We wake up, and over our morning cuppa, we count the animals at the feeders. There are always four grey squirrels, one red squirrel, two Blue Jays, and two Crows. The number of Starlings, Sparrows, Juncos, and others varies during the day. But, for two days, there have only been three grey squirrels. Thankfully, the elderly Dyson, the matriarch of all the grey squirrels, is one of those. But where is the other one?
On our walk with Toby, we passed by the house that had burned down at the corner some time ago. There on the boulevard was the grey squirrel. It had no visible signs of being hit by a car, and there were no wires for it to fall from its position. A friend of Don’s was here for lunch, and we determined with some minor science that it had probably been poisoned. Its body was brought back to the garden where it had played in the lilacs and filled its belly for several years with peanuts. I buried it between two trees. Will find a beautiful stone to sit on top – incense lifted its spirit into the wind.
My concern now turns to who is using rodenticide and why. Yes, there are mice. Most of us feed the birds, and where there is seed, there are mice. I have been told that using only Black Oil Seed and peanuts will not attract the mice as the grains do. The Crows and the Hawks catch mice; we don’t have to do anything. Owls, of course, are another great way to rid an area of rats and mice. But with rodenticide use, nothing is safe. What if the Crows had eaten the carcass? Or a pet dog? Toby? One of the feral cats? Brock? It makes my mind go crazy thinking about poisoning our world.
Luckily, our lovely company kept my mind off of rodenticide and I needed to check the ospreys while Don was busy with his friend.
I had a look, and, surprise, surprise, there is the first UK pip at Maya and Blue 33’s nest at Rutland’s Manton Bay!
It is such a deep nest. We need an overhead cam!!!!!!!!!
All is well with the trio at Big Red and Arthur’s Red-tail Hawk nest on the Cornell Campus. Yes, P3 is being fed!!!!!!!!!!!! No one is left out. We are too conditioned by the osprey and eagle nests!!!!!!!! Hawks and Falcons are notorious for making sure everyone is fed. There is no shortage of prey.
The first failed osprey nest in Maryland was in Severna Park. Was it before those failing in Virginia? It is not clear. I am receiving notes today that several other nests where Omega Protein fishes a mile off the coast of Nassawadox Creek are seeing the adults abandon their eggs. Nassawadox Creek is a tidal waterway in Northampton County, Virginia, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. There will be more, and we must prepare ourselves. If you have not figured it out, the decline in osprey numbers is worse than the DDT crisis of the 1970s. Someone needs to do something about this!
Sad news coming out of Scotland over the use of an illegal trap.
There is really great news coming out of Glaslyn. Aran and Elen’s two year old chick has touched down for all to see! What a wonderful migration and so happy that one of their babies has been seen in Wales.
This is a reason to ring every osplet on every osprey nest – which is attempted in the UK but not in North America.
Everything is going well at Achieva Osprey Platform.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 11th May 2026
Another routine day, it started and ended with a little rain, and in between were lots of fish deliveries – both males brought three fish each, although one of Louis’ was so tiny, it needed a close up to see it was actually a whole fish and not just a scrap, and Garry LV0 also brought a tiny fish – his was still flapping. The Nest Two tally rises to fifty six, and Garry’s rises to fifty eight. It’s great to see both males supplying a steady stream of fish as hatching day starts getting nearer when it will be paramount. As the day ends, Dorcha and Aurora 536 are tucked up sitting on eggs on their respective nests, protecting them from the sporadic light rain which is set to continue through the night and most of tomorrow, with an overnight low of 6°c and a high of 13°c tomorrow afternoon.
There is so much going on. Iris’s new mate kept her company at the nest. This lad really does like to incubate, but I wish he would fish a bit more!
I love Iris and New Guy 2 watching their trains!
Thank you so much for being with me this evening. Take care! See you soon.
The two besties – Toby and Hugo Yugo – wish you a great week.
Thank you to Geemeff for all things Loch Arkaig, to ‘PB’ and Heidi for counting and identifying fish, to everyone who posts on FB with images and news updates, to Raptor Persecution for always reporting what is truly going on without any prejudice, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these amazing families.
Ever heard of the International Dawn Chorus? Well, it’s tomorrow.
AI Overview: International Dawn Chorus Day 2026 takes place on Sunday, May 3, 2026. Celebrated annually on the first Sunday in May, this global event encourages people to wake early to experience the peak spring birdsong, either by joining organized guided walks or simply listening from home.
Key Details for 2026:
The Experience: Birdsong peaks in early May as annual migrants arrive, providing a spectacular, immersive, and often therapeutic soundscape.
How to Participate: You can participate anywhere, from urban areas to nature reserves. Many enthusiasts join the #DawnChorusClub on social media to share their recordings and experiences.
Events: Specific, locally hosted, in-person events include a 5:30 AM walk in Toronto’s High Park and a 6:00 AM event at Crieff, UK, according to local event listings.
Why Birds Sing: The dawn chorus peaks in spring because birds are defending territories and attracting mates.
It is recommended to check local listings for nature walks in your area.
Let’s get out in nature – .
We had our first Robin in the garden Saturday morning. So happy. We were just chatting with Ann on Friday and I said we hadn’t had Robins in the garden for several years and there it was!
Did I tell you that Toby alerted the other evening and we had two deer eating from the feeders? Life is full of beautiful moments.
Today I am having to be very cautious. Toby has had his first ‘treatment’ for ticks, fleas, and worms. These Cavaliers have many health issues. I listened to a reader, now friend, and got the best treatment I could get. Still, I cannot have the cats licking Toby’s back as one of the ingredients is dangerous for them. So the Calicos are sleeping in Don’s room and Hugo Yugo and Missey are in mine. Tonight Toby and I will lock ourselves in and by tomorrow at noon, the treatment should be completely dry and all will be well til se have to do it again in a month.
I have learned a lot, and Toby will not go to the groomers anymore. He will only have the hair between his pads cleaned, his nails trimmed and his ears cleaned. I brush him every day and shampoo and condition as necessary – when it is muddy, it could be more than once a day. He is a Spaniel!!!!!!!! They sure love to get dirty.
The Girls are good and Don is hanging in there. we have our good days and bad days. The bad ones aren’t that bad anymore! I am working on some small renovations to the house. I wasn’t happy with the glass around the French doors that were installed – I don’t know why but it bothered me immensely so I am now working on installing bookcases with drawers and a lot of moulding.
They are IKEA. David put them together yesterday evening – a great young dad with two children who works very hard. All of that glass above will be covered up with some panelling modelled on Shaker doors. The question then is to paint or not paint? I will see how tired I am. The plan was to paint them the same colour as the walls, but David also said I could leave everything white and paint the French doors a white to match the bookcases and relax. That sounds easy! I am definitely changing the handles for knobs.
Keeps my mind busy.
There are names at two nests that I know of as of a few minutes ago –
At the nest of Jackie and Shadow, the school children selected the names Sandy for the oldest and Luna for the youngest out of the names sent in.
At the nest of Irvine and Stella, USSteel, the triplets have been named:
The Achieva Credit Union runs the cam but doesn’t get involved either the ospreys. Why doesn’t the chat group have someone run a naming contest for Jack and Jill’s two?
‘PB’ took this screen capture of their bursting crops of the US Steel eaglets. Irvine has been keen to ensure the little one is fed regularly, while Stella seems to take care of the older two. I wonder if the ‘baby’ smelled different when it returned from rehab/rescue – similar to the way our cats and dogs smell different when they come home from the vet, and the other pets in the house growl and dismiss or attack them
Achieva’s Mum Jill is incredible, and if there is a bird Mum of the Year, it could well be her for pitching in immediately when she saw her baby was going to starve to death and catching those catfish like Diane used to bring in. The difference is that Jill goes fishing at a specific time in the afternoon and always comes back with a nice catfish dinner. She sometimes goes out early, too, if Jack fails to bring in breakfish.
Big at Achieva has started self-feeding. He grabbed a small fish from Jack and ate while Jill fed her catfish to Little on Saturday.
The Kakapo streaming cam is live again. They are growing so fast and turning sooooo green. Just beautiful.
The hatch at the Cornell Red Tail Hawk nest of Big Red and Arthur is bothering me. I hope I am just being too cautious. It looks like one of those high-humidity crush eggs. I want to be terribly wrong about this concern. I haven’t seen any of Big Red’s eggs crush like this in the years I have been watching – and that has been a long time. (Please feel free to correct me!)
Arthur and Big Red are doing a lot of changeovers but they are sure now showing us anything. I sure hope those babies are fine. The Cornell Bird Lab has a whole Q & A on their hawks. People always ask:
How Old Are Big Red And Arthur?
Records show that Big Red was banded in the nearby town of Brooktondale, New York, during her first autumn in 2003. Arthur was first spotted by local birders on Cornell University campus as a fledgling in 2016.
Big Red picked Arthur to be her mate after her previous mate, Ezra, died. Arthur did not yet have his red-tail!!!!!!!!!!! But as we know, the birds know better than we do. Arthur impressed by presenting Big Red with a multiple squirrels, his great hunting skills showing he would be a good provider for their chicks, won her heart. The rest is history.
The nest is, as I recall, over the years, very successful, with all the eggs hatching but one. Only one chick, K3, did not fledge. Sadly, a few have died from window collisions on the campus and one from West Nile Virus. E3 is an ambassador for the Cornell Bird Lab.
The eyases of Oren and Ruth are so cute and becoming quite the characters. Lots of food including bunnies.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 1st May 2026
A mainly routine day today after the excitement yesterday of an egg for Nest One finally arriving after six long years. Both first time parents Aurora 536 and Garry LV0 fulfilled their parental obligations with Aurora brooding the egg and Garry supplying fish, and quick meal breaks for Aurora while Garry took over egg duties. This bodes well for their next two eggs, due 3rd and 6th May. Garry delivered two fish, taking his tally to forty one, and on Nest Two, Louis also delivered two fish to Dorcha, although the first was just a tail-end snack. Their nest tally now stands at thirty five including two brought by Dorcha. Her third and probably final egg is due tomorrow, 2nd May, and with luck she won’t be disturbed by intruders like the one she fought off today, the English male Osprey whose Darvic looks like 286 and who’s intruded a couple of times already. Weather was settled but expected to change to light showers overnight with possible thunder showers tomorrow. Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/KsufkdeOL14 N2 Louis brings a tiny snack for Dorcha 06.44.34https://youtu.be/I9K9nCpFocQ N1 Garry brings Aurora a fish and remains on egg duty 11.11.28 https://youtu.be/tgDswzdcGxI N1 Garry brings a second fish but the first’s still there 15.01.43
Sadly the fishing line is still hanging out of the mouth of the only surviving of three osplets at the Moorings Park nest – Poor Winken. Is no one coming to help?
Thanks so much for being with us today. Enjoy being outside tomorrow. Smile. Listen for the birdsong. It will relieve whatever is aching your heart.
Thank you to all the contributors today – we appreciate your dedication and hard work on your summaries, your videos, your FB posts, and all the articles. Thank you so much to everyone who got in touch with me with news of happenings in Bird World and to the owners of the bird streaming cams, we are all grateful to you for allowing us into their lives.
Louis and Dorcha have their first egg of the season! Oh, how we worried Louis would not show up from migration. He has worked hard on the nest and helping Dorcha get into fit shape for the eggs and chicks.
I love this on the Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre Guides: “No fishing is permitted at Loch of the Lowes at any time of year to protect its wildlife and rare underwater flora.”
This would stop all the lines and hooks, protect the environment, and focus on what is important – the wildlife and flora.
A rope that is being used to connect broken habitats has finally been used!
Want to see some goslings jump? Check out Heidi’s post and then go to the streaming cam at Captain Mac’s. Sorry, no ospreys this year. Perhaps that is a blessing.
If you love forests as much as we do, here is a good 57-minute listen called The Scaffolding of Life by Suzanne Simard. I hope you can open it:
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 25th April 2026
Today was another settled day with good weather, plenty of fish, and no intruders. Garry LV0 brought two fish for Aurora 536 taking his tally to twenty eight, and Louis delivered four fish to Dorcha, taking the nest tally to twenty two. No eggs yet, perhaps that will give Dorcha or Louis a chance to get rid of The Stick before their first one’s laid. Louis nearly succeeded today, moving it into a much better position braced against the cot rails, however it didn’t last long there and is back where it started out today. Woods and trees are vital for the wellbeing of people and wildlife, and Woodland Trust would like our help to get candidates in the 7th May local UK elections to recognise this, details in the bonus section.
All is well for Iris and the New Guy 2 (is that the right number?). Fish delivery!
There was mating at the nest, but it was so quick and no fish that I thought it might have been you know who. Someone tell me I am wrong.
All is good at Achieva. Jill continues to deliver fish in the evening and sometimes in the mornings if Jack doesn’t deliver. The babies are doing well. Fingers crossed. Look closely. Little is getting its tail!
Jack was in with an early fish!
Big Red rolls the eggs and Arthur arrives to take over incubation.
Lots of self-feeding with Winken and Blinken at Moorings Park.
It hit. Remember that eagles actually do better in cold weather – as long as they have a food source – than in the extreme heat.
Lots of incubation going on. Most of the UK osprey nests have a full clutch but there are some just starting with eggs. We wait to see what happens at Locch Arkaig 1. We wait to see if Iris will lay eggs this year.
Meanwhile in San Jose, Monty and Hartley are busy bees feeding four.
Milda feeding her two white-tail eaglets at her nest in Durbe County, Latvia. Aren’t they cute? It is so windy at that nest!
All over Europe storks are incubating eggs. It is wonderful.
We had a very quiet Saturday. I have marked Thursdays and Saturdays off our calendar – no appointments, no visitors for Don, nothing but the regular animal feedings. No cleaning. Easy meals. No screen time. This probably sounds quite silly, but the other five days of the week are full – and they are really nice. Ann is amazing with Don and keeps him busy – talking and walking. I am forever grateful to her. Tolu keeps him squeaky clean, and Melissa now looks after the house. Tomorrow, Toby goes for his groom. He loves to get in the water and the mud. His hair is VERY curly in spots and wavy in others, and it tends to get matted in certain areas (under his ears!). We have been to Pineridge, and we might just go back today. I promised Toby a ‘car ride’. His eyes and ears perk up when I say ‘car ride’. I love it. We are fine, and I am establishing some boundaries to maintain a good balance between activity and quiet. Last evening we had a video chat with our granddaughter in Australia. She is eloping in July, and her best friend is arriving any moment to celebrate her birthday. She is happy, and that makes me happy, although we do miss her terribly.
Have a good week. Take care! See you soon.
Thank you to Geemeff and SK Hideaways, to ‘PB; who keeps me informed about all goings on at Achieva, to those who post on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch these birds. I am also grateful to Emergence Magazine, Kielder Forest, and The Guardian for reporting on environmental issues and what is happening where they are.
First, I want to thank one of our regular readers, ‘CR’, for stepping up in response to a request. I had reached out to see if anyone had images or knowledge of the owl attacks on Peanut at the Winter Park nest. ‘CR’, so concerned about this sweet eaglet, stayed up. They took video clips and still images. Why is this important? Because another regular reader has researched methods to deter owls from striking eagle nests. ‘MP’ wanted proof of the extent to which Peanut was attacked to accompany a presentation on how this viciousness could be stopped. We know that owls also attack osprey nests – this could become very important. I am so grateful to these two readers for responding and wanting to find a way to help, even if nothing comes of it soon. Thank you both! —–Remember, we can all help in many ways, small and large.
Spring feels like it is here. 16 C. However, we are expected to have torrential downpours later this week that might cause flooding. This is nothing compared to what is happening in other parts of the world and my thoughts today are with our friends in Japan who have had a strong earthquake and tsunami.
Toby and I are ‘being good’ and trying to stay out of Melissa’s way as she cleans up after us. Best thing I have ever done recently – for myself. I love a clean house, but goodness, there was never the time or the energy to get into the corners or those cobwebs 4 metres up in the conservatory. Now Toby and I need to have a conversation about ‘muddy paws’. I am going to bed smiling – the house glistens, and this is another weight off my shoulders. My mind is calm. What a wonderful way to start the week. I am so grateful to the wonderful people who help me live through having a husband with Lewy Body Dementia. Toby loves it because we can have many more walks, and Calico is getting an extra story hour!!!!!!! Gosh, I love these animals. They hear me start reading and, like lining up to get on an ark, they begin to filter into the conservatory.
So what in the world has gone on in Bird World today?
Let’s start with some sadness and move on to great joy. All three eaglets at the Hanover Bald Eagle nest, home to single Mum Hope and Dad Spot, who isn’t helping, have died. Spot killed the last one a short time ago. Reminiscent of the first year that Scout had eaglets with Bella at the NCTC nest. Very sad.
It looks like Achieva has started off good today. I saw three fish be delivered by 1400. Jack has surprised me. Little got a nice crop but he has to wait. Big is probably a ‘really BIG’ sister.
I wonder if Jack has a physical issue and that is why he was so ‘off’ with the fish? Did he get a sprained leg? Surely ospreys get unwell and out of whack like we do! At any rate, today was a fantastic day. We will celebrate it.
More fish. Little at Achieva had a nice crop before bed! Wow. What a great day.
Lola has not been seen at the Charlo nest for two full days. The Owl Institute has published a statement that might shed some light on her absence:
Iris and New Guy 2 continue to be a presence together on the Hellgate Canyon nest! Just smiling. There was a fish dug out of the rim of the nest, too, a nice big one.
Milda has her second little WT eaglet hatch at the Durbe County nest in Latvia. Congratulations!
Beautiful day in Norway at the Fru Rauer osprey nest.
There are eggs being laid at some of the Finnish osprey nests – gosh, it feels so early. At other nests, the ospreys are arriving.
And there is the egg laid on either the 18/19 of April! And then it was ‘rejected’….goodness, the drama that is unfolding at all the osprey nests this year. “Janakkala Osprey 18-19.4.2026_Aake ei hyväksy XLL:n ensimmäisen munan / Aake rejects XLL’s first egg.”
When we visited Guadalope last year, we called the Blue and Yellow Macaw at the Botanical Gardens ‘Roger’. We brought a stuffed one home which Toby adopted the minute he saw it as a little puppy. Today, these beautiful creatures are once again back in Rio. Smile. A good news story is always welcome.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 20th April 2026
Today was another routine day with mating encounters and many fish – Louis and Garry LV0 made three deliveries each. Dorcha took all three fish eagerly, but Aurora 536 turned down her second one, preferring to remain on her perch. There’s speculation that an egg might be imminent, however, she left for the night and the nest is currently empty. After Louis and Dorcha unusually pulled an all-nighter sleeping on the nest last night, Nest Two is also empty tonight. The fish count now stands at nine total for Nest Two, seven from Louis and two from Dorcha, and twenty one for Nest One, all brought by Garry. George WTS wonders “Anyone care to predict who will come out on top between Louis and Garry? Will experience or youth count?” and so far, the consensus is Louis will win. We shall see.Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/mDwLg_MTVLs N2 Louis arrives with a well munched trout 06.41.23https://youtu.be/bWqtuXimQbI N1 Aurora seizes the first fish immediately then departs 11.03.25https://youtu.be/qXuUPwjwTYA N2 Fish number two for Dorcha, a headless trout 12.47.22 https://youtu.be/whWVIkcWqII N1 Garry LV0 arrives with fish number two but Aurora 536 isn’t there 14.01.52 https://youtu.be/qhdDPmpbXiQ N1 This time Aurora doesn’t hesitate and grabs fish number three 18.51.54 https://youtu.be/VtxsuFNS6QQ N2 Dorcha has a bit of a tussle getting fish number three 19.25.37 Bonus guide to sustainable foraging and what’s in season this month:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2023/04/foraging-in-april/ Blast from the past, this day in previous years: https://youtu.be/wHZ82lsjm0w N1 Is an egg on the way? Aila rejects Louis 2020 https://youtu.be/BmWPo9QWyCo N1 Aila attacks Louis! 2020 (Slo-mo) https://youtu.be/aafgLlitPRM N1 Louis pays a flying visit to his empty nest 2021 https://youtu.be/9VqSvrxPL_E N2 Fish fight, Dorcha wins eventually 2022 https://youtu.be/Cc8twF7MOYs N2 Dorcha stays the night on the nest 2023 https://youtu.be/upyTm7MQoaY N2 Egg number three! 2024 (zoomed repeat) https://youtu.be/IrJUd9po9EQ N1 Garry LV0 does a flypast before bringing his fish to Nest One 2024 https://youtu.be/PlkidBYXpsg N2 Dorcha shows no sign of injury on leaving with her fish 2024https://youtu.be/F2ypJD3KP48 N2 Dorcha gets a lively breakfast 2025 https://youtu.be/_U3zHvEiUHY N1 Garry brings breakfast for Blue 536 2025
At the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Bald Eagle nest, fledgling/juvenile JBS24 returned to the nest for a fish dinner. I am so pleased that this juvenile is doing so well.
It is late and time for me and Toby to begin to settling for the night.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this posting – to Geemeff for all the news from Loch Arkaig, to those who posted images and information on FB, to ‘J’ for the news from naturechat.org, The Guardian for covering environmental and wildlife issues, to the owners of the streaming cams who let us observe these amazing families, and to you for caring so much about our planet and our wildlife.
I hope that the weekend was kind to you and that you were able to get outside and listen to some birdsong! In our garden, they were singing their little hearts out as the sun came up and temperatures warmed up. Everything that breathes, including our plants and trees, wishes for spring to arrive as soon as possible!
Ann was here today with Don and Toby. They had a nice long walk, and I ran a few errands. My sympathy goes out to anyone who has only the weekend to do their shopping. My goodness, it is busier than a Tuesday! Won’t be doing this again – my current ‘dream’ is a super warm day to sit on the bench at our local park and read with squirrels running about and the birds singing.
It has been, so far, a simply great day in Bird World.
New Guy 2 arrived home to Iris yesterday, and today he brought her a huge fish, which she readily accepted and took away to eat. Our sweet ‘girl’ is being treated like the very special osprey she is.
The USS eaglet that had to be rescued might be able to be returned to the nest! How wonderful is that? There is nothing like being raised on the nest with Mum and Dad. In this instance, Irv and Stella and they are marvellous parents. So happy for this baby and so very grateful to everyone who acted swiftly to get the help it required (along with all those permissions!).
We were so afraid that the middle osplet at Achieva would pass last night. Heidi counted 64 bites of fish for Saturday. Today, the little one had a nice crop and will live another day. Each day makes it stronger – at some point in time, Heidi and I figured out that after 28 days the survival rate goes up much higher.
Big sibling is getting those lovely soft juvenile feathers while middle is in the Reptile phase. Enough fish yesterday to calm the nest a bit. Again, Mum is doing an incredible job in a challenging situation. Continue sending them big puffs of positive energy!
1246 Baby is getting some good bites. It is in a great position to get food off Mum’s beak. Dad Jack watching from the perch.
The meal ended at 1311. I have no idea how much fish little got. Somehow that baby managed to get itself tangled up in the rim of the nest after.
I think Mum has gone off fishing. Well done if she has. This wee sweet baby might have a full crop which will make it feel so much better when it goes to sleep.
Mum returned, as believed, with one of her catfish. Little kept its head down til Big was full. Very smart move. Mum ate and so did Little who is going to go to bed with a very nice crop. Smile. This is a brave and resilient female and if both of these beautiful chicks fledge, it is down to Jill and her catfish, a determined female to not let her family die. I am delighted tonight.
I have received really good news from Viki who monitors twenty-one osprey nests right near her home. “It is remarkably hopeful here, osprey wise, although I nearly hourly try to rein myself in, unable to believe in a normal osprey year after the bad, worse, and steadily worsening years since 2020. But to keep on the hopeful side, here is the good spring news:
Synopsis: 21 nests; 11 w/ active pairs; 5 w/ at least 1 returned; 1 taken over by goose; 3 abandoned.
I can observe 21 nests that have been more or less active since 2020. A 22nd nest that has had a pair for years was destroyed in winter storms and no efforts at repair attempted by birds or humans.
Pairs have settled in 11 of the 21 and many appear to have begun laying eggs this week. I only feel confident of one pair actually incubating.
I have only been able to observe one osprey returned to each of four nests that had pairs last year.
I have also observed a single osprey on a fifth nest, but foliage often hides this nest from me so I cannot vouch for its history, nor feel confident in a full accounting this year.
Three nests, inactive last year, are abandoned, although Nest 3 has become the exclusive property of Nest 4 which is very close. A goose successfully kept 6-year resident Ethel off Nest 1 and probably has laid eggs in it. Nest 2 seems oddly still up for grabs, its story below.”
This is rather joyful. Two years ago all the osplets nearly died. Last year the adults abandoned their eggs after two weeks. So….it is all systems go. Can’t wait to see how things turn out this year. Thanks, Viki.
We have first eggs at Glaslyn for Teifi and Elen and at Usk Valley.
Jeff Kear and the UK Osprey FB Group have wonderful lists. Oh, I do love lists. Now, how can we get the date in there – or shall I go to the other forms???
I continue to dream that every osprey nest on a streaming cam or in a place to be monitored could have its history saved. It is so important to understand the osprey population – its growth and decline.
With all this good news, I am disappointed that there was not a single penalty imposed on the individual who destroyed the Peregrine Falcon eggs at St. Albans Cathedral last year.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 19th April 2026
It was another routine day with no intruders, just both pairs going about their business. Garry LV0 brought two fish for Aurora, although she didn’t want the second one, and spent time bring nesting materials and arranging the furnishings. His fish tally now stands at eighteen, while over on Nest Two, Louis delivered three fish, all eagerly grabbed by Dorcha, and his tally rises to four with a nest total of six including the two brought by Dorcha before he returned. The day started with the lovely sound of Louis skydancing before dawn, while Dorcha called not quite so melodiously from the nest, and ended with both of them on the nest in the dark, Dorcha on her perch and Louis snoozing on the nest. At the time of this report (23.30), they’re both still there, Louis still dozing, not surprising that he’s worn out after all his hard work yesterday and today – mating repeatedly, catching fish, skydancing and doing some enthusiastic nest prep.
I am so excited for Milda and Zorro’s first hatch. Milda is very special to me. I cried when she lost her loyal mate, Ramis, and then again when she stayed on the nest without food for at least 7 days. She was gone for a number of hours. It was winter and cold. No one believed the eggs would hatch, but there were two little miracles. And then…no food, again. The miracle little fluff balls died. Life has been very challenging for this amazing WTE and I am so hopeful that her hatchlings will thrive this year.
Ah, it’s a good night in Bird World! There is lots more going on…stay tuned!
Female birds are often overlooked. Their colouring is not so dramatic as the males. Now someone has studied female birdsong!
I am looking forward to tomorrow – the first day for the lovely cleaning lady to tackle a home with four cats, a dog, and two adults, plus a stock of bird seed! I hope she doesn’t run away and never return.
Our little garden is growing.
Take care all! See you soon.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, Geemeff, ‘PB’, the authors of those amazing FB posts, Raptor Persecution UK, and the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to cry and leap with joy with our bird families.
I hope that the week has been good to you and that you are planning to be outside this weekend so that you can hear some birdsong. With migration well underway throughout the middle US, we are expecting more and more species to be arriving in Manitoba. Many ospreys are making their way home especially to the nests in Nova Scotia. We wait for the last of the streaming cam stars to arrive in the UK and northern Europe.
Thank you so much for your lovely notes. I really appreciate them, and this week they warmed my heart so much. I have been unwell, passing kidney stones the old-fashioned way. Life with Don did not permit me to be in the hospital taking advantage of modern methods of blasting these excruciatingly painful little blobs!!!!!!! I am, however, feeling much better as I write this. Don has been going to bed early for the past few nights, and this has given me a wee bit of time to sit and sip tea in the silence. Ironically, both Toby and Don ‘understood’ that I was ‘sick’ and each helped in their own way. I wish you could see my smile. It is also warming up and tomorrow Don and Ann will be out exploring and over the weekend, we should see temperatures around 10 C.
In terms of ‘escape proofing’ the house and property, the hardware is ready for installation next Thursday. The goal was to find a convenient time for them to come. The other day, I might have said that the locksmiths, the bathing lady, and her supervisor hit the front porch at precisely the same time. I don’t like ‘chaos’ anymore. One event per day is what Don’s doctor recommends, and I agree – it keeps my mind calm. The last things to do are to install a tall gate that can be locked at the front and a proper lock on the rear gate. So, I am getting there.
With spring arriving, all of us are starting to think about the garden. A young man has been hired to come and deal with all the birdseed remnants! It looks like there is about a ton of shells! I am serious. Some of it will be used to level off the back area – it would be grand if it all could be raked over. It does make the best compost. The plan is to toss in a lot of wildflower seeds. There will be a few plants specifically for the birds and the bees, including Don’s beloved hummingbirds. I have four trellis pyramids (not sure of their proper name) that will be devoted to climbing beans and tomatoes. Peony supports have been ordered – enough for the six plants put in last year. There are other plans – staining the old deck and building a bit of solid fence to meet up with the fence that was built a few years ago. That is to keep Toby’s eyes in the garden and passersby eyes on what they are doing.
Today, ‘pyjama day’ was very quiet, just as I planned for Thursdays (except or next week when PJ day becomes Monday). Few e-mails exchanged, no housework, etc. What we did do was put together a small indoor garden box with lights to grow salad fixings and herbs. At the current price in the shops, it will not take long to pay for it, and I don’t have to worry about running out of cilantro. So far, only Hugo Yugo has taken an interest. I hope she stays out of it! That little ginger cat can cause more trouble than a dozen other cats.
Now to the birds…
I am happy to say that the fortunes at both Brevard County and Achieva changed somewhat on Thursday with the arrival of several fish. I was afraid that if the poor weather at Brevard continued, all the chicks would be lost. As it was, Mum was just as starving. The little second hath at Achieva finally had a crop! I was happy to receive the following note from ‘MP’ who watches this nest with ‘eagle eyes’. “I’ve watched the Achieva nest continually, and I can say everyone needs more food in the raptor world. Jack has started to show the female how to feed the chicks as he has started feeding them with smaller bites than she gives. The female watched him intently. Jack did try to get her to letting him feed her, but she wouldn’t go for it. She just walked over and grabbed the fish he had. The younger osplet appears to be aggressive toward the older one. Just sayin.
I believe the female is a new mom. She appears to be more interested in her hunger pains. With Jack being a bird who likes stashing fish around whether he does it for safety or a penchant, he does bring in fish. It may be old and decomposing fish, but it does fill their stomachs. I would prefer fresh, since it has more moisture giving the osplets fluids.
I think Jack could do better, but maybe he can’t. I only hope the chicks aren’t knocked down through the drain holes. You know better than I how quickly a nest can turn around. “
The other good news is that there is a male that has landed on Iris’s nest.
A series of images. At once when I saw the ‘snake eyes’ I really thought this male was Louis but I am told it is not. So we will see.
More hopeful signs early this morning. Now please bring Iris a nice big fish and treat her like the Queen she is!
There is a young male at the Charlo Montana nest. Lola is calling for fish and he is just leisurely munching away on the pole. I don’t think this behaviour is going to win any hearts and minds.
The first egg has been laid at the Bassenthwaite nest.
Herr Rauer returned to his nest in Norway on Thursday. Fru Rauer is on her way home, according to her satellite tracking.
Both ospreys are home at the Emma Osprey platform in the Pitkin County Trails, Colorado. They have been back for a little more than a fortnight. Wonder if we will have eggs soon?
There are reports that we also have a first egg at Port of Ridgefield yesterday! The first egg in 2025 was laid on the 26th of April – gosh, seventeen days early. I wonder if these ospreys are trying to beat the heat that might be coming.
Teifi is the male in charge of the Glaslyn nest. Aran appears to have retired to his patch that he enjoyed last summer after relinquishing his nest to Teifi and Elen (no chicks – it was chaotic). Elen has not been seen and her fate is unknown. It has been six days since she flew off the nest. I hope she found another one! She was a good Mum.
Geemeff reminds me that Louis lands in the evening. I sure hope to see him tonight or tomorrow.
Everyone has Louis on their mind. That is because he is much loved.
Latest news from Knepp Farm and its rewilding project. Will they finally be bringing bison back to the UK?
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 9th April 2026
Things were more settled on the nests today as the three key players, Dorcha, Garry LV0 and Aurora 536, stayed on their own nests, although Dorcha did mantle at an intruder Osprey who flew too close to her nest, but not close enough to see who it was. Dorcha caught her own fish and attempted to eat it on Nest Two while the intruder was nearby, and Garry brought two fish to Nest One for Aurora which clearly convinced her he is mate material as she not only allowed him to mount her on several occasions, but also lifted her tail. Although early stages, it’s looking good for chicks on Nest One this season, which is ironic as Dorcha is still waiting for Louis, spending time on the nest looking around constantly, even arriving in darkness this morning and perching quietly for hours – will we have chicks on Nest Two this year? There is still time for Louis to return, he is 13 or 14 this year, having first turned up ten years ago in 2017 as a 3- or 4-year old, which makes him a mature but not an old Osprey.
Thank you so much for being with us. I will, of course, send out a note if Louis arrives! Take care. Get outside. That is where I am headed with Toby. Don is at the zoo with Ann. It is a beautiful +5 C day on the Canadian prairies – blue sky, sunshine and all.
Thank you to absolutely everyone for their articles, their posts, and their letters. I am grateful to ‘MP’ for their comment on Achieva. Heidi is monitoring that nest, and I peek in once in a while, but not as often as I should. Thank you to Geemeff and everyone else for their summaries, and to the owners of the streaming cams, we are always ever so grateful. Without you, we would have little idea of what is happening in Bird World.
Let’s get on with the great news. No confirmation yet but first thing I checked was Iris’s nest and look what I found.
There was sad news coming out of Florida late Sunday. The little third hatch, Nod, that had captured so many hearts died from starvation caused by siblicide.
Earlier in the day.
It is difficult raising three – it is extraordinary to fledge four but there have been osprey families that have done it repeatedly. Maya and Blue 33 and, as of late, CJ7 and Blue 022 seem to be setting some kind of record.
When a little one dies, I always think of two nests where the tiny one did not die. The first that comes to mind is Tiny Tot Tumbles (2021) at Achieva. We held our breath—79 hours without food. That little babe searched the nest and ate bones. It learned to ride the rails to sneak a bite and attacked the older sibling because it had nothing to lose. Diane noticed this chick wanted to live. When the older ones were asleep, and it was dark, she flew in with one of her catfish. Tiny Tot Tumbles, who was on the verge of death in March and April, survived and thrived. She defended the nest with Jack against an intruder during the third week of June after Diane had left the area. Tiny Tot was still on the nest later in the summer. She was extraordinary. I have always wondered what happened to her, and that is the problem with the US lack of ringing. The chicks on the streaming cam nests need to be ringed – and, yes, that goes for Big Red’s hawklets on the Cornell campus. Surely the folks at Cornell Bird Lab understand that knowing the dispersal area of Big Red’s babies could be important!
The second nest was Foulshaw Moss. White YW is an extraordinary male, and Blue 35 is a great Mum. The two older siblings in 2021 were much, much larger compared to the tiny third hatch. Blue 35 was clever! She managed to fill up the older ones, and once she flew off with the fish, they fell asleep. She returned with the fish and fed the tiny, tiny one. It was a brilliant strategy. I wish I could find my notes. I believe that, once ringed, the osplet was Blue 465. I really hope that Blue 35 returns this year. I am watching and waiting and so is her mate, White YW, who has been home for some days.
At the Glaslyn nest, Aran had a visitor, Blue 019. She is from the Fron nest. Elen was no where to be seen.
Geemeff reports that Dorcha spent an hour on the Loch Arkaig nest 1, an unusual event. She has stopped in over the previous years, but never stayed this long. Geemeff believes that Dorcha flew in right before Storm Dave hit, while the other migrating ospreys are going to wait til the storm leaves. We are all looking forward to Louis’s arrival.
Geemeff sends us the daily summary:
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 5th April 2026
The weather continued to be poor with snow and ice, and Louis hasn’t yet returned. Dorcha however turned up not only on her own nest, but paid a visit of over an hour to Nest One. She has visited Nest One before but only a couple of fleeting visits. Looking forward to the return of Louis and the Nest One residents, probably when Storm Dave passes and the weather settles – in previous years, Louis has arrived as late as 11th April.
At Loch of the Lowes, there are ospreys but not Blue NC0. It is rumoured that she has been seen at another nest. Wherever she winds up, I hope she has a good mate and raises some healthy osplets. We all loved Laddie LM12, her late mate, and feel sorry for these ‘singles’ that are left and have to leave their former homes.
Take care…chek those cutie pie eaglets out at Big Bear and the babies at Achieva.
See you soon!
Thank you to ‘PB’ for her messages and to the streaming cams that let us see these wonderful birds in all their glory and saddness.
We are in the midst of an unexpected blizzard, while thousands of miles to our southeast, it is green, and geese are enjoying the grass on a golf course. Thank you, ‘L’, for letting me share this lovely image of spring! We love our geese, but there is no place for them here, and yet, many arrived several weeks ago! The ponds have frozen, but there remains some open water in the two rivers that wind their way through our City. It is supposed to warm up beginning tomorrow, but I will believe it when I see it. We were not expecting this much snow today!
It doesn’t look like much, but the snow is blowing and accumulating so quickly! The lad who shovels or us thought snow was finished – he is going to get a real surprise! It is more than 30 cm deep on the walkway he cleared a few days ago, and is within 45 cm of covering the large bird table feeder. Unbelievable.
Toby loves it. He bounces through the snow if there is even a whiff of a ‘cat’ in the garden. My plan is to have a tall wooden fence built to match the one constructed a few years ago. I had not planned to put a fence on that part of the property, but the theft of dogs in our City has become quite troubling. Of course, ‘the cats’ – distinguished from ‘The Girls’ – come in from that back corner, so it is important to close it in. Toby loves his sisters, ‘The Girls’. He plays with them, but those that make their way into his outdoor territory will be ousted unless they are Brock (who now still spends 99% of his time at the neighbour down the street)!!!!!!!!!
I hope, after all these years, that each of you knows that I love all animals, but there is a special place in my heart for Big Red and Arthur, the late Annie at The Campanile, and ospreys. I have posted this song before, but I want you to get in the mood. Osprey season is starting in the UK – and has already begun in the US. Here are those wonderful school children with the Osprey Song (2011): https://youtu.be/KoOQK6ejuXY?
At the Lake Murray Osprey platform, Lucy has laid her second egg with a new mate. Please, please put up the owl defences for this family Lake Murray!
Company for Brutus. Storms are tearing down eagle and osprey nests around the US including an osprey nest that Penny Albright monitored near Sanibel that lost two chicks when the nest collapsed. These eaglets made it through…
Blue 25 has made another visit to Blue 33 and Maya’s nest at Manton Bay – Blue 33 normally arrives a few days prior to Maya, and Blue 25 enjoys his company! Geemeff caught her time on the nest: https://youtu.be/HU_XGU3NTro?
We have an osprey at the MNSA Osprey nest in Oceanside’s Jay Cool platform.
“WYL greets his chick upon returning to the nest in New Zealand. The adult male arrives from a foraging trip over the Pacific to feed his growing chick at the Plateau nest site. As the chick gets bigger, the parents will take longer foraging trips to collect enough food for both themselves and their chick.” (Cornell Bird Lab)
Peanut defended the Winter Park Florida nest against a RTH! Nestflix Memories (Gracie Shepherd) caught it on video: https://youtu.be/cQksMDubVEc?
Tonight, Wink is taking now chances. She is right in the nest with Peanut if that GHO returns – and, of course, it will – they never give up! Wink is an incredible mother – I am truly amazed and thankful for her diligence.
Gabby with her babies, Kai and Eve, at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest in Florida. Best keep a close eye on these two – they could fledge before you blink.
At the Johnson City nest of Boone and Jolene in Tennessee, snow arrived. Jolene kept those two babies warm and tried to feed them at the same time. Like Wink, she is an experiened and an exceptional Mum.
Huge crop on JBS 24. Mum and Dad are delivering food and leaving it for self-feeding on occasion.
Harry and Sally are up there in my list of osprey parents. Three babies, three little fat bottoms. Large fish coming in and Harry on guard as it appeared there could have been an intruder around today during a fish delivery. If you haven’t been watching Moorings Park, then check out this osprey family. It is a success story – and believe me when I tell you that there will be few such stories in the NE USA this season unless a miracle happens.
Rutlands Lagoon 4 nest is trying to keep the Egyptian Geese from laying eggs while everyone waits for the ospreys to arrive. This is a second nest with a camera amongst several nests at Rutland Water. AI says: “Based on 2025/2026 sightings, the Lagoon 4 nest at Rutland Water is often occupied by male 359 (a 2021 Rutland-born osprey) and female 3H9 (a 2023 Rutland-born osprey). They have been observed investigating the nest and strengthening bonds. Note: 359 and 3H9 are a distinct pair from the main Manton Bay pair, Maya and 33(11).”
I am getting impatient – and it is a tad early – for Maya and Blue 33 to arrive at Manton Bay.
At the Whitley Crane nest known as the Golden Gate Audubon Osprey nest, Richmond has worked and worked. There is a new female at the nest with him. I do not believe Rosie will make an appearance. Why do I say this? Well, when Aila did not return, Louis moved his nest to another location when he bonded with Dorcha. We often think animals and birds are not intelligent. If I have said it once, I will say it again million times, my teacher about raptor behaviour, the late Laura Culley, taught me that they are smarter and use higher levels of intelligence and communication that humans have lost.
I noticed in one of the chats – it was the Winter Park Florida chat – that someone noted that ‘animals have feelings’. Dr Mark Beckoff and Dr Jane Goodall taught us this. There are several good books out there. I urge you or anyone who is interested in the behaviour of non-humans to read any or all of the following.
Saddness at the Two Harbours as Chase & Cholyn lose their last egg. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/8vmMpnkNsh4?
Big Red and Arthur have snow on their nest at Cornell University.
Suzanne Arnold Horning caught Big Red relaxing on the lights!
Cameras are now live at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022.
We have an osprey at Threave. Is it Black 80?
At Achieva the third egg was laid on the 25th of January. Can someone who is watching this nest tell me if Jack is delivering enough fish to his mate? I did not see deliveries today, but I might have missed something.
In fact, start checking out all your favourite UK and European nests as the cameras are being turned on faster than I can keep a list.
The Pitkin County Osprey nest in Colorado is live.
I have such a soft spot for this White-tail eagle in Durbe County Latvia. Milda. Her current mate is Zorro. There was sorrow and now Zorro has proved to be a good mate and provider.
April 7. Hellgate Canyon. Iris’s favourite day to return to her nest in Missoula, Montana. Count the days – 20. Less than three weeks! The snow has melted.
There is evil in the world. I cannot imagine how anyone could harm an animal and yet, every day I find myself telling people not to give their kittens away to anyone. Russell Mason beat a Goshawk to death – how in the world can someone do this?
Large estates, with no eyes around in Scotland (and elsewhere), allow many horrific things to happen to our beautiful feathered friends. What can be done to stop this?
The Cornell Bird Lab gives us hope that people around the world are increasingly engaging with nature and birds. Yes, there are incredibly vicious people anywhere in the world that will harm birds and other animals, but there are more, I hope, that love and help them.
Thank you so much for being with me today and for your patience, as my posting is often irregular. I had hoped to keep to Fridays and Mondays til the UK osprey season began, but every day there is something new and exciting! I will continue to post at the oddest of times, sometimes two or three times a day as news comes in. As you can imagine, my life is anything but routine. We do have a schedule, but it all depends on my husband’s mood, which can vary. I am impatiently waiting for spring to arrive. What I miss most is reading. Yes, we have story time, but it isn’t the same as sitting quietly on a park bench with squirrels dashing around, the wind gently blowing, with a good book in my hand, reading in silence. So, no promises other than there will always be a Monday blog, often coming out late Sunday, until we have osprey chicks on the nests in the UK and Europe.
Thank you to everyone who created videos, wrote informative FB posts, to Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us informed, and to the Cornell Bird Lab for continuing to support education. I remain forever grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to venture into the challenging lives of our feathered friends. To all my readers who are now long-time friends, I appreciate your support. Your letters and comments mean the world to me.
We hope you had a lovely week. It is still cold, with it feeling like -20 C this morning, even though it is actually -16. Toby didn’t want to go outside. The Girls are busy watching the starlings as they land and search for kibble (I haven’t been out yet to feed them). Brock was here in the middle of the night – that is when he comes, so I get to see him on camera! He has a route. He spends most of his time at Jane’s. Brock loves her soft chair and wet, warm food. Then he goes to a lady a block away (again caught on camera) and comes here when he is assured Toby is sleeping. I do miss him.
Dr Green and team are preparing for Iris’s arrival. The fence has been placed on the parking lot of the Rivberview Health Centre to block any intruders that might want to get to close to her abode.
Typical of Iris, she left the nest in a pretty good state. Oh, please, send out good energy for our Osprey Queen to return – the oldest known osprey in the world should be 30 this year. I also really want her young mate from last year to return, too. We were all saddened when Finnegan, who bred successful to raise two beautiful osplets in 2024, did not return last year as we anticipated he would.
At the Wolf Bay nest in Alabama, Bert and Josie have their second egg of the season. The time was approximtely 0631 today – gosh…I hope there aren’t any Crows around!
Indeed, a thief was caught by the new camera at the Rutland #4 nest. Geemeff caught it.https://youtu.be/BXD-4KKeH3A
At the Moorings Park nest, the osplets are changing. Their heads are getting that oily look (pinfeathers) of the reptilian phase that 1 and 2 are entering. It is a delightful nest! Well behaved, so far.
The fundraiser for the new batteries at Severna Park was a success, and the camera is now live-streaming. There is a number of sparrows taking advantage of the nest while the ospreys are still migrating. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/SHGPhGPtDWI?
Ospreys are arriving in the UK. Sightings were in Perth & Kinross this morning, heading north. One was sightee flying over Waterford in Ireland.
I am keeping an eye on Manton Bay. Blue 33 (11) is fifteen years old this year. Maya is older, thought to be nineteen this year.
Heidi is on the case of the Dewey Beach cam and its angle! If anyone can get them to fix this, it is her.
Brutus and Peanut are being shown where to branch as they continue to self-feed and flap those wings.
Eve and Kai will be thinking of fledging but not for a week…
The pine lining to Big Red’s nest bowl on the Cornell Campus has been added. This is not only pretty but it is also a well known remedy to keeping insects away from the hatchlings.
Only eaglet at Duke Farms is doing well.
Stella and Irvin have three eggs at the US Steel nest. Stella has had a sub-adult trying to bother her but she is pretty calm and didn’t react.
Only surviving eaglet JBS24 has grown into a beautiful, fully feathered, wanting to fly bird. JBS24 will be 79 days old on April 14, around the average time of flight at this nest. That would make it 21 eaglets fledged from here since 2012.
That is just a little catch-up. No doubt many things will happen at the nests today. Keep an eye! Take care of yourself. Enjoy your weekend. We will see you again on Monday (unless Iris or any of the UK ospreys land on their nests). Thank you so much for being with us today.
A few of the gang say ‘hi’.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to view the lives of these amazing birds!
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.
