about the possibility of an eaglet at Big Bear.
Andor and Cruz now have three eaglets at the Fraser Point nest in the Channel Islands. Sasha, Zuma, and Ryder. No wonder Andor was loading up this nest with prey. A Coot has been added to a whole lot of fish!
There has been a second hatch at the Achieva osprey platform of Jack and Jill. This one is nearly six days younger than the first hatch. I am not a happy camper over this turn of events…There is a problem with fish deliveries at this nest – historically. Is it intruders taking the fish? Who knows?
Thank you for being with us for this very quick check in! There are lots of other hatches and arrivals in the US – it is going to be a very busy weekend. Here is the list from nature chaat:
Thank you to those who are posting information on FB, to the owners and posters on nature chat and to ‘J’ for sending me the latest list, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow me to rewind and see Daddy Longlegs Idris arrive home to his great love, Telyn! Thank you.
It might be April Fool’s Day but Big Red isn’t fooling around. She laid her fourth egg today! Cornell Bird Lab has it on video: https://youtu.be/JlHxc-bpsQg?
Aeron Z2 has arrived at the Friends of Osprey Pont Cresor nest in Glaslyn. Of course, this could get interesting as Elen is home alone at the other Glaslyn nest and Blue 014 has yet to arrive at Pont Cresor.
Aeron Z2 is handsome, and he did cause a lot of mischief last season. His brother Tegid Z1 (on a private nest) is also equally adorable. Monty’s boys.
Lots happening at Loch of the Lowes but not a couple confirmed as yet. And where is Blue NCO? Does she have another nest and mate? I wonder.
In the garden, lots of action as a Sharp-shinned Hawk (a male) had a Starling lunch right in front of us.
Missing Blue 35 – and females chasing after White YW. I don’t blame them – he’s a great dad at Foulshaw Moss.
USS9 and USS10 are cute.
More fish are needed at Moorings Park. Everyone is fighting with little three, and 2 seems to be the dominant osplet right now. 3 got some fish – finally.
I am always concerned about the Achieva nest, always. For many reasons.
It was quite the day here. Our entire routine went upside down and sideways. The new care helper came at 0830. She is fantastic. Then the delivery man came with two months of birdseed – bags everywhere. Then the installer arrived to wire the house for the alarm, the doorbell, and the fire alarm. Ann arrived and then there were several other deliveries. I don’t need to tell you that Don, The Girls, and Toby are all snoring! It is going to be an early night.
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon – remember. We are waiting for the hatch at Big Bear along with hundreds of thousands of other people.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams and those who have posted information and images on FB that I have used in today’s blog.
It is a gorgeous day on the Canadian Prairies. We went for a walk and had a nice chat with one of our neighbours who has two very cute Cavaliers. It was wonderful to feel warm! And the temperature was only +1 but the sun was shining and there was no wind.
Dear Toby saved the day today. At 7:58 he alerted me. He jumped on my head and began scratching. I knew immediately something was wrong. And yes. Don had gone out of the house – albeit with his winter coat on, one winter boot and a dress shoe – . He left the house, checked the mailbox, went to the gate, and walked towards a busy street a block and a half away. Thanks to Toby, I was able to yell at him to ‘come home’. This was the event I most worried about. The locksmith will be here on Monday but I feel as if the house is no longer safe for him. It is amazing how one thing can cause a huge ripple effect. AirTags don’t really work. I could put the GPS tracker o him and set up the satellite subscription that I had for Calico, but it is more than that. He could leave the door open and all the animals would run out including Toby. I felt like no one was safe.
There is news in Bird World. The winds coming from Africa might be changing. I understand that there still remain a large number of ospreys waiting to leave. Fingers crossed for all of them to make that long journey home safely.
Dylan arrived at Llyn Clywedog Saturday afternoon late. He looks good! And true to form he went to the reservoir and caught a huge fish dinner.
Oh, he’s handsome and he is such a good provider. His mate, Blue 5F Seren, should be arriving right away – their arrival times are normally within one day of one another.
Elen (Glaslyn nest) likes to visit the Pont Cresor nest of Z2 Aeron and Blue 014. Today she had a visitor there.
The Barneghat Light Osprey cam that is at the nest of Duke and Daisy (or a new couple now) needs to be replaced. Here is the appeal.
Tensions still at the Moorings Park over fish. Third hatch did get some at the feeding mid-day that I saw.
Cute little one at Achieva. I sure hope Jack hauls in a lot of fish….
Bell and Scout had their first hatch yesterday at the NCTC nest. Difficult to get a screen capture.
Hatch at Decorah Eagle cam and a pip in the second egg there today.
Take care everyone!
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams and those that posted information on FB – all appreciated!
To those who celebrate the achievements of women – Happy International Women’s Day!
It has been quite the day. But first up, something good. The threesome at the Moorings Park Osprey platform of Harry and Sally. Seriously, well fed, healthy, happy little tikes.
I wish all good things came in threes!
We have had quite the weekend. It began with the car needing new brakes and a routine oil change, etc., and with two tyres repaired because they had picked up debris from a nearby house fire. Then Toby got sick. Last, my twenty-year old washing machine – which does not owe me a penny – decided it was time to call it a day. I am really hoping that it stops here!
I cannot tell you if Toby is better. Thank you to everyone for your notes and well wishes – they literally came from around the world. It warmed my heart. I hope to find out more about what is going on in the next couple of days. I can tell you that he has been very hungry and has eaten, is drinking water, and ran outside to chase a squirrel, barking his head off in the afternoon.
Toby is watching the Crufts 2026 Dog Show from Birmingham hoping that the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that won the ‘toy’ group will win overall.
Toby would never make the ‘toy’ group. Just look at those paws. He clocks in at a mighty 25 lbs. just like the breeder said he would. So much for the 2XL little sweatshirt. It barely makes it to his waist!!!!!!!!
While I am dealing with one thing, my neighbour, who has two Cavaliers – a tri-colour like Toby and a Blenheim (rust and white), is having a very difficult time. The little Blenheim (both girls are tiny beside Toby) has a heart condition. My heart breaks when I see my friend walking her adorable girls in their cute outfits knowing she is frightened about what is happening.
All of this kept me from the bird cams today. I clean when I worry so the laundry room is properly ready for the arrival of the new machines. They should live longer than I will.
But, let’s check a few. Moorings Park is doing fantastic. Cholyn and Chase have a second egg and that is good news.
Most osprey cams are streaming, including those in Germany. Cranes and storks are arriving early. It saddens me to think that many who are migrating from Africa will have to pass through war zones to get to their nests in the north.
Besides flying through Lebanon, we also have those birds flying through Ukraine.
The wind was so strong at Big Bear on Saturday that Jackie was tossed about like she was a feather on the nest. Very scary.
Stella and Ira have three eggs at the US Steel nest! Wings of Whimsy recorded the event: https://youtu.be/xdcEOajcANI?
Nest preparations continue to go well for Red-tail Hawks Big Red and Arthur on the Cornell Campus.
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 1 March 2026
Channel Island California Eagles Livestreamed nests: ~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor ~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak ~ Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase ~ West End ~ Catalina Island ~Residents in flux
Cholyn & Chase Chortle About Nest Changes, Meet-ups & Alerts (2026 Mar 4) From dawn till dusk and even through the night, Cholyn and Chase chortle, snortle, and murmur to each other about whatever is happening in the moment. Their bond is remarkable to behold. Video: https://youtu.be/LoHana6raBc
Long Labor for Cholyn’s 3rd Egg ~ First Peek Shows Breakage (2026 Mar 2) In 23 nesting seasons, this is the first time that Cholyn has laid three eggs. Her labor was atypical and difficult, so it wasn’t completely surprising to see that the third egg was cracked when first revealed. The good news is that Cholyn and Chase are healthy, and that they have two strong eggs. Wishing them success and hoping to see these eggs turn into bundles of fluff. Video: https://youtu.be/i60SnPkL8io
Female & Lee All-Day Courtship ~ Sleepover, Beakies, Mating Attempt (2026 Mar 3) The female, F, and Lee, the 4-year-old sub-adult eagle from the Seal Rocks nest exhibited courtship behaviors throughout the day. We can only guess what they were up to while the cameras were down, but today looked promising. Video: https://youtu.be/zjFbfJxk3w8 Lee/D29 & Female Seem to Like Each Other ~ As the West End Turns (2026 Mar 2) When the West End cameras came on after being down for 2 weeks, we were met with a new male. Seems the female remains the same ~ this is the one that arrived after Haku and Akecheta left. The male is Lee/D29, a 2022 hatch from the Seal Rocks nest, also on Catalina Island. The couple soared and perched together for much of the morning. What will happen next? Only the eagles know for sure. Video: https://youtu.be/mlBQgJTi19E
Dad Brings *Very* Fresh Fish ~ JBS24 Gets Fed and Self Feeds (2026 Mar 5) JBS24 is 5-1/2 weeks old and is progressing right on schedule. Here’s what occurs in the fifth week, courtesy of Loudon Wildlife Conservancy: ~ Begins playing with sticks ~ Is capable of fully standing ~ Is aware of its surroundings, in and outside the nest ~ Begins tracking objects and birds outside the nest ~ The tarsi (the feet or lowest part of the legs) are full size, and the foot pad is nearly full size ~ Imprinting is nearly complete
JBS24 is doing a little self-feeding in addition to the above milestones. Mom and Dad spend quite a lot of time with their only eaglet. This family is a joy to observe. Video: https://youtu.be/zI5sDnFeuHo
Thank you, SK Hideaways!!!!!!!!! You bring the nests to life for us.
Ellie and Harvey at Farmer Derek’s Bald Eagle nest should have their second hatch by tomorrow.
I wonder what is going to happen at the Glaslyn nest this season. Will Aran return and prevail as the male? Will Teifi return and take over the nest? Will Elen return? We wait.
The female at Duke Farms continues, at times, to incubate the remaining unviable egg. The little one is a cutie.
Winter Park eaglets had some prey today. There has been some concern about the lack of prey coming to the nest as of late.
Oh, remember how we worried about ‘Tiny Tim’? – not so tiny anymore! Can you tell Wink from Atlas now?
At Dade County, R9, the oldest, still has to fledge. Females often take longer than males.
Eve and Kai perch along the rim of the NE Florida nest of their parents, Beau and Gabby. Eve is 68 days old today and Kai is 67. Fledge in a week?
Quinn (Captiva nest of Connie and Clive) is gorgeous and if you look carefully, all of these eaglets are so close in age. They spend their days looking out to the world they will soon conquer through flight.
There is at least one tiny osplet at the Pink Shell nest in Florida. Let’s hope that this nest is successful this year.
You will learn something you never thought you needed to know!
The funds to save the land near Jackie and Shadow’s nest were nearly 1 million dollars when I last checked. Others are seeking donations: the Severna Ospreys need batteries for their camera so they can stream.
Thank you so much for being with us today. We hope that your weekend was much better than ours. That said, we are looking forward to an ‘uneventful’ week. We have started doing nothing on Thursdays. Toby gets to go for his walk with Ellen, and I stay in my PJs. A writer of all things Parisian recommended some lovely Pima cotton pyjamas made in South Carolina, and I do love them. The phone is ignored for most of the day. No one is invited over or invited in if they show up. We watch movies, read books to Toby and The Girls and generally use Thursday as a day to recharge our so-called batteries. If you are feeling overwhelmed, however slight the feeling, I highly recommend a ‘day off’. And I do mean a day off!!!!!
We look forward to seeing you again soon – Friday, if not sooner.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for their wonderful videos that add much to my post. I would also like to thank the owners of the streaming cams where I took my screen captures and who allow us to watch the lives of our favourite birds.
It’s March 5 and it is Toby’s birthday! Here he is when he was first able to climb the cat tree after arriving when he was a very young 8 week old.
As I tell many people, I would not have survived the past year without Toby and The Girls. We plan to have his party when his goodies arrive, which I hope is today. Deliveries in Canada have been problematic due to severe storms in each area.
The snow is gently falling this morning, and the thirty-three European Starlings – yes, counted – have arrived for breakfast. They will return around 1430 this afternoon for their late meal. What are they eating? Cat and dog kibble!
Sally and Harry now have two of the sweetest little osplets. These two do not know how lucky they are to have such amazing parents.
Good news coming out of the UK. Lead ammunition to be banned from 2029. Of course I ask myself, why not 2027? Surely they can get it off the shelves by then.
There is so much confusion going on at the Dade County nest. These are the facts. I want you to read this carefully. Banding and the correct documentation are crucial. It cannot be haphazard.
R9 hatched on 12/20/25, and R10 hatched on 12/22/25. They were banded on 1/31/26 at 42 and 40 days of age. During banding, samples were taken to determine their genders, and it was revealed that they are both male. The intention was to band R9 with the #6/9 band, and band R10 with the #7/0 band. However, on banding day the eaglets were mixed up, and R9 was given the 7/0 band, R10 was given the 6/9 band. There are several expert viewers who have watched this nest most of the day every day, and they were always able to identify which eaglet was which, including on banding day, and since banding day. When the cams resumed after banding, every one of these viewer-experts knew right away that the bands had been reversed. On banding day, we had hoped that the banders would have been able to tell the eaglets apart by the distinct differences in their tails, and by the few fluffy white feathers that R10 still had on his neck on that day. The eaglets’ personalities regarding the dominant and submissive sibling were the same as they had always been… R9 dominant, R10 submissive, (although R10 has recently become more aggressive since R9 branched). The authorities refused to acknowledge the opinions of these expert viewers, who individually have probably watched these eagles more than the admin/mods combined.
No one ever said that the eaglets’ band numbers needed to be sequential. But, the admin apparently wanted their names to match his banding documentation. The admin mandated that chatters call the eaglets by the wrong names. Chatters are not permitted to call the eaglets by their real names, we are supposed to pretend that each eaglet is the other one now, lol. One of the long-time primary chatters, ‘mary_mcg’, quit the chat a few weeks ago because she refused to call the eaglets by the wrong names. Experienced chatters have resorted to simply calling the eaglets by their band numbers, rather than calling them the wrong names. More recently, even the admin and the mods have been calling the eaglets by their band numbers rather than a name! The result has been total confusion on the chat as newer chatters and those that haven’t been on the chat for a while drop by. The band numbers are confusing to them, and they ask which eaglet is which… but experienced chatters are not permitted to respond truthfully.
HERE ARE THE FACTS: R9 (band 70) branched on 2/27 at 69 days of age. R9 unintentionally fledged on 3/4 at 74 days of age. Ground observers stated that R9 is doing fine, was seen flying well, and then he perched in a tree. A little later on 3/4, R10 (band 69) branched for the first time, at 72 days of age. You can trust me on this. I put together a video showing R9 branching, R9’s fludge/fledge, and R10 branching. Video: https://youtu.be/BotBY9tD4U0?
I am working on a post that focuses solely on the Kakapo. Like the California Condors, they are so endangered and they breed only every four years so there is great excitement in New Zealand as this year’s eggs hatch into fluffy little flightless parrots.
Geemeff sends us another warning about using balloons – sorry, Toby. There will never be balloons used in any party at our house!
Big Red and Arthur continue to work on their nest.
Arrivals in parts of the US of ospreys are three weeks ahead of schedule. Keep your eyes to the sky.
My inbox has been full of readers upset by the seemingly contradictory information coming out of Fort Myers, Florida, regarding the death of F23. She was much loved. It took a while, but after Harriet by F23 won our hearts for being such a wonderful Mum. Now there is a petition for transparency in F23’s death. It is sponsored by Barb Henry. No money required. https://c.org/NvjPRCRWkb
At the NE Florida nest of Beau and Gabby, first hatch Kai has branched and guess what, so did Eve. Today is the first day that they have perched on the branches outside the nest, however.
Just a taste of some of the news coming out of our nests.
Thank you so much for being with us. Please take care! See you soon.
Thank you to the individuals who created videos and posted information on FB, to Raptor Persecution UK for staying on top of the persecution of our feathered friends in that country, and to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my screen captures.
Heidi brought me the good news: “Moorings Park had their first hatch at 12:45 this afternoon.” She noted that the first hatch had its very first fish dinner at 1504 while the second egg was hatching!
Sally is incredible at delayed incubation!
Oh, it’s nice to have some good news!
‘B’ also sent a story from the LA Times. They write: “Cute story in the LA Times today on “How two Big Bear eagles became social media’s hottest love story”.
I really hope it helps raise funds to purchase the land around the nest of Jackie and Shadow!
Thank you for being with us. Take care. See you tomorrow when there will be two — or could there be three?
Thanks, Heidi, for the heads up and to ‘B’ for the very cool article on Jackie and Shadow. If you are a member of The Joy of Ospreys FB, there is a video of the event. Thank you to Moorings Park for the streaming cam that lets us into the lives of Harry and Sally and their osplets.
The only viable egg at Duke Farms has hatched! There is a very strong and predicted to be quite powerful blizzard headed towards this nest. Please keep this family in your prayers.
I am starting to write my post Saturday evening. It is 1733 and the conservatory is filled with light. The days are much longer and that is truly welcome. Everyone feels good. The weather will, however, continue to get cooler until next weekend when they are predicting we will drop to -30 C.
Today, we put another area rug in the conservatory. There is a reason for these rugs – they are for Toby. He chases Hugo Yugo throughout the house or Hugo Yugo chases him. There is a real issue regarding the legs of these Cavaliers. Like Toby’s food, I am doing everything I can to protect his health and physical well being. This means there is one more rug to get for the library area. At the same time, these rugs must be secured so that Don doesn’t trip on them. Talk about a balancing act!
Hugo Yugo and Toby helped with the rug.
We need to send some good energy to Duke Farms. One of the three eggs broke Friday night. The other one appears to not be viable. There is, however, one little eaglet working hard to get out of the last egg!
The siblings at the Winter Park Florida Bald Eagle nest are doing fantastic.
Jazz is getting a private feeding. Things on this nest, the E3 at the Kisatchie National Forest have turned around just as everyone had hoped. Nola still has first rights, so to speak, but Jazz is eating well and there is plenty of food coming on the nest. The little one looks great.
So far the food deliveries on the E1 nest of Anna and Louis II have been low on Saturday.
There is a second egg for Jack and Jill at Achieva.
Decorah Mum protected her precious egg scovered in snow. There are two of them.
Owlvira and Hoots two of the four owlets that survived are doing fantastic.
Little Miami Conservancy now has three eggs.
There are now 10 Kakapo chicks. This is going to be a brilliant year! There was a daytime egg check a few minutes ago. Here it is on video: https://youtu.be/bkNQWALZ9mw?
Bella has laid the third egg for her and Scout. Wish them luck! Deb Stecyk has it on video: https://youtu.be/PCAOOIIyBVM?
Baby Hope wishes everyone a wonderul end to their weekend.
Missey hopes your weather is warmer than ours.
Brock had several meals and slept on my neighbour’s porch for about three hours. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
Thank you for a quick check in with some of our nests. We will be back again with you on Monday with more news about our wonderful feathered friends. Please take care. Enjoy the end of the weekend. Get outside if you can. It is revitalising!
Thank you to those who created videos, to the owners of the streaming cams who let us peek into the lives of our feathered friends, and to the authors of the FB posts who keep us informed of all the action! I am truly grateful.
