There have been intruders and both Laddie and Blue NC0 have been involved with them. That said, the oldest hatch Big Bob is making it impossible for Little Bob to have anything to eat despite there being plenty for all.
Laddie brought a fish in for tea time and both Big and Middle were being fed. Little Bob kept his head down. He is very weak and is not fish crying that I can tell.
Little Bob made a slight movement and Big Bob went over. Middle continued to be fed. Big Bob has a nice crop and you can see how much fish remains.
Little Bob is also playing possum and conserving any energy but he is listening and watching.
Little Bob begins to move around the nest to get up to Mum. The crops in both Middle and Big are busting.
Little Bob gets closer. There is still fish left.
To stop Little Bob from eating Big Bob goes back to get more fish.
Little Bob gives up and returns to the edge of the nest.
This is what siblicide looks like. Unless there is a miracle while the two big bobs are in food coma, Wee Bob will not make it. It is so sad but ever since he hatched there have been issues. There are days that I wish Ospreys only laid two eggs.
I wish that the news were better. We really need a miracle to turn this nest around. It is such a shame. Three beautiful osplets getting their juvenile feathers. There has been another loss today. At the Kielder 4 nest the small Bob died as well.
Thank you for joining me. I hope that I have wonderful news to share next time. Take care everyone.
Thank you to the streaming cam at the Loch of the Lowes, to the Friends of the Loch of the Lowes and Scottish Wildlife. That is where I took my screen captures.
The Cape Henlopen State Park Osprey nest kept me occupied for a large part of Monday . It is a very complicated situation. There are two intruder birds. They are distinctive in the very thick eye band. One has quite a good necklace and the other does not. Their eyes are close and often look like when we say ‘snake eyes’.
As the sun was setting both of the adult birds were on the nest. You can see their distinctive eye bands that are thick and go right to the shoulder. Except for their necklaces you might want to think they are twins.
One of the birds has some feather damage. It is the one who moved the chicks out of the nest. At first I thought the little chick had its wing caught in the talon but watching the bird try to remove and then in a second try achieve getting one of the bigger chicks off the nest – it was deliberate. She just didn’t have a good hold on that wee third hatch and it is probably – or was – at the base of the platform.
This bird has some interesting feather damage in at least two areas. I hope to get someone who knows about feather issues to examine the photo. It looks like a section around the scapula V on the right has been cut or torn or there are feathers missing. You can see the feather on the right hanging. The bird has flown on and off the nest carrying the chicks but returns quickly so she is just dumping them close by.
It appears that there is a third bird that is around the nest that these two are concerned about and it could be the Mum of the three dead chicks. Of course, this is simply speculation on my part. We have not seen that bird and none are ringed.
There are no adult ospreys on the Cape Helopen Osprey nest tonight, 13 June.
I have received word from ‘A’ and ‘EJ’ that the two intruders were at the Henlopen Osprey nest this morning and at one time a fish was brought and removed. The female intruder has also removed the third dead osplet from the nest. ‘A’ mentions the third osprey that has been bothering me. Is it Mum? is she injured? If it is her – our hearts go out to her. She has sadly lost her entire family.
I remember in an online discussion and chat with Sean and Lynn at Cal Falcons, they mentioned that the problem with the success of reintroducing these species is that there are too many birds. There are territorial fights, etc. Perhaps also it is the amount of habitat loss due to population growth and building, climate change and being able to get adequate food that is also a problem. For the Osprey there is then the issue of trees. Unlike Bald Eagles, Ospreys like to have their nests at the top of a dead tree. So many trees have been lost to deforestation and wildfires and in my community if someone sees a dead tree, it is cut down. Only in the marshes and mangroves do I see them. In South Australia they are busy building platforms in good places for the Ospreys if they have seen Ospreys nesting like Turnby Island. The new platform is up and the Ospreys are already on it along with most of their old nest. Do we need to get building more platforms? And if lakes and streams can be stocked for people to go fishing, what about the birds? It does appear – from many nests – that the success of both the Osprey and Eagle reintroduction programmes have caused issues for established nests – some outright tragedies. There must be some solutions.
Little Bob at the Loch of the Lowes was shut out from the evening feeding. Indeed, he had not eaten all day Monday that I am aware. Both Little and Middle stayed well out of the way of Big and just let him eat. Then Middle went up. By the time Little got up to the table the fish was gone. If this is a problem with Laddie not bringing in enough fish now – then Blue NC0 needs to step up the game and go fishing.
Big ate almost all that fish and has a big crop and so does Middle. Poor wee Bob. They can last for several days. We have seen this on many nests but it is time Little Bob had a good feed. Fingers crossed for Tuesday.
This is Blue NC0 defending the nest and chicks against the intruder.
The situation at the Loch of the Lowes has not improved. There is a ringed intruder and as such Laddie and Blue NC0 are both dealing with that. A fish finally came in at 16:00 but both Little and Middle Bob are getting pounded. Little Bob did not even raise its head and beg for food. There are any number of people worrying about this nest. I will be checking on it later. Some of the Osprey groups are already posting thoughts for Little Bob – he cannot go much longer if he is to live. I do not think he will make it either. So sad. Middle ate yesterday.
I started making a list of all the sadness at the nests this year and will post it later today. It has been a year of tragedy.
The West End fledglings – Ahote and Kana’kini – are really using their wings and learning how to land. Two of the chicks on the natal nest watch one of the siblings (I believe it is Kana’kini) fly off the nest and land on Transmitter Rock.
Perfect landing.
Kana’kini was still on Wray’s Rock Tuesday morning. She had flown there on Monday. Tuesday morning Ahote and Sky were on the natal nest when a fish delivery came in at 05:42. Waiting for Sky to fledge.
Kana’kini and Ahote have since flown off leaving Sky on the natal nest.
At the Two Harbours nest of Chase and Cholyn, Lancer will be 10 weeks old (70 days) tomorrow, the 15th. Cholyn is still flying in to feed their big girl!
There are big storms moving through the area of the ND-LEEF nest. The camera is out of sorts. This could seriously impact any prey deliveries for tomorrow. Little Bit 17 really needs a good meal tomorrow.
The system is going to impact a large area that have nests.
The camera is down because of the storm at the ND-LEEF nest. The eaglets are ND15 75 days old, ND16 74 days old and Little Bit ND17 is 70 days old. It sure would be a shame to lose this little fighter now. What a time to have a storm – backed up with days of little food. My goodness.
I haven’t checked on E1 and Nancy at the MN-DNR nest lately. Nancy made a prey delivery, E1 mantled quickly and was very aggressive to the adult. This is normal behaviour in eaglets getting ready to fledge.
There was a lot of strong winds and rain over night at the MN-DNR. The system is due to be about the same as the one in my city. It will calm down and may begin again. E1 survived it fine – thank goodness.
At the nest of Big Red and Arthur, it appears that the only eyas left to fledge is L4. Little cutie pie. And little cutie pie took advantage of having its big siblings off flying and getting prey elsewhere to eat up two prey items on the nest and get an enormous crop! Sometimes there are advantages to having your other siblings fledge. This might also work for Little Bit if everything came come together to get the parents able to find prey to deliver. I understand that this time of year at this particular nest prey deliveries suffer.
Big Red’s kids do not have that problem. Arthur is excellent at delivering food and Big Red is often hunting herself. They did a marvellous job this year. Amazing.
L4 could fledge. He has 5 going on 6 dark stripes and he is 47 days old. remember the average age of fledge is 46.5 days at this nest.
I love the stretching exercises after the meal. He stretched both sides like this.
The UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys are not sleeping on the natal nest tonight.
The adults are dropping off fish on the nest and both of the fledglings, Big and Middle, make their way there when they see the parents flying in that direction. Big had the fish and then Middle got tired of waiting and took it. Both had a decent feed. These two are doing fantastic.
It is always good to remember that what you want to see are the chicks being fed by the parents on the nest after fledge. At other times, they will feed them off nest like they did with Little MiniO at Captiva. Often times the fledglings bolt and well, they need to get home. You might recall if you watched the NEFlorida Bald Eagle nest that Legacy (2021) was missing for about six days. She was so glad to find home she didn’t leave for another month!
It is early morning in The Czech Republic and Betty is feeding the four White storklets at the Mlade Buky nest. Oh, look. They are getting their pin feathers. Fantastic. Note: The smallest, the 5th storklet was eliminated on Sunday.
It is also lousy weather in Estonia but Karl II has been out fishing for these babies. Did you know he flies 10 km to get the little fish? It is monitored by his tracker.
Liz did a lovely – and short video (I always appreciate her short videos getting right to the heart of the matter) – of the three Black storklets of Jan and Janika’s in care late Tuesday having a meal. They are doing so very well. I think that you are witnessing an intervention that is going to go very, very well.
All three osplets on the nest of Aran and Mrs G in the Glaslyn Valley are doing quite fine. Just look at that face of Mrs G. I certainly would not want to mess with this Osprey Mum. In the second image all have crops after their afternoon tea time meal.
Idris taking the head off of the tea time fish for Telyn and the three Bobs. There is definitely not a problem at this nest!
Little Bob is in the middle and Telyn has been feeding him – and he will be fed til his crop is full! (or they run out of fish)
Llyn Brenig Ospreys have had their troubles. The third hatch died but the two surviving osplets appear to be doing very well. Let us hope that the horrible weather that has swept through the nests dissipates and gives these families a break!
The two surviving osplets at the Loch Arkaig nest have been enjoying all that nice fish that Louis brings in. The tea time one was a little too close to the lads or lasses but both got fed. Big Bob looks like he could be a problem. Let us hope that he isn’t! There is always fish on this nest of Dorcha and Louis.
They have had their problems up at Llyn Clywedog but it looks like those are behind them. Dylan brought in a huge Mullet for Seren and the three Bobs at 16:00:03. Just look at their crops after their tea.
That is a hop, skip, and jump through the nests with troubles and some of those that are doing so well. Seeing those three at Llyn Clywedog after the fear that Dylan was missing just warms the heart.
Last, Alden delivered what appears to be a pigeon. Annie gets it and this translates into a food fight between Lindsay and Grinnell, Jr. Neither have fledged yet but it is just morning in California! Fledge watch at Cal Falcons.
We may never know what ultimately happens at the Cape Henlopen State Park Osprey nest until we see who is on the nest for the next breeding season. If it is Mum who has been trying to get her nest back, let us hope that she either does so safely or she leaves the territory in good health to find another nest and mate.
I am working on two different pieces for you. One of Wildlife Rehabilitation Centres and their importance and another on the birds that we have lost since last 1 July. It is sadly a very long list. I had hoped to have the one on the rehabilitation centres finished this week but the events at some of the nests took over.
Thank you for joining me. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages or videos that I have captured and used for this blog: Liz M, Cape Henlopen State Park Ospreys, Cornell RTH Cam, ND-LEEF, Friends of the Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, CarnyXWild, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dfyi Osprey Project, MN-DNR, Explore.org and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Cal Falcons, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mlade Buky White Storks, UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, and NOAA.
UPDATE: The smallest, the 5th hatch storklet, at the Mlade Buky nest of Betty and Bukacek was eliminated on Sunday. I had missed this.
It looks like it could be another rainy day on the Canadian Prairies. We are certainly making up with moisture this spring for 4-5 years of drought. Everything is green and beautiful.
Well, the weather is taking its toll on other nests in Scotland and Wales on Sunday. Those long, cold rainy days with a dip in fish deliveries are making some of the Bobs cranky – and aggressive. Big Bob on the Loch of the Lowes almost pushed both Middle and Little Bobs off the nest. Little Bob has also missed out on some meals. I sure hope this weather changes and these chicks settle down.
At tea time on Monday, Telyn went out of her way – finally – to make sure that Little Bob had fish. I was terribly happy to see this as the biggest Bob is working hard to exclude Little.
Idris and Telyn at the Dyfi nest made sure that all three of the Bobs were fed well before bedtime on Sunday. It has been a stinker of weather over in Wales, too.
Monday’s tea at Dyfi was a Sea Bass followed by the delivery of a mullet by Idris to Telyn and the kids. The weather had considerably improved.
My goodness. Aran caught one of his whoppers! He cleaned off the head before delivering it to Mrs G and the kids.
Mrs G fed herself and the kids. Big Bob is in food coma and Little and Middle are up at the table.
There was lots of fish left over when Mrs G finished so Aran decided to have a really good meal before he got on the perch. All appears to be good.
The wind is still blowing a bit on the Glaslyn nest at tea time. All of the chicks are wide awake. Look at how good Little Bob is doing. He is standing at the back.
We have learned that a good nest can change in the blink of an eye – or weather, intruders, lack of prey. So far the osplets on the nest of Blue 33 (11) and Maya are doing fantastic. They are now all at least five weeks old and they will be ringed soon. Ringing normally takes place between 35-43 days in the UK. Any later and the osplets could bolt and any earlier and the leg would still be growing.
The weather has improved at Loch Arkaig – thankfully. Louis has brought fish in and has covered up Little Bob with some sticks brought in and from the nest. The surviving two Bobs appear to be fine this morning. They benefited from being under Dorcha during the cold rain and winds.
The rain appears to have stopped at the Llyn Clywedog nest of Dylan and Seren. Dylan is on the nest and in the early afternoon there was a male intruder with a blue Darvic ring that was flying around the nest. He was quickly sent off.
The three storklets continue to thrive in the care of the Veterinary School. Forest sounds have been added to their environment.
A very good article has been translated and placed on Looduskalender with the Forum for the Black Stork nest of Karl II and Kaia. The information could be applied universally to nests that depend on fish for their main food item. The specific nest that they are talking about is, however, that of Karl II and Kaia in the Karula National Forest.
“Black Stork – Ciconia nigra
The older chicks hatched on 28 May and turned two weeks old today. The third chick is considerably smaller but hatched three days later than the older two. Mother Kaia and father Karl are managing to feed their chicks well, despite the youngest being significantly smaller than the others. We know and have observed that Black Storks sometimes carry out infanticide, i.e. the parent birds remove the weakest chick from the nest. The main reason for this is a lack of food. Chicks must be very well fed because they will embark on a long and dangerous migration in August on their own, but this is how black storks do it. Less than a third of this year’s chicks will be alive in a year. What are we not seeing on the webcam? In Karula National Park, where this black storks nest is located, Kotkaklubi has been organising clean-up campaigns for many years to clear the banks of the brooks of the Koiva river basin of undergrowth so that the birds can access them. Small natural streams quickly become overgrown with vegetation, but black storks are happy to feed in such remote places. Adult birds will also look for food in ditches where fish can be found during the breeding season. Still, these ditches may dry up during both spring and summer droughts, threatening breeding success. Therefore the birds need to be able to visit different feeding areas. Adult BS also forage in meadows, catching frogs and occasionally rodents. We can see on the webcam that fish is their primary food. In addition, Urmas Sellis has installed a fish basket with live fish in a stream about ten kilometres away from the nest, and a trail camera has recorded the visits of black storks there.
Today, 13 June, the chicks are respectively 16, 16 and 13 days old.
The three storklets of Karl II and Kaia are waking up to a whole new day!
PLEASE NOTE THAT ON SUNDAY, BETTY ELIMINATED THE 5TH STORKLET. It looks like another rainy mucky day for Bukacek and Betty and their five little white storklets in Mlade Buky. I cannot look at the adult standing there without thinking about the plastic decoy with the storklets of Jan and Janika. Looks just like that decoy!
The storklets are getting their juvenile feathers.
A prey item has been brought to the ND-LEEF nest at 08:36:54. ND 15 stole it from ND16 and at 08:57:49 Little Bit 17 steals it, eats some, and then 16 gets it. They are all hungry but Little Bit is right in there!
Little Bit 17 is still ‘the king of the snatch and grab’. Fingers crossed for a lot more prey today!
It is extremely sad to see the Cape Henlopen nest with the three dead osplets of the long bonded pair on an empty nest. It remains unclear what happened to the 20 year old Dad and Mum from the nest after the intruders took over late Friday. An entire family lost because of intruders? So sad.
Will the intruders return? We wait.
Both fledglings were on the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey nest this morning. Middle had control of the fish delivery. The parents have been excellent at bringing the two lots of fish during the day. They look to be in great health and their flying skills – and landing – are improving every day.
At 08:41 all four of Big Red and Arthur’s hawklets were on the nest. L2 fledged first followed by L1. L3 spent Sunday up on a higher level of the tower but it has yet to fledge along with the youngest L4.
L3 is 49 days old today and L4 is 46. The average of fledge at Big Red’s nest is 46.5 days. We could be looking at another two flying today or tomorrow.
Takoda is 69 days old today. On Sunday he had branched up to the height where Mr President normally perches. Early this morning he made it up to the cam which made for some lovely closeups just for us! Fledging is close at hand.
All eyes are on Star at the Redding Eagle nest. She is branching farther up and this early morning seems to have put out the sound on the streaming cam. As far as I know, there has been no sighting of Sentry since he fledged.
Could this be your day to fly Star?
Spirit is so beautiful. She is 3 months and 9 days old today. She hatched on 3 March and fledged on 31 May. She came down to visit the nest before taking off into the Big Bear Valley at 06:13. She might have been looking for breakfast!
There is one more fledge to go at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagles nest and that is H18. Both H16 and H17 fledged on the 10th of June within an hour and a half of one another (06:20 and 07:50). That third fledge could happen any time.
Both eaglets at the US Steel nest are considering branching! What a gorgeous view.
Ahote and Kana’kini were on the move this morning. What a beautiful camera view of both of them. Sky is still on the natal nest. The time is o7:03.
An early morning view of the San Jose City Hall Peregrine falcons.
At 03:58 Annie was sleeping in the scrape with Lindsay and Grinnell Jr. Precious moments. Fledge will come before we know it. Goodness. Wasn’t it just yesterday that Alden came into our lives???? It sure seems like it. Annie and Alden have been super parents and I am thrilled that these two chicks got a chance to make their own way in the world. It could have been dramatically different without Alden.
Fledge watch begins for Lindsay and Grinnell Jr tomorrow – 14 June!!!!!!
It is early morning on the Canadian Prairies. We have had so much rain that the landscape could be the green of Ireland! It is impossible to see the birds and squirrels and even the small bunny in the jungle that has grown. Birds can be seen flying in and out and the feeders are empty by noon so they are in there – just covered by all the branches and leaves.
There may be several fledges today. There are eyes on many, many nests!
I hope that your Monday is a good start to the week. Thank you for joining me. Take care!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or websites where I took my screen captures: Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Woodland Trust, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, LRWT, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Post Code Lottery and Scottish Wildlife Trust, CarnyXWild, Eagle Club of Estonia, LizM, Mlade Buky, ND-LEEF, Cape Henlopen State Park Ospreys Cam, UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, Cornell Bird Lab RTH, NADE-AEF, Friends of Redding Eagles, Pix Cams, FOBBV, Explore.org and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, San Jose City Falcons, and Cal Falcons.
One of the nicest things about living on the Canadian Prairies this time of year are the lilacs and the flowering fruit trees. The scent of the lilacs fills the entire garden. There are two other really good things. The second is that the mosquitoes have yet to arrive. Third is – a new bunny is in the garden. It is ever so tiny and sweet. He would fit in your pocket. He is loving those creepers that are just coming up. Nice and tender! They are just slightly different poses. It is so nice to see a new bunny coming to eat the plants!
At 08:40:03, the first hatch, Kana’kini, of Thunder and Akecheta fledged off the West End nest in the Channel Islands. She landed near the transmitter just like Ahote, her youngest brother did. Congratulations!!!!!!!
There she goes!!!!!!!! Ahote and Sky watch as their big sister takes flight. What a wonderful sight.
There is an update on the Black storklets of Jan and Janika’s. It is nothing short of excellent news and is simply brilliant. Urmas and Dr Leivits at the Veterinary School have set up a Black stork decoy that stays with the storklets all the time – like a Mum. Then a ‘step-father’ called Toru comes in at regular times to feed the storklets. You will notice both of these in the images below. The storklets are eating much larger fish now. They are also preening. Just tears! This is the first time that Black storklets have been removed and raised off the nest. I wish Urmas and Dr Leivits all the best – it is wonderful to see these three little ones getting a chance to survive.
Just look at the size of the crops on those chicks!!!!! Every one of them, including the wee baby is doing so well.
The Golden Eaglet, Margit, is adorable. Nothing sort of a real cutie-pie. Margit is the chick of Kalju and Helju. Margit hatched on the 25th of April and today she is 46 days old. The adults have brought in pine boughs and Margit has been playing with them – life on a nest needs some enrichment and some pest control. The pine offers both!
Notice the ear behind the eye and that beautiful black beak with the yellow cere and legs. Take in that deep rich yellow. This is a very healthy eaglet. The down is gone from the head and the juvenile feathers are coming in around the neck and will by next week, I think, be appearing more on the head. Such a beautiful eaglet.
Kaia has just finished feeding the three Black Storklets at the Karula National Park nest she shares with her mate, Karl II. Look at the little one – such a nice crop. They are all doing well. Once in awhile Kaia rolls the fourth egg but nothing more.
Karl II has brought lunch in and the little one did a cute tog-o-war.
I am so grateful to ‘EJ’ for sending me the video link to Dad Kestrels eyases – the last – fledging. This has been a beautiful success story – a collaboration between a human and a raptor – to make sure that the hatched eyases thrived to fledge. Congratulations to Mr Kes and to Robert Fuller.
There are times when you really do wonder if those crops will not pop! Richmond and Rosie are keeping both of these osplets full and fuller at their nest on that WWII crane in the Richmond Shipping Yards.
Iris was on the nest for a few minutes on Thursday. It is always nice to see her! Always.
Last year I discovered that there are ten osprey nests in Finland. The image of the first nest is known as #3. It is located in the West of Finland and in area known as Satakunta. The nests is man-made. It was rebuilt in 2016. The male is Ahti. Him and his former mate, Helmi, fledged two chicks in 2020. Helmi sadly did not return from migration in 2021. Ahti has a new mate named Nuppu. She is four years old having hatched in 2018. The couple have three eggs in their nest for this season.
This is the link to their Ahti and Nuppu’s streaming cam
The SF Ospreys would like you to vote on the final combinations of names for Richmond and Rosie’s two osplets for 2022. Here is the information. It is free. You can only vote once. Why not join in? You will need to cute and paste the URL if it does not work by just clicking.
Port Lincoln Osprey Project put up a beautiful nesting platform on Turnby Island. Ospreys have been breeding there for a long, long time but they have had to make their nests on the ground. This has meant that there has been predation by foxes that go over from the mainland when the tide is low. This new high rise platform is meant to halt the ability of the foxes to eat the eggs! Here are some more images of that magnificent effort by PLO. And it only took the resident ospreys, Marrum and Partney, who have already made some decorating additions and have mated! Sounds like a huge success!
The platform is lowered into position by the helicopter.
The old nest – as much as was possible – was taken onto the new platform for the Ospreys.
Nest accepted by Marrum and Partney!!!!!!
Middle was waiting on the light stand calling loudly. A beautiful fished arrived at the UFlorida-Gainesville nest at 11:21. Just lovely. Both of the fledglings are returning to be fed by the parents while they get much better at flying and landing.
So far there has been no prey deliveries at the ND-LEEF Bald Eagle nest but sadly, something did happen. ND15 – Little Bit’s friend on the nest – branched early this morning. 15 has since returned to the nest and I caught s/he allopreening Little Bit 17. Wish for fish!!!!!!!
What a beautiful site – all five of the White Storklets on the nest beside their Mum, Betty! Bukacek and Betty are doing a heroic job of keeping these five fed and —— I continue to say – with no brood reduction. The wee one is growing well. Fingers crossed.
The wind is blowing up a storm in Wales this morning. Telyn is keeping all of the chicks on the nest and has managed to give them all a good feed! Well done Idris for fishing in that strong wind!!!
The bad winds were also up in Scotland accompanied by rain. No one thought Laddie would be able to get a fish in but he did. Bless his heart.
These male ospreys really impress me. Aran has been out fishing in the strong Welsh winds and has a meal on the nest for Mrs G and the three.
Hats off to Dylan up at Llyn Clywedog! He has been bringing in the fish for Seren and the three. It is rainy and wet and miserable there, too. Check out the crops on Little Bob!!!!!!! This is so nice to see. It appears that the earlier aggression on this nest has calmed down.
It is really bright at Rutland Water. Maya has fed the three Bobs and – look at how much of the nest they are taking up now. There are those beautiful juvenile feathers coming in. 5 weeks old. Gorgeous.
The three eaglets of Marko and Miina are still scuffling and the oldest and middle Bob go at it once in awhile. The nest is in Southern Estonia and there is a fish farm and a river near by. There have been intruders but the couple seem to keep them at bay.
Little Bob may be anxious but he has learned to wait his turn – and then all is well!
Little Bob’s turn!!!!!!!! Being in the back means you don’t get beaked. Smart.
The second peregrine falcon at the Manchester, NH scrape fledged. Congratulations Colum! The time was 05:49:49. In other news, the first fledge, Clem, was picked up by Maria Colby. Clem is said to have just eaten a quail all to himself. Colby is expecting to put Clem back in the nest box on Monday so he can get a proper fledge when it is time.
There is Colum at the end of the perch.
Flapping his wings!
So much happening this morning! The activity on the nests just seems to be amping it up the last few days.
Thank you so much for joining me this morning. Take care all – and have a wonderful day. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and their FB pages where I took my screen captures: Eagle Club of Estonia, Looduskalender, Mlade Buky Storks, ND-LEEF, Montana Ospreys, SF Ospreys, Saaksilve 3, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Peregrine Networks, UFlorida-Gainesville, Rutland Water, LRWT, Friends of Loch Arkaig and Woodland Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Ospreys, CarnyXWild, Robert Fuller Wildlife, and Dr Leivites.
So many fledge watches! How many of us wish we could fly about like the birds?
L1 and L2 have both returned to their natal nest on the Fernow light stand on the Cornell Campus. Big Red and Arthur have been bringing prey. Today when L2 flew back and wanted to take L3 and L4’s lunch, Big Red went and got it and fed the two smallest chicks. It was interesting. Someone asked if they return to the nest and the answer is ‘yes’ for the first several weeks you might catch them but once they fledge Big Red really does like to feed the fledglings ‘off nest’. She has been known to ‘get upset’ with Arthur for feeding the wee babes on the nest!
At 17:20 with all four on the nest, Big Red returns with another chipmunk for dinner.
They are on fledge watch at Utica scrape as falcons Percy and Kara are spending time on the ledge! Little Ares is grateful – they are focused on flying and he gets a great meal!
The Glaslyn osplets are thinking about food – not fledging – as they gobble down the fish that Aran brought to the nest for Mrs G to feed them!
Blue NC0 and the three are really benefiting from Laddie’s fishing lately at the Loch of the Lowes. He brought in 9 fish on the 7th! How wonderful!
Despite Idris being a remarkable fisher, that Big Bob is nothing but a handful. Emyr Evans describes it as ‘play aggression’ when the are beaking one another. It is true. Ospreys in the UK rarely die from siblicide – unlike their counterparts in the US where we have seen a number of cases in the large raptors this year. Normally Telyn gets it all sorted and all are fed.
Little Bit has been really good at the snatch and grab at the ND-LEEF nest. A raccoon came to the nest and it has been going back and forth switching from one sibling to the other. At 13:54 Little Bit 17 stole it from the beaking sibling 16 and he was working on it again later after 16 took it back. Little Bit has had a very large crop today so it is another good day for this hard working eaglet who doesn’t seem to be afraid and who is ever so quick!
Little Bit 17 is growing. Just look at the span of the wings and the tail feathers.
There has been a lot of speculation on the chat at the ND-LEEF nest that because Little Bit is a small male – is that true? – we don’t know – that it would not be able to find a mate. Perhaps we should step back from that statement. We do not know what happens to any unmonitored raptor. We can only hope that they survive their first year. Little Bit has some advantages – being small and quick is one of them. Reading the environment well is another. Willing to eat anything to survive is another but his quickness and his ability to manoeuvre will be key.
It has been miserable and rainy in Mlade Buky, The Czech Republic. Still Bukacek and Betty are feeding their wee storklets.
Both Lady and Dad spent the night at the WBSE nest in the old Ironbark tree in the Sydney Olympic Park. Friday morning Lady is rolling the first egg. Will there be a second? Stay tuned.
At the Redding nest, Sentry is at 15:20 nest time up on a very high branch! Will he fludge or fledge?
Here is the link to the Redding camera if you do not have it:
Both fledglings are back on the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey nest hoping for a fish delivery!
All three are on the cliff nest of Thunder and Akecheta waiting for some prey drops, too! Sky has been getting ready – hovering and jumping.
So much going on! Most doing very well.
Thank you for joining me as I jumped around and checked on a few of our nests that we have been watching. Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Explore.org and The Institute for Wildlife Studies, Cornell RTH, Mlade Buky, Friends of Redding Eagles, UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, ND-LEEF, Dyfi Osprey Project, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and Woodland Trust, and Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn.
Liz has posted a video of Urmas and his team removing the Black Storklets from Janika’s nest in Jegova County, Estonia on 5 June. I reported earlier that a glove like a Black Stork shape had been used to place the storklets in the basket. That information is incorrect and my apologies. Bare hands were used. One storklet, sadly, died in the nest over night before the intervention. They need temperatures of 22-28 degrees C. They cannot thermoregulate their temperatures yet. In addition, it rained and well – I hope the remaining chicks survive and thrive. It will be a first for the Veterinary College to raise Black Storklets to fledging. Good luck to Urmas and his team!
Here is the video that Liz posted:
The White Storks Bukachek and Betty still have five storklets in their nest in Mlade Buky, The Czech Republic. You can see the difference in size from the oldest to the youngest known as ‘Little Finger’ by the chatters.
Bukachek (male) is making sure that the wee storklet gets food in the image below.
It has been raining on and off. The rich Red Iron in the clay makes all of the Storks look dirty. Maybe when it is not so rainy more straw will be brought to the nest! That would help.
Awhile ago I mentioned the Lesser Spotted Eagles. Andris and Anna, at their nest in Zemgale, Latvia. The camera was down for awhile but it is now back and running. In the meantime, a beautiful little Lesser Spotted eaglet has hatched!
It is so cute and fluffy! There was only one egg so this is the only chick. Had there been two eggs, the first hatch most always predates the second. So having only one is a good thing! The parents can focus on bringing food to this cutie pie.
Voldis came to the White-tailed Eagle nest that he shares with Milda near Durbe, Latvia. He arrived at 05:30 and stayed for well over an hour.
Milda has had a terrible time since her long time mate, Raimis disappeared two years ago. I hope that Milda and her mate if it is to be Voldis have a very successful next breeding season. This year the eggs were predated.
Margit hatched on 25 April and is growing by leaps and bounds with the tender care of the parents, Kalju and Helju. This Golden Eaglet’s nest is in Soomaa National Park in the southwest of Estonia.
Oh, such a beautiful eaglet. Margit is waking up. The black dot behind the eye is the ear. It will be covered over with feathers before the eaglet fledges.
Helju just brought breakfast for Margit. Liz caught it in a video:
This is the streaming cam for this nest:
What is happening with Ahote? Ahote, the youngest of the three eaglets at the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta, fledged on June 2. He has spent the time since then on Transmission Rock and is getting hungry unless food was delivered. Working his way back to the nest, he got some wind on his wings and got to the nest but was blown off course. No doubt he will get there! Very determined.
In the image below you can see him directly below and slightly to the right of Kana’kini and Sky.
Checking on Osprey nests in the UK, the third chick hatched at Llyn Brenig but did not survive.
Aeron Z2 and Blue 014 have had their first hatch at the Pont Cresor nest in the Glaslyn Valley.
Laddie LM12 delivered nine – yes, 9 – to the nest for Blue NC0 to feed their three Bobs at the Loch of the Lowes.
All three Bobs seem to be doing fine at the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Mrs G. Just look at how dark Mrs G’s plumage is and that necklace.
Aran has been busy delivering fish. Little Bob is not always in the most perfect position!
I do have to admit that Idris and Telyn are my favourite Ospreys in the UK along with Blue 33 and Maya.
Telyn is feeding the two older Bobs while Bobbie Bach is asleep.
Food coma!
Oh, could that be comfortable?
There is Bobbi Bach ready for his meal while the others sleep. Poor Telyn. They are surely keeping her busy.
It looks like it is starting to dry out for Dylan and Seren at the Llyn Clywedog nest. Gosh, Seren was just so wet and hunkered down keeping the three Bobs warm and dry. Let us hope the sun comes out, too, to warm them up.
Both of the Ospreys were on the UFlorida-Gainesville nest sleeping during the night.
Both are back on the nest waiting for a breakfast delivery!
Good Morning Little Bit 17! Everyone is waiting for prey deliveries at the ND-LEEF nest. I hope that the adults will feed Little Bit like they did yesterday. That would be grand.
The scrape box at Manchester NH is getting to be quite the mess! A good wind will help clear it out. It is hard to believe but this scrape will be on fledge watch beginning on the 10th or 11th of June – this coming weekend!
Nancy is on the nest at 08:40 feeding E1. It looks like they will have a beautiful day at that Bald Eagle nest in Minnesota. Wonder when E1 is going to take to the skies? Nancy has done wonders taking care of E1 and fending off intruders.
Fledge watch is on for the three at the Pittsburgh-Hayes Bald Eagle nest. It looks like only two but 17 is up higher in the tree.
There are still two eaglets – Sentry and Star – on the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian. We are on fledge watch for these two also! It could be a very busy week!!!!!!
We are definitely on fledge watch for the eyases on the nest of Big Red and Arthur on the Cornell campus. The chicks are restless and L1 is definitely ready!
Oh, the excitement of a nest of four hawks – each itching to fly including the youngest, L4. Wonder if L1 will be the first of the oldest to go? Stay tuned.
Thank you so much for joining me this morning. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: the Eagle Club of Estonia, Mlade Buky White Storks, Latvian Fund for Nature, IWS and Explore.org, Friends of LOTL and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, CarnyXWild, UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, ND-LEEF, Peregrine Networks, MN-DNR, Pix Cams, Friends of Redding Eagles, and Cornell Bird Lab RTH.
It was a fantastic day on the Canadian prairies. Clear blue sky. Sun shining bright and everyone happy – even smiling and saying ‘hi’ on the trails. Sadly, the birds thought it was beautiful too and they must have all gone sight-seeing! There were some American White Pelicans – 7 to be exact – hanging out with 9 Double-Breasted Cormorant. A female Hooded Merganser. A family of Canada Geese! And many Red-wing Blackbirds protecting territories where there were obvious nests. It was still nice to be outside with the sun beating down even if there had been not a single bird in sight.
There were two females on nests and these three goslings with their parents. This place should be crawling with goslings – everywhere. The flood really did a lot of harm.
The Redwing Blackbirds appear to have sentinels that stand watch or follow humans trying to lure us to one spot or another away from the nests.
There has not been a lot of time to check on all the nests. I wanted to see if Little Bit 17 had any food. He had an entire fish to himself yesterday but he needs food every day! It won’t always get it, sadly. Not on this nest. At 19:02:47 a Bluegill at 19:02:47. Everyone sort of looked at Dad and the fish. Then at 19:04:57 Little Bit stole it! I cannot tell you if he got any fish to eat but he worked on it until 16 – the one who beaks him – stole it from him. Then 15 took it and Little Bit moved over by the porch and did the snatch and grab and got some fish. There could be another delivery later.
It is not a huge fish.
Little Bit was quick! And he took advantage of a good situation. It is too bad that Dad didn’t just block the other two!
16 has the fish and 15 is going to get it away. Little Bit is at the top left watching and listening. Little Bit knows if 15 gets the fish he will get some food.
There is a scab forming over the bad peck that 16 gave Little Bit the other day.
Little Bit is by the tree snatching and grabbing bites from 15 as 16 watches.
At 17:37 Little Bit gets the fish head and moves with it to the top railing where he feeds off it until 17:50! Well done Little Bit 17! You will clean that head of every bit of fish flake like no one else. So happy.
Janika has been regularly feeding the storklets. The last feeding was at 22:54:10. The four have eaten well today. I thought maybe she would stay with them during the night but she is off hunting for food. Urmas has not removed any of the chicks. Perhaps Janika can make this work! I hope so. I wish she would find the fish basket provided for her.
The last two eggs hatched for White Storks Bukacek and Betty at their Mlade Buky nest in The Czech Republic. I cannot help but think that the two smallest will become brood eliminations but, maybe not. That is a lot of mouths to feed.
At the Cal Falcons scrape, Annie and Alden have done the most amazing job raising these two eyases. They are huge – full of energy and life and absolutely healthy. We will be forever grateful that the Avian Flu did not manifest itself in the West so that these two can take flight. Their names could not be more perfect – Lindsay and Grinnell Jr.
Meals happen outside of the scrape now and the chicks run up and down flapping their huge wings. Seriously – look at that wing!
These two have great fun playing with one another. Have a look:
There is something so stunning about the plumage of juvenile Ospreys – the patterning, the beautiful black and white. I do think they are much more gorgeous than the adults. Don’t tell them! Middle has been working his wings since Big fledged.
These two have eaten well. Mum and Dad really filled them up yesterday after getting Big back on the nest for breakfast. And it is nice that the heavy rains forecast for Gainesville as part of the Tropical Storm did not materialize.
The five falcons at the Manchester NH scrape have almost lost all of their baby down. It is really something when food comes to the scrape. All are fed but oh, my what mayhem!
Aran and Mrs G are doing fine with the osplets. It is a wonderful streaming cam because you can hear rural Wales – the sheep bleating and the cows mooing. It is quite lovely if you live in a city like I do.
Despite the strong winds at the Dyfi nest, Idris and Telyn are keeping the osplets nicely fed and hunkered down. Bobbi Bach has really eaten well. He hatched on the 28th of May and is a week old today. Happy Week Birthday!
Poor Telyn. The wind has done a mess of her feathers.
When the third egg hatched at the Loch of the Lowes, I held my breath. It took Blue NC0 a few days to get it together to feed three. Now just look at them. Unbelievable. Lots of fish and this is what happens – fluffy little Osprey chicks with their soft grey down turn into Reptiles. Little Bob is not having any trouble. There he is in the middle of the pack at Mum’s beak.
All over England they are celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee but in Poole Harbour everyone continues to be delighted in the first three – yes, the third hatched – ospreys to hatch in Poole Harbour in more than 200 years!
In fact, of the birds translocated from Scotland to Poole Harbour over the course of a couple of years, three are now breeding. It has been an enormous success and a shout out should go to Roy Dennis Wildlife for his steadfast belief that you could re-introduce birds to a location by using hatches from another area (Scotland in this case).
You can read all about CJ7 and Blue 022 on Roy Dennis’s website here:
Roy Dennis writes extensively about this project in his book, Restoring the Wild.
Big Red took a break from parenting to sit on the lights in the sun today. It is quite crowded on that nest now!
The light was not so good to see the eyases but it was good to show the dark bands on the chick in front of the light box. There are five clear dark bands on that chick. From the length of that tail in comparison to the bird to its right, it has to be L1. I would suspect that there are actually 6 clear bands. She is ready to fledge!
What a year it has been for Big Red and Arthur with four eyases on the nest! Even at 19 Big Red continues to surprise us and keep us in awe. She is an incredible hawk and hawk Mum!
Thank you for joining me for this quick look at a few nests today. Take care. See you soon.
NOTE: My Sunday report will come in the late evening.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Woodland Trust, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, ND-LEEF, UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Cal Falcons, Peregrine Networks, Mlade Buky Stork Cam, and the Eagle Club of Estonia.
It has been a good morning for the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey nest!
Big has been wanting to fly – itching to get up in the air. Thanks to ‘R’ who sent me the time stamp I was able to rewind and see her go once I woke up this morning, Friday 3 June. It was 09:03:06. Big returned and did a wee bit of a crash landing on Middle at 09:03:25. She took off for her second flight at 09:09:07. Middle is watching. He will not want to miss the fun for long!
There she goes!
She’s up!
Middle is watching!
“Big sister, you need to practice that landing!”
And she’s off for the second flight. Congratulations Big! You are a fledgling. I wonder when Middle is going to join you?
That is the headliner for Friday morning. Fantastic news for the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey group.
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Sometimes I am shocked by the passage of City By-laws but today I am applauding my City’s new ban on the use of sticky glue traps and rodenticide! (We have long had a ban on allowing cats outside). If the Province would come in and ban lead in fishing and hunting equipment that would be a giant step to help the birds that migrate here for the summer leaving in the early fall. We do not have the lead issues that the US has because the larger raptors have migrated to the South by the time hunting season comes but it certainly impacts the raptors that remain and that now includes some Bald Eagles.
I don’t like the word ‘outside’ because it implies that you can use the rodenticide and glue traps inside. Must write the City Council!
There is updated news coming out of Australia about White-Bellied Sea Eagle WBSE27.
Talk about a gorgeous bird.
One of the adults came to the ND-LEEF nest with a fish at 21:02:37. 15 got the fish. Little Bit was watching. Then 16 stole it. As Little Bit 17 went to go to the porch, 15 attacked him. Little Bit goes on the porch area where Mum feeds him ‘something’ – can’t see just the motions of feeding from the tail. Mum went to get the fish from 16 to feed Little Bit and 16 snipped at Mum. At one point, 15 stole a piece of fish from 16. Little Bit tried to steal the fish a couple of times from 16 around 21:22. 16 moved with the fish to the rim at the top and horked down the rest. Mum took the old bird away from 15 and horked it. I have a feeling that this entire family is hungry!
The fish has arrived.
It is actually a nice chunk of fish. Little Bit is over in his corner by the tree. Mum has gone to the porch.
Mum is feeding Little Bit 17 something on the porch.
Little Bit is smart. He stayed in the porch area while Mum tried to steal the fish from ND16.
Mum goes back to feeding Little Bit whatever it is on the porch. I am thinking some of the road kill.
Mum goes to see what 15 has and she takes it – the dry remains of the Rye bird from yesterday. Mum is very hungry and she horks it. Meanwhile Little Bit is reading the environment.
Little Bit went to try and snatch the fish tail from 16. He tried twice. He did not succeed but he did show his Mum that he is brave and will try to get food. This is important.
It appears that the adults and two of the chicks are very hungry. 16 has consistently taken the prey. Everyone had something but oh how nice it would be for all of them – the parents, too – if quite a load of fish came in tomorrow. Positive wishes!
Friday morning Little Bit 17 has grabbed a fish off the nest and pulled it over by the tree leading to the porch and ate it. The time was 08:36:02. It must have been 15 looking at the fish because he did not do anything to harm Little Bit.
Little Bit is eating that nice fish!
Little Bit is still working on that fish!
It is a very windy morning at the National Park at Sooma in Estonia. Mum Kalju and the female chick, Margit, are just waking up. Margit is 5 weeks and 1 day old today. She is very, very special. The adults – Helju and Kalju have been together for three breeding seasons. Margit is only the second chick to survive. If you watch you will notice how tender both Helju and Kalju are with their baby.
Just look at Mum Kalju looking at her sleeping eaglet with such loving eyes!
Here is the link to this camera in the beautiful forest area of the park.
Sadly, in one of the Black Stork nests in Estonia with five chicks, the male has been missing since 1 June – two days. It is the nest of Jan and Janika in Jegova County. Here is a picture of Jan feeding the chicks on the 27th of May.
Here is a video of the five storklets being fed on 1 June.
This is such a very bad situation. Urmas loves these Black Storks and has worked hard to find ways to save nests from tragedy in the past. This is the statement that he made today:
“I’m in touch with situation here, but don’t know more as you. Think in course of evolution there is no solution for disappearing of one adult. But there is working probably the instinct, that other adult will not leave easily chicks alone. Up to a point, of course. Other sides, predators are around and have to use every gift provided. I have no good solution for case if Jan will not come at all. It is possible to make nice view here and rise up the chicks artificially, but these storks will be not really wild. We do not have experiences and technical sources to make it properly. Theoretically, it is possible to provide fish for Janika and she would feed chicks well, but problematic is how to make those fish quickly findable, discoverable for Janika? We do not know, where she forages usually as territory is huge and no any glue to install a fish-basket… There was a fish basket for three weeks since beginning of May, in less as one km from this nest, in quite open place on stream. But no storks visited it, so removed the basket and placed in another territory.”
It might be possible for volunteers to do what they did at Mlade Buky which was to supply fish directly onto the nest for the chicks and a fish table for the parents. Malde Buky in The Czech Republic was successful but that nest had easy access – right by the houses in the city.
This has been a year where there have been so many challenges but one of the main ones has been intruders killing off one of the adults at a critical time in the breeding season. Just so many this year. It is so sad.
My friend Wicky sends me book recommendations and links to articles. I was going to spending some time talking about a new book, The Hawk’s Way. Encounters with Fierce Beauty by Sy Montgomery but she has sent me another link and reminded me to post the one for you that I had found! It is so hot in India that birds are falling from the sky dead because of climate change.
Climate change is impacting all of our feathered friends in so many ways – warming of oceans, droughts, the warming of rivers and streams where Montana Ospreys used to get their fish, etc. Another thing going hand in hand with intruders – everyone wants a nest in a good territory – and the ill effects that they have on our bird families.
We are waiting for the first fledge at the nest of Big Red and Arthur on the Cornell campus. L1 is really looking like she wants to flight just like Big at UFlorida! What a beautiful morning sunrise on the four who are busy preening those feathers to keep them in tip top shape. Thursday night was the first night that Big Red did not sleep at the nest. Things are moving forward.
There is a storm brewing in Wales with the temperatures dropping. There is also hail being reported. Hang on everyone.
All of the males are busy getting fish on the nests before it hits. The nests have all done well. It is quite a different start to the breeding season so far – let’s hope that wet cold weather dissipates soon. The first egg for the Pont Cresor nest for Aeron Z2 and Blue 014 is 35 days old. Looking for hatch.
Idris is a great provider for Telyn and the chicks at the Dyfi nest. The Bobs are full and sleepy and Telyn is going to have some lunch after the most recent delivery.
Aran has delivered a whopper to Mrs G and the kids at the Glaslyn Valley nest. Just look at the size of that fish!!!!!!!! By evening that fish will be gone.
Aran looks down at his three kids with love.
The temperatures are also dropping at the Llyn Clywedog Osprey nest of Dylan and Seren. Their chicks are also doing fantastic after the early scare of Dylan missing for more than a day during bad weather.
The textures and colours of the two are interesting.
Laddie is busy being Daddy Door Dash Fish delivery person, too. The three chicks on the Loch of the Lowes nest are doing great!
It has been a really good morning for most of the nests. Hopefully that storm coming straight in to Wales will not do any damage! Those great Mums will be hunkered down over those wee chicks. Congratulations again to UFlorida-Gainesville on their first fledge. No doubt Middle is going to follow quickly. It is lovely to see Little Bit get the most of an entire fish. So happy. Jan has not returned to the Black Stork nest and Urmas is going to try a fish basket but it is possible it is too late. So sad.
Thank you so much for joining me this morning. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, Sea Eagles @ Birdlife Discovery Centre, ND-LEEF, Eagle Club of Estonia, Dyfi Osprey Project, Brywd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, CarnyXWild, and Cornell Bird Lab RTH.
I am so impressed with the way that the raptors get great coverage by the radio, television, and daily newspapers. Spirit and her fledge have once again made the news! Why do I like this? Because the more people are aware and the more they appreciate the raptors the less likely they will be to harm them or their habitat. As each of us learns about their journeys and hardships we might change the way we do things to benefit their environment. We might make a donation to a wildlife rehabilitation clinic that has helped them. The possibilities are endless to do good things for the birds just like the joy they bring to our lives.
I admit to loving this image of the three – from left to right, Shadow, Little Spirit, and Jackie. What a beautiful family. Just so very happy for all of them – Spirit could not have had better parents and let us hope that she hangs around for a month honing those flying skills so we still get to see her!
Here is another that appeared on the FOBBV FB page:
‘R’ has been collecting images of Big at the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey nest and they are amazing captures of the height that Big is achieving in her hovering. Thank you, R! I missed these and saw the hovering last evening. Big is so ready to fledge.
It is OK to go ‘Wow’.
These are from today. It continues to look as if Big is the one that is doing all the hovering. There is a bit more chocolate on her head. All that is needed is just the right wind!
Can you tell who is who? I never ever thought I would be in a position at this nest to wonder that!
What is wonderful is that there has been so much fish lately at the UFlorida-Gainesville nest that there are leftovers and tonight Mum even got to eat some by herself after feeding Middle.
Big is looking around and you can just feel her wanting to fly! Is Dad doing flying demonstrations above to try and get her interested? Maybe.
At 16:15 Little Bit 17 stole the fish tail form his big sibling 16 – the one that pulls out his feathers. Wow. Little Bit 17 is hungry and that was a nice piece of fish and the tail but the hunger has made Little Bit 17 brave today. He needs to eat. He spent much of his energy trying to get some food out of that road kill yesterday. Perhaps he expended more energy than what he got in terms of food. But, yes! Go Little Bit!
Little Bit moves in close to the right of 16 and grabs the fish tail. Remember he is the King of the Grab and Snatch.
Little Bit moves over to the side of the nest in a mantling position. He eats the fish by holding it down really tight and pulling up. Little Bit is getting faster! He knows that those big siblings could grab his precious food, too.
Protecting himself and eating fast.
Done. He goes around the nest after to see if there is any other food remnants. So far there has been a Blue Gill, a Small Mouth Bass, a Rye Bird and what looked to be a really bad piece of road kill. Perhaps a possum.
The nest needs much more food. But grateful for what comes. And it came in the form of Mum feeding – sit down – 16 and Little Bit 17 at the same time!!!!!! Seriously. She was mostly on the porch side of the nest but at 17:24:15 Little Bit has a nice crop and passes out in a food coma. It doesn’t get much better than that. Tears.
Sweet Eagle Dreams Little Bit 17. No one can say you are not brave – you are!
Dylan and Seren have plenty of fish up at Lyn Clywedog. Any early worries about the third osplet are all over. Each of the three chicks is doing extremely well.
Dylan is on the perch eating the head of the fish that he is going to take down to Seren and the kids.
One of the chicks is playing peek-a-boo.
They are all getting to be Reptiles!
It is evening at Poole Harbour. Fireworks are going off for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. (Don’t get me started on why fireworks are entirely unnecessary and harm wildlife and domestic pets). CJ7 doesn’t seem to be bothered but she does seem to be listening. Are we ready for the second hatch at Poole Harbour?
It is a bit drizzly up in Scotland at the Loch of the Lowes. Everyone is eating. The three are really growing. We can still tell Little Bob because he is a lovely light grey but he is growing and Blue NC0 has been super to make sure all are fed.
Big Red brought a big grey squirrel to the Ls for their dinner! Looks like a Thursday night feast.
Life looks pretty good on the nests. I will be watching the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey nest intently. Both birds are ready to go – but, I suspect it is Big with all the flapping and a nice gust will carry her off!!!!! Little Bit 17 is full and that is good.
Take care everyone. Thank you so much for being with me. See you soon.
Thanks to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, ND-LEEF, Cornell RTH, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Woodland Trust, CarnyXWild, and FOBBV.
Oh, it is absolutely perfect at the Big Valley nest of Jackie and Shadow. Spirit fledged early Tuesday morning and she is back home being fed by Shadow at 16:46 the same day. You could hear Spirit squeeeeeeeeing on the nest cam. Dad flew in with a big fish and ate a bit and in flies Spirit. This is excellent. She will return to the nest – she knows where it is – and the parents will continue to feed her for a period of time until she is catching her own fish. She will perfect her flying and she will be a success.
Shadow arrives on the nest with a nice big fish.
Spirit arrives not long after. Oh, it is so sweet that Spirit wants to be fed ——-and fantastic of Shadow to want to feed his Spirit!
When dinner was over, Dad and his little girl sat and looked out at their world together.
Spirit remains at the nest. I hope she stays all night. It is so wonderful seeing her back on the nest, eating, and in good shape. She knows where ‘home’ is!
Spirit spent the night on the nest branch. This is just fantastic. Hopefully she will fly and get her wings strong and come home to eat and spend the night in the nest tree so we can see she is alright!
Gosh, it is hard waiting for parents to bring in food to a nest that really needs it. The lull at the ND-LEEF nest gave me an opportunity to ‘look at’ Little Bit 17 a little closer.
The Middle sibling ND16 has been the one ‘plucking’ Little Bit’s feathers from his head. When she gets aggressive about the food or lack of food, she goes for the head. It appears to me that she has pulled out more feathers today than on Sunday or Saturday. It looks like a red spot on the back but no big infected areas. To my knowledge, the eldest sibling 15 has not attacked Little Bit 17, only 16. So she is getting agitated when food is not coming on the nest.
Besides the missing head feathers, you will notice that Little Bit’s flight feathers are growing and showing.
This is a horrific viscous attack by an older sibling.
The image below was taken two days ago on the 29th. It offers some comparison with the loss of feathers on the head.
This is May 28 – three days ago. From this image I have to conclude that 16 is getting more and more aggressive towards Little Bit 17.
So is this a big problem? Yes and yes and no. The feathers on the head do not impact Little Bit 17’s ability to fly. That is the good point. Are they going to grow back quickly? No. It looks like the older sibling has pulled out the hair follicle completely. When bird’s molt (typically once a year), the loss of that feather stimulates the growth of the new feather. If Little Bit 17 found itself in a rehab centre they would probably be applying antiseptic ointment to its head. The other issue is that growing feathers is known as being ‘nutritionally intensive’. It takes a lot of calories along with vitamins and minerals to get feather regrowth. Some of you may have birds and know this. You can purchase products from your vet to help with regrowth. Some nervous birds can pluck out their own feathers. Sadly, we cannot get a vet up to the nest with these supplements nor can we fly in fish — and believe me, I wish I could put three big beauties on that nest!
Some people on the chat thought that Little Bit 17 had a bit of a crop.
It looks like it from this image below. Did he go into his stash on the porch and find some food? It is unknown.
At 20:31:21 an adult landed on the nest with a prey item. It was taken immediately by an older sibling.
Little Bit 17 stayed out of the way.
It is unclear what happened on the morning of 1 June on the ND-LEEF nest. I cannot see any prey delivered before a squirrel arrives around noon. 16 got it, then 15 stole it, and 17 is lurking hoping that 15 will leave it something. All are, of course, hungry.
17 is getting closer to 15. I am certain 17 would eat the tail if that was all that was left.
Hard to tell what will happen. 16 has moved over between 17 and 15 and is more concerned about 17 than anything. I really hope he does not pluck any more of 17’s head feathers. That is just crazy.
There is still squirrel left. You can see it when 15 pulls hard. He almost goes backwards out of the nest with that squirrel. Oh, I hope 17 gets a chance and 16 is not going to grab the prey.
16 wants to steal it. 17 is staying out of the way of 16. We need a huge fish to arrive right now. Leave 16 with the squirrel and 15 and 17 get fed by Mum!
Well, the San Francisco nest of Richmond and Rosie could offer to send some of their spare fish to ND! Today Rosie went fishing and brought in a nice whopper for the two osplets. Shortly after Richmond arrives with an equally large fish! And the kids already had big crops. Of course, there seem to be always intruders about wanting to steal the fish Richmond and/or Rosie bring to the nest on the Whirley Crane. Location, location, location! Some nests have great territory and prey and others don’t. Richmond and Rosie have a gold one – along with Arthur and Big Red at Cornell.
What lucky little osplets these two are – hatched at this nest with these two incredibly hard working parents. You will notice that Rosie is fishing, too, and delivering food. Her babies are just entering the Reptilian Phase. Some of the females pull more than their weight to ensure the success of their brood.
No one is going to be hungry today!
It is 0440 Wednesday morning at the Dyfi nest of Telyn and Idris and the three Bobs. They are having a nice breakfast of last night’s Mullet. Super chicks.
Little Bob got a nice piece of fish. Most of the time everything is fine at Dyfi. Big Bob does like to be a bit of a bully but that will pass. There is regular food on this nest.
The Three Bobs had breakfast at Loch of the Lowes, too. Laddie had a great fish and everyone is eating. Bites all around. The trio are growing and starting to get their dark wooly plumage. Reptiles next!
Louis and Dorcha have been feeding their first hatch regularly. Louis has kept the nest nicely supplied — like he always does! They are going to zoom the camera in so that we can see the chicks better. This will be left for about a week. Thank you Woodland Trust!
History was made again today in Poole Harbour when the first osprey chick hatched! Congratulations CJ7 and Blue 022!!!!!!!!!! The nest and camera are positioned so that we can only see CJ7 bring up the egg shell, removing it from the nest cup. How thrilling. There will be parties in the south of England and in the homes of all who were a part of this great relocation project. It is a success.
There are three at the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Mrs G now. All their hatching is now finished. Lots of fish – and some of it is flounder. Mrs G doesn’t like it but hey ——we know a lot of eagles and ospreys that wouldn’t care what species of fish it was! The third chick hatched on 30 May.
I continue to watch and forget to report on the Golden Eagles in Estonia. The parents are Kalju (Dad) and Helju (Mum) and their chick Margit. So cute. There nest is in the Sooma National Park in the southwestern part of Estonia.
Golden Eagles often hunt as a couple. They are known to dive down to their prey (called quarry) at speeds of 150 mph. They have great maneuverability and they can see clearly and in colour for a very long distance. One eagle might dive and drive the prey out for the other. They also hunt alone catching rabbits, squirrels, Pine Martens, foxes, and even deer. They will also eat carrion if fresh prey is low. Unlike the Black Stork, Golden Eagles are fairly common in Estonia.
Margit is a little cutie.
Here is the link to their camera:
Karl II and Kaia’s three Black Storklets in the Karula National Forest in Estonia are also doing very well. There is one egg remaining in the nest which was laid on 1 May. If it is to hatch it will be soon.
Karl II has the transmitter on his leg and he is on the nest now. Both parents are active in fishing and bringing food to the nest for the chicks who have incredible appetites.
The five storklets of Jan and Janika, also in Estonia, are doing really well. The parents have not done any sorting out of the smaller ones. This is incredible. There must be lots of food for everyone this year.
While we wait for the official names of the two chicks, Alden continues to bring in prey items for the eyases who are growing and getting interested in the world outside the scrape. What a quick hand over! Off for more!!!!!!!
Alden is also doing a fantastic job of feeding the two eyases.
The Great Spirit Bluff eyases continue to grow and are changing their plumage just like the chicks at Cal Falcon’s scrape.
There was bad weather in South Australia on the 29th of May. That is the last log in and report on Ervie. Port Lincoln says he managed to stay out of the wind and rain by staying close to the silos. Here is his map of that day. Sure miss seeing him at the barge!
And to put a smile on everyone’s face, a Dove has decided to make her nest on a palm frond at my son’s house in the West Indies. The couple will incubate their eggs for 12-14 days. The chicks will be born with their eyes closed and will be covered with a soft grey down. They will remain in the nest being fed by their parents for about 11 days before fledging.
It looks like a Common Ground Dove. They are very common across the Eastern Caribbean and can grow to 15-18 cm or 6 to 7 inches or about the same size as a large House Sparrow. They lay 1-3 eggs. They eat seeds and insects.
It is sunny today and no rain. I am heading out to enjoy this beautiful day and hopefully see some American White Pelicans and some ducks. Hopefully a few other Waterfowl surprises. Take care everyone. Thank you for being here with me in Bird World. Wish for fish to land on the ND-LEEF nest! Nasty 16 is busy eating the rest of the squirrel so hopefully 17 can have some lunch if something comes in! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: fOBBV, ND-LEEF, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, Dyfi Osprey Project, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Wildlife Trust, Brywd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig, the Woodland Trust and the People’s Post Code Lottery, Eagle Club of Estonia, Cal Falcons, Port Lincoln Osprey Project FB page, and Explore.org
