Tag Archives: Karula National Forest Black Storks

Late Monday news in Bird World

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.

1H1 fledges at Rutland and other news in Bird World

Saturday. 2 July 2022

The fireworks in my City for those celebrating Canada Day at the historical meeting point of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers started around 10:30 Friday evening and – continued in what seemed private locations – until around 0200 Saturday morning.

In their studies, the Animal Ethics Board has found that fireworks can cause permanent hearing damage in wild animals and pets. They say, “The hearing of many animals is much more sensitive than it is in humans, so the explosions of fireworks are not only more disturbing to them, but they can damage their hearing more severely. Fireworks can emit sounds of up to 190 decibels (110 to 115 decibels above the range of 75 to 80 decibels where the damage to the human ear begins). Fireworks generate a higher noise level than firecrackers, gunshots (140 decibels), and some jet planes (100 decibels).” Zoos report that wild animals such as cheetahs have continued stress with repeated noises – something that causes phobias of noises in pets.

It is not only the noise. Fireworks release harmful and poisonous particles in the air such as fine dust PM10 that is toxic when inhaled. Here is an excellent article that provides much information on the damage that fireworks cause. It is a good read.

How fireworks harm nonhuman animals

I was also delighted to see another monofilament line disposal tube when I was at Wildlife Haven yesterday by the pond. I wonder if we can get our City to place these at fishing spots along the river? and actually have people clean them??

A wonderful conversation with a fellow bird lover caused a discussion about Imperial Eagles and weights of eagles and well – all things stork and eaglet! In the posting about Little Bit, the staff at Humane Wildlife Indiana stated that he weighed 2.7 kg or 6 lbs. In his study of Bald Eagles and in other research since, Northern Bald Eagles (Michigan and Alaska, Canada) are larger than those hatched in the South (Florida and Texas). In addition, fledglings are larger but lighter than their parent of the same gender. Because he survived on so little food, it is unclear what gender Little Bit is – I have always referred to him as a male because he is so tiny. At any rate, the conclusion is that he is 50% underweight and should be approximately 4.08 kg or 9 lbs.

So far over $2500 has been donated to care for Little Bit! The Notre Dame Eagles FB group is hoping that will reach $3000 by the 4th of July. That would be fantastic.

You may have tried to find the little storklets inside the vet clinic in Estonia but, they are not there and there is no camera. They were named Bonus, Janus, and Junior. Their nest was moved outside near the clinic. But, also, there are no storklets there. Bonus was moved to live with Karl II and Kaia in the Karula National Forest. Janus has been placed in the nest of male Eedi (no camera) and sadly, little Junior fell and broke its wing in many places. Here is the statement from Urmas:

Bonus has adapted to living with Karl and Kaia and their three chicks and just a moment ago I got word from ‘T’ that “a trail camera was placed next to the nest and its pictures show that the foster child has also adapted to life in the nest like Bonus.” This is excellent news. Now they can spend the last part of their nest life being with live storks, growing, fledging, and migrating. So happy for the team in Estonia.

“At night I brought back the chick to the outdoor nest in vet clinic. That is actually the same nest you watched, we moved it in whole from indoor isolator box outside. So the chicks knew the nest nearly 20 days already. If placed back the chick which travelled, I added some fish to the nest. As it was in darkness, they did not see the fish, but probably noticed the food in morning. It is speculation, but there had to be some accident in early morning. Maybe they started to fight for fish and smallest appeared in wrong position. It is only about 1m from ground, but for quite fat juvenile it could be too high, if to fall to the side, with opened wing… Nobody could enter there simply so to disturb the chicks, so it is not easily understandable accident, with that serious injury.
Today there will be another attempt to add fourth chick in natural nest.”

Bonus is well integrated into the family now. I am delighted for the team who worked so hard at interventions that would save Jan and Janika’s chicks. Two have survived. This is a feeding by Karl II showing how well Bonus and the other biological chicks are doing.

A conversation with a friend in France led me to return to check on the Imperial Eaglets whose nest is in Russia. They are so gorgeous and the two of them are big! Have you been checking in on them?

They are just getting their juvenile feathers. Have a look at their size in relation to the female. Beautiful – and two of them!

Big Red and Arthur’s Ls are really quite amazing. I am shocked at their flying skills – although I would like them to stop flying so low over Tower Road! They are also doing a lot of ‘hunting’ along the fence lines. Suzanne Arnold Horning took these images this morning. Thank you SAH for allowing me to share!

It is what we have been waiting for – a fledge at the Rutland nest of Maya and Blue 33 – those three big girls. It was 1H1 that took off and returned first! Congratulations on your first fledge of the 2022 season Rutland.

The departure was at 0534:

The return!

There are three growing chicks this morning in the Boathouse on Hog Island. Sadly, we now have to count them carefully after so many spills out of the nests this year.

Skiff.

Dory and the three chicks. They are now in the Reptile phase. Their plumage is changing and they will appear thin and lanky. It is often, during this phase, that they also begin beaking one another. It is a period of very rapid growth and they require lots of fish.

Osplets triple their body weight during the first 8 days and then during the next 4 days they will double that weight. In the Reptilian Phase which begins at about 20 days, the osplets will molt all their lovely light grey down and it will be replaced with the darker thermal down. Feathers begin to emerge and you will also see a lot of preening. I do not know if the growth and itchiness of the feathers causes osplets to get anxious and aggressive but on nests with lots of fish you often see some beaking before the juvenile feathers are really starting to emerge.

Dory and the chicks.

There are three chicks on the Fortis Exshaw Nest in Canmore, Alberta. Yes! The nest is holding. They were enjoying a nice fish when I checked in on them this morning.

The two at Osoyoos are also still on the nest and their feathers also appear to be changing into the Reptilian Phase. I watched one lean way over the side of the nest — a little scary. Fingers crossed for this family!

The two older osplets at the Mispillion nest are doing great! This is a nest that needs information – dates eggs laid, hatch dates, etc. These two have a full body of juvenile feathers. Fledge is not long off.

It is noon on the Canadian Prairies and it is a gorgeous blue sky day with bright sunshine. The three Blue Jay fledglings have more feathers and are so quick to get into the lilacs to hide from my camera and to eat the solid nutty cylinder – well, I would like to get a good look at them! At one time Mr Crow was taking exception to their presence on his turf but that seems to also have settled. Little Red is happily settled in his new tree home and the three little ones are as big as he is today. I might get some images of them today. Hedwig was here yesterday as was the wee baby rabbit who is now 3x the size he was when I first spotted him in the grass. This afternoon I am going to try and a new park for walking and bird watching. I hope to have some images for you later today.

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

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Humane Wildlife Indiana, EMU, LRWT, Mispillion Osprey Cam and DDNR, Explore and Audubon, Osoyoos Osprey Cam, Suzanne Arnold Horning and Cornell Chatters FB Page, Russian Imperial Eagle Cam, and Fortis Exshaw.

Send love and positive energy to Latvia and Estonia

I want to begin with the Black Stork nests today. For those just learning about the situation of the Black Storklings in both Latvia and Estonia, here is a very brief summary. The storklings at the nest of Grafs and Grafiene in Latvia and that of Jan and Janika in Estonia are late hatchlings. There was concern from the beginning that both parents might leave for their migration before the storklets fledged. Currently, the mothers have left and the fathers, Jan and Grafs, are the sole providers. Neither male can provide enough food for three storklings to thrive. There is also a question of the supply of the fish. In both Latvia and Estonia, feeder situations have been established with decoy female Black Storks. To date, neither male has found these feeders.

‘S’ in Latvia reports, “The good news is that it seemed that yesterday Grafs had encountered a generous feeding place on the way, not so far away. We were already a bit sad thinking that the storklets will have to spend another day with just one small noon feeding, what a celebrated surprise it was when he came back less than 4 hours later with plenty of food. Many of us bursted into happy tears:) It is good to know that he can still manage to get food elsewhere even if it is not from the feeder. And the most important thing is that he is still here caring for his young.”

aGrafs and Grafiene’s Storklings, Sigulda, Latvia 19 August 2021

At the very beginning, M. Strazds, a Latvian Black Stork specialist, warned that he felt that there was only 0.1% chance that Grafs would find the feeder because birds do not normally search for new feeding spots at the end of the nesting season. Still, as I understand it, the storklings, once they fledge, will find the feeder and it will be very good for them.

In Estonia, Jan has made only one delivery that I am aware of. The storklings have supplemented that with the fish that Urmas delivered last night. I was made aware that the storklings were playing with the fish but, it appears now that they have been eating them as the pile of fish is almost gone as I write this. I am aware that there are controversies about the effect of humans getting close to the nest because of the stress that it causes on the birds. But starving is also a major stressor. I believe that Urmas and his team know what they are doing and I hope they continue to feed these birds.

Jan and Janika’s Storklings, Jegova County, Estonia

There is one other nest with a fledgling, Pikne, the female, still being fed by a parent and that is the nest of Karl and Kaia in the Karula National Forest in Estonia. ‘S’ reports, “The feeder approach has been very successful with Karl’s nest in Karula for the sole reason that he has a transmitter and it is possible to track his usual feeding places.”

Pilkne, the last remaining storkling being fed by Karl II at the nest in the Karula National Forest in Estonia. The other two have fledged.

It has been a very difficult year for those who care for the birds and who watch the streaming cams. Osprey chicks died due to weather related issues and Cooper’s Hawk eyases got so hot on the nests in Canada, they lept off the nests to avoid literally being roasted. Many are dying as they undertake their migrations which are challenging enough without having fires and smoke enroute.

At the same time, there have been some remarkable situations. Around the world, humans have stepped in to save birds of every variety. In the interior of British Columbia, the wildlife rehabbers climbed the Osprey nests and removed the chicks taking them into care because of the extreme heat and fires. At various places around the world, Osprey chicks have been fostered and received a second lease on their life. A Canada Goose named Arnold had his digits fixed so that he could live a full life with his mate, Amelia. A very old Bald Eagle full of lead was given treatments and is now thriving and waiting for A Place for Hope to get its permit so he can be their ‘forever’ bird. Every day I read about a group of people and trying to help fix what many believe is unfixable. I hope that this is just the beginning of a change in intervention and our understanding of what works and what doesn’t. The key is not to give up.

There are, however, three miracles. I am thinking of the three Ospreys that should have died but did not – they have thrived – two of them to become dominant on their nests! Those were Tiny Tot aka Tumbles at the Achieva Osprey Nest in Florida and Tiny Little Bob aka Blue 463 on the Foulshaw Moss Nest in Cumbria. To me these are simply nothing short of a miracle.

Tiny Little Bob aka Blue 463, Foulshaw Moss Nest, 19 August 2021

The third has yet to fledge but has shown remarkable growth. I am aware that many on the chat rooms in Latvia and Estonia are concerned about feather growth. This was also a big concern for Malin on the Collins Marsh Nest in Wisconsin. Malin is our third miracle.

Malin, Collins Marsh Osprey Nest, 19 August 2021

I cannot tell you what happened to make the food deliveries on this nest turn around. All I can say is that they did and there are no more missing feathers, the tail now has 7 dark bands when 3 weeks ago there were 2 with the hint of a 3rd. It has been a remarkable recovery. At one time, there was concern that Malin might survive but not be able to fly. Those concerns have now vanished. Today, Malin has had 3 fish deliveries before 1pm and one of those was a whopper. Malin actually walked away from being fed by mom, Marsha, he was so full.

One of the major concerns for the Collins Marsh Osprey Nest is that the parents would also leave Malin on the nest and begin their migration. So far everything is going smoothly so I will just ‘knock on wood’ that it continues to be that way.

One other good news story is that the fires in Turkey are dying down or are out.

And there is more. Aran, the mate of Mrs G on the Glaslyn Valley Osprey Nest, was injured and was missing a couple of primary wing feathers,. There was a huge concern that he would not be able to fly — and consequently that he would not be able to fish or be able to migrate. Well, look at Aran’s feathers today! Yahoo. He is good to go. Tears. This is an amazing couple who lost their three chicks due to starvation when Aran was injured. The Glaslyn community kept the birds alive with a fish table until Aran was able to fly and fish.

Indeed, I do not want people to think that feeder areas or fish tables do not work. It depends on the circumstance and in the case of Aran and Mrs G as well as the Mlade Buky White Storklings, those fish tables saved the lives of those two families.

Aran at the top sitting on edge of nest! 19 August 2021.

We have a lot to be thankful for – and there is a lot of work to do to figure out how to help our precious birds – all of the wildlife. Humans stepping up to take responsibility and to “try” even if they are met with low odds and negativity should be the norm not the exception.

What can you do today to help the birds and all of the wildlife?

I want to close today with a bit of a giggle. If you watch Ospreys you understand how difficult it is for both the male and female to raise three. Actually that is true of eagles as well. Well, what about five? Now consider the fact that those five are all female. The poor dad would need a set of sound cancelling headphones!!!!!!!!!! You can hear females clear across a lake. Oh, my. The parents of these Westport, MA fledglings will certainly deserve their winter break.

Thank you for joining me on this quick update on what is happening in Latvia and Estonia. Send them all of your positive energy – and take care.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Collins Marsh Nature Centre, Cumbrian Wildlife Trust and the Foulshaw Moss Osprey Nest, the Eagle Club of Estonia, the Latvian Fund for Nature, Brywd Gwyllt Glaslyn and the anonymous reader of my blog that sent me the image of these five beautiful female Ospreys. Thank you.