Writer, Conservationist, Activist, Bird Lover
20 April 2023
This is a moment I have been waiting for like so many of you. Please – if anyone ever tells you that our feathered friends do not have feelings – show them this video that LizM made of the moment when Karl II and Kaia are reunited.
Bliss!
Thank you to Liz and the Eagle Club of Estonia. You can watch Karl II and Kaia at Must-toonekurg on YouTube.
13 August 2022
It is a gorgeous day. A perfect 21 degrees C or 69.8 F with blue skies and sun. Rain is to come on Monday. It must be a good day to go and check on the ducks and ducklings! Dyson would not cooperate so I could not get his photo as he clung, swaying back and forth, on the tallest sunflower eating seeds. Hopefully he will do it again and I will be ready! This year Dyson and his friends planted those seeds. Next year we are going to have a big plot of them for everyone! Mr Crow and the juveniles have refused to ‘visit’ since I returned. It only happened a few moments ago once cheesy hotdogs were put out. Are they on strike against peanuts!!!!!!!!!
News came in from ‘H’ this morning. The second osplet at the Boathouse Osprey platform has fledged! Thanks, ‘H’ for keeping us informed. It is so sad that the camera is down and we cannot see this great transition in their lives. Happy to hear they are flying!
While I was away – or this morning – there was a fledge at the Osoyoos. BC has flown! Both chicks are looking good. They have survived some of the worst temperatures. So grateful.
Nest is empty except for LC at 0835.
Waiting for a delivery.
LC is really working those wings. On fledge watch for this one.
The wind is really helping us get a good look at Love and Peace on the Glacier Gardens nest in Alaska this morning. Oh, beautiful birds. Love has branched. Waiting for Peace. Enjoy these lovely eaglets while you can.
Stephen Basly continues to keep us informed about the comings and goings of our dear Little Bit ND17. Here he is fishing over the St Joseph River. Way to go Little Bit!
SE29 on left with a small crop. SE30 on right. It had not had food earlier.
The food deliveries at the Sea Eagles nest were few and small yesterday. SE30 did get some – eventually – but not before it had been beaked enough to cause it fear from SE29. Let us hope that this was a one off and not a pattern for several days.
SE30 withdraws -frightened – when there is a feeding.
SE 30 got some food but not enough to even make a dent on its crop.
Wish for fish! This was a nest that was calming down. It was 10 degrees C yesterday in the Sydney Forest. Fishing should be good?
Suzanne Arnold Horning captured some images of Arthur and L2 yesterday. L2 was on the Bradfield Building perches at Big Red and Arthur use at night. SAH got the shot and whee….L2 was off heading towards another favourite hunting spot, Beebe Lake.
Oh, it would be so grand if Arthur was to look up and L4 was back near the natal nest. I have not seen any recent updates on either L3 or L4 as they heal from their injuries.
Every moment with the fledglings is precious. Any day L2 could take to the skies to find his own territory.
It could be any day that the Black Storks on Karl II and Kaia’s nest in the Karula National Forest in Estonia depart the forest for that long and arduous flight to the centre of Africa where they will winter. Urmas has given trackers to the strongest of the four so that we can follow their flights. (I wish little Ilks had gotten a tracker!) Bonus is 83 days old today, Waba and Voog are 77 and little Ilks is 74. He missed the nest flying in and everyone was worried but he is OK. Each of the four are there around noon wishing for a food delivery from Karl II.
Karl II arrives with a pouch full of frogs for the storklets.
Everyone is hungry!
We have not seen Kaia. She has begun her migration on 10 August, one day earlier than last year. In that first day she flew 325 k and is in a forest in Belarus.
She rested and flew 314 km on 12 August. She is at the edge of another forest in Belarus.
There is very real concern for an area in Poland called the Oder. Thousands and thousands of fish and birds have died. The Storks and White-tail Eagles are also dying along with beavers. It is a popular place for the Storks to feed. Let us hope that Kaia and all her family will avoid this gathering place.
Chemical waste has been dumped into the river! It is all over the European newspapers and is of concern to everyone.
The Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, “Huge amounts of chemical waste were probably dumped in the Oder River with full awareness of the risks and consequences,” he said in a video on Facebook. “We will not let this matter go. We will not rest until the guilty are severely punished.”
Punishing the guilty after the fact does not help the birds, the animals, and the humans in the wake of this catastrophe. The German authorities are saying that the poison is mercury. Sadly, industry and governments dump unseen toxins and waste into rivers and oceans daily. Humans need to get a moral compass so that they will stop these practices immediately. Pollutants like human waste and toxins join with warming seas. What life will there be for our birds in a decade?
https://www.dw.com/en/mysterious-mass-fish-kill-in-oder-river-climate-change-or-poison/a-62784099
Kaia’s transmitter has sent no further updates. We wait with worry. Please follow the travels of Karl II and Kaia and the storklets with transmitters here:
Of course, the migrating wildlife are caught in many dangerous situations. Poisoned waters in Poland and maybe other parts of Europe and an unrelenting war where the practice of the birds was to stop and stay for a period resting and eating to help them make it across the long deserts of Africa. This migration is fraught with obstacles that are highly dangerous to our beloved birds.
Poole Harbour has put together a short tribute to CJ7 and Blue 022’s second hatch that was predated by the goshawk.
If you missed it, Lady Hawk finished her tribute to Junior, the Bald eaglet that accepted Malala, the Red-tail Hawk as its sibling on Gabriola Island. Junior was killed when it landed on an unprotected hydro pole near the nest. Warning: Any tribute by Lady Hawk requires a stack of tissues!
Plucky, one of Nova Scotia’s juvenile ospreys, survived a Bald Eagle attack. Thanks to the quick reactions of everyone, Plucky is safely back on its nest!
Checking in at Port Lincoln. Mum and Dad have 2 eggs for the 2022 season. Ervie continues to fly by the barge to check on things but he is avoiding Mum’s wrath. Hopefully we will get some new images of Ervie and Dad fishing soon.
That’s a wrap in Bird World for this Saturday. I hope each of you is having a super day. Looking forward to having you with us again soon.
Thank you to the following for their postings and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Ospreys, Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation, Notre Dame Eagles, Lady Hawk and GROWLS, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Eagle Club of Estonia and Looduskalender, Suzanne Arnold Horning and Cornell Hawk Chatters, Osoyoos Ospreys, Glacier Gardens, and Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park.
9 August 2022
First a correction! Shame on me for saying we know where Telyn winters. It is not Telyn but, the beautiful Seren from Llyn Clywedog that spends her winters in The Gambia. I knew that and wrote Telyn. Thanks, ‘C’ for alerting me. Much appreciated!
One other clarification that ‘CE’ caught that needs explaining. Osprey fledglings are the raptors that do not require their parents to teach them to hunt or fish. Others do. You will have seen the eagles and hawks showing their fledglings how to hunt prey! I bet Ervie did chase Dad around in his efforts to find some good fishing spots, though!
Ervie, dear Ervie. Port Lincoln posted images after I had sent out my blog last evening so our dear Ervie is up first. Thanks to ‘B’ for alerting me to these.
As so many of you are aware, Port Lincoln Ospreys is working hard to introduce our fish eagles to Southern Australia. They are getting attention from government agencies and, of course, the population is growing to love these birds – many because of our dear Ervie. Here are the latest postings from Port Lincoln and the beautiful pictures of Ervie out fishing with Dad by Fran Solly. There are more on the Port Lincoln Osprey FB page. Head over and have a look. This is the place to continue checking on Ervie and his antics with Dad — or alone.
It is always good to see you, Ervie.
Is there room for you, Ervie??????!!!!!!
Remember when we worried that Ervie would only be able to catch puffers? Well, he has certainly adjusted to fishing without that other talon (I have not seen it fully grown in on the pictures but I would love to be corrected!). That is a beautiful fish. Well done, Ervie.
At the Black Stork nest in the Karula National Forest of Karl II and Kaia, Bonus, the adopted storklet of Jan and Janika, Bonus, fledged first today. He was followed by Volks who hears Bonus in the forest and flies off to the left.
Both returned to the nest. Ilks is looking at his reflection in the camera. Will you fly next? So funny when they find themselves. After fledging the Black Storks will stay at least a week around the nest being fed. If the food is plentiful they may stay longer before venturing out to find food for themselves and beginning migration.
As ‘B’ says, it is hard to beat the WBSE for cuteness. SE30 is a bit of a corker. When it was 2 days old, 30 beaked at 29. Not a good thing to do. We have all worried about 30 but unless there is an unexpected ‘something’, they should both be fine. SE30 gives as good as it gets and they both fool around with one another and then seem to stop before it gets too rough.
Chubby little bottoms. Their soft down on the head is giving way to pin feathers and the feathers are coming in nicely along the wings. They will begin to do a lot more preening as things get itchy. You can see their black talons and those big clown feet getting started. So cute.
Of the streaming cams in Australia, we now have the WBSE eaglets and the first egg at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge for Mum and Dad as of yesterday. We are awaiting the beginning of the season for Peregrine falcons Xavier and Diamond and the Melbourne CBD – 367 Collins Street. Xavier and Diamond are amping up the bonding in the scrape! Eggs before the end of the month?
The only chick on the Landscape Arboretum platform at the University of Minnesota fell off yesterday. It has not fledged. Here is the video of that incident. This could have turned out badly – and would have if not for the quick actions at finding the chick and getting it back on the nest. Thanks to all involved!
Boris and Titi (yet to fly) on the Janakkalan nest in Finland. 9 August 2022. Handsome!
All of the White Storklings of Betty and Bukacek have fledged. They seem to spend their time finding the parents and following them back to the nest for good feedings.
Look carefully. Bukacek is flying into the nest from the left (right above the grassy area at 930 on the nest).
All of the storklings came to the nest quickly so as not to miss a meal.
All of the UK chicks have fledged. This year the three at Foulshaw Moss did not get the best attention from me – in terms of publicizing the nest activities here on the blog. Last year I followed every move because of the third hatch – Blue 463 who survived and did extremely well. Waiting for her return next year! The Cumbrian Wildlife Trust have put out a very nice blog with an overview of the nest activities including some links to videos.
There appears to have been a fledge this morning at the Fortis Exshaw Osprey platform near Canmore Alberta. Thanks ‘H’ for the tip off! They seem to all be relatively equal – perhaps the others will fly today. You can see Mum looking on over the nest at her three beautiful chicks from the perch.
The fledge was a quick take off, fly around the nest and return landing on the right side.
I am counting a fledge as a flight off the nest and a return. In my mind, the chicks jumping up or getting to the many perches is equivalent to branching for Eagles, not a full blown official fledge. The real question is how far away is the perch? It is too difficult to tell. Mum certainly looks small and if it is a distance, then it might be counted as a fledge. If that is the case, then there were two fledges at Canmore this morning so far.
Big Red, Arthur, and L2 have all been accounted for by Suzanne Arnold Horning this week. Excellent news. Still no recent updates on L3 or L4.
L2 in the top picture screaming for a prey item and Big Red and Arthur calmly relaxing in the second.
Everyone remains curious as to how Victor got so much zinc in his system that he almost died. The Institute for Wildlife Studies has indicated that there are fishing lures coated with zinc. Thanks ‘B’. Here is the posting on the chat at the IWS. The question still remains: how much zinc does a fledgling eagle have to ingest to almost kill it? I do not know the answer to that question but I hope to find out.
The posting of the images of Little Bit 17 prompted a lot of mail. Everyone is thrilled and so very reassured that it is our little tenacious eagle. So grateful to the boots on the ground for chasing after this family and sharing their photos and videos with us on the Notre Dame Eagles FB.
‘CE’ had a very interesting analogy that seems quite fitting given the sponsors of the camera and the university that they are associated with – Notre-Dame. CE noted that the image of Little Bit looks like a Franciscan Friar with his friar’s crown. He said, “In the 5th century, the tonsure was introduced as a distinctive sign. In the East, the Pauli tonsure was used (all hair was cut), in the West, the Petri tonsure (only the top of the head was shaved). This was also called Corona Christi (Crown of Christ). Since the 16th century, the tonsure of regular clerics has been reduced to a small circle.” Friar Little Bit. It sounds nice.
Thank you so much for joining me today. It is lovely to have you with us and the birds. I will continue to monitor the nests during the day. Tomorrow I am heading north for two days to count and enter the GPS for the Bald Eagle nests in and around Hecla Island. That information will be sent to David Hancock whose foundation monitors bald eagle nests in Canada. I hope to get some good images of the adults and juveniles before they leave for their winter homes. There will not be a newsletter tomorrow morning but I will try my best to get some images out to you tomorrow evening. Please take dare. I look forward to seeing you again soon.
I want to thank everyone who wrote in and sent me news. I still have some of your images to post! Much appreciated. I want to also thank the following for their streaming cams and/or posts or their photographs that I used for my screen captures: Fran Solly and the Port Lincoln Ospreys, Suzanne Arnold Horning, the Notre-Dame Eagles FB, the Eagle Club of Estonia and Looduskalender, Mlade Buky White Storks, Fortis Exshaw, the Finnish Osprey Foundation, the IWS, Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam, Landscape Arboretum Ospreys, and Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.
8 August 2022
The condolences continue to pour into Poole Harbour for the loss of 5H2 due to the goshawk attack and to Loch Garten’s 1C1 to unknown causes. It is worse when the osplets are older and flying. The number of Osprey in the UK is very small compared to North America and the loss of these two chicks on significant nests took its toll today. Last year the osplets died due to weather issues when they were so little. This year we lost a wee one at Llyn Brenig, the third hatch at Loch Arkaig when its foot caught and it could not get under Mum during the worst weather. Siblicide at Loch of the Lowes. It is hard either way but raising chicks to fledge and then losing them is just tragic.
I have had many letters asking if Loch Garten is doing a post-mortem. Yes, they are! The cameras will be turned off during the removal of the chick and then turned back on. We have seen three ‘mysterious’ deaths this year on streaming cams of Ospreys -Big at Captiva, Molate at SF Bay, and now 1C1 at Loch Garten. I included Big because there was no confirmation of why she died. Molate was visibly unwell for a few days, just like 1C1. Is it the same? (It is unclear to me as to whether GG Audubon ever removed Molate’s body from the grid as fledglings Brooks and the Visitor continue to come to the nest. Speculation is a lung infection. I do recall Molate also had trouble breathing. Curious.
Elsewhere in Bird World, life seems reasonably stable but everything can change in a few seconds – without any warning – as was the case of H52.
The great experiment by Urmas and Dr Madis to save the Black storklets of Jan and Janika would have been significant if not for the loss of all the chicks on Eedi’s nest due to predation (possibly another Goshawk attack). There is one survivor, Bonus. Bonus is doing tremendously well. He is 78 days old today. Karl II and Kaia have found the filled fish baskets and the chicks are so full that when Karl II comes in with a delivery the four of them cannot eat all the fish. Yes, it is true!
Fledging could come at any time. Bonus is overdue but because of his delayed development due to stress and lack of food, he will fly once he is ready, not by a calendar. Kaia often leaves by 11 August so we are watching to see what will happen this year.
It is mostly quiet. Many of us are watching the females in the UK to spot on leaves when. Maya is still at Manton Bay in Rutland.
I could not get a good look at her face but this is that amazing female who raised three big girls with Blue 33 this year! She is the mother of Telyn at Dyfi.
1H3 has enjoyed a nice fish delivery today.
1H1 is screaming to goodness for Mum or Dad to get a fish on the nest for her!!!!!!!!! What a beauty.
All of the fledglings could catch their own fish. The parents do not have to teach them – 60 million years is hardwired into their DNA. The fledglings just do not know that they can do it! During migration they will have to begin to fiend for themselves.
These females are such characters. Blue 33 could hear his girl across the lake! “I want a fish now!” Blue 33 is one of my great loves as far as ospreys go. He is 11 years old this year and is ending his 9th breeding season. He has raised two sets of four osplets to fledge with Maya…They are a super couple in a realm of their own.
Remember that flapping fish that we thought had killed at least one of the little ones – they survived. All three nice big girls!
It is hot at the Dyfi nest in Wales of Idris and Telyn. Tomorrow it will be 30 C. Telyn is still here. She has been chasing off an intruder which appears to be annoying her to no end. I do not blame her. Now is not the time for an injury. Telyn will leave Wales and fly to The Gambia. According to Chris Woods who travels to The Gambia in the winter, he knows precisely where her favourite perch is. Brilliant. It is always reassuring to know she has arrived safely.
Just look at all the cameras.
Relaxing down by the Dyfi River.
Emyr Evans has posted a very interesting blog testing different hypotheses about the unringed visitor to the Dyfi Nest. It has some information about fledging ages and the start of migration. Thanks EE – we love the Dyfi Data!
https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/extremely-rare-visitor-unringed-fledgling
I see no word that Blue NC0 has left the Loch of the Lowes either. Both chicks have been flying for at least 3 weeks and they are doing some fancy landings and take offs from the nest. I was able to catch them on the nest today – one with a fish and the other screaming to Laddie LM12 (Dad) to bring another pronto! These males sure get a work out at the end of the season. No wonder their legs are so strong and muscular.
These two look to be in brilliant shape!
Mrs G is still here. She is on the perch to the left while Aran is on the one at the right.
Aran and Mrs G looking out on their territory from the Glaslyn nest. Aran is in the back, Mrs G, the oldest osprey in the UK, is in the front.
Fledgling eating a fish on the Glaslyn nest while Mrs G is at the nest.
I cannot read the Darvic rings but this looks like a different fledgling enjoying a meal earlier in the day.
I was also able to catch Seren and one of the chicks on the Llyn Clywedog nest in Wales. It is so rare to see chicks on the nest that I feel fortunate checking all of the nests and finding at least one today.
Dorcha and the two fledgling chicks were on Loch Arkaig! I did not see Louis but he is about bringing in fish.
This one desperately wants a fish!
They do not know that they are getting ready for the most challenging two years of their lives. If they live to get to the South of England or parts thereabouts, they will feed up. There are scores of birds that will be at Poole Harbour making their way to their winter homes. How many of them will survive? When we hear averages, it must be the entire raptor family, not just specific species. We know that the UK birds will either land on the Iberian Peninsula and winter or they will continue to Africa and winter in The Gambia and Senegal. I hope to get some figures for Ospreys only. It will be easy to get UK figures of 2 year survival – or thereabouts – as from the Dyfi note – all known birds have Darvic Rings except for a few nests in Scotland and maybe one hiding in Montgomeryshire in Wales. The figure is going to be low and it could provide us with more insights. Less than 1 in 3 I suspect.
Remember – send me the stories you remember about migration. I am particularly interested in the huge challenges these birds face. Get it to me by Thursday night. Thanks!
I peeked in at the Osoyoos and Fortis Exshaw nest briefly throughout the day. The heat dome is definitely hitting BC again but Soo and Olsen seem to be weathering it fine. I have also checked on Titi who has been hovering but has not fledged. Titi is in a very dangerous position if he cannot fly – he is literally the sitting osprey for that Goshawk that continues to fly around the nest! I wonder why he is not moving? We saw Nuppu try to beak her youngest to fly. Titi has no mother, only a sibling and Dad and he needs to work those wings and get out of there.
The latest updates on Victor came on 3 August. If you missed it, here it is. There has been nothing since. We must assume that Victor is continuing to progress. Treatments for heavy lead toxicity take a long time.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or posts where I took my screen captures: Finnish Osprey Foundation, The Eagle Club of Estonia and Looduskalender, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, CarnyXWild, LRWT, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Wildlife Trust.
4 August 2022
Good Morning Everyone! I was not going to write my newsletter until the end of the day but some of you might wish to know about the banding of the Royal Cam chick. There is a bit of other news as well. Both chicks at the Loch Garten Osprey platform fledged today – so every osprey chick in the UK has now fledged. Fantastic. I am getting notices that the cameras at the SWFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Harriet and M15 and the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Gabby and Samson will go live in two weeks. Wow. Time is speeding by. Those cameras will turn on just about the time we have Osprey and falcon eggs in Australia.
The little fledgling Blue Jay has decided that it is time that I get some more peanuts outside for the three of them! Too funny. These wee ones can be quite loud when they want to be. They are getting their beautiful blue crests. I believe this is the smaller of the three – a little female -. She has that developing crest raised up high because she is excited! They are so cute and so animated.
The NZ DOC rangers will be banding the chicks on Taiaroa Head today. Here is the announcement by Ranger Sharyn Broni posted by Sharon Dunne on the Royal Cam FB page. There is no mention of the time. There will be an archived video of the banding of QT if you miss it!
I know many of you are anxious to also find out about the naming of QT. They may mention how this will be done this year. On line voting took place during the pandemic but this might change now.
Here is the link to the camera:
An Osprey rescue in Scotland that warms our hearts. You might have to keyboard the URL if it doesn’t give you an automatic link. It is the story of the collapse of the Balgavies Osprey nest mentioned a few weeks ago in my blog – this one has pictures!
scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
The youngest chick on the Janakkalan Nest has yet to fledge. Titi often remains on the nest now that Boris is flying about for longer periods of time. With intruders and goshawks in the area, it is dangerous for Titi not to be flying.
Boris arrives in the bottom image to protect the nest. Hopefully s/he will take care of its sibling.
This brings me back to the mystery of why a normally wonderful Mum on a Finnish Osprey nest would attack her children. Nuppu on nest #4 attacked her youngest who had not fledged and the eldest who had fledged (much less) last week. Humans wondered how this loving mother could turn on her children. One of my readers ‘L’ suggested that it might have been to get the youngest to fly. Nuppu, knowing that a goshawk was in the area, wanted both of her chicks off the nest and flying free to lessen the threat of predation. I spent some time asking several osprey experts if this could be the case and they said, ‘absolutely’. The youngest did not fly and was predated when the intruder came to the nest. The eldest flew. So, there we are – the mystery of the physical attacks was to get the second chick off the nest and flying. Nuppu wanted to save her chicks, not harm them.
I do not understand why Titi on the Janakkalan nest has not flown yet. S/he has been doing some exercising of the wings. Hopefully soon!!!!! This is the nest without a female so Boris has taken on the job of security when Dad is not around.
The Sydney Sea Eaglets are doing fantastic. The tips of the wing feathers are beginning to show. You can see them coming in on both chicks – look carefully at the wings.
You will notice that the time between feedings is a little longer. That is because the eaglets can eat much more at a sitting than when they had just hatched and needed a few morsels of fish every 45-60 minutes from dawn to dusk.
SE30 even did a little beaking of 29 yesterday. Nothing major but it was cute when it sat up and gave it a bop.
Both had nice crops! Fish will not be stacked on the nest so much now because it could cause predators to become interested in the nest and the eaglets. They are not big enough yet to be out of danger. They need to be 28-30 days old.
It is raining in Orange and Diamond arrives at the scrape box on the water tower soaking wet! But with a full crop. Looking for eggs in a couple of weeks.
The high temperature for the day will be 23 C at the Osoyoos nest. What a change! A nice fish arrived early on the nest and Soo fed both of the chicks. They made it! Olsen and Soo you should receive a reward – you did fantastic in your strategies to protect the two osplets. Just look at them.
Right now the camera is fairly clear at the Fortis Exshaw Osprey nest in Canmore, Alberta. We can get a good look at those three good looking osplets! We are on fledge watch for this nest. At least two are flapping and starting to hover. It will not be long.
Karl II delivered a number of fishes just a few minutes ago to the four Black storklets in the Karula National Forest in Estonia. So far all is well. The storklets are hovering and jumping and practising their perching to prepare for fledge.
A portrait of the three females at the Loch Arkaig nest this year. From left to right: Willow, Sarafina, and Mum Dorcha (unringed). When we talk about the females having beautiful necklaces have a look at these three! Gorgeous.
I am not sure I have ever seen three females with such elaborate necklaces. Dorcha is really influencing the genetics at this nest. Bravo!
A blast from the past. The four Peregrine Falcon eyases being fed at the CBD-367 Collins Street scrape in Melbourne. Time is ticking away. The camera will be up and running in September. Just in case you forgot how incredibly cute little falcons are!!!!
Thank you for joining me this morning. Things look pretty good in Bird World. Take care. See you soon!!!!!!!!!
Thank you to the following for their posts and their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Eagle Club of Estonia, Fortis Exshaw, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, Osoyoos Ospreys, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Finnish Osprey Foundation, CBD-367 Collins Street Falcon Cam, and Royal Cam Albatross NZ.
3 August 2022
Good Morning Everyone,
I was out almost all day yesterday and returned to find some sad news. We will get this over and move on to all the good news!
The situation at the #4 Osprey nest in Finland turned darker. An intruder appeared and the chicks ‘fell or flew’ off the nest. The youngest who had not as yet flown was predated. This is also the chick that was so vigorously attacked by Mum the other day. So sad. Thank you ‘N’ for letting me know. This is 81 lost so far in the past 13 months on streaming cams.
The Mum and the surviving fledgling on the #4 nest. Keep them in your warmest thoughts.
Ervie. Bazza Hockaday was doing some photography for a client and found Ervie, too. Can you spot Ervie on top of the pine tree? This park is across from the barge – so Ervie is staying close. (Magnifying glass almost required!)
Meanwhile Mum and Dad are making sure that Mum is quite comfortable on those eggs – they are lining the nest with a Silver Gull, one of the favourite foods of the Sea Eagles.
Everyone wondered if anyone would be keeping an eye for Little Bit ND17. It seems that lots of people who loved the eagle that fought so hard to live continues to have a loyal fan club. This evening on the Notre-Dame FB page, the following was posted. It looks as if our Little Bit has been very resourceful and is doing fantastic. Tears, joyful tears!
SF Ospreys have not received the DNA results from Brooks and Molate. Brooks continues to enjoy herself at the other nest and the visitor seems right at home. He is certainly a lovely Osprey – and talented.
The ‘visitor’ at the nest of Richmond and Rosie has done something very special – it caught a Spiny Dogfish (Shark) that lives in the Bay. (Reminds me of those brought to the nest at Mispillion Harbour in Delaware – bet it is just a slight difference in name from one region to the other but the same fish). The juvenile very proudly brought it to the nest. SF Ospreys say this is highly unusual. They have only seen a juvenile do this once. Round of applause!
Here is the video clip:
At the Black Stork nest of Karl II and Kaia, Karl was busy flying back and forth to the fish basket. He delivered 3 big meals to the storklets. Kaia delivered 1 on the 2nd of August. There was some concern that Karl II’s GPS was not working but it seems to be fine now. Thank goodness. I do worry about them all the time for some reason – storklets not yet fledged and requiring much food before migration.
Bonus has been standing on the curved perch with 1 leg. Great balance. Bonus is the oldest of the four. He is 72 days old on 2 August.
The four storklets of Betty and Bukacek are doing fantastic. The female- Fifinka- often spends time on the nest of the adults and then flies to the natal nest when food arrives. Sometimes she holds back from the bigger males but she wastes no time getting there if she is hungry. In the image below she is at the top flying in.
There is no reason for it other than sheer dominance at the Sydney Sea Eagles nest. Lady feeds SE29 and 30 at least every hour if not sooner. Things were going relatively well until 0911 when 29 decided to not be nice and attack 30.
Three minutes later 29 is going into a food coma and 30 is being fed (0917 below).
SE30 keeps its head down to protect it.
Notice how 30 is slinking around the back ready to move forward and eat when 29 calms herself. Very clever tactic.
SE 30 is still being fed four minutes later. All is right with the world.
Mom and Dad on the nest of the Port Lincoln Barge early on 3 August.
Did you fall in love with Louis and Anna at the Kisatchie National Park Bald Eagle cam? couldn’t believe your eyes the day 18 fish were on the nest? did you melt and worry when Kisatchie fledged? when Kincaid hatched this year? Well, Cody and Steve have more fun for everyone. You will be able to watch 2 Bald Eagle nests from the Louisiana! Here is the announcement:
Humans and wildlife rehabbers helping another juvenile eaglet so that it has a second chance at life. These stories are always welcome!
The fish have been arriving in various sizes to the Osoyoos nest. ‘H’ sent me a note this morning saying the tally was at least 13 yesterday. Olsen is keeping up the numbers and some of them had to be good a good size. Sometimes the chicks are full and sometimes they aren’t. The last fish for 2 August was delivered at 20:01. Dad brought it in and Big Chick (BC) grabbed the tasty little twiddler. Dad rooted around and found an old piece of fish and fed Little Chick (LC). The family is nourished and hydrated. They have a break in the weather for a few days. This is all good news.
Here comes Olsen! BC rushes over to get the little prize.
Fortunately for LC, Dad found a piece of fish and is feeding him while BC works on the twiddler. It is all good.
The fish started arriving at the Osoyoos nest around 0523. The first was a small one but it seems to have changed possession at least 6 or 7 times. BC has been grabbing and self-feeding. Soo got into the action so that her and LC had some breakfast too. It is starting off to be another great day at this nest with 7 fish before 00700. Thanks Olsen!
Beautiful Iris. She continues to work on her nest. Precious are these moments – every year we wait til she leaves and wonder if she will return in the spring after migration. 29 years?
There are no updates on L4. It is now presumed that it was another window strike on the Cornell Campus. That would mean that of the four eyases – three struck windows at Cornell whose Bird Lab is one of the world leaders. Of those three, two are in care and one died. It is time Cornell made its windows bird strike proof like all of us try to do. I have not see at this time 1052 CDT an image of the head of the juvenile believed to be ND17. Elsewhere things seem to be steady but that could change as I hit the word ‘publish’.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, postings, videos, etc: Osoyoos Ospreys, Notre Dame Eagles FB, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, Mlade Buky, The Eagle Club of Estonia and Looduskalender, Center for Wildlife, US Forest Service at the Kistachie NF, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and SF Bay Ospreys. They have been turned into my screen captures.
25 July 2022
Oh, good morning everyone! Still some fledging going on in the UK, osplets getting their ‘legs’ in the US, another video of Little Bit…it is starting off as a good week. Fingers and toes crossed.
At the Sea Eagles nest in the old Ironbark Tree, Lady seems to have gotten into a pattern of feeding SE 29 and 30 every hour. Lady’s job at this stage of the eaglet’s development is to brood and feed the chicks. Dad is in charge of hunting and guarding the nest. The chicks will grow quickly. When they are 3-4 weeks old, Lady will stop brooding them at night and sleep perched on the tree. Fledging takes place between 75-85 days, normally.
So,, we must enjoy every moment of these two little white snow balls. What can we expect in weeks 2 and 3? You will continue to notice how their beaks are growing longer. It is hard to imagine but they will start to crawl out of the nest cup during week 2. You will also notice they have started to squirt their ‘ps’ over the side of the nest. No potty training for these two – it is instinctual. By week 3 they will be double their size at hatch and they will become interested in things around them. They will be eating bigger flakes of fish and pieces of prey and, of course, they will have mastered getting those bites into their beak from Lady much better than in the early days.
It is the most beautiful golden morning in Finland at the Janakkalan Osprey nest. The two chicks are sound asleep.
It is an equally beautiful morning in Mlade Buky, The Czech Republic as the sun comes over the distant hills. You can see the four storklets on the natal nest in the foreground. Now look carefully at the top image. In the middle ground, there is the finished ‘home’ that Bukacek was building for him and Betty. The storklets can flap all they want — and they are beginning to work those wings. It would be a little crowded there with six on that nest!
Sorry. It is so dark there but look carefully and you will see the adults in their own private space!
All four storklets at the nest of Karl II and Kaia in the Karula National Forest in Estonia are doing splendid. Like the White Storks above, these four are starting to work their wings as well.
There were only 2 feedings for the storklets on 24 July. From the discussion forum, it appears that the fish baskets need filling or some other bird species is eating them. It also appears that there is not enough fish in the natural sources… let us all hope that the baskets are filled and Karl II and Kaia find all that food and eat themselves and feed their four very large storklets.
The three fledglings of Ivo and Iiris are doing well although some of their take offs and landings need a little adjustment. Ivo is delivering really nice size fish to the nest and each waits their turn for another delivery if they missed an earlier one. The nest is located in Southern Estonia near Tartumaa. Nearby is a fish farm as well as a river and some ponds. It would appear from the deliveries that there is plenty of fish for this family of 5.
Ivo has enjoyed the head of this fish. He has a very nice crop. Thanks, Dad.
Another video of the area of the Notre-Dame Eagles – and a most welcome one. It shows where they are and where you can ‘view’ them without doing harm. The individual filming will point the camera to the trees. Squint – look hard. There is at least one fledgling on a branch. They say it is ND17! I sure hope so. It was great to see the three yesterday for the simple reason that 17 is eating somewhere…and flying around watching and learning from the parents …or there would not have been three. So very grateful. Thank you!
Carol Mandis-Beatle posted some images of the three ND eaglets on FB. I hope she does not mind if I share one of them. They were so cute..and they grow so fast!
Speaking of ‘baby pictures’. How many of you remember J3? He falls right up there with L4 for me — cutie pies – Big Red and Arthur’s kids at Cornell. Gosh, I would love to know the dispersal area of their eyases and would especially like to know how they are. You get attached and poof – gone.
J2 and J3 (J1 will be killed flying into the glass at the Weil Building) were best mates. They soared in the sky protecting their sister J1 when she was bathing in a puddle. They also soared together until one morning…J3 got into a thermal, soared high and was gone- out of sight forever. Then J2.
The pressure on BC Hydro to do something to help the Bald Eagles continues – and I am so glad that it is not losing traction. Two articles – one in the Times Colonist and the other in the Vancouver Sun.
Malala has been coming and going from the nest. To check out her images please go to GROWLS FB page. You do not have to be a member of FB or their group to see the images.
‘H’ caught the trio at the Boathouse ‘Waddling’ this morning and made a YouTube clip. It is short and ever so cute…all are standing. Thank you ‘H’. That nest is getting rather small…
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxtoqfzEvKNx_o0JQzGRwo4EMvhHpGn5WQ
In Poole Harbour, there was a moment when the nest was empty. Both chicks of CJ7 and Blue 022 have fledged!!!!!!!! 5H2 fledged this morning. Celebration Time. Like all others, they will, of course, chase the parents back and forth for food for a bit building up their flying skills. Hopefully we will have a few more weeks with the family before CJ7 heads south for her winter break.
5H2 has returned to claim a fish on the nest. What a lovely sight she is. Always good to see them return the first few times! Congratulations to everyone at Poole Harbour.
Skipping way across the pond, the sun made the nest golden at Osoyoos this morning. The chicks were beautiful! Olsen brought in a small fish at 07:16, the first of the day unless I missed something quite a bit earlier.
Alden has found a new loafing spot. He may have to change often if those two fledglings – and Grinnell, Jr in particular – continue to find him. It seems that all the nooks and corners of the Campanile at Berkeley are being visited by Lindsay and Grinnell Jr looking for Mum or Dad or both! Not much peace and quiet…it is beautiful, isn’t it?
Can you spot Alden?
Thank you so much for joining me this morning. It is hazy here this morning The garden birds have been awake for ever so long. The Crows have been at the bird bath cawing their heads off for more peanuts. They was them…and leave the shells in the water for their human servants to clean up! It is so funny to watch. I will try and catch some images for you today. Take care everyone. I hope that your start to the week is a good one. Hoping that we get another update on Victor’s progress soon!!!!
Thank you to the following for their FB posts, videos, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Cal Falcons, Osoyoos Ospreys, Poole Harbour Ospreys, GROWLS, Cornell Bird Lab RTH Cam, ND-LEEF, Eagle Club of Estonia and Looduskalender, Mlade Buky, Finnish Osprey Foundation, and Sydney Sea-eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.
22 July 2022
Thank you to everyone who sent a note saying that they are ‘fed up’ with the electrocutions and want to help. It is much appreciated. People underestimate their own power. Send those-mails to BC Hydro.
But it is Friday evening and it is time for some good news.
First up is Victor. Victor is able to stand without assistance! and flap his wings…and joy oh joy.
Here is Victor talking and flapping his wings! Tears. Get the tissues out now! And if you can afford it, please help with Victor’s medical bills. Ridding a raptor of metal toxicity is very expensive.
Second, if you have wondered about Malala, you can see her chasing Mum behind the nest tree in the 35 second video clip below. Watch carefully. They will fly from left to right near the bottom. Malala has also been seen on the top branches of the nest and the adults still bring prey to the nest.
Malala later came to the nest to eat the fish brought earlier. Oh, was she hungry. And this is my point about Little Bit ND17. Some raptor parents only feed on the nest. It would be good to see Little Bit get some prey!
There is nothing nicer than seeing a nest full of fish – and I do mean full! Dad struck gold in his fishing and has left Lady a pile of nice fish for Lady and for SE 29 and 30. Watch carefully. SE30 can be a little stinker pecking its big sibling. Not a smart thing to do, 30.
The intervention is now in his 23rd day at the Karula National Forest nest of Karl II and Kaia. Bonus is doing great and the family is doing very well. Karl II did 3 feedings today and Kaia did 2 for a total of 5. In one Karl II brought in lots of nice fish! So proud of Urmas and Dr Madis giving Bonus a second chance at life.
Earlier Bonus in the front at the left is casting a pellet. Pellets are compressed food items that cannot be digested by the stomach and are thrown out (cast). You can see the pellet. It looks like a barbecue briquette. Researchers study the pellets to tell them what the birds have been eating!
Gosh, it is lonely turning on a streaming cam and seeing an empty nest. It is even more frustrating to find that you have checked 18 odd times with no fledglings and you missed them by 20 seconds! The oldest fledgling on the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest paid a visit today. Thanks, ‘H’ for the identification. The fledgling looks well and must see parents somewhere close as it is madly prey calling.
There were 3 fish brought to the Osoyoos Nest this morning. One small one and two good size ones. Those deliveries came at 0452, 0530, and 0754. Thank you for the time stamps, Burky 4. I need to go and check to see if anything came after – and no, I do not see any other fish. Olsen is smart to do the fishing early with the continuing heat wave in the region. Hopefully something will come during the evening.
It has been a good day on the nests. We must celebrate every possible minute because we know how quickly something can happen. Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care of yourselves. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their FB postings and/or videos or streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Ojai Raptor Rehabilitation Centre, GROWLS, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, Osoyoos Osprey Cam, Eagle Club of Estonia and Looduskalender, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR.
18 July 2022
We are going to start off with the good news…a hatch! Sydney’s Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre is giving the official hatch time of WBSE 29 at 1426. There is also a pip in WBSE30’s egg.
Beautiful Lady. By the time we wake up tomorrow morning there should be two healthy White-bellied Sea Eaglets in this nest getting ready to bop and bob.
I thought I might make it through Sunday evening without finding out about another Osprey death. Not so. A much loved male Osprey of a long time mated pair in Bitterroot Valley, Montana was shot with a soft bullet and died. Local animal right’s activists have issued a reward for the identity of the shooter.
Shootings of protected raptors are on the rise in the area. There were 7 last year and already there are 5 this year in this single area of Montana. Reports from wildlife rehab clinics often cite either shootings or – heavy lead toxins due to the eating of prey with bullet fragments – as the major reason for eagles to be in care or dying.
It is, of course, illegal to shoot a protected species but, it doesn’t seem to matter. It has happened in my City, all over the US, in various countries in the EU such as France and Malta. And, of course, there are the ongoing issues in the UK on the private estates where grouse hunting is permitted.
There is good news coming out of the Osoyoos nest. One look at the image reveals the remains of a large fish still on the nest. ‘A-M’ mentioned on the chat that both chicks had eaten well today and Little Bob even had a really full crop. Apparently both parents brought in 2 big fish. It is wonderful to see Mum with a big crop, too. Oh, we could not ask for anything better coming out of the heat in the area. Fantastic.
With all the sadness, the fact that this nest got 2 great big fish and everyone is full and there is still fish is something to celebrate. I wanted fish to fall from the sky but coming in from the lake is just as good.
To also put a smile on your face, Lilibet at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Mama Cruz had something to say to the fox cub that keeps getting on her nest! And she was very vocal about it.
There is other good news. The youngest osplet of the trio at Llyn Clywedog fledged at 10:22 on Sunday the 17th. Congratulations Dylan and Seren for another successful year and to all those at Llyn Clywedog in Wales.
Seren on one perch and two of the fledglings on the other perch.
The two osplets on the Llyn Brenig nest in Wales have not fledged. They certainly have grown since I last checked on them! Mom looks happy and I bet that fish Dad brought in really tasted good.
Dorcha looking over her two osplets as the sun was setting on Loch Arkaig.
and dawn over Loch Arkaig. I has been impossible to tell how Dorcha is doing. Hopefully she will go for a good swim and get the blood off from her injury – continuing good thoughts for her to heal quickly.
The area is so beautiful.
The Glaslyn Valley nest of Aran and Mrs G is so very different than Loch Arkaig and Loch of the Lowes. The cows and the sheep make the entire scene look like it could be a 17th century painting.
At the Loch of the Lowes, one of the fledglings slept ‘adult style’ on the nest perch all night. There is another (or two?) osprey/s on the dead tree at centre left. Where is everyone else? Laddie? Blue NC0?
Later. Waiting for a delivery!
Dad delivers fish to the Janakkdan Osprey nest on a regular basis. Here is the last delivery for the 17th at 19:28. The osplets will take turns self-feeding.
I have not seen the female on the nest for some hours – from 1900 to 0700. The chicks have not fledged. Some on the chat questioned if she has begun her migration. No, it is too early. Let us hope that she is well.
It is possible there is a perch and Mum is there. She was on the nest at noon today. Both chicks appear to be capable of eating on their own. One better than the other but it has had more practice.
‘H’ reports that it is Smooth Dogfish Shark for breakfast at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest! Dad brought in two in quick succession. Everyone was hungry – one fledgling trying to self-feed and the other being fed by Mum who eventually feeds both.
While the ospreys in Delaware were enjoying their Smooth Dogfish Sharks, Karl II was delivering large fish to the Karula National Forest Black storkling nest – that includes Bonus, the adopted storklet of Jan and Janikka. I am so happy that the four are doing so well and so grateful to Urmas for his fish basket! Thank you, Urmas.
The camera was down at Glacier Gardens for part of the 17th. NitBot reports that there were four fish deliveries with Peace getting 1 fish and Love seeming to get the other 3. It is so hard to see the eaglets – is it condensation on the camera? and the cars racing up and down that road are making me nervous. But…Liberty and Freedom know best!
There is no word yet on what caused the 9 day old osplet of Tom and Audrey at the Chesapeake Conservancy to suddenly die. Will keep you posted on any news. Its death was entirely unexpected. There was lots of fish and it was eating well.
Everything seems to be fine for Dory and Skiff and their three osplets on Hog Island in Maine.
Here is a short video of Dory feeding the three just a short while ago.
Like everywhere else, it has been hot and stormy on the Canadian Prairies. If you are in an area of high heat and have shallow bowls (no deeper than 2 or 3 inches), put some water in them if you do not have a bird bath. All manner of raptor are coming to cool down including the local crows and owls – even the rabbits have been in to drink water and get in the shade of the lilacs and ‘the bush tunnels’. I will try to get a photo if I can but Mr Crow was on top of the sunroom/greenhouse this morning telling me that he wanted breakfast!
An osprey expert in the UK told me that never rule out dehydration in the death of Ospreys. He was talking about Molate. But, remember that all of the birds can suffer in the heat without water!
The image below is (I believe) Hedwig’s baby. It is really cropped and blown up – the rabbit is tiny. Those are dandelion leaves and they are not long. He thought he was hiding behind some of the builder’s garbage! But we saw you, cutie pie. Caught in the act. You can eat all of the dandelion leaves you want!
This is Hedwig the Elder over eating the seeds that the birds spill everywhere! What they are really enjoying are the tender shoots.
Bye Hedwig!
Hedwig and Little Hedwig took off together to go to their burrow which is across the back lane underneath a garage.
It has been a week since Victor was rescued. I have not seen an update but it is early in California. Looking forward to some news. Things are rather quiet in Bird World — and goodness, gosh, golly…quiet is welcome. There will be more fledges in the UK and another baby Sea Eagle tomorrow. Something to look forward to….
Thank you for being with me today. Take care Everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Osoyoos Ospreys, Explore.org and IWS, CarnyXwild, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and the Wildlife Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch of the Lowes, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR, Eagle Club of Estonia, Glacier Gardens, Chesapeake Conservancy, and Explore.org and Audubon.
12 July 2022
Ervie. Bazza Hockaday caught Ervie fishing with Dad! He posted images of the two of them together on the FB Page of the Port Lincoln Osprey Group. Now, how wonderful is that? I am so excited. Ervie can fish with dad and not feel so rejected..he just can’t go on the nest near Mum! Remember how Ervie and Dad used to sit in the ‘shed’ and chat? Seriously, tears of joy!
Dad above and Ervie below with the tracker.
The newsletter that I get from the Cornell Bird Lab is carrying an article on neonics, a pesticide, that is having a deadly impact on our songbirds. Have a read. Also consider, however, the fact that the ‘Green’ herbicides and pesticides used on lawns are toxic. Take, for example, the neighbour who wants the weeds killed so that they can put down a matt and then put on wood mulch — the ‘Green’ spray was toxic — it killed the weeds. They did not know that they could simply use vinegar.
The three Ls (L3 is in care) are flying as almost as good as Big Red and Arthur. They are learning more and more about catching their own prey and in 2-4 weeks they will leave the territory of Big Red and Arthur and find their own place in the world of hawks. So thankful for Suzanne Arnold Horning who takes her camera to the campus each day and allows me to share her images of Big Red and Arthur’s family with you.
One of the Ls hunting in the pine trees. Big Red and Arthur have been moving them around to various parts of the campus for prey drops and hunting. Everything they do are lessons for the kids -. Once the Ls leave the territory, Big Red and Arthur are going to enjoy a much needed rest. We will then see them back on the nest checking things in the late fall or early November. Time definitely passes too quickly!
L4 – we worried and worried and it turns out he loved to climb over his siblings to get to Big Red’s beak – totally unafraid – and was one of the first two to catch prey and become an official juvenile. Here he is on top of a small shed stalking something and stretching.
L4 – cutie pie.
Ferris Akel just uploaded his tour of the Red-tail hawks at Cornell from last weekend. Here you go!
The storklets on the Mlade Buky nest of Bukacek and Betty are big! No wonder Bukacek was working on a second nest. No room for him and Betty!
Urmas and Dr Madis V’s experiment to raise the storklets of Jan and Janika continues to go very smoothly. Karl II has brought food in. Bonus watches the others and begins the same ritual to cause Karl II to be able to regurgitate the fish. Everyone looks nice and healthy on this nest and we know from the postings that both Karl II and Kaia have found the fish basket left for them by Urmas.
The storklets are losing their white natal down and those lovely black feathers are coming in. Bonus is in the front with the two metal rings.
At 13:30 ‘H’ reports that one of the ospreys on the Mispillion Harbour nest fledged. It was a beautiful first flight returning in about a minute and a half. Congratulations to everyone and to you ‘H’ who has watched this nest like a wonderful auntie and kept us informed. Now…when will the next one fledge?
There he goes!
Louis and Dorcha’s two osplets are being ringed at Loch Arkaig at this very moment! There is the proud mama Dorcha with the two before the banders arrived. Dorcha flew around at the arrival of the humans and her and Louis are now perched on a tree waiting for everything to be finished so they can get their chicks back! Will there be one big girl??? and a boy?
The camera is turned off and will come back on line when the ringers are finished.
The chicks of Louis and Dorcha have been ringed but no word about gender, weight, etc. Will post tomorrow when I hear.
Fledgling 554 is enjoying her freedom as she stares at us from the perch at the Llyn Clywedog Osprey nest of Dylan and Seren. 554 was the first osprey to fledge in Wales for the 2022 season – yesterday.
554’s other siblings are flapping their wings now, too….will there be a rush on fledging?
Idris has brought in 3 fish in three hours. Those three big girls will each have their own fish at the Dyfi Nest this evening.
It was a gorgeous day in the Glaslyn Valley. Mrs G looking over her nest full of osplets no doubt so happy that this season went superbly.
Since last year many of us have wondered what the fate of CJ7 would be. Would Blue 022 return? would they bond? would they have chicks? They did bond, they did have chicks….the nest was so deep that we could only get a glimpse of them. Now, here they are staring at us. Just gorgeous osplets. Congratulations – you two are famous. Right, you don’t care. Just clean up the environment so that Ospreys can have lots of non-toxic delicious fish, clean air, safe migration, and wonderful nests. Oh, right..and stop the shooting of Ospreys. Gotcha. We are gonna work on that.
Dory watches over three sleeping little ones on the Boathouse Osprey nest on Hog Island. Just look at how well their plumage camouflages them and how much copper/orange they are getting on the nape of their necks. So lovely and content.
Meanwhile, in California, Rosie continues to supply Brooks and Molate with goldfish. This is number 8!
To the delight of everyone Annie and Alden continue to pair bond in the scrape at The Campanile every other day it seems. This was yesterday.
If you missed it, Mama Thunder made quick work of that juvenile intruder yesterday. Here is a 40 second clip of the action at the West End Bald Eagle nest:
Lillibet wondering where Victor is in the middle of the night at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Mama Cruz.
It is going to take a few days for the blood work to come back on Victor and for all other tests to determine what is causing him to lose his balance and not be able to fly. Here is an edited post by Dr Sharpe.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Both Little Bit 17 and Victor are getting fantastic care and as someone joked – “There will be a run on Costco trout, I want to eat what Victor is having!” Cute. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cam and/or FB pages or blogs where I took my screen captures: Suzanne Arnold Horning, Ferris Akel Tours, Mlade Buky Storks, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, CarnyXWild, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Audubon Explore.org, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, Cal Falcons, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Bazza Hockaday, Explore.org and The Institute for Wildlife Studies.
