Tag Archives: Helen MacDonald

Hatch underway at Royal Albatross Colony…Monday in Bird World

19 January 2026

Good Morning,

We hope that you had a good weekend! It was ——– cold here. You can use whatever word you like. The wind blew so that even in the City there were whiteouts. I cleared off the two tables beside Brock’s feeding station to see how much snow actually fell. Have a look!

The young lad clearing the snow has certainly been busy. We are now under an extreme cold warning and some forecasts say that we will have between -38 and -42 C temperatures this coming weekend. I cannot even imagine it.

Toby was finally able to get the mats off his tummy after his stay at the vet, but the groomer had to shave him. Now Toby likes to go outside to do his ‘business’. Potty pads are for little baby training – you can almost hear him say that. Poor fella. He flew outside, did the job, and got right back in. I had a warm towel waiting for that bare stomach of his. Can dogs get frostbite?

Neighbour came up with a solution – we are going to try doggie long johns on Toby tomorrow for his walk with Ellen.

The big worry at the moment is Brock. He has not been seen since late Thursday. This is unlike him. One of the neighbours and I are keeping a close eye on our feeding stations and others have joined in to check for prints – but with the blowing snow prints are not always present. I fear he has gotten snowed in his bolt hole and cannot get out even by clawing. Oh, please let him be alright.

Bird World? What is happening.

The egg has been switched and the hatch for the Royal Cam chick is underway in New Zealand! Liznm has the switch on video: https://youtu.be/Ab_hrAB1jp8?

There is also a hatch underway in the Kistachie National Forest in the first egg at E1 nest in Louisiana.

At the E3 nest, the eggs are ​​28 and 25 days old today.

SK Hideaways has a great line up of videos for the week.

SK Hideaways Videos Week of 11 January 2026

AEF-NEFL Eagles ~ Northeast Florida ~ Gabby, Beau, NE32 & NE33
Courtesy American Eagle Foundation/NEFL Eagle CamOps https://nefleaglecam.org/
Nest Cam 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouWBQoVFegI
Nest Cam 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQrJv_Dt4tY
Cam 3 (Approach view) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImHK7o8UHXE
Nest Cam 4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gkln9bA4CwE

NE33 Comes to Terms with New Clown Feed & Flappable Arms (2026 Jan 17)
As 18-day-old NE32 napped, 17-day-old NE33 looked down only to discover very large appendages at the end of its legs that seemingly sprouted overnight. Yes, the clown feet phase has arrived along with more exuberant baby wingers. This is going to be fun. 
Video: https://youtu.be/ydq-njzJr7I


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 ~Resident in flux

Two Harbors: 22 Years Wed ~ Cholyn & Chase Still Bump, Beak, and Cuddle (2026 Jan 13)
Cholyn and Chase filled their morning nestorations with lots of bonding bumps and beaking. Though some might call “anthropomorphism” on us, the frequent direct physical contact made by these 28-year-old wonders could only be described as cuddles (by us). Nearly 23 years as a mated pair and the romance lingers on. 
Video: https://youtu.be/njM08jBvYNU
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org, Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops
Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ

West End:  Possible Haku Return Followed by 3-Way Chase Around the Tors (2026 Jan 15)
A third eagle appeared at the West End, who looks a lot like Haku. A positive ID awaits her visiting the nest, where field marks are clearer. The pair that has been around for a while sat together away from this third eagle. 

As sunset approached, there was a remarkable chase scene that seemed to involve minimal physical contact. All three eagles were seen flying after that, so all is well. Who knows what will transpire tomorrow. 
Video: https://youtu.be/XiDDW4QvFpA

FOBBV Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, California ~ Jackie & Shadow
Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley

Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE
Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc
LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz

Jackie Brings Another Tree to the Fortress ~ Shadow Shakes His Head (2026 Jan 13)
Jackie is very focused on creating a fortress to protect the eaglets we hope will come along in this nesting season. To that end, she brought an even bigger “tree” to the nest than before. Shadow wasn’t too sure about all the big new furniture, but in his easygoing way, just helped “fix” the placement once Jackie stepped aside. They also both pancaked in the nest bowl to test the comfort level. 
Video: https://youtu.be/rmGaHA-YRtM

Jackie Adds Large Furniture ~ Alters as Needed ~ Shadow Steers Clear (2026 Jan 12)
Shadow thought evening nestorations would be minimal, but Jackie arrived with a massive, complex branch. Shadow mostly stayed out of the way as Jackie tinkered away ~ whittling and snapping branches. Final placement of the big, new furniture is pending. 
Video: https://youtu.be/EMnEs2oLQ74

Redding Bald Eagles ~ Redding, California ~ Liberty & Guardian
Courtesy of Friends of the Redding Eagles, Redding, California 
URL changes frequently, so here’s main page to livestream: https://www.youtube.com/@FriendsoftheReddingEagles/streams

Liberty & Guardian Tweak Nest Bowl ~ Bump Bonding All the Way (2026 Jan 16)
Liberty and Guardian made two morning visits to the nest, tweaking sticks, aerating nesting material, and all the while bump bonding. There was a minor disagreement about furniture placement, but the ensuing beaking was brief and flirty. 
Video:  https://youtu.be/gP7Yj1vtEH8

Liberty and Guardian Defend Nest Against Mystery Midnight Intruder (2026 Jan 15)
Guardian flew in to the nest just after midnight and began alert calling. Liberty joined him shortly after and the two of them sounded the alert for quite a while. While we didn’t see the intruder on camera, it could have been a Great Horned Owl or the female sub-adult bald eagle who has been hanging around the nest in the past few days or both!  At 6:02-6:06 in the video, there is rustling and the sound of a sub-adult right before Guardian issues a few wing slaps. 

Our dynamic duo defended together until they deemed the threat over. Liberty pancaked in the nest and dozed with her head against Guardian as he continued to keep watch. We think he grabbed a few winks as well. Eventually Guardian flew off, but Liberty stayed till dawn. This middle-of-the-night nest defense surely signals that nesting season is in full swing (not to mention the mating observed!). (2026 Jan 15)
Video: https://youtu.be/hM36iXT_qfc

Want to learn more about the illegal killing of raptors in the Dales? There are three free webinars to inform you.

Three free webinars about illegal raptor persecution hosted by Friends of the Dales ‘Eyes on the SkiDownload

Fish gifts arriving at the US Steel nest! Indeed, across the eagle nests, the others are getting ready to breed. https://youtu.be/kVmf5ljfXaM?s

One of my favourite books is H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald. Indeed, I like all of MacDonald’s books. Now H is for Hawk is an audio book! And it is a movie. Yes! Part of the article reads, “It is coming up to 12 years since the publication of H Is for Hawk, about the historian, writer and naturalist Helen Macdonald’s time spent training a Eurasian goshawk after an intense period of grief. Showered with awards, the book was a runaway hit and sparked a literary trend for shared transformative encounters with animals including cats, dogs, magpies and hares.

This month, H Is for Hawk comes to the big screen in a new adaptation starring Claire Foy. But there is still time to get to know the source material, which tells of the sudden death of the author’s father and how Macdonald, an experienced falconer who had previously trained kestrels and peregrines, took delivery of a temperamental young goshawk named Mabel with the aim of taming her and teaching her to hunt. Macdonald, who is non-binary, is the audiobook’s narrator. Their reading is characterised by introspection, curiosity and flashes of humour as they observe this “spooky, pale-eyed psychopath” who, as well as feeding and flying, likes to play ball with scrunched-up bits of paper.”

H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald audiobook review – a soaring journey through griefhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/jan/15/h-is-for-hawk-by-helen-macdonald-audiobook-review-a-soaring-journey-through-grief?CMP=share_btn_url

Updates on the Northern Ireland Peregrine Falcon shooting:

Update on the shot Peregrine in Strabane, Northern Ireland – Raptor Persecution UKDownload

Update on what is happening at Knepp with its rewilding and Burns night celebrations. Oh, I wish I could be there!

Regenuary Burns Night Celebrations at KneppDownload

More eagles dying of lead toxicity. (There is great information on amounts that kill in this posting from Wild Heart Ranch in Oklahoma. When will humans get fed up with using lead and its impact on wildlife and stop the lead? ‘J’ sends us news:

·”It takes 1 ppm lead (parts per million) to kill an eagle, but less can easily be fatal. 

This is the last photo of this beautiful eagle standing, taken Saturday. He crashed last night and we gently ended his struggle. 

His initial lead test was above .65 ppm, which is as high as our machine reads, but he was responding to treatment and gaining strength, though he never did keep solid food down. All his calories were gavage fed (tube) and even though we deal with lots of birds that initially cannot deal with solids, we usually have them eating within 3-4 days. He wanted the fish so badly. He just couldn’t tolerate it, indicating the severity of his condition. 

We did 5 days of lead chelation (binding lead in the blood with CAEDTA) and we were getting there, but it was too little too late.

His last blood test showed 27.3 on the machine (.27ppm). We had brought his levels way down, but the damage was already done. His blood tests on Friday showed his liver was struggling, so we knew then not to get our hopes up. 

A “lead eagle” is an every day, all day-late into the night high alert here. We give them privacy and rest, but in between, we are on a medical battlefield, in constant contact with the veterinarians from the Tulsa Zoo, (eagle experts) adjusting, evaluating, changing treatment… following directions to the letter, recording every move we make and every result, so that if things go south, we KNOW we did everything we could, and if we pull off a “miracle”, we have our map for next time. 

There is no confidence when lead levels are this high, but if they are fighting and stabilizing, we will continue to support them, even when we know their odds are low. When they crash, it isn’t a small symptom. They go down, close their eyes and they give up. That’s what he did last night. 

For some of our crew, this was their first “lead eagle”. They gained experience and understanding of treatment and symptoms and the delicate and intense work of battling this toxin. His life made an impact here as he helped new hands learn how to care and reminded us of the reality of lead in the wild and why it is so important that we educate and ask, again and again. However long it takes. 

ONE is too many. Lets keep lead out of the wild. For our eagles, a FLAKE, smaller than a grain of rice, is likely fatal. 

Annette 

I’ll be on Fox News Tulsa this morning talking about him. 

His last test was a .27

Here is AI overview of blood test guidelines:

„A lead level of 0.27 ppm (27 µg/dL) in an eagle is a significant finding, indicating subclinical lead exposure, meaning the bird has ingested lead and is likely suffering chronic effects, even without obvious symptoms, but isn’t in immediate acute crisis like levels over 60 µg/dL; it’s well above background levels (below 0.2 ppm) and a major concern for eagle health, with many birds in this range experiencing subtle issues like poor body condition or anemia, and it’s a common level found in wild eagles, highlighting ammunition as a primary source.”

Beyond sad.

The first mortality of 2026 has been added to the new memorial wall. If you know of others, please let me know! Adding these names just makes me weep. I know that I am missing some from 2025 – if you notice one that isn’t there, don’t hesitate to contact me.

I am working hard to review how my care of Don is doing – and how I can engage him in helping me rather than me having to do all of the housework, all the care of the animals, and ‘entertaining’ and caring for Don. I have learned that those with dementia do not need to be entertained. Some people with dementia need to be busy – and Don is one of those. But it doesn’t need to exhaust me at the same time. So, for as long as he can, he and Toby will vacuum the carpets and apply Bono to the hardwood floors. Don can fold towels or clean out drawers (under supervision), and Toby can drag them out just as he puts them in. In the end, it doesn’t matter. Dishwashers can be unloaded – we have done all of this before, but I will engage him in helping with earnestness until the weather warms up and we can be outside. I know how much my life has changed because it was this time last year that we were in Guadeloupe. Shortly after, a sea change occured and Don’s dementia has progressed. That progression has changed our lives – and clearly it has impacted how often I can send out a newsletter about our favourite birds. But, I am not giving up! So, wish me luck. If you have any ideas, send me a note. I appreciate any and all ideas.

Thank you so very much for being with us today. We hope that you have a really good week. We are looking forward to having you with us in a couple of days, when we have some cute little hatchlings.

Thank you to SK Hideaways for their great videos. Thank you to the creators of the other videos, the owners of the streaming cams that let us view the lives of our favourite bird families, authors of FB posts, and authors of articles and posts that help us understand the lives of our raptors. My blog would never be the same without your talents.

Thursday Morning in Bird World

14 April 2022

Dyson sends his love to everyone and he wants you to know that he is doing what he does best – getting seeds off the hard seed cylinders!

Thank you so much for your kind notes. The snow storm did precisely what had been predicted. There was a lull yesterday in the late afternoon and then the snow began with earnest around midnight. The forecast is now at the higher end of the snow accumulation at 80 cm or 2.62 feet. We continue to clear periodically and put down a line of seed that extends across 9 metres or 30 feet of decking and keep the feeders full and check on the hard seed cylinders as they need replacing. It has been a challenge. The sheer number of birds in the garden speaks to the recent arrival of thousands of birds during spring migration. Rain is set to start shortly turning to snow in the afternoon. Could it get worse for our feathered friends? The winds continue to bring some white out conditions. Hopefully the storm will taper off, as predicted, late Friday. Sadly, it brings out the worst in the birds who are hungry and fearful that they will starve to death. It is not unlike the beaking in the streaming cam nests when a weather event or diminished prey delivery sets off the ‘survival’ instinct in the biggest bird. Difficult to watch.

When you think you have absolutely ‘had it’ – you ‘are done’ with the birds and their beaking and bonking, stop and watch this piece of archival film that Charles Puleston shot in one of his Osprey nests on Long Island in the 1950s. It is called ‘My Turn’.

I can promise you that there is nothing more joyful, more tearful, and more satisfying than having a third hatch almost die in front of your eyes and then to have them turn around and become the most clever and dominant bird on the nest! It happens! Those are the nests you never forget.

A few of you have written to me in the last week about your need to pull back from the streaming cams and the chats that go along with some of the nests. The last note came this morning from a reader and I thought it would be a good time to discuss this. Watching the streaming cams can often bring about a sense of utter helplessness and frustration instead of the joy you anticipated. Instead of shutting the birds out of your life, I would like to make a couple of recommendations. The first is to educate yourself about the species you are watching. You do not have to purchase the books, go to your local library and if they do not have a copy see if they can order one in for you to borrow. The second is to arm yourself with emergency call numbers. Last year when a fostered Osprey chick fell off the nest at Patuxent River’s nests, the nature centre was closed. No one was answering the phone. People watched in horror hearing the chick splashing in the water. A number of us began to call leaving messages. One of the staff heard these and took their canoe back out to the park and found the chick – just in time – and literally tossed it back on the nest. This was a perfect outcome. That said frantic phone calls came from Hawaii, Canada, and the US to anyone who would listen. Every streaming cam needs the number of the local wildlife rehabber. Sadly, they do not post them. So it is up to you to find those numbers and have them ready if something happens. You also need to understand that most times help does not come. That is why Patuxent was simply so fantastic.

OK. Back to educating yourself. If you want to understand how the use of DDT caused the large Apex predators such as Eagles and Osprey to become almost extinct, get a copy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Here is an article that speaks to the importance of this book.

Find out who Dennis Puleston was to the environmental movement and how he signalled the decline in Ospreys. Who was Charles Broley to the Bald Eagle community? These are people who fought the good fight to protect and restore the populations of Ospreys and Bald Eagles. You should know who they are. For a specific UK approach, any of the books by Mark Avery who headed the RSBP for 25 years are excellent.

The current threat is often from climate change and for eagles it is heat. Many eagles went into care last summer as did Ospreys particularly in the Pacific Northwest. One of the newest additions that David Hancock (Hancock Wildlife) is adding to the artificial nests for the Eagles in British Columbia, Canada is a shade screen. Ground breaking. How fantastic! Indeed, you might have noted the artificial nest in the Miami Zoo for the WRDC nest. These human-made nests will become more common as trees fail just as artificial platforms are now common for Ospreys.

How many times have you seen individuals belittled and having to apologize for putting human emotions on birds? This especially happens in some chats. I suggest that you read Marc Bekoff, The Emotional Lives of Animals. Good solid research. You won’t apologize again! Jennifer Akerman’s The Genius of Birds and The Bird Way are also very good.

My library is mostly full of books on Ospreys and the smaller raptors, Peregrine Falcons and Red-tail Hawks.

Falcons: The Peregrine by J.A. Baker, Falcon by Helen Macdonald, and H is for Hawk are some good starters. Winter’s Hawk speaks to the persecution of the Red-tail Hawk where I grew up, in Oklahoma. The Kings and their Hawks gives a particular historical perspective. These are a few to get you started.

Ospreys: Alan Poole’s Ospreys is a good solid introduction to the birds. I am particularly fond of David Gessner’s Soaring with Fidel: An Osprey Odyssey from Cape Cod to Cuba and Beyond for a good look at the issue of migration, particularly the New England ospreys. It is a good read. Gessner’s other books speak to various environmental issues impacting birds. There are others: Scottish Ospreys by Philip Brown, Lady of the Loch by Helen Armitage amongst others. I will try and bring one up now and then.

If you want to understand migration, A World on the Wing. The Global Odyssey of Migrating Birds is a great start!

If you want a good laugh, Zarankin’s Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder is excellent!!!!

I did a quick check on some of the nests. The third hatch is hanging in there at the UFlorida Gainsville Osprey nest! Good for it. Spunky little thing.

Here is the link to the UF Osprey cam. It is not on YouTube.

https://wec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/ospreycam/

The sun is coming out on Little Middle and Big at the Dale Hollow nest. They will be anxious for some fish to arrive on their nest.

Deb Stecyk did a short video of Big and Little Middle in the storm.

I found a new Peregrine Falcon nest this morning! It is in the UK at the Chichester Cathedral. There are four eggs.

When people get burnt out of watching Bald Eagles and Ospreys – where there is often a lot of beaking – I highly recommend both falcon and hawk nests. They are often overlooked because they are smaller raptors but the way that they take care of their young is reassuring that life is good.

There is also a Kestrel nest in Yorkshire. Eggs soon!

I highly recommend the streaming cam of Big Red and Arthur at the Cornell Campus in Ithaca, New York. Good solid nest. Big Red is 19 and Arthur is 6. Big Red has been raising little hawklets for 17 years – for ten on camera. Only one did not fledge and that was K2 in 2021 due to a beak injury and infection. There is also a good respectful moderated chat for a couple of hours in the morning.

The Queen of the RTHs, Big Red incubating four eggs on the Fernow Light Tower. This is the first time she has laid 4 eggs since the camera was set up in 2012.

Indeed, you will notice a lot of nests of falcons and hawks with four eggs this year. It could be nature’s way of adjusting for the quickly spreading Avian Flu.

Half way around the world, Lesser Spotted Eagles will be nesting in Latvia. The nest of Anna and Andris is now happy as Andris returned from his migration yesterday. Anna came home on the 12th.

And because incubation can be so boring to watch, Cal Falcons has done a really fast day in the life of Annie and the New Guy incubating! So funny and a good way to end this blog.

All of the nests seem to be doing fine. The first egg at Llyn Clywedog was laid at 10:27 this morning UK time. That is the nest of Dylan and Seren. I will be checking on those UK Osprey nests later today.

Thank you so much for joining me and for all of your good wishes, prayers, and warm thoughts for us and the garden birds and animals in the storm. It is much appreciated. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Under the Feeders. 14 April 2022

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: DHEC, UFlorida Osprey Nest, and Cornell Bird Lab and RTH.

A hurricane, two nests, and falcons

Elsa was a category 1 hurricane when she bore down on the Southwest Florida coast last evening. The two chicks on the Sarasota Bay Osprey Nest had their talons anchored, riding out the gusts and the rain. This was the pair of them at 23:08 Tuesday, 6 July.

Whew! No chicks blown off the nest just a good soaking.

As the gusts calmed some in Sarasota, they were picking up at the Achieva Osprey Nest in St Petersburg. It is nearly midnight. What is surprising are the number of cars on the streets and even people walking. The nest perch weaves back and forth. Oh, I am ever so glad that Tiny Tot is not on this nest! Indeed, I can see why the birds might choose to migrate north for the summer to get away from hurricane season.

All of this made all of the aunties and uncles relatively nervous. We can’t do anything but watch which is precisely the problem! And none of us knows what kind of damage the storm will do.

Instead of drinking coffee and eating way too much chocolate, I turned my mind to Peregrine Falcons.

“Peregrine Falcon” by Bill Gracey 26 Million Views is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Peregrine Falcons. The fastest animal on the planet. Speeds up to 390 kph or 243 mph. They are flying killing machines attacking their prey in the air instead of on land. They are magnificent creatures who appear in art, literature, culture, and sport.

“Peregrine Falcon” by DaveInman is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Falcons appear on the shoulders of the terracotta figures, the haniwa, on the Kofun (mound tombs) in Japan from 300-555 CE. These were royal tombs. The haniwa were not placed on the inside of the tomb but, rather, on the top of the mound as if in a ceremonial parade. They served many functions. One of those was utilitarian – they kept the soil from eroding as they would have their bottom portion pushed into the the ground.

Using Google Earth, satellite images show you the distinctive ‘keyhole’ design of these ancient burial sites. Forests now cover the sites but originally, they would have been cleared. These hollow clay figures covered the surface. Were they there to protect the deceased? did they tell about the status of their life on earth? No written records exist but we know that over time simple clay cylinders developed into very elaborate human and animal shapes like the falconer, above.

Falconry was known to be practised by the aristocracy in Japan. Taka is the Japanese word for falcon. Taka means strength and bravery. It is no wonder that the art of falconry, takagari, was adopted by the warrior class, the samurai.

The military class ruled Japan during the Edo era. During the Tokugawa Shogunate, 1603-1858, local war lords (daimyo) and the Shogun hired painters to depict the falcons on crests, screens, textiles such as boy’s kimono, in hangings as well as in single sheets or albums.

The image below is one of many woodblock prints depicting falcons. This one is Falcons with nestlings in a pine tree at sunrise by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

Falconry is still practiced in Japan today. Here is a lovely short video about a woman who desired to take up the sport.

As it happens, I have just finished reading Queen of the Sky. That is probably why falcons are on my mind. In fact, this beautiful little book is sitting next to me. The illustrations are gorgeous.

What a marvellous little book written and illustrated by Jackie Morris. It is the story of Ffion Rees’s rescue of a Peregrine Falcon off the coast of Ramsay Island. It might be easy for someone to think, on the surface, that it is a condensed version of H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald. If so, they would be missing the book’s heart. It is about love. “Come and see what is in my kitchen” Ffion urges Jackie. It is a story that weaves the lives of the women and the bird – love, loss, and friendship – together in a book that you will not wish to set down. Morris draws you in – you can smell the sea and the land, you can hear the gulls and you want to escape into the wild that is Ramsay Island. Required with the book are at least half a dozen tissues.

Morris tells us that the Peregrine Falcons hatched on Ramsay’s Islands are believed to be the fastest and most fierce in all of the United Kingdom. The kings of England kept many birds from Ramsay.

As a child do you recall the nursery rhyme about the Four and Twenty Blackbirds baked in a pie? Can you conjure that image? Like the one in the old coloured drawing below?

“King William IV sits with knife and fork at the ready before a pie containing blackbirds served to him by Lord Melbourne. Coloured lithograph by H.B. (John Doyle), 1836.” is licensed under CC BY 4.0

But did you know that King Henry II (1133-1189), known as Henry the Falconer, allowed his noblemen to bring their falcons with them whenever there was a feast? And adding to that, did you know that Henry’s chefs made special pies full of live songbirds (they could not have baked them!) and when they were opened the birds flew out as fast as they could while the owners took the hoods off the falcons?

Hoods protect the eyes of the falcon and help to keep it calm. They can very elaborate. This one is in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, England. It dates from the early 17th century and is made of leather which has been incised and gilded. There is silk velvet embroidery with silver thread along with silver breads and a tuft. It is typical of the type of hoods used in Europe at the time. Isn’t it gorgeous?

@Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Can you see it in those cold stone castles with their long wooden tables, pies full of birds flying and thrashing about being chased by stealth fliers? Plucked feathers flying all about and landing in the food?

Falcons raise their eyases in scrape boxes or on the sides of cliffs or in caves. The scrape are shallow and contain gravel. It is believed that the falcons developed this method of raising their chicks to keep away the pests and diseases associated with twig nests.

“Peregrine Falcon chick banding” by WSDOT is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

There are several falcon scrapes that have streaming cams. One of the most famous couples in the United States is Annie and Grinnell who have their scrape box in the Campanile of the University of California at Berkeley. They have just fledged three boys – Fauci, Kaknu, and Wek-Wek. At this time of year, if you want to watch falcons hatch and fledge, you have to go to the falcon streaming cams in the Southern Hemisphere. Two are the CBD Peregrine Falcons otherwise known as the Collins Street Falcons in Melbourne, Australia and the scrape box of Xavier and Diamond on top of the water tower on the campus of Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia. The CBD Peregrine Falcon Cam is not up and running yet. I will let you know when it is.

Here is the link to the live streaming cam with Diamond, Xavier, and their nine-month old son, Izzi, who refuses to leave home!

I am very happy to say that the two chicks on the Sarasota Bay Osprey Nest survived their very first hurricane. Here they are at 10 am, Wednesday, 7 July.

Tiny Tot’s nest held up perfectly well, too. No one was on it but one of the adult visitors this morning for a bit. We all assume that the impact of the storm had no harmful effects on our beloved Osprey family in St. Petersburg.

The question of who this bird is has driven me a little nuts. The bird has the white ‘V’ and the rounded white heart shape that Tiny Tot has. It has the black patch on the rear of the head that Tiny has. It has Tiny’s short thick legs. But, this is an adult!

Thank you for joining me today. Many of us are quite tired having stayed up to ride the hurricane out. It is such a relief that it has passed. If today’s blog is a little disconnected – that was the state of my mind last night. It will all pass (we hope). Take care all!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen images: The Bay Sarasota Osprey Cam and the Achieva Credit Union in St Petersburg, Florida.