Tag Archives: HERON

Late Saturday in Bird World

13 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

First, Salmon Idaho is an osprey nest not a Bald Eagle which is what I inadvertently said in my last posting. Apologies. There is still issues with baling twine all over that region. It is endemic to farming where they should be looking at other methods than twine and cord. Most of our farmers put their hay and straw in a type of plastic wrap that does not do so much harm to the environment as lose pieces of twine.

It was the middle chick that got pulled off the nest and died. Dad is bringing in some nice fish but they can always use more and more as there are four to feed – dad, mum, #1 and #3.

An osprey feeding its chicks in a nest, surrounded by twigs and grass.
A pair of osprey adults feeding their chick in a nest, surrounded by twigs and grass, with a green landscape in the background.

Clark brought in a huge fish. Iris got some bites, baby was full and then more feedings. Looks like that fish was gone – with Iris taking what appears the tail later.

Two ospreys sitting in their nest with a view of a parking lot and trees in the background.
An osprey tending to its nest with visible chicks, surrounded by a natural environment and a parking lot in the background.
An osprey feeding a chick in a nest, surrounded by twigs and greenery.

At one point the baby got out from under the adults. It caused worry. They are seemingly obsessed with nest material and also intruders. Fingers crossed. It is chilly in Montana. 65 F.

An osprey sits in its nest made of sticks and twigs, with a background featuring a parking lot and trees.

Daddy Clark came in with another whopper – maybe even more than a whopper! So happy the fishing is good. He is taking excellent care of Iris and baby.

Two ospreys perched on their nest, with one bird eating a fish, surrounded by twigs and grass.
Two ospreys are seen in their nest, one is pecking at a fish while the other stands nearby. The nest is made of twigs and situated outdoors with greenery in the background.
Two ospreys are perched on a nest made of sticks and branches, with a view of a landscaped area and cars in the background.

Oh, look at that little morsel of fish for the baby. So tiny. It’s already getting a crop. Well, if there is only one, I am fine with that. Better to be spoiled rotten and have a fat bottom than be thin. (My vet wouldn’t agree with me – even Hugo Yugo is a little ‘plump’). I think all osprey chicks should be plump.

An osprey feeding a chick in a nest, surrounded by twigs and remnants of prey.

Big Red and Arthur’s oldest is now good at horking chipmunks whole! These three are doing so well. Two look just like Mum with their beautiful peachy chests.

I cannot possibly tell you how much I love that ‘old hag’ – as Laura Culley used to call Big Red in endearment.

A live cam view of a red-tailed hawk nest featuring several chicks among sticks and greenery, with a landscape of trees and a road in the background.
Four red-tailed hawk chicks nestled in a nest made of twigs and leaves, perched on a rooftop railing with a clear view of greenery and a road in the background.
Three young red-tailed hawks standing in a nest made of twigs and leaves, perched on a structure with greenery in the background.
A nest of Red-tailed Hawk chicks being fed on a balcony with greenery and a road in the background.
Three red-tailed hawk chicks resting in a nest on a tall structure, surrounded by twigs and overlooking a green landscape and street below.

I have heard from Sassa Bird and it has started to rain in Latvia. This promises frogs for all the very hungry storks that have chicks in the nest in that country! So happy.

Wow. This is fantastic news from Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Now, if more males would happily share these duties, we might not face the dire consequences we do when the female goes missing.

An osprey feeding its chicks in a nest with visible large fish catches, surrounded by a natural landscape.

We need to do better cleaning up. If you are going to fish – and yes, I know that lines break – lend a hand and clean up anything you do see and never leave anything behind, when possible. It can be deadly to wildlife.

A juvenile bald eagle at the NCTC nest with a treble hook fishing lure caught on its talon and another hook stuck on a nest stick, showing signs of struggling but successfully released after about 45 minutes.
Text about the dangers of human intervention on young eagles and the impact of trash on wildlife.
Close-up view of an orange object partially buried among twigs and bark.

Before I even get to the end. ‘The Girls’ are fine. The Calicos are keeping comfy in Don’s room guarding it in case Missey might want to go in there. Meanwhile, Toby is my ‘Velcro Dog’ and he is always with Hugo Yugo. They are my shadows. Missey is out here with me, too!

A fluffy tabby cat lying on its back on a table, looking at the camera with green eyes, surrounded by a window and greenery.

My new camera is not always so great. I wanted to get the babies being fed but it just wasn’t quick enough. Here are three of them wanting food – they can feed themselves, but like all babies, everything tastes better when Mum does it.

We are so happy. This is four fledglings for the European Starlings that trusted our lilacs to protect their eggs and chicks from predators. We no longer have the Grackles come but this is so great. Mr and Mrs Blue Jay as well as Mr and Mrs Crow have babies and soon their fledglings will be at the feeder.

Years ago, we vowed to care for the animals that came to our urban lot. So far, knock on wood, we have been able to keep that promise. When Tolu, the bathing lady, asked the other day, I told her it was a matter of priorities. We no longer travel around the world, spending the summers in wonderful exotic locations. We do not drink, smoke, go out to restaurants, or hardly drive anymore. The purchase of bird books has dwindled because there simply aren’t that many out there worthy of holding a space on the bookcase. Mind you, I am waiting for a delivery of of this book today. I hope it is good. I always donate a book to the last charity event for Loch Arkaig so this might be the one for this year!

Book cover of 'The Story of Birds' by Steve Brusatte, featuring illustrations of various birds including a cardinal, an eagle, and feathered dinosaurs.

Funds are simply to keep the house, provide help for Don and me, and feed the animals and us. What is incredible is that we really need very little. Yes, corporations and fast-fashion companies would like us to think that we do, but in reality, that simply is not the case. Besides, the happiness that these amazing creatures provide cannot be measured in financial terms – our hearts and souls are lifted and made lighter just watching them.

Three birds perched on a pile of peanuts, with one bird prominently facing the camera while another is slightly blurred in motion.
Two small birds perched on a mound of peanuts, with greenery in the background.

Intruders are causing sibling rivalry at Glaslyn as Teifi is unable to fish.

Text discussing sibling rivalry among Osprey chicks and its relation to food availability, with specific mention of dominance during feeding and intruder activity affecting fishing trips.
A pair of ospreys in a nest with several chicks, one adult holding a fish, surrounded by greenery.

I have good news coming from our good friend Sassa Bird in Latvia – first, it is raining, and the storks should now have frogs to eat and little fish. There are three baby osplets in the Latvian nest, but the camera went down in May, so we will not know the end result until banding time in July. Osprey parents are Selga and Svings. Great news: the Golden Eagle Mum at Kaljukotkas 2 in Estonia, who was missing, is now home and protecting her baby from the heavy rain. Sassa Bird also sent the forum link that has a discussion and images of the Black Stork nests, and they are doing grand. Please look: https://forums.dabasdati.lv/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=4453&start=480

The third hatch osplet at Field Farm has died of siblicide/starvation. Heidi gives us the details and an image of all three on a better day.

Port of Ridgefield. Two good fish deliveries as per chat with times: 6/13 nice headless breakfast fish at 5:32:44. Nice big headless fish delivered at 9:57:18. The third egg did not hatch.

An adult osprey standing near its nest, with two young chicks resting beside it, surrounded by twigs and nest material.
A close-up view of a bird's nest featuring a parent bird and several chicks, with an egg visible in the background.
Two chicks in a bird nest surrounded by twigs and straw, with an adult bird partially visible in the background.

Only one very ‘thin’ chick survives at the MNSA Osprey platform amidst all the human debris.

An osprey is standing on its nest, which is constructed of twigs and branches, with two chicks visible below it.
An osprey nest containing a parent osprey and two chicks, with a blue identification tag visible on one of the chicks. The nest is built from sticks and is situated near water.

Two tiny babies at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Two ospreys perched in a nest, surrounded by branches, with a view of green fields and a dirt path in the background.
An osprey sitting in a nest with three chicks, surrounded by twigs and branches, with green fields in the background.

Wildlife Haven is now the only wildlife rescue in my province and the strains of that are beginning to show. Here is their latest patient update – another turtle, a bat, and some surprises.

This Weeks Patient UpdatesDownload

Wild Heart Rehabilitation in Oklahoma has some advice if you think a fawn is in trouble.

Important info about what NOT to do about fawns, so might be worth a read. Thanks, ‘J’. The same might be said for a clump of bunnies – leave them alone. Observe to see if parent comes to feed.

https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartRanch

Rutland Water is celebrating 50 years of success at reintroducing the ospreys! You can take boat trips to see them including Blue 33 fishing for Maya and the kids!!!!!!!!

Two ospreys flying near a nesting platform with a nest in the foreground and a historic building in the background.
An osprey takes flight from a large nest with two chicks, located on a platform near a historic building in the background.

Thank you Geemeff for these great images.

We are already experiencing a decline in fish in some areas of the NE as Omega Protein has had six ships out sucking up the Menhaden and all the Bycatch this weekend. It is truly sad.

The birds are on the move to the delight of bird watchers in the UK.

Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

It looks like another stormy Saturday in Winnipeg. The trees are whipping around and the sky is heavily overcast and dark. We even have the heat on! After last week that sounds so funny. Stll it is beautiful and green.

Some of the kids wish you a great rest of the weekend. They are napping.

Two cats cuddling together on a couch, one with orange fur and the other with a mix of gray and black fur, both nestled comfortably.

Poor Toby doesn’t fit anymore. He doesn’t understand why.

An orange tabby cat and a small black and white dog sleeping on separate levels of a pet tree near a window.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourselves. We hope to have you with us again soon.

Thank you to everyone who sent me a note, including ‘PB’ who is loving those fish that Clark brings in, those who post on FB with images and information, groups, newsletters, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to stare at our screens, wondering what is going to happen today. We are grateful to all.

Dusk over Magazine Beach, Grenada, West Indies

It’s the end of another warm, beautiful day during the dry season in Grenada.  It began with feeding the fish in the pond in the featured photo.  The egrets and herons watch you very carefully and have learned that if tourists feed the fish they can get in the action and have a great big meal.  At dusk, the herons and egrets settle in for the evening on the island.

One tourist area that could grow in Grenada is birding.  There are 160 different species of birds.  Just staying in one location, over a couple of days, there have been that spectacular little blue heron from yesterday, a great egret, many little egrets, a Caribbean Elaenia, a blue-black grassquit, a pair of Eurasian collared doves, a Zenaida dove, a royal tern, a tricolour heron, a Caribbean Grackel,  and a vast assortment of smaller hummingbirds that have been simply too fast to photograph and identify.  There is a stand over the mangroves in Woburn and if it is high tide, it is apparently filled with lots of various species.  I also noted that there is a walking tour through the rainforest that includes bird watching.

The Royal Tern is about the size of a seagull.  It wasn’t much interested in us as it had its eyes fixed on a fish in the pond.  These are common coastal birds in the West Indies.

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This pair of Eurasian Collared Doves were just sweet.  This medium-sized grey dove with its distinctive collar around the hindneck was introduced into Cuba in the 1970s and has now spread to all of the Lesser Antilles including Grenada.  This dove is a ground feeder but today it took a keen interest in the food that we were feeding to the fish making me believe that all of the animals and birds will be happy when the rainy season begins in June.

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This Carib Grackle made himself a bit of a pest today!  And in doing so he entertained me completely by the way he broke the crackers down in order to eat them with his beak and claws.  He is also the pesky creature that likes to steal food off the plates in the dining room.  No kidding.

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I know that most of you didn’t come to this blog to read about my new passion birding.  So here are some continuing tips on getting around the island of Grenada and being a ‘wise’ tourist.

One of the best ways to get around the island is by mini-van.  The driver normally owns the van and has a license for a certain route.  The route numbers appear on the windscreen.  Each license gives the owner a limited number of trips (daily) on their route.  This is precisely why the young man who opens and closes the door keeps his eyes out for anyone who might want a ride and is nearing a bus stop.  Don’t take offence as he will not chat with you.  It is up to him to fill that bus – the more passengers that can be crammed in, the more money that is made!  You might actually think not one more person could fit in that van but the conductor (that young man sliding the door and taking the money) knows precisely how many people he can fit in the bus.  Sometimes he might even shift people around in the seating after a stop.  Don’t fret, just go with the flow and enjoy Grenada time which is much slower than anywhere else in the world.  Fares vary on the length of the route you are travelling.  Typically, a ride from the Starfish up by Maurice Bishop Airport to Grand Anse or St George’s will cost you 10 EC.  Tell the conductor where you want to get off.  You will hear him knock on the roof or the door to tell the driver to stop.  Don’t do this yourself unless you are not wearing any rings – scratching the paint will get several people mad at you.

One of the things that many tourists do is sign up for tours, sometimes very, very expensive tours.  But for those who are curious and a little more adventurous at heart and who want to save a heap of money, I suggest you pick up one of the free Grenada Road Map guides.  Almost every shop we have been in has at least one copy.  What is so interesting is that the map highlights many of the tourist attractions you might be interested in and the number of the local bus to take to get there.  So tomorrow, instead of spending more than $300 CDN to go on a tour to Belmont Estates, I am going to take the bus to Grenville, switch at their bus station and head straight to Belmont Estates. You can have an amazing lunch there, check out the making of the goat cheese, there is also a gift shop, petting zoo and a look at what life was really like on a 17th-century plantation.  Check back with me in a couple of days but by my figuring, I will save approximately $275 CDN!

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The mini-vans are also great entertainment.  There is always reggae music playing and you will be surprised at how courteous these young men are to their customers.  I have seen elderly ladies transporting propane tanks and chickens.  The driver will pull as close as he can to their house and the conductor will help them unload.  This morning he helped a  woman and her daughter with eight bags of groceries.  This is great service – and respect.  Sure isn’t that good in Canada most of the time.  So don’t get in a rush.  Take the local mini-van.  Get lost in Grenada somewhere.  Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Shopping.  I have already mentioned Art Fabrik as one of the true local shops that employ local sewers.  But today, let’s talk a little bit about breakfast options, book stores, and ready-made clothes.

There are two malls near Grand Anse Beach.  There is the Spiceland Mall opposite the Coyaba Hotel.  It has doubled in size over the last couple of years.  There is an IGA, various clothing stores, a duty-free shop, a local art gallery and shop, and quite surprising an excellent bookshop, Art and Soul.  They had a large area for children and young readers, Caribbean cookbooks and a really good selection of Vegan, along with the New York Times bestsellers and ‘beach reading’.  I was looking for a book on birds as well as one on the history of the Grenadian Revolution that wasn’t slanted towards the US view of the world.  I came away very happy.

If you are looking for beer, wine, or spirits, head to the IGA (or any other grocery store).  They have a large selection priced in EC, much cheaper than the Duty-Free (Unless you are looking for something exotic).  Personally, I think the grocery stores are the place to buy local chocolate and cocoa.  There are now five chocolate producers and all of their products are organic. The Grenada Chocolate Company was the first.  The grocery stores also sometimes carry the local vanilla or the passionfruit honey which is to die for.

You will save approximately 50% by doing your shopping for these local items at these big grocery stores as opposed to the smaller tourist shops near the cruise ship port.

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The second mall is a short walk from Spiceland and is located across from the Raddison Hotel.  It is the Grande Anse Shopping Centre.  There is a grocery store and this is where you will find Mike’s Pizza.  He opens at 11am and he used to also have ice cream.  But there is also a little dress and gift shop tucked in right by the fountain.  Too-kachi Boutique and Craft Studio carry a nice selection of locally made gifts, cotton and beach clothing.  All prices are in EC.

BTW.  I am not a fan of malls anywhere but I am also not keen to spend 50% more for anything.

Eating out in Grenada can be very expensive if you go to restaurants (as opposed to the local stands).  We stopped for toast and sausages at Moch Spoke (you can also rent bicycles but you are taking your life into your hands on the Grenadian roads!), a cup of coffee, and a shared orange juice.  For two it came to $12 CDN.  The full English breakfast with toast, eggs, bacon or sausage, and beans is $33 EC or about $16.50 CDN each.  Note:  You can also get a great breakfast – some of the most amazing French toast – at The Papillion.  It is a short walk up the hill behind the Spiceland Mall.  They are open Wednesday through Sunday.

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KFC is spotlessly clean, large, and is freezing cold.  Early in the morning, you can see the locals heading in there for fried chicken for breakfast.  Here is a look at their Value Menu.  The best way to convert currency for Canadians is simply to divide the EC by 2 and you get the equivalent Candian dollars.  Despite what the currency exchange boards say, by the time you are finished that appears to be the most accurate conversion.

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Last tip of the day:  wear a hat!  The top of your head can get sunburned very quickly!  And if you forget your flip flops, you can purchase name brands and no name all over the island.