Tag Archives: incubation

Fledges in Wales…Late Sunday in Bird World

26 July 2026

Hello Everyone,

Before I begin with some news from the nests, I want to thank everyone who donated to Save Moon Camp. It is very special to me that half of the funds came from ordinary individuals like you and me. I am grateful that others came with the remaining amount so that the habitat could be saved.

It is important to save these special places – more so now that there are development companies quick to want to build housing estates and condos in the most beautiful natural places on our planet. We need to ensure that they don’t. One of the great Canadian writers, Margaret Atwood, helped champion the conservation and ecological protection of Pelee Island in Lake Erie, Ontario. Rather than saving an entire island from physical destruction, she and her late partner Graeme Gibson focused on preserving its vital natural ecosystem by co-founding the Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO) and advocating for its migratory bird habitats.

You don’t have to be a famous writer or a millionaire to save land. You simply have to understand that humans can do wonderful, marvellous miracles ‘together’. I continue to advocate for ‘one garden at a time’ – we don’t need huge goals like 100 acres or 35,000 acres. Imagine if every home, beginning with yours, had Butterfly bushes, trees for shade for the birds and animals, places for water for them, and, if you can, food. Then add the next house, and the next, and the next….then close your eyes and imagine the forest sanctuary you have created. Please, if you can, start a movement. The wildlife need habitat.

We are in the beginning stages of planning to dig up the area behind our conservatory to cover it with trees that grow quickly. We may take the other area where wood is stacked as well. I will document the change in photos once we begin. For now, the animals and birds are enjoying the shade and the three bird baths. Water has been the key during the heat that we had and the new heat dome that is arriving tomorrow. Today it is so humid and hot it is hard to stay outside very long.

I have not posted much this week because the children have been helping me finish up my decluttering! They did the attic in no time. What an amazing team they are. I miss them today. The house is quiet, and we are left to go through one large box of photos. Toby has a mild case of conjunctivitis that is slowly getting better, and I do mean slowly. The Girls are fine, and well… we will enjoy the quiet today and tomorrow. Tuesday is the day the plumbers will be here tearing things apart.

Do you know how to tell if your toilet is leaking? Pour soy sauce in the tank and see if it runs down the sides of the bowl! My water bill doubled in a month, and we knew something was amiss. So not only are they putting in a new loo, but they are finally installing the gorgeous German vanity that I purchased before the pandemic! It will be dusty and dirty.

So what has been going on with the ospreys? Well, in the UK, they have been fledging. Not having the problems that the US ospreys have had with food, the chicks are healthy. Aran’s only baby with his new mate fledged and sat on the perch, wondering what to do. This is its second flight:

The only one at the Loch of the Lowes, Blue 2JB, at 53 days, has fledged, and the little boy of Elen and Teifi’s finally took to the sky. Others that fledged have returned to their nests. US ospreys are fledging too – Santiam Canyon had one this morning. It is hard to keep up with them now! All fledglings need to return to the nest to be fed by the parents for several weeks or even a month. Instinctively, ospreys know how to fish – 61.5 million years of developing- but they still need help from the adults.

The latest news from Big Bear: ·

Habitat Update

We do not have an update on Jackie currently. Ojai Raptor Center said they would not be giving any additional information on Jackie until Monday at the earliest.

We have had many questions about the sub adult that likely battled with Jackie and has been very present in the habitat for several days.

We spoke with Dr. Peter Sharpe, Bald Eagle expert and Conservationist regarding the sub adult. He aged this eagle at 3 ½ years old. Bald eagles generally reach full maturity at the age of 5 years old, though they can be ready to mate and lay eggs at the age of 4, however that is not as common.

Dr. Sharpe feels that it is a bit early for this sub adult to be looking for nesting territory and/or a mate. Shadow did show defensive behavior against the sub adult for several days while Sandy and Luna were at the nest and seen in the area on both cameras.

Though we have been hearing vocals that may be Sandy or Luna in the habitat, the last time we saw them on our cameras was on 7/23. With several other young eagles in the area, these vocals may or may not be Sandy or Luna.

If Sandy and Luna have indeed left on their life’s journey, their timing is completely normal. At the Big Bear nest, previous eaglets have generally dispersed at around 4 weeks. It is not confirmed Sandy and Luna have left the area, we can only observe and time will tell. If Sandy and Luna are not in the habitat, Shadow would not feel the need to protect the territory.

When the eagles are not in nesting season, they are much more tolerant of other eagles. Sandy Steers and I spent over an hour watching Jackie and a sub adult back in 2023 (pictures attached). Jackie was not concerned at all about the subadult perching with her. In fact, she continued to preen and seemed very relaxed, though glancing over at the other eagle occasionally to keep an eye on it.

A soft reminder, please be kind to the FOBBV team and each other. We are all going through this together.

Stay tuned for future updates, we will continue to post information here.

GW”

A good message for all of us:

SK Hideaways Videos for Week of 19 July 2026

FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA
Resident Bald Eagle male: Shadow (unbanded) since May 2018. Estimated hatch year: 2014
Resident Bald Eagle female: Jackie (unbanded) since September 2016. Estimated hatch year: 2012
Sandy hatched 4 April 2026, Luna hatched 5 April 2026
Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley
Nest Cam:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE
Wide View Cam (Cam 2):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41eq4VzCYc4
Live Recap & Observations:  https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz

Shadow and Sub-Adult Share Nighttime Roost Tree (2026 Jul 25)

Shadow’s vocal were heard in the early morning, but not again until the evening just after he flew by. A sub-adult was flying behind him but stopped to perch on Twin Pines and then the Simba Tree before flying off to join Shadow on his and Jackie’s roost tree. Missed seeing Sandy and Luna again today and wish them a safe night along with all Big Bear eagles. Sending positive thoughts for Jackie’s speedy and complete recovery. 
Video: https://youtu.be/uRxUyUgKTpo

Sandy & Luna Possible Last Sightings ~ But Not Last Squees ~ 2026 Jul 23
I held this video for a couple days in hopes of seeing Sandy and Luna back on camera. So far we haven’t seen them, but believe we have heard them ~ quite a lot. Whether we see them again or not, this video brings some sweet and poignant moments of their typical mornings together ~ good morning squees, flying from favorite perch to favorite perch, and even some beakie kisses. A nice collection for the memory book. 
Video:  https://youtu.be/O32HJ6mozQI

Shadow Calls for Jackie Morning & Evening ~ Send Positivity Their Way (2026 Jul 23)
Shadow calls for Jackie probably more often than we see on camera. In my opinion, he misses her. Also in my opinion, while he is dealing with the presence of visiting sub-adult bald eagles, he has no interest in taking another mate. His focus is on Jackie’s whereabouts and taking care of Sandy and Luna. Sending oodles of positive thoughts to Jackie and Shadow for a happy reunion one day soon.
Video: https://youtu.be/IaJECLI95kk

Shadow & Sub-Adult Perch Peacefully as Eaglets Watch ~ Fiona & Fast Finale (2026 Jul 22)
Shadow and a sub-adult seem to have reached a truce to some extent. This sub-adult followed Shadow all over today. Each time it landed near him, he immediately flew off, except for a 25-minute period in the afternoon. He had much to say to the youngster but there was no physical aggression. Perhaps the truce included the condition that the sub-adult not breach the nest again. 

At day’s end, Shadow perched behind the pine boughs next to the Cactus Snag for about 90 minutes. Was he trying to ditch the sub before roost time? We’ll never know, but he retired to his and Jackie’s roost tree. Luna roosted back on the Simba Tree and Sandy stayed on the high Y branch of the nest tree. Fiona and Fast Freddie took advantage of the empty nest and had quite a party.
Video: https://youtu.be/qc4eJpY9-EY

Shadow Stays Strong ~ Sub-Adult Remains ~ Another Day Without Jackie ~ 2026 Jul 21
I chronicled this whole day as a testament to the strength and keen survival instincts of these bald eagles. It seems Shadow kept the persistent sub-adult from returning to the nest with great support from Sandy and Luna. He also managed to deliver 3 fish in the span of a half-hour in the morning and another 3 in the evening.

Luna and Sandy are venturing farther away as evidenced by Luna’s 9-hour absence from camera view and Sandy’s 3-hour absence. Shadow returning to an empty nest in the afternoon was difficult to see, but fans were soon treated when Luna and then Sandy returned to the nest in the evening. 

I sprinkled the video with photos of Jackie ~ remembering happier times and sending oodles of positive thoughts for her speedy and complete recovery.
Video: https://youtu.be/lFjfSoF_-7o

Sub-Adult Returns to Nest Tree🌲Shadow Divebombs, Locks Talons on Descent
The sub-adult that Shadow had flushed out earlier in the day returned in the evening. This was not a good idea. Shadow first gave the visitor a stern verbal warning before diving on them. They both descended and their talons locked briefly before Shadow chased the sub-adult across the valley. Shadow then returned and perched on the Simba Tree during which time Luna and Sandy briefly checked on him there. 

At nightfall, Sandy and Luna perched on the nest tree basement while Shadow retired to his and Jackie’s night roost tree. Sending positive thoughts for Jackie’s complete and speedy recovery while she is at the wildlife rehabilitation center being well cared for. And we wish all Big Bear eagles well as they all navigate life in the wild. (2026 Jul 19)
Video: https://youtu.be/u-Wjj6i0cZU

Sub-Adult Breaches Nest ~ Shadow Attacks and Chases as Luna & Sandy Fly In (2026 Jul 19)
One of the persistent sub-adult bald eagles followed Shadow to the nest. Shadow made his displeasure known vocally, but when Luna arrived, Shadow leapt over him and flushed the sub-adult from the nest, chasing them to the lake and possibly beyond. Sandy arrived at the nest as the chase was unfolding, and she and Luna looked on, squee-less. Not a minute later, Shadow was perched on Twin Pines and 9 minutes later, Sandy and Luna perched on the Cactus Snag. Shadow remains on Twin Pines, on guard as we publish. We wish all Big Bear eagles well and continue to wait for definitive news of Jackie’s whereabouts. 
Video: https://youtu.be/3OnNjmhclpo


Fraser Point Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha (hatched 3/28), Zuma (hatched 3/30), Ryder (hatched 4/1)
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s

Two Eaglets Rouse Cruz from Her Night Roost ~ Hang Out Awhile (2026 Jul 23)
Fans were treated to Princess Cruz on her overnight roost followed by not one but two eaglets rousing her in the wee hours. She exited stage left pretty quickly. The eaglets stayed long enough to show us some of their signature shenanigans and progress they’ve made in eagle school in the weeks since we last saw them. 
Video:  https://youtu.be/-wNvLxUawZI

San Jose City Hall Falcons ~ San Jose, CA  ~ Hartley, Monty, and chicks Jet, Scout, Stewart, Walton (hatched 4/21/26)
Courtesy San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon Cam | Predatory Bird Research Group
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBSxPjy5sow
Ledge Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pp9TisLmLU
Roof Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLhmV6bP6o

Walton and Scout Make Surprise Visit to Nest Area ~ Adult Skedaddles (2026 July 18)
Walton arrived, screaming, of course, while an adult was on the runway. With no drama, the adult flew, at which point Scout arrived. What a treat to see them both for this short visit. They look to be healthy and spunky.  
Video: https://youtu.be/NhsJmukFq2w

Two Harbors Eagles ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Cholyn & Chase (hatched 1998)
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI

Cholyn & Chase Defend Territory Against Peregrine Falcons (2026 Jul 18)
The Two Harbors peregrines must be in the midst of their nesting season, as they’ve been very territorial lately. They seem to have forgotten who rules the territory, though, as they persist in stooping on Cholyn and Chase. Our royal couple, despite their 28 years, are more than capable of defending their territory and displayed a most impressive series of evasive actions to keep the speedy peregrines at bay. 
Video: https://youtu.be/v2CFlmN1tpc

And then our other great contributor, Geemeff brings us the news from Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust:

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 25th July 2026

Today’s big news is that we are officially on fledge watch! The chicks have been wingercising and taking little hops but today Amber 8P6 did a proper helicopter, disappearing out of the cam view at the top of the screen while Juniper 8P7 looked on in amazement. Juniper also got airborne, but only a few inches above the ground so it looks like Amber may well beat her older sister to first fledge. All eyes will be concentrating more than usual on the nest tomorrow! Meanwhile Dorcha is still fending off intruders, an unringed probably male Osprey flew very close, and there were one or two other alarms but no one else caught on nest cam. Intruders didn’t seem to take up Louis’ time as he delivered three fine looking trout including a gold coloured one, and he was sporting a very well-filled crop. The Nest Two tally now stands at three hundred and twenty nine. Aurora 536 spent a fair bit of time on Nest One, Garry LV0 delivered one fish taking his tally to one hundred and eighty two, and stayed to do a bit of nest tidying. It rained overnight but despite the forecast was mainly dry during the day, and there’ll be more rain overnight with a low of 12°C, continuing throughout tomorrow with a high of 17°C. There should be an early evening break in the rain tomorrow which would be ideal conditions for a fledge. However, the chicks will decide when they’re ready.Today’s videos: https://youtu.be/EJgW5nIVUuQ N2 Louis brings a huge lively trout 08.59.22 https://youtu.be/jf8-s_O-qUM N2 Dorcha warns away an intruder Osprey flying too near the nest 10.16.23https://youtu.be/f4RRAzdVszw N2 Juniper’s keen when fish two arrives, Amber joins in later 11.18.18 https://youtu.be/wSUiOyv4KMo N1 Aurora grabs the flatfish, has a nibble, and leaves with it 18.06.26https://youtu.be/J6Ki2ZIxvoI N2 Amber does a proper off-the-screen helicopter! 18.57.16https://youtu.be/wMGEFDUt_Eo N2 Louis brings a very colourful third trout 19.53.04 (zoom)

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

===============================================================

Zeus has been making fish deliveries to Cape May to the chick who we hope will fledge soon! Another miracle. One little survivor.

There are still four osplets at Blackbush in Prince Edward Island. Against the odds, little four is going to make it unless something very strange happens.

Despite heating rivers and dying fish, Clark works hard for his family and delivers a nice fish for Iris and Wensi early this morning.

Wensi is working on building muscles to fly.

Two osplets at Oyster Bay – at least one has fledged and returned. Fish are coming to the nest, but the one who might not have fledged (apologies, I have not kept up with this nest as much as I should) is constantly fish-calling.

Looking to the upcoming season in the Southern Hemisphere:

Mum and Dad are on the barge nest and mating constantly! Meanwhile we hope Ervie and his female mate have chicks this year, too.

Lady and Dad in the Olympic Forest nest where Lady is incubating her two precious eggs.

Beautiful Diamond at the Falcon Scrape on the campus of Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia. Gimbir is safe and sound and often in the scrape. He is quite the character. Looking forward to more healthy chicks this season.

The streaming cam at 367 Collins Street – home to the Melbourne Falcon family – will be turned on once there are eggs.

Thank you so much for your notes. I am so glad that you appreciated the photos of Toby and The Girls! They are so very special to my life.

Toby keeping us company as we sort through photos.

Have a lovely week. We will be back with you on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thank you to Geemeff, SK Hideaways, Pam Breci, to all the contributors on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our bird friends.

Ervie goes fishing, Egg 2 for Diamond and Xavier and more…Sunday morning in Bird World

28 August 2022

Good Morning Everyone. I hope that each of you had a lovely Saturday. Thank you so much for joining me today!

From the Mailbox:

‘A’ asks: What is the average time difference or gap for Peregrine Falcons to lay their eggs? Diamond looks like she is ready today. Thank you, ‘A’. That is a very timely question as we sit staring at Diamond’s bottom for her tail feathers to begin to go up and down when she is in labour. In the nest notes that Cilla Kinross, the researcher at the Orange Falcon cam compiled, it says that the average time difference is 56 hours. As I write this, the time in Orange is 13:21 on Saturday. That egg is due anytime.

‘L’ asks: What is the purpose of molting? The feathers of our bird friends get damaged just like our clothes from normal living. They break and get tears. Moulting is the annual replacement of the feathers. In fact, think about it. Feathers are so important to birds – they keep them warm and dry and, of course, are needed for flying. They should be in tip top shape which is why birds spend so much time preening. Some birds begin to moult in the spring. Others wait until nesting has finished. Moulting is really hard on the birds and it is normally done when there is an unusually high level of prey so they can keep their energy up.

‘C’ writes: “I’m glad I helped with that information about galvanized steel that contains zinc. But in stainless steel, the component is chromium. Is it also bad for the health of birds? I searched very quickly, and in a very superficial search, I didn’t find anything that chromium is also bad for.” The information you provided was very useful. As one of our other readers ‘L’ writes there are some uses for zinc that are also helpful such as in ‘Zinc Ointment’ for baby rashes. I do not know a lot about chromium. It is also used in ceramics to make certain shades of green glazes and is highly toxic in its powdered form. It is not toxic after the pottery has been fired to a specific degree, however. — We assume that the things that we use for cooking are all ‘safe’. Sometimes it is only later we discover that there could be connections to specific ailments. However, if I had a beloved bird that lived in a cage – the cage wires would be stainless. We have a metal shop in our city that made all the SS backings for my kitchen and my island top. I am certain there are similar facilities in other cities where they could make the wires. I am still finding this whole zinc toxicity that impacted Victor very curious. I wish I knew more!

In the News:

The UK is still celebrating the arrival of more than 100 Hen Harriers.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/aug/26/more-than-100-hen-harriers-fledge-in-england-for-first-time-in-a-century?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco&fbclid=IwAR30RuoawzBXrW4pE6NlXv4HMzTu-zyE7KQLFx9JBz509CutnnxTndk6TYg

The New York Times published the following article about how climate change will impact the birds we love and which are more likely to go extinct first. The cover shows the Kakapo and my readers know that the Kakapo Recovery Group is working hard to make sure that the flightless parrots survive. Today there are 205 of them on a couple of mall islands of New Zealand.

Nest News:

Chase showed up with a nice big fish and waited and waited on the Two Harbours nest for Lancer on Saturday morning around 10:38. Lancer never showed up. What a change it must be for the parents from nearly getting their talons torn off to sitting quietly to see if anyone will arrive. If you have left the territory, Lancer – soar high, be safe and always have a full crop!

Such dedicated eagle parents. Did you know that Chase & Cholyn have been together for 19 years?

Ferris Akel had a terrific tour on Saturday afternoon around Ithaca, New York. I was listening and doing other things until he got to the Cornell Campus where he caught Big Red, Arthur, and L2 on camera. Oh, it is lovely to continue seeing L2. According to Suzanne Arnold Horning, the latest a juvenile has been seen at the Cornell Campus is 28 August. L2 looks pretty comfortable. I wonder if she will shatter that record?

Arthur was hunting.

L2 could see Big Red in the distance when she was on the pole and was prey crying really, really loud. Since L2 was the second juvenile to catch her own prey in June I am imaging that Big Red’s answer to that is: “Get your own!”

Big Red looks a little ‘rough’. She is moulting. Like other Red-tail Hawks, Big Red undergoes a complete moult once a year. Normally, hawks begin their moult in spring and every feather has been replaced by September or October. Big Red, however, appears to begin her moult after the eyases fledge.

Xavier has been bringing Diamond some extra special treats during Sunday to help Diamond keep her energy up for the egg laying. One was an Eastern Rosella which is a very colourful parrot and the other was a nicely prepared pigeon. Diamond was excited for both!

The arrival of the Rosella meant that cute little Xavier could have some time with ‘eggie’.

Diamond had a very large crop when the pigeon arrived but she certainly wasn’t going to turn her nose up at that special food gift.

It is 13:57 in Orange and Diamond is sitting on the ledge of the scrape box while we wait and watch for an indication that the second egg might be arriving.

Diamond is back on the egg at 1400.

Diamond is very focused and she looks ‘heavy in the rear’. Egg 2 could be coming shortly. Diamond normally lays 3 eggs. For the past two years, only one egg has been viable each year.

Diamond laid egg #2 at 17:27. Yippppppeeee. Why am I so excited? Well, falcon eggs do not always hatch and for the last two years Xavier and Diamond have had only 1 out of 3 eggs hatch so it makes the chances better of having a successful hatch.

Xavier arrives at 17:33 to see the second egg and to bring Diamond her dinner. Notice that Diamond is being very careful. Falcons lay their eggs standing up. She is protecting the egg while the shell hardens in the air. The gap between eggs is 57 hours.

Diamond did not want to eat. She had already had two big meals. She remained in the scrape box. During the night she would sometimes incubate or, alternatively, stand above the eggs protecting them. Remember the Currawong know there are eggs in that scrape and they will eat them if the opportunity arises!

The Melbourne couple seem to be finished with three eggs and each takes turns incubating. Dad was very anxious to demonstrate that he was well seasoned in incubation. The Melbourne crew even made a video of the persuasion.

It is a very short and cute clip. Oh, do you ever wish you could speak falconese?

Friends of Osprey have posted some photographs of Ervie near the Marina where he had dived and caught the lovely fish he is eating. They were taken by Alex Ditton. Oh, goodness. It is always such a joyous occasion when someone shows us that Ervie is doing very well indeed! Check out the Friends of Osprey for more images of Ervie.

Kaia remains in Belarus around the Priypat River. This is what the area looks like where she is resting and fishing.

Bonus, the only surviving storklet of Jan and Janika that was fostered with Kaia and Karl II has begun his migration. His tracker tells us that he traveled 109 km and is now in Latvia near the village of Vietalva.

Travel safe dear Bonus, fly high, stay out of the war zones, always have a stream full of frogs and fish — prosper.

There should be more news but it appears that all might have left for their winter homes from the Karula Forest nest of Kaia and Karl II. I will confirm this tomorrow.

Bonus was always a very special Black Storklet. He would not have survived without the intervention of Urmas and Dr Madis and his team. They would have died on the nest. Urmas’s foresight to provide fish baskets meant that everyone had lots of fish. A special thank you to all who donated towards the food for the nest.

The Dahlgren Osprey nest in the US has announced that the male, Jack, has not been seen for a few days so that now Harriet, the female, and the sole surviving fledgling from the nest in King George County are on their journey south.

No one has been seen at the Loch of the Lowes since yesterday. Laddie LM 12, Blue NC0 and both of the fledglings appear to also be heading south.

It was another successful year for Ospreys in Wales and John Williams gives us the run down in his last blow of the season for Llyn Clywedog. The numbers of Ospreys in Wales are growing. There are now 7 ‘known’ pairs who produced 17 chicks this year. John catches up with all the nest news.

Another successful year

John also produced a chart for all the chicks hatched at Llyn Clywedog – noting that there is simply too much grey. Were those chicks ever seen or not? Sometimes they do get missed.

Handsome Aran on the perch at the Glaslyn nest this morning. He remains bringing fish to the nest for the fledglings. Mrs G was still home as well today.

Handsome, Aran.

Emyr Evans has provided us with the data of the fledges at the Dyfi nest asking the question: what happened to Pedran? Emyr is great with statistics and this is a good read about migration and young fledglings.

https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/pedran-what-has-happened-her?fbclid=IwAR2nZUelKdPCJFEW-3PIjKlcohXunU9JSBevJA8wFl4XpT1ICR9H8O8bepA

Rosie was still on the perch at the SF Bay Osprey nest this morning! Brooks has not been seen at the nest for some time now – this is not alarming. She is out exploring!

Congratulations to Glacier Gardens. Both Love and Peace have fledged. Here is a video of that moment on 25 August when Peace took to the air. Congratulations for another successful year Liberty and Freedom!

Thank you so very much for joining me this beautiful Sunday morning. I hope that you are doing well and I will look forward to having you with us again in Bird World.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, their posts, and their videos that form my screen captures: The New York Times, Explore.org and IWS, Ferris Akel Tours, Charles Sturt Orange Falcon Cam, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Friends of Ospreys, Looduskalender, Dahlgren Ospreys, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, John Williams and The Clywedog Ospreys, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Ospreys, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon.

Romance on The Campanile

05 April 2022

Someone once told me that if you can get people involved in the lives of the birds, get them to see them as the individuals that they are, get them to understand the hardships that they face because of ‘us humans’, then there is hope that the world will be a better place for our feathered friends.

One of my readers, ‘B’ mentioned to me that California loves its birds. He sends me wonderful links to the news stories of Grinnell and Annie or Jackie and Shadow. It was mind blowing to see the sheer mass of press coverage – everything from breakfast news, to the headline news at 6pm, to the printed pages – stories of the lives of the birds from eagles to falcons. What a fantastic way to get the public involved. No wonder the streaming bird cams in California have over 5000 viewers at times.

Today there is another wonderful article surveying the life of Annie and Grinnell, the death of Grinnell, and the rise of the ‘new guy’. Have a read, it is a good one:

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-04-05/the-avian-soap-opera-unfolding-atop-this-berkeley-clock-tower-has-humans-riveted?fbclid=IwAR35v7zWAV6nJvN-3ds3G_NNllvIG9AF7qMeBoSeT7TFvDlepiI5mb8–vk

I miss Grinnell. There was something about that little falcon that tugged at my heart every time I saw him. For transparency sake, I should say that I feel thee same heart tugs when I see Xavier bringing prey to Diamond or the male at the CBD 367 Collins Street scrape in Melbourne plucking a pigeon for his female triplets. They are tiny up beside the females. If someone could design a pajama onsie like the plumage of an adult male falcon, they would surely make a lot of money. Seriously, these little males are cute. We cannot forget – at the same time – that they are the best aerial predators in the world flying at speeds up to 350 kph, breaking the necks of their prey in the sky. Still…put that altogether with the ritual bonding of the couples and you have a most interesting raptor. I disagree with some who say watching falcons is the ‘gateway’ into watching larger raptors. For me, the falcons and the hawks are just as interesting, if not more, than the eagles. Eagles frustrate me. Falcons can feed three eyases without a problem and have them all fledge. Enough said.

For Annie’s sake and for the two eggs of Grinnell’s in the scrape along with the one of the ‘new guy’, I am glad the NG came along. I like the fact that he brings prey to Annie late at night. If she isn’t hungry she can stash it away and have it in the middle of the night or eat it for breakfast. There is no waiting for food. I like the tenderness that he uses in trying to roll the eggs and get them under his tiny body along with the fact that if Annie calls him – he comes. New Guy isn’t going to win a lot of awards for his jammies – they are a little rough at the edges, something that goes along with his lameness – but he will most certainly win hearts and minds, just like Xavier did at Orange, for rescuing this 2022 breeding season for Annie — and for our dear Grinnell. We must not forget that. He isn’t the male that comes storming in and shattering the eggs of his predecessor. Nope. He is tender and caring. It is a miracle of sorts that he came along, just at the right time, slipped into place. In a month, we will play guess whose nestling belongs to whom – and we won’t know and the new guy and Annie won’t know. They will just take care of all three of them.

I do wish that the falcons wore identity tags. It appears that the ‘new guy’ flew up to the ledge. No prey in talons but obviously working on something. Is it stashed somewhere? The ledge clock says it is 17:16 when he arrives.

Simultaneous with the new guy’s arrival, Annie gets up and leaves the eggs to take a break.

It was only the limp that gave away it was the ‘new guy’ trying to fit the eggs and roll them under him without causing any damage.

Annie returns with some nice YSL red lipstick at 18:08. She obviously had a nice supper. Did I say I was getting to like the new guy? How many times?

Cal Falcons put together this video of the exchange of incubation duties. Enjoy!

Good night Annie and ‘the new guy’. Good night to all of you. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to Cal Falcons for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.

Early Monday in Bird World

4 April 2022

It is a great morning – feedings at Dale Hollow, Ervie at the barge, and the romance continues at The Campanile.

The morning started out with real positive energy in terms of an intervention to get the monofilament line off of DH 15 Little Middle and remove any other line off the Dale Hollow Nest. Approval has come down from the top permit officer so we wait to see if the local officer will assist. Jessica Halls and her team from the AEF are prepared to leave and help the eaglet. We do not know what the tree is like – that is the one very unknown in all of this. But however this turns out, it was a real ray of sunshine to connect with the people who love eagles and move into action when there is a problem.

If you missed the earlier posting with the letters from Ron MacGill who helped get me in touch with the USFWS head permit provider, they are here:

https://wordpress.com/post/maryannsteggles.com/44638

The adults at the Dale Hollow nest have not fed Little Middle since 2 April. Big continues to intimidate – more than twice this morning at 10:17:29 (just got up close and LM went into submission) and wings out at 12:04:20 and again at 12:05:44. There is plenty of fish on the nest – 2 have been delivered.

This morning, very hungry, Little Middle self-fed and in the second video stands on the fish and pulls and tugs developing good neck muscles. This eaglet is a survivor. I sure hope it gets the chance out in the wild.

Really proud of how well Little Middle is feeding itself. At one point the crop was full but, because he had not eaten for so long, he dropped that food rather quickly.

River has not fed Little Middle any of the fish this morning. Big is always threatening.

Big is full. At 12:23:53 Little Middle begins to move over to the piece of fish left to self feed.

As I write this, Little Middle is self-feeding. Hunger and the will to survive are driving this wonderful little eaglet. These are great skills for the wild.

An adult returned to the nest and Little Middle moved and then began to go around the rim to be fed.

Little Middle was being fed and then…Big noticed.

At 12:33, the adult is feeding Big. There is plenty of fish. Stay up there Little til Big leaves. That is all you have to do!

Big’s crop is big enough to pop.

In another golden moment, the adult got between the two eaglets and is turned and feeding Little Middle. If the adult will stay there, Little Middle will really be able to have a good feed. There is plenty of fish.

An adult brought in more fish at 12:48:54. There has been lots of fish on the nest. I wonder if the weekend leisure boat traffic, etc. in any way impacts the fishing for the eagles?

I cannot promise you that the rescue and intervention will happen. What I can say is that the removal of the fishing line is in the hands of the USFWS and the AEF. If it is possible, I believe we will have a good resolution. It clearly depends on many factors including the tree the nest is in. I have not been able to get a proper height for it other than very, very, very tall.

There is also good news coming out of The Campanile and the Cal Falcons. Annie’s ‘new man’ – please give him a great name Cal Falcons – brought her a large prey item which she accepted last night. Despite his lame foot, this fellow is a good hunter and provider. Annie how lucky!

The two changed incubation duties just a few minutes ago! Courting ritual in scrape. Seriously, can there be a better written romance?

And in the midst of everything, Ervie was at the Port Lincoln Barge begging Mum for a fish! I want to thank ‘A’ from Japan for alerting me to his presence. The Port Lincoln Osprey folks did a close up of Ervie’s foot so that they can see how that talon is growing. It is growing in slow.

You might be able to rewind to the times above and get to see Ervie! Here is the link, Ervie is still on the barge!

As I mentioned yesterday, Dale Hollow can be mentally exhausting. The intervention and removal of the line is in the hands of those who have the opportunity to help. I am going out for a long walk in the forest because waiting and watching is agonizing.

Take care everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures and video clips: Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Cal Falcons, and Port Lincoln Ospreys.

Sunday in Bird World

3 April 2022

It was cold, damp, and dreary counting Canada Geese this morning. I did not take my camera – it is bulky and heavy – but I will return and take some images for everyone early this week. There are Canada Geese everywhere there is a large puddle!!!!!!

There is lots going on in Bird World – too much to keep straight. I want to start with dear Annie at the UC-Berkley Campanile. When Grinnell was killed we thought all was lost. Turns out Annie has her own ‘saviour’. It is thought that Annie laid an egg on Thursday but not in the scrape box. Cal Falcons felt that she thought she could only take care of 2 by herself. On time, she laid egg 4 and that is the big news. By my reckoning, this egg belongs to the new man since it takes approximately 2.5 days for Annie to make an egg. Oh, I hope this turns out well. It would be wonderful to see the last two chicks of Grinnell be healthy and fledge.

He’s a little raggle-taggled compared to Grinnell. I wonder how old you are Annie’s new man??

He is certainly trying to show Annie he has good intentions and is a good hunter.

Last evening Annie accepted ‘dinner in the scrape’ from the new lad. She stashed it for later and returned to incubate but how sweet was that?! Everyone remains hopeful.

Many of you are falcon fans. I have discovered a new scrape on top of the stadium at Michigan State University. It is brand new as of January 2022 so nothing is known, as far as I know, about the falcon couple. Here is that link – and there are 3 eggs!

Here is the link!

Michigan is working to reintroduce falcons into the state and there is another scrape that is funded by the Lansing Board of Water and Light.

How long do Red-tail Hawks live in the wild? I believe that Pale Male will be 33 this year. Him and Octavia have not had any clutches for the past two years. It will be three this year. Robert Yolton writes a wonderful blog on the wildlife around New York City’s Central Park. He found Pale Male eating a brown rat yesterday and took some video. His feathers appear to be fading a bit but what a legend Pale Male is.

Have you seen the free movie about Pale Male and how the community, including Mary Tyler Moore, lobbied and picketed for him and his mate to keep their nest on one of the nicest pieces of real estate in NYC? If not, watch it or save it for when you need something uplighting. The voices of people can really make a difference to the lives of these fantastic raptors. We just need the right person to hear us!

https://www.thelegendofpalemale.net/

Pa Berry and Missy at the Berry College Bald Eagle nest have been trying to coax 78-day-old B15 into the nest for some food. Missy has been watching her first fledgling closely making sure that he is learning to fly and land but not venturing far from the nest. Late this morning B15 returned to the nest and Dad flew in with a fish immediately for his boy.

Meanwhile Kincaid is branching higher and higher at the Kistachie National Forest nest near Alexandria, Louisiana. No one will ever know for sure if Kincaid is a male or a female; the eaglet will not be banded. But from the size comparison with Mum and Dad at this stage – right before fledge – most think Kincaid is a female. She is definitely a sweet eagle. Anna and Louis did a fine job this season. Hats off to everyone at KNF who worked so hard to get the two camera system in place, for taking the time to mod the chat and answer questions most of the day.

Closely watching the progress of Karl II, the patriarch of the Karula National Forest Black Stork nest in Estonia, as he flies over a war zone to get to his nest. Isn’t he gorgeous? This image was taken in 2017. He is still as handsome!

Who doesn’t know CROW? and who doesn’t wish we could wiggle our noses and get them to land at the Dale Hollow nest to check on that monofilament line? Made famous for their rescue of E17 and E18 of the SWFlorida Bald eagle nest when they had non-human caused conjunctivitis, CROW this morning cleaned out an Osprey nest full of human garbage. It is a threat to the wildlife – just like all those toys at Dahlgren are, sadly.

Oh, the Osprey chicks of Andy and Lena have been so neglected by me. They are just gorgeous and getting way too big too fast. So happy for Andy and Lena. After two horrible years, it looks like they will fledge two this year.

There was a statement on a FB group about the number of eggs in a Bald Eagle clutch. They said it was ‘rare’ for three and rare for three to survive. (They did not mention the rarity of siblicide twice at the same nest). I dug around and found a very interesting study on the change of clutch size in Bald Eagles in the Chesapeake Bay area of the US. It is really interesting ready. The author, writing in 2017, begins with the age of egg collection and continues to 2011 demonstrating that the size of the clutches has increased significantly since the beginning of the 20th century. It is not onerous reading. Very insightful.

Clutch size in Chesapeake Bay bald eagles: an unexpected history

Dave Hancock of Hancock Wildlife in British Columbia did a study and found that the average for that province’s Bald Eagles in terms of clutch size is 2.

https://hancockwildlife.org/hancock-wildlife-reference/bald-eagle-biology/eggs-incubation-hatching/

There are a number of 3 chick clutches currently being watched by us as well as one with 4, the PA Farm Bald Eagle nest. Pittsburgh-Hayes consistently has three and Redding would once again had three this year had their one egg not gotten broken. One of the most visited Bald Eagle sites is the West End where there are three eaglets this year. I wonder if this varies by region? Will look to see if I can find any solid information for us.

Deb Steyck made a video yesterday of the four at PA Farm being fed.

Meanwhile, Mr President seems to be really loving being a Dad again after 4 years and Lotus is figuring out everything as a first time Mum rather quickly. This is one spoiled little nestling that will grow fast and strong if Mr President’s prey deliveries are any indication of what is to come.

In contrast, nothing arrived on the Dale Hollow Bald Eagles nest until a two-bite teaser appeared at 11:24:55. We all know who ate that! These eaglets hatched on the 28th of February. Jackie and Shadow’s only chick hatched on 3 March. The Big Bear eaglet had been fed 8 times by 16:00 yesterday. The Dale Hollow nest continues to baffle me.

The eaglets are hungry.

At 12:31:34 a small fish was brought to the nest. Almost before the parent landed, Big went and began beaking Little Middle. Big’s beak is large and it can still encase Little Middle with its body hurting him. Big is a big bird.

To survive, Middle Little gets that head down and stays put.

I do not believe there will be enough for Little Middle to have any fish. I hope to be wrong. I also hope that the parent would change the direction they are feeding so Little Middle could move. It appears from the image above that the fishing line could be around some of the right talons??? But that is anything but 100%.

It is 12:44 and Little Middle has made no attempt to move to get any fish.

The fish is all gone at 12:45:24. Little Middle is still maintaining submissive posture. While it had been hoped that the attacks would stop, they continue because of the erratic fish deliveries. Like children, eaglets on the nest need some stability or they go into survival mode. Remember, Big wants to survive so it protects what it sees as a low supply of food. Middle Little protects itself for another time by being submissive and putting its head down. No sense in fighting a sibling that is twice your size.

A nest that is much calmer is that of Big Red and Arthur, the Red tail Hawks at Cornell who continue to incubate their four eggs which will hatch later this month.

Big Red is 19 years old this year and is the most well known RTH in the world. She is an incredible mother.
Cute Little Arthur has learned how to puff up his feathers to keep those four eggs warm and dry!

And the last check of the day, the two eagles that hatched on March 20 and 23 are doing remarkably well at the Redding Bald Eagle nest of Liberty and Guardian. They have sure grown out of the cute fluff ball stage now.

Liberty looks down at his two chicks while Guardian is aerating the nest.

It has been a busy day at the nests, many I did not get to check. Hopefully later. Thank you to everyone who has commented or sent me an e-mail. The inbox is full. I plan to have responded to everyone by tomorrow (Monday) at noon. Thank you so much for your patience and for your caring for Little Middle and all the birds. Your kind gestures bright light in a world that feels somewhat dark right now. Each of the nests seems to be doing exceptionally well. Dahlgren needs its garbage cleared, Richmond and Rosie have a good nest structure, West End babies fed well, and I have to check in with Chase and Cholyn to see if Thunder has a sibling. We continue to wait for the arrival of Ospreys Dylan, Aran, and Idris in the UK and for Iris in Montana.

Take care all. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and FB pages where I took my screen captures: Eagle Club of Estonia, Dale Hollow Eagle Cam, Cal
Falcons, MSU Fisheries and Wildlife Club, Lansing Board of Water and Light Peregrine Falcons, Berry College, KNF, Captiva Ospreys and Window on Wildlife, CROW, Cornell Red Tail Hawks, and NADC-AEF.

Annie and her new man…love at The Campanile?

2 April 2022

So many of us love/d Grinnell. I do not know anyone who is not still shocked by his death.

How do you write about a Peregrine Falcon that brought so many so much love, joy, and laughter? Grinnell was a very sweet lad. I have found it difficult to write about him because for many years it was always ‘Grinnell and Annie’ ‘Annie and Grinnell’. In my mind, I was not able to separate the two. They were a constant which, over the past few years, has been very reassuring. And then they weren’t.

Grinnell was last seen at The Campanile at 10:37 on the 31st of March. He was later found dead in the downtown area of San Francisco. It is believed he was chasing a female intruder and went low and got hit by a car.

Grinnell hatched along with another male in a nest near Martinez, California. He was banded in 2013. This makes him 9 years old this year.

Annie and Grinnell were bonded mates for six years. Indeed, it was probably only Grinnell’s injuries on the 29th of October that caused them to be separated for the longest time in their relationship. They appeared at The Campanile in December 2016 making their first nest on a sandbag!!!!!!! Cal Falcons decided that it was better if they fixed them a proper nest in 2017 which evolved into the scrape box that you see on camera in 2018.

Annie and Grinnell raised two to fledge in 2017- Fiat and Lux. Fiat flew out of Mum and Dad’s territory to set up his own while, sadly, Luxe hit a window and died. In 2018, they fledged 3 – Berkelium, Lawrencium, and Californium. All successfully left. Lawrencium, the female has a nest on Alcatraz and has made Grinnell and Annie grandparents. In 2019, there were two fledges – Carson and Cade. In 2020, there were three – Poppy, Sequoia, and Redwood. Poppy was spotted recently in San Jose, California and Sequoia is known to be in Santa Clara, California. Unless a miracle happens, 2021 will be the couple’s final breeding season. It was hugely successful with three males fledging – Fauci, Kaknu, and Wek-Wek. In total, they fledged 13 juvenile peregrine falcons in 5 seasons. It is not clear how many grandchildren the couple have.

We ached for Annie and the two eggs in the scrape.

It has been a bit like a roller coaster with the plot thickening every day since Grinnell’s death. A male appeared, began courting Annie, and briefly incubating the eggs almost as soon as Cal Falcons announced the death of Grinnell. The news of this tragic drama has spread. It even made it to the Toronto news.

Berkeley peregrine falcon finds partner after mate’s death

The new male likes to sit on the ledge above the nest box watching over Annie and the eggs. Has she accepted prey from him? I am not certain.

This afternoon, Annie initiated the bonding and the male immediately came to join her at 16:30.

He has a limp. Cal Falcons confirms that this should not impact his hunting. And, in fact, he tried to give Annie some nicely prepared prey last night but she was either full, according to Cal Falcons, or not ready to commit. Has anything changed today?

After the bonding ritual, the young male situates himself on the eggs to incubate them.

He is rather cute and I am quickly warming up to him.

These are gentle gestures of loving kindness — the world could use so much more kindness like this – right now.

There are so many news stories out about Annie and the new male. Here is one with comments by Lynn from Cal Falcons:

I will always treasure the years that I was privileged to watch Annie and Grinnell raise their chicks. No one will replace Grinnell in the hearts of thousands but, for now, I am grateful to this young male who has been hanging around for about a month, that he is stepping up and will help raise the last two chicks ever of Grinnell’s. That makes him a winner in my books.

Thank you for joining me tonight. If you are looking for a blog on Sunday, it will be coming late in the afternoon. I am counting Canada Geese tomorrow at several locations! Continue to send your warm wishes to all of the birds especially those migrating over war zones and those entangled with monofilament line. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to Cal Falcons for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.

Annie lays her first egg and happiness at Dale Hollow…

26 March 2022

Just as I am starting to check all of the nests, there is an intervention happening on the WRDC Bald Eagle nest in the Miami Zoo. R2 got entangled in fishing line. The camera is down and let us all hope that there are no injuries to this amazing eaglet.

The big news of the morning came as a subject line a couple of minutes ago from ‘B’. “Annie has an egg!” Wow. Thank you ‘B’. (I was very busy watching Dale Hollow).

We have all been wondering how the soap opera with Annie and Grinnell was working out. This says it all. It looks like the egg arrived about 08:30:17 nest time in San Francisco. So happy…..wonder if Annie is going to join the ‘4 egg club’ for this year?

Annie is having a nest rest. She should sleep as much as she can. Once the eggs are all laid she will get a reprieve of 33-35 days and then there will be no rest! So, so happy!!!!!!!!!!! This really is turning out to be a joyous morning.

Cal Falcons just posted a video of this wonderful event.

It started out as a promising morning at the Dale Hollow nest. River and Obey had a big fish left on the nest overnight. Because of this, there was no waiting for breakfast and Big did not get herself into a ‘mood’. River was on the nest and at 09:04 she went over to the fish and lifted it up. Big went up to eat first. Little Middle stayed behind watching. Little Middle moved up to the feeding spot at 09:09:54. In other words, Little Middle let Big eat for about three minutes while listening and watching. It all worked out. River fed both chicks together up at the table. There was no intimidation by Big. Oh, joy!!!!!!!

Smart Little Middle. Test the temperature of Big before moving up. That said, Little Middle duly recognized Big as the dominant allowing her to eat first. Perfect.

Little Middle moves up and River stretches to give some great bites to her youngest.

Little Middle’s crop was flat at the start of the feeding. Now look! And also have a look at the size of Little Middle’s feet——– this kiddo is growing. Yippeeeeeeee.

What a wonderful start to the day at Dale Hollow.

River and Obey have found a stash of corn stalks and they are using them to create new railings around the nest. Smart. Big and Little Middle are going to need them. Several times I thought Little Middle was going to fall out of that nest.

By 10:00 the parents are away perhaps retrieving more rails. Meanwhile, the two eaglets are resting and the sucker Obey brought in is hidden.

At 10:50:30 River removes the Sucker from the centre of the nest to the rim where she can feed the eaglets. Little Middle watches and listens but does not go up to River and the fish allowing Big to be there first.

At 10:54:57 Big drops a bite, River holds it up and Little Middle does the snatch and grab!

Big was not happy and attacks Little Middle. Little Middle immediately goes into submission and moves away from the feeding to the rim of the nest.

I could hardly believe my eyes. River stopped and turned so that she could feed Little Middle at 11:01:20. This is quite the change!!!! Wow.

The wind almost blew her off the nest. It is so windy that River is going to have to go back to being parallel with the rim of the nest.

This gives the feeding advantage to Big.

By 11:08 Little Middle has moved up to get some fish.

By 11:17:18 Little Middle has a nice crop that has built up. The feeding finishes at 11:18. There is little to no fish left! This has been a good morning for Little Middle. Some intimidation but nothing that would have harmed him. Just reminders to remain cautious.

The Canada Goose at the unused Bald Eagle nest in Decorah, Iowa laid her second egg last night. She is using the twigs from the former eagle nest to cover them.

The sun rising over the Decorah Eagle nest home to a Canada Goose now!

It is a Cormorant food fest at the West End Bald Eagle nest of Thunder and Akecheta. In the image below they are enjoying the one that Thunder brought in yesterday. Dad Akecheta’s performance at feeding is excellent. Look at all three of them lined up. No problems. Nothing. Serene and solace. There is a new Cormorant behind the big stick that appears to have been brought in today. By the time the season is over will there be any Cormorants left in the Channel Islands?!

At the Two Harbour’s Bald Eagle nest of Chase and Cholyn, Thunder’s parents, Cholyn is incubating. Pip watch should be soon.

The parents at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest are feeding their three now!

Everything seems to be going well at the National Arboretum nest of Mr President and Lotus. The eaglet hatched at 14:55 on the 25th and is the first hatch at this nest in four years. Well done!

Wonder where that gold fish came from????

All cuddled up next to what could be a younger sibling.

The two eaglets at the Redding nest of Guardian and Liberty have been enjoying a lot of Coot for their first feedings. The oldest hatched on 20 March with the youngest three days later on 23 March.

Liberty is 23 years old and Guardian is 8 years old. Another nest where the female is much older. Liberty has fledged four sets of triplets – in 2009,. 2010, 2015, and last year, in 2021. It is a nice eaglet nest to watch and here is the link:

If you missed it, Mrs G arrived back at Glaslyn today. She is waiting for Aran and in the meantime, she is enjoying a fresh fish that she caught herself!

It has just been a pretty good day all around the nests. I am off to check on the arrival of geese and ducks here on the Canadian Prairie.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Dale Hollow Lake Eagle Cam, Cal Falcons, Redding Bald Eagles, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, National Arboretum Bald Eagles and the AEF, Pix Cams, and Explore.org

Saturday in Bird World

19 March 2022

This will be a very short report on a few of the nests we have been watching. Each of those nests is doing fine. Indeed, they are doing really well.

Thunder and Akecheta are such an amazing team this year at the West End Bald Eagle nest. It has been a real treat to watch Akecheta mature into the genuinely passionate father of three chicks that he is. There isn’t anything that he will not do and he loves to shade, brood, and feed! This Bald Eagle nest of three chicks is doing very well. there are no issues.

Some of you may well be familiar with the Trio Love Nest on the Mississippi River near Fulton, Illinois. In 2017, the female, Hope, was probably killed by an interloper. There were two beautiful chicks in the nest and the two fathers, Valor I and Valor II raised them. It is a beautiful story that will lead both of them to find Starr or Starr find them and ‘the Trio’ to raise chicks together. It is not clear what is happening at the Trio Nest this year. It was believed Valor I had left and then he returned. This morning the Stewards of the Mississippi River said they believed that some sub-adult Bald Eagles had cleaned up the nest. We wait to see but this might be the end of The Love Trio. So sad. They were such a great team raising big healthy chicks to fledge.

This is an old video. Hope is believed to have been killed and the two males, Valor I and II, take over the care of the eaglets. They will raise them to fledge. It is really a good news story. I wish we had one today for all of them.

It has been 5 years since Big Red’s long time partner, Ezra, was killed. There were no eggs laid in 2017. In April of that year, a young Red-tail Fledgling made a visit to the nest that Big Red shared with Ezra. The young ‘whippersnapper’ as many on the Cornell chat call him wooed Big Red over all the other males that courted her. This is Arthur before he even had his Red tail!

This is Arthur today incubating the eggs for the 2022 breeding season. This is his 5th year together with Big Red. He is a cutie pie and Big Red is giving him more duties. Yippeee.

Gorgeous Big Red. Her and Arthur sure make great babies. She is 19 this year. Her life as a Mum has been tracked since 2012. No one knows if she had other mates before Ezra or how many chicks she fledged but, since 2012 she has only not fledged one. That was K2 who had a beak or jaw issue last year. That is an amazing testament to the amazing parenting that happens on this nest and the prey rich territory where she resides.

By 12 noon, Andy had made 3 fish deliveries at the Captiva Osprey Nest. They were a Sand Perch at 08:23; a Pinfish at 09:59, and a large Striped Mullet at 11:52. Everyone ate well and Lena has been shading her two surviving chicks from the hot Florida sun when she is not feeding them. I have seen no report from Captiva about the results of the necroscopy on Big Bob who died suddenly on the nest. Captiva and Window on Wildlife anticipated that they would have those results by the end of this past week.

Its 16:39 and the two at Captiva are eating again! Both have huge crops. Little Bob is pausing but there is so much fish left that surely he will return to the table for his usual second helping. All is good on this nest! That is such a relief. Hungry, healthy chicks!

For the followers of Ma Berry, the former mate of Pa at the Berry College Bald Eagle nest, a photo of Ma at Lake Allatoona was posted today by one of the members of the Berry College FB group. She looks good. The photo was September 26, 2021.

Pa’s and his new mate, Missy, have one chick this year, B15. A real sweet little eaglet. Well B15 has branched on 17 March! This is the announcement on the Berry College Eagles FB group.

B15 is a really healthy eaglet that loves using the nest like a trampoline.

Jackie and Shadow continue to do a great job at Big Bear just as anyone might expect. There have already been 7 feedings on this nest and it is barely 14:00. Feedings were at: 6:42; 8:01; 9:37; 10:29; 11:12; 12:16; 13:20. There appear to be several fish on the nest waiting. The Little One is growing like a beautiful read.

Everyone is good with the exception of Dale Hollow and whatever is happening at the Trio nest. The chick at Dulles Greenaway is happy, shaded, and fed. Rosie and Richmond, the Ospreys at the Whirley Crane in the Richmond Shipyards in SF Bay, are busy trying to rebuild their nest. That is going to be a huge job. There is no recent news of Annie and Grinnell.

I will do a separate report about the day’s happenings at the Dale Hollow Lake nest probably late this evening. I can tell you that Middle got 2 or 3 bites of fish this morning, the very first since the meal late on the 17th. (I think I said the 18th in an earlier report). The oldest has launched ferocious attacks on the Middle one like he did with Little Bit. The Middle One has tried to fed but can’t on a big fish on the nest. Middle has even tried eating dirty straw. It sat at the feet of the mother begging with a huge fish and River allowed Big to continue its terror. I will put a warning on that posting. Suffice it to say that I do not believe that any miracles are going to happen on this nest. There will be one chick at the end. A huge ferocious female. I hope to post at least one academic article that argues that siblicide is simply selfishness and that evolutionary success depends on many factors but definitely not siblicide.

Thank you for joining me today. It is gorgeous and sunny and all the snow is in full melt. Geese continue to come, several Blue Jays are back and I saw my first White-throated Sparrow of the year. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams or their FB pages where I took my screen captures: The Cornell Chatters Group FB Page (image of young Arthur); Berry College Eagles FB Group; Captiva Ospreys and Window on Wildlife; Cornell Bird Lab and RTH; Friends of Big Bear Valley; West End Bald Eagles and the Institute of Wildlife Studies.

Late Monday in Bird World

14 March 2022

Gosh, it has been a busy day and I am trying to play catch up!

The big news of the day is that the internationally famous Red-tail Hawk at Cornell University, Big Red – named after their football team – laid her first egg of the 2022 season. She went into labour about 15:09 and the first reveal of the egg was at 15:11.

The three at the Captiva Osprey nest have eaten well again today. I cannot say for sure but it looks like at least seven fish were brought to Lena to feed Big, Middle, and Little Bob. There were five brought in by 15:30 with two other deliveries at 17:14 and 18:30. The images below are from a feeding that was still ongoing at 18:49 today. The kiddos had already been eating for 20 minutes!

I know i sound like a broken record but I look for their fat little bottoms. Middle Bob, facing to the Gulf, has a fat little bottom. Little is right up at Mum’s beak wanting some more fish!

Middle has passed out in a food coma.

Everyone will go to bed with a crop the size of a golf ball. These chicks are doing well. Big will be 4 weeks old on Wednesday, Middle 4 weeks old on Thursday, and Little will be 4 weeks old on Saturday. All the troubles that plagued this nest with the Crows will be more or less a non-worry after the chicks are 30 days old. They are big enough that the Crows will not bother them. What a wonderful relief. Andy has been working hard to get fish on the nest since the fish drought a few days ago.

As far as I can tell, each of the eaglets at the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta have eaten well today. If someone asks you who is brooding, if you said Cheta, without looking, you would be right 8 times out of 10. Oh, this new dad sure loves to brood the little ones even on a hot day when everyone is panting to get cool!

Dale Hollow is an on again, off again nest. I have been disappointed that River and Obey are not tandem feeding the three kids. Big is really a bother to everyone. That said Little ate today and so did Middle. Hopefully the dominance issue will fade away like it has done at Captiva once food security is back in Big’s mind. Also River seems to be a bit distracted. I don’t know if there are predators in the area but she has stopped feeding abruptly on several occasions.

It is good to remember that there are third hatches (or second) this year that have had to wait for their big sibling to finish eating before they got anything. The first one that comes to mind is actually Rocket at the NEFlorida Bald eagle nest of Gabby and Samson. Rocket is a great name for this eaglet that became a pro at the ‘snatch and grab’. Rocket was also well equipped for self-feeding and was doing its own feeding on the extra prey left in the nest at least 9 days before Jasper even considered it could feed itself. The other one this year is also Little Bob at the Captiva nest mentioned in this blog. Things can turn around and sometimes they don’t. It is hard to watch but those third hatches that survive a dominant big sibling often have better survival skills for the wild.

I mentioned that a Bald eaglet will grow from being 3 inches to over a metre tall or 3 feet in 3 months. Have a look at how quickly Kakapo chicks grow from this posting by the Kakapo Recovery. The oldest chick is starting to get its beautiful green plumage!

If you missed it, the first confirmed banded Osprey on a streaming cam in the UK (or first Osprey without all that) is LM12 known as Laddie who arrived on the nest that he shares with his mate Blue NC0 yesterday at noon. Isn’t he handsome?

I am also very happy to announce that Karl II, the male at the Karula National Forest Black Stork Nest in Estonia, is still in Africa. His tracker pinged and he is near Khartoum. I am so relieved. I hope that all of the storks remain for the moment in Africa. Perhaps the war in the Ukraine – well, the Storks and other birds stop in the nature reserves in the south of Ukraine near Odessa. Karl II spent much time there. This is a very dangerous place at the moment for wildlife. I don’t need to say another word. I know that each of you understands the concerns of moving through this region to get to the spring and summer homes.

There is something wonderful about being an ‘only child’. You do not have to share your parents or the food with anyone and there is not a big sibling that is going to beak you!

The to be named eaglet on the nest of Jackie and Shadow is simply beautiful and delicate. If you look you can see a black dot behind the eye. That is the ear forming. Feathers will grow over it. This wonderful little one is growing right before our eyes. If it wasn’t for Fiona the flying squirrel that shares the nest and drives Jackie nuts or the Ravens this could well be one of the most calm nests on the planet.

I had hoped to get to a few more of the nests but it is time to call it quits for the evening. The only nest that is having any difficulty is Dale Hollow and I need to look at it more carefully tomorrow. I would love to see a tandem feeding there – a chance to get Middle and Little Bit full to the brim. And quite a lot of fish on the nest with River feeding til all were full…I don’t believe River would pay any mind to me. She has been mothering eaglets for 21 years. I am certainly no expert compared to that!

Take care everyone. There should be more ospreys arriving tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe even Iris will show up in Montana this week. Now that would be a good chance to jump up and down! Thank you for joining me. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or where I took my screen captures: Captiva Ospreys and Window on Wildlife, West End Eagles, Friends of Big Bear Valley, Cornell Bird Lab RTH, Dale Hollow Lake Eagles, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Kakapo Recovery, and Looduskalendar.

Happiness Spilling over at the nest of Thunder and Akecheta

10 March 2022

There is something so joyful about a first time eagle parent and Akecheta sure gets the gold star for staying diligent and being ever so excited today. Akecheta wears a wing tag with the number A-61. He hatched at the Los Pinos nest on Santa Cruz Island in 2016 so he is six years old this year. He also has a silver band on his left leg with his numbers and an orange band on the right. His mate is Thunder and she wears the wing tag K-91. She hatched at the Two Harbours nest on Catalina Island in 2009. She is 13 years old this year. Akecheta has been Thunder’s mate since the 2020 breeding season. They had many problems including Akecheta, at the young age of four, not really realizing the importance of nest security. Eggs were lost to ravens – two clutches – in 2020 and in 2021 issues with eggs in nesting materials. This year is very different so far! In a good way. Akecheta is smitten with those babies and is being devoted to his family both in getting fish and in security. It is beautiful.

There were 3 eggs laid in the 2022 season on 29 Jan, 1 Feb and 5th February. The first two eggs have hatched on the 8th and 10th of March. Looking for the third to hatch on 12 March. Oh, goodness. What a difference in dates! Today the mods were happy to report that E2 had its beak wide open for food at 12:36:02 and that E1 had its first poop shot at 13:04:56. If you read about bonking on this chat, just smile. The nestlings’s vision and muscles are not developed. It is not intentional at this point.

Watching out for the Ravens that are flying around.

Alerting.

Such happiness – two fuzzy babies. Thunder is so happy!

An Eagle kiss between Thunder and Akecheta. Beautiful.

Akecheta is so excited and wants to do everything! Brooding, security, and fish deliveries!

Sweet little baby.

Yes, you are very cute. Look at that hairdo!

Proud Papa. Thunder can hardly get in any brooding time.

Why do some of the eagles have wing tags and not others? The ones with wing tags were part of an effort to reintroduce bald eagles into the region since they were wiped out by DDE prior to the 1980s. Here is a really thorough article on the hacking effort of reintroduction that both Thunder and Akecheta were part of:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/chil_eaglecam/wing-bling-reference-chart-santa-catalina-and-san–t11469.html

Everyone is pretty much aware that there are at least 400,000 barrels of DDT that were dumped into the water around the islands. Some of these are leaking. It might turn out that the eagles and their chicks become part of an even greater study as to the continuing impact of this deadly chemical on their chicks and their future breeding.

Today, this family has just put a glow on my face today! I wanted to share that with you. Here is the link to their camera:

Thank you to Explore.org and the Institute for Wildlife Studies for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.