Tragedy at SF Golden Gate Audubon…late Saturday in Bird World

30 May 2026

Hello Everyone,

We hope that the start to the last weekend in May has been good to you. We are moving into June and the time is passing too quickly. All winter I complained about the cold and ice and the fact that we could not get out and walk as we used to due to the icy sidewalks and trails. Now it is so hot that we have heat warnings and due to Toby’s breed and Don’s medication, we can’t go out if it is too hot!!!!!!!! I hate complaining. On top of this, Don is loving the series Death in Paradise. It is filmed at Deshaines in Guadaloupe, where we stayed on our last big holiday. We recognise so many of the places! Gosh, that was fun, and the weather was beautiful. The hummingbirds would flit around our faces in the morning and evenings, and we spent so much time in the new Botanical Gardens while staying in a small cottage on the grounds of the Old Botanical Gardens. It was magical. I hope you can all go one day – just eat the fish the women cook on the beach. Fresh, grilled, and wrapped in newsprint! Delicious.

We were out early for a Toby walk and then to pick up our little Hyskap plants. Toby and Don waited 45 minutes in line with me – the programme is a success, and yet, most of my neighbours do not know about it. Our little plot of land is almost brimming with trees and shrubs for the birds and animals. We are pleased. We are on a mission to drink lots of homemade ‘sun’ tea (cold tea made with tea bags, not the powdered pre-sugared kind). The key is to keep everyone hydrated, including The Girls, Toby, and the animals outside. I hope you are paying attention, too!!!!!

It is the very last season for the streaming cam for Richmond and his new mate, Wendy. That in itself is a sad occurreance but this morning tragedy struck. The first egg DNH nor did the second. There was one little osplet. Wendy sadly could not figure out how to feed it in time to save that precious baby. She removed her dead chick and the last unviable egg to the edge of the nest this morning.

Richmond sees his baby for the first time – so joyful after losing his long term mate, Rosie, this year, and now, this little one perished.

Two ospreys are seen in their nest, handling a fish that is partly visible among sticks and twigs.

I wish Golden Gate Audubon would reconsider shutting off the camera. Perhaps a fundraiser? There aren’t to many ospreys! How many do we get to watch in California? And Richmond is still there after all these years – . I wonder if they might change their minds?

A close-up of an osprey in its nest, with surrounding twigs and some remnants of a previous nestling.

At the Usk Valley, the chick has had four fish delivered, including at least one nice Bream that I saw. Syfadden is an excellent isher. Syfadden and Cogwyn are doing excellent!

Two ospreys perched on their nest made of twigs and branches, with a green landscape and trees in the background under a clear blue sky.

Looks of activity at the San Jose City Hall. All four have flown and it is a busy time for Hartley, Monty, and BOGs chasing these four characters down. SK Hideaways has some video for us: https://youtu.be/kIcphBp29qU?

Gayle Gordon brings us sad news from the Blue Springs Bald Eagle nest. Did someone rescue this eaglet, I wonder.

Screenshot of a newspaper front page titled 'The Daily Chronicle' from June 18, 1946, reporting breaking news about a bald eagle incident at Blu Springs Missouri. The headline reads 'EXTRA! BREAKING NEWS! OWL STRIKE AT BLUE SPRINGS MISSOURI BALD EAGLE NEST KNOCKS EAGLET OFF NEST BRANCH.' The page includes illustrations of eagles and a nest, and various subheadings discussing eyewitness reports and city council discussions.

Augusta and Samson have two osplets at Border Ospreys! Rosie Shields brings us all the latest news.

Jeff Kerr brings us news at Tweed Valley.

Two ospreys in a nest made of sticks, with two eggs visible nearby. One osprey is eating a fish while the other watches.

It looks like there will only be one hatch at Ranworth this year.

A mother bird feeding her chick in a nest made of sticks, surrounded by greenery.

Just look at that baby – on top and right up front at Poole Harbour.

A close-up view of several baby birds, covered in gray down feathers, huddled together in a nest made of twigs and grass, with an adult bird partially visible in the background.
Aerial view of osprey chicks huddled together in a nest, surrounded by twigs and debris.

Idris, Telyn, and three little osplets at Dyfi. It is all under control.

An osprey perched on a nest made of twigs and sticks, interacting with chicks and feeding them, set against a backdrop of rolling hills and green vegetation.

Elen and Teifi are doing well with their three at Glaslyn.

A bird sitting in a nest made of twigs and branches, with two small chicks nearby, on a grassy background.

It’s hard to see but close by at the Pont Cresor nest, Aeron Z2 and Blue 014 also have three healthy little ones!

An osprey nest containing one osprey chick resting, with an adult osprey perched on a nearby branch, against a scenic backdrop of hills and fields during twilight.

The trio at Rutland Water’s Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya are moving out of the Reptile Phase and getting their beautiful juvenile feathers. Just look at them with their beaks wide open!

A parent bird feeding its chicks in a nest made of twigs, with several young birds visible and a calm water background.
An osprey is feeding its chicks in a nest made of twigs and branches by the water.

Now to check on two nests in the US – Dewey Beach because I am concerned about fish deliveries and the impact of when Omega starts trawling and Traverse Bay because of the nest slide.

Dewey Beach: Mum had a small PS. Four feedings for the baby today, according to wicked fish counter-identifier, Heidi. The little one is so cute.

An osprey stands over its two chicks in a nest made of twigs and branches, near a body of water with a blue structure and outdoor seating visible in the background.
A close-up view of an osprey standing on its nest made of sticks, with visible water and buildings in the background.
An osprey stands near its nest, which contains a fluffy chick, surrounded by sticks and branches, with a waterfront and buildings in the background.

I’d like to think that a miracle is holding up that Traverse City nest. Things are alright. Keep sending positive wishes for both of these nests.

A bald eagle and its chick perched in a nest overlooking a clear blue lake, with surrounding trees and a sunny sky.

Other quick news:

DH3 has branched.

Heidi reports a pip for Tom and Audrey.

Close-up of an osprey's head near a nest with several eggs, one of which has a crack, indicating a chick may be hatching.

So far, so good at Steelscape.

A mother bird feeding her four chicks in a nest, with three eaglets visible in the foreground and one stretched out in the back, surrounded by natural foliage.

And look at Achieva!

A close-up view of an osprey nest with four young osprey chicks resting among twigs and branches. One chick is standing, while others are sitting in the nest, surrounded by greenery.

There is a crisis in California. Seabirds are starving to death.

A post from the Native Animal Rescue of Santa Cruz County about the rising crisis affecting seabirds in California, highlighting the plight of Brown Pelicans, Cormorants, and Common Murres suffering from starvation and entanglement in fishing lines.
Two pelicans standing side by side, looking weak and malnourished, with text emphasizing their starvation and the plight of seabirds along the coast.

If you see a sick bird and there is someone fishing with a net, get help and scoop them up. Do not cut the line they are attached to. This could kill them. Get them to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation centre!

This reminds me – each of you should be doing some due diligence. In your phone, have the numbers of the local wildlife rescue in your area. Do not be afraid to call them! Do not call the USFWS, call the rescues!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you don’t know the number of the nearest rescue of the streaming cams that you are watching and there is no chat or a moderator, find out what the nearest rescue is and put it in your phone. If you notice something untoward, call and report!

Ever heard of the Dartford Warbler? It has made a comeback. Have a happy read.

A small bird with a gray head and reddish-brown body perched on green foliage, surrounded by budding flowers.

Dartford Warbler” by tsbl2000 is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.

Dartford warbler stages a comeback 60 years after almost vanishing https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/29/dartford-warbler-stages-a-comeback-60-years-after-almost-vanishing?CMP=share_btn_url

The BBC covers the comeback – a 44% increase in numbers!

Two gorgeous White-tail eaglets on the nest for Milda and Zorro. I note from the chat there is an issue with getting fish to the nest at the weekend – it is the same in many parts of the US and Canada. Humans take over the rivers and the lakes and the raptors cannot feed their families. I really do love some of the regions in the UK that ban human activity during breeding season!

Condensation on the camera lens?

A close-up view of a nesting site for the sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), featuring a nest made of twigs and branches, with greenery and trees in the background.

Incubation continues at many Finnish osprey nests, including 2 and 5. The very first Finnish chick hatched in nest 1 on May 26.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 30th May 2026

After many calm days, there were two intrusions by strange Ospreys, or possibly the same Osprey in two locations. An unringed male actually landed on Nest Two when Louis was on incubation duty, and was chased off quickly. The chase continued in the air, and meantime Dorcha tag-teamed back onto the nest to protect the eggs. Over on Nest One the intruder didn’t actually land but came close enough, with Garry chasing, to put Aurora on high alert. The eggs are due to start hatching in a couple of days and the two males performed their protective roles perfectly as did the two females. Garry LV0 delivered one fish for Aurora 536 raising the Nest One tally to eighty nine, and Louis also delivered one fish to Dorcha, raising the Nest Two tally to ninety five. It rained lightly on and off, a damp and misty day today, and tonight’s overnight forecast is light rain showers and light winds with a low of 12°C, changing tomorrow to thundery showers with a gentle breeze and a high of 15°C. 

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/FYSl40JJb6s N2 Breakfast for Dorcha 09.10.13

https://youtu.be/TUJEoaQCn3E N2 Louis chases an unringed intruder Osprey off the nest 13.43.22

https://youtu.be/CxaPX74de4g N1 This time, an intruder Osprey is around Aurora’s nest 14.12.27

https://youtu.be/SUYunderRIo N1 As the mist rolls in, Garry brings a fish 19.17.24

Bonus volunteering opportunity – become a citizen scientist for Woodland Trust: 

https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/careers/?p=8356
https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum:

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

Last but not least – Big Red and a nest full of hawklets and chippies. The babies are not only getting their gorgeous juvenile feathers but they are also working those wings.

A nest of red-tailed hawk chicks resting in a nest made of twigs, atop a building with a view of trees and a street in the background.
View of three red-tailed hawk chicks in a nest made of twigs and leaves, with urban scenery in the background.
A red-tailed hawk perched on a nest with three chicks, surrounded by branches, on a high structure overlooking a city street.

Thank you for being with us today. Take care. Stay hydrated. Send good wishes to all the nests and please, if you can, leave water out for wildlife. It could save a life. See you soon!

Thank you so much to everyone who has posted information on FB today, to Jeff Kear and UK Osprey Info, to PB for keeping me informed, and to the owners of the streaming cams and the authors of newsletters and articles. Thank you to Geemeff and SK Hideaways for their videos and daily reports.

Bonus and Remembering Karl II…Monday in Bird World

18 May 2026

Ah, good morning!

It is cold and rainy in the Canadian prairies. The leaves are trying to burst open. Not very many little birds out at the feeders today.

Oh, the most amazing news. Bonus, the black stork, foster/step-son of the famous Karl II was at the nest in Estonia on 1 May. Bonus hatched in 2022.

Bonus was brought by wildlife conservationists (led by Urmas Sellis of the Eagle Club Estonia) from another nest and placed into the Karula National Park nest to be raised by the resident adult black storks, Karl II and Kaia. Despite not being his biological offspring, Karl II raised and fed Bonus as his own

A bird visiting a nest in a tree, showing interaction and activity around the #JogevaNest.

Karl II was the most amazing Black Stork dad. Karl II, the world-famous black stork from Estonia’s Karula National Park, was electrocuted in Turkey between the night of 1-2 October 2023. His tracking data showed he landed on an unshielded electric pylon to roost near the Yazıbelen solar power plant in the Konya province of central Turkey, where he tragically perished. We were all shaken. He had been flying with a flock southward including his mate.

URMAS (birdmap)
Karl II breeds successfully in season 2023. There grow up three chicks of four eggs. 
Last is Karl II to leave for autumn migration. He doesn’t know that it will be his last one. 
Between 1st and 2nd October Karl II lands on electric pylon for night, but got electrocuted. 
Turkish colleagues searched and found dead body, took away the transmitter.

Map showing the tracking data of a Black Stork named Karl II, highlighting its migration path and the location where it was possibly electrocuted, with additional details on distance and last data recorded.

Remembering Karl II: https://youtu.be/8IPQrTg_FXU?

A black stork standing on a nest in a forest, holding a bundle of moss in its beak.

After more than 82 hours without fish, Myrtle, the female at Loch Garten RSPB, left her nest but it did not appear to me that she went fishing. There did not seem to be enough time. We wonder if she is even strong enough to catch a fish. She has been incubating the last two of five eggs. The first three were kicked out of the nest by KL5, who has not been seen for over 86 hours.

A panoramic view of an osprey nest situated in a natural landscape, with dense trees and a cloudy sky in the background. An osprey is resting in the nest, surrounded by twigs and branches.
A bird's nest made of twigs and sticks, containing a single egg, surrounded by a forested landscape under a cloudy sky.

GH3 has died at the Glen-Hayes Bald Eagle nest in PA. The female is not looking well. I recall that when the two eaglets died in Estonia, those who retrieved the bodies of the babies spent much time cleaning the nest of any old prey including bones so as to try and remediate harm to the adults. Will this happen at Glen Hayes?

A bald eagle caring for its chick in a nest made of straw and twigs, with another unhatched egg visible nearby.
A young eagle with brown feathers is resting in its nest, surrounded by twigs and green foliage.
Social media post expressing condolences and updates about the health of eagle chicks GH3 and GH4, including actions taken for their care and monitoring.

More on this story: https://sportsmansparadiseonline.com/2026/05/18/glen-hazel-eagle-nest-gh4-passes-gh3-ill/

If this is HPAI, the source and the cause is ‘human’. Does this not qualify then for intervention?

A peaceful outdoor scene showing four animals—a bear, a fox, a raccoon, and a deer—sitting together in front of a wooden sign that reads a message about living in peace and respecting the Earth, surrounded by green trees and colorful flowers.

The individuals raising funds for MoonCamp, the area of land around Jackie and Shadow’s nest, have reached 3 million. School children are now taking part in parts of the Valley – wouldn’t it be wonderful as a way to learn how to protect nature if every elementary school took part in the fundraiser? Wonder how quick they could reach the 10 million?

Big Red and Arthur’s trio are doing well.

A red-tailed hawk tending to its fluffy gray chicks in a nest made of twigs and branches.
A red-tailed hawk feeding its fluffy, gray chicks in a nest made of twigs and branches.
A hawk perched on its nest with chicks in the Cornell Hawks Fernow Nest, surrounded by a green landscape and buildings in the background.

Iris is like Myrtle. She has not eaten in awhile. NG2 is not bringing fish and this could be because the river remains rapid.

Mara Grose

According to the daily readout on X under Hellgate Osprey, NG2 gave Iris a break at 8:03am but she returned quickly.

I saw him return around 9:10 am and he pestered Iris to take a break and let him incubate but that time she wouldn’t budge, and used some colorful language towards him. She must know the fishing isn’t good yet, and no further visits the rest of today.

An osprey examining her eggs in a nest made of twigs and straw, with three speckled eggs visible.
An osprey rests in its nest made of twigs, located at the edge of a parking lot with trees and a road in the background.

Beau was seen at the NE Florida nest yesterday. Gabby has already left on migration and will return in September.

Dewey Beach had a hatch. This is where that 50-day-old chick starved to death. Wish them only one and some fish!

Oh it’s cold here!

Thank you for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon.

Thank you to Looduskalender and Maria Marika for keeping us informed about Bonus, to ‘PB’ for adding in my conversation with them that Bonus was seen, to all those who post on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these incredible birds. Please send your good thoughts to all nests. Some are struggling.

First egg at Loch Arkaig…Sunday in Bird World

26 April 2026

Hello Everyone,

Louis and Dorcha have their first egg of the season! Oh, how we worried Louis would not show up from migration. He has worked hard on the nest and helping Dorcha get into fit shape for the eggs and chicks.

Geemeff has it! https://youtu.be/gyonJzbicJE?

A bird sitting in a large nest made of twigs and branches, located on a tree on a hillside with rolling mountains and trees in the background.

I love this on the Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre Guides: “No fishing is permitted at Loch of the Lowes at any time of year to protect its wildlife and rare underwater flora.”

This would stop all the lines and hooks, protect the environment, and focus on what is important – the wildlife and flora.

A rope that is being used to connect broken habitats has finally been used!

‘Cries of delight’ as Sumatran orangutan filmed using canopy bridge to cross road for first time. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/25/first-footage-endangered-sumatran-orangutan-using-canopy-bridge-cross-road-hope-species-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

And we have another good news story!

https://protectthewild.substack.com/p/victory-network-rail-to-reopen-nesting

Want to see some goslings jump? Check out Heidi’s post and then go to the streaming cam at Captain Mac’s. Sorry, no ospreys this year. Perhaps that is a blessing.

A bird sitting in a nest made of twigs, with several eggs visible nearby. The image is black and white with low lighting.

If you love forests as much as we do, here is a good 57-minute listen called The Scaffolding of Life by Suzanne Simard. I hope you can open it:

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 25th April 2026


Today was another settled day with good weather, plenty of fish, and no intruders. Garry LV0 brought two fish for Aurora 536 taking his tally to twenty eight, and Louis delivered four fish to Dorcha, taking the nest tally to twenty two. No eggs yet, perhaps that will give Dorcha or Louis a chance to get rid of The Stick before their first one’s laid. Louis nearly succeeded today, moving it into a much better position braced against the cot rails, however it didn’t last long there and is back where it started out today. Woods and trees are vital for the wellbeing of people and wildlife, and Woodland Trust would like our help to get candidates in the 7th May local UK elections to recognise this, details in the bonus section.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/C6JlW4GSqPw N2 Fish number one arrives in darkness 04.46.56 

https://youtu.be/b4bJxNuY108 N2 Louis takes fish two away as Dorcha’s full from fish one 06.21.45

https://youtu.be/qDutCUsKDwk N2 Has the problem of The Stick been solved? 06.29.30

https://youtu.be/A-kCWWsZcj0 N1 Aurora arrives and gets Garry’s fish on his second visit 12.54.56

https://youtu.be/PqfKPjRUajM N2 Louis’ third fish is a whole trout which Dorcha seizes eagerly 16.49.34

https://youtu.be/hS0Xg5e4rhg N1 Aurora tidies the nest while waiting for Garry to return fish two 17.43.15

https://youtu.be/jP_jPU3ZW2c N2 Louis coy-mantles over fish four before Dorcha tugs it off him 18.11.33

Bonus action – Please join Woodland Trust’s e-action to urge candidates in the May 7 elections to recognise the importance of woods and trees for people and wildlife:https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/protecting-trees-and-woods/campaign-with-us/elections/     Check how your council is doing: https://www.natureemergency.com/

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/F65FJe4xMHc  N1 Louis visits the nest shortly after the ringed female 2021

https://youtu.be/0swlIF7VWuM  N1 Woodpecker and Blue Tit visit 2021

https://youtu.be/6frCvYMt4a0  N2 Louis is too busy mating to notice Dorcha’s new egg 2022

https://youtu.be/OVCVE1wwydU  N2 Louis sees his egg and takes over incubation for the first time 2022

https://youtu.be/15WD6z9hROg  N1 It’s last year’s intruder from N2: LV0 visits N1 for the first time 2023 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/0-quAK2Ju1Y  N1 He’s back! Garry LV0 arrives 2024

https://youtu.be/EQN51E_PIO4  N2 Unringed intruder Osprey seen off by Louis 2024 (real-time with slo-mo repeat)

https://youtu.be/1TGdaSB0t04  N2 Female Chaffinch looks tiny perching next to Dorcha 2024 (zoom

https://youtu.be/jGh2w8AI_WA  N1 Garry LV0’s second fish is the season’s first flatfish 2025

https://youtu.be/_pNEypf6mYU N1 A Hoodie arrives and flies off the perch to chase an Osprey 2025 (zoom) 

https://youtu.be/8iv8nJJBeF8  N1 Blue 536 eventually comes for Garry LV0’s third fish 2025 

It looks like Keilder Forest has more eggs! Congratulations.

All is well for Iris and the New Guy 2 (is that the right number?). Fish delivery!

An Osprey stands on its nest made of twigs, with its wings partially spread, in Missoula, Montana. The background shows a train passing by and green hills.

There was mating at the nest, but it was so quick and no fish that I thought it might have been you know who. Someone tell me I am wrong.

A hawk landing on a nest made of twigs and branches, with a parking lot and trees in the background.

All is good at Achieva. Jill continues to deliver fish in the evening and sometimes in the mornings if Jack doesn’t deliver. The babies are doing well. Fingers crossed. Look closely. Little is getting its tail!

Jack was in with an early fish!

A young hawk standing on a nest made of sticks, surrounded by greenery and trees. In the background, a residential street and parked cars are visible.

Big Red rolls the eggs and Arthur arrives to take over incubation.

A red-tailed hawk sitting on a nest with one visible egg, surrounded by twigs and branches, on a balcony ledge.
A red-tailed hawk sitting on a nest made of twigs atop a building, with a view of the street and trees in the background.

Lots of self-feeding with Winken and Blinken at Moorings Park.

Three ospreys are gathered on their nest, with one standing and two others foraging on the nest floor. In the background, a body of water and greenery are visible.

SK Hideways caught Jackie filling up the kids before the big snowstorm hit. https://youtu.be/ZHZwUvD7SEw?

It hit. Remember that eagles actually do better in cold weather – as long as they have a food source – than in the extreme heat.

A bald eagle perched on a snow-covered nest with branches surrounding it, set against a snowy landscape.
Two bald eagles standing on a snowy nest in a tree, with a snowy landscape in the background.

Lots of incubation going on. Most of the UK osprey nests have a full clutch but there are some just starting with eggs. We wait to see what happens at Locch Arkaig 1. We wait to see if Iris will lay eggs this year.

Meanwhile in San Jose, Monty and Hartley are busy bees feeding four.

A peregrine falcon caring for its hatchlings in a nest at San Jose City Hall, captured in black and white.
A peregrine falcon feeding its chicks in a nest at San Jose City Hall.

Milda feeding her two white-tail eaglets at her nest in Durbe County, Latvia. Aren’t they cute? It is so windy at that nest!

A close-up view of a sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) standing in its nest, surrounded by twigs and branches, with a forested background.

All over Europe storks are incubating eggs. It is wonderful.

We had a very quiet Saturday. I have marked Thursdays and Saturdays off our calendar – no appointments, no visitors for Don, nothing but the regular animal feedings. No cleaning. Easy meals. No screen time. This probably sounds quite silly, but the other five days of the week are full – and they are really nice. Ann is amazing with Don and keeps him busy – talking and walking. I am forever grateful to her. Tolu keeps him squeaky clean, and Melissa now looks after the house. Tomorrow, Toby goes for his groom. He loves to get in the water and the mud. His hair is VERY curly in spots and wavy in others, and it tends to get matted in certain areas (under his ears!). We have been to Pineridge, and we might just go back today. I promised Toby a ‘car ride’. His eyes and ears perk up when I say ‘car ride’. I love it. We are fine, and I am establishing some boundaries to maintain a good balance between activity and quiet. Last evening we had a video chat with our granddaughter in Australia. She is eloping in July, and her best friend is arriving any moment to celebrate her birthday. She is happy, and that makes me happy, although we do miss her terribly.

Have a good week. Take care! See you soon.

Thank you to Geemeff and SK Hideaways, to ‘PB; who keeps me informed about all goings on at Achieva, to those who post on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch these birds. I am also grateful to Emergence Magazine, Kielder Forest, and The Guardian for reporting on environmental issues and what is happening where they are.

A great day in Bird World

19 April 2026

Good Evening Everyone,

I hope that the weekend was kind to you and that you were able to get outside and listen to some birdsong! In our garden, they were singing their little hearts out as the sun came up and temperatures warmed up. Everything that breathes, including our plants and trees, wishes for spring to arrive as soon as possible!

Ann was here today with Don and Toby. They had a nice long walk, and I ran a few errands. My sympathy goes out to anyone who has only the weekend to do their shopping. My goodness, it is busier than a Tuesday! Won’t be doing this again – my current ‘dream’ is a super warm day to sit on the bench at our local park and read with squirrels running about and the birds singing.

It has been, so far, a simply great day in Bird World.

New Guy 2 arrived home to Iris yesterday, and today he brought her a huge fish, which she readily accepted and took away to eat. Our sweet ‘girl’ is being treated like the very special osprey she is.

An osprey delivering a large fish to another osprey at their nest, with a view of a parking lot in the background.

The USS eaglet that had to be rescued might be able to be returned to the nest! How wonderful is that? There is nothing like being raised on the nest with Mum and Dad. In this instance, Irv and Stella and they are marvellous parents. So happy for this baby and so very grateful to everyone who acted swiftly to get the help it required (along with all those permissions!).

Post about the bald eagle nest monitoring updates, including hatching dates and the rescue of eaglet USS-11.
A young bird, possibly a chick or eaglet, sitting on a table in a care facility, with soft feathers and a strong beak.

We were so afraid that the middle osplet at Achieva would pass last night. Heidi counted 64 bites of fish for Saturday. Today, the little one had a nice crop and will live another day. Each day makes it stronger – at some point in time, Heidi and I figured out that after 28 days the survival rate goes up much higher.

Big sibling is getting those lovely soft juvenile feathers while middle is in the Reptile phase. Enough fish yesterday to calm the nest a bit. Again, Mum is doing an incredible job in a challenging situation. Continue sending them big puffs of positive energy!

Two baby birds nestled among branches and twigs in a nest.

1246 Baby is getting some good bites. It is in a great position to get food off Mum’s beak. Dad Jack watching from the perch.

A live view of an osprey nest with two young ospreys and an adult osprey standing nearby, surrounded by trees and a residential area in the background.

The meal ended at 1311. I have no idea how much fish little got. Somehow that baby managed to get itself tangled up in the rim of the nest after.

A close-up view of an osprey standing in its nest made of twigs and branches, with some chicks visible beside it. The background shows a suburban street with trees and houses.
An osprey standing on its nest made of twigs and branches, with greenery in the background.

I think Mum has gone off fishing. Well done if she has. This wee sweet baby might have a full crop which will make it feel so much better when it goes to sleep.

A bird's nest made of twigs and branches is visible atop a tall pole, surrounded by lush greenery and residential buildings in the background.

Mum returned, as believed, with one of her catfish. Little kept its head down til Big was full. Very smart move. Mum ate and so did Little who is going to go to bed with a very nice crop. Smile. This is a brave and resilient female and if both of these beautiful chicks fledge, it is down to Jill and her catfish, a determined female to not let her family die. I am delighted tonight.

Osprey adult and chicks resting in a nest made of twigs atop a pole, surrounded by greenery and residential buildings in the background.
An osprey perched on a nest made of twigs and branches, surrounded by lush greenery and a residential area in the background.
A bird of prey standing on a nest made of twigs and branches, holding a piece of material in its beak.

I have received really good news from Viki who monitors twenty-one osprey nests right near her home. “It is remarkably hopeful here, osprey wise, although I nearly hourly try to rein myself in, unable to believe in a normal osprey year after the bad, worse, and steadily worsening years since 2020. But to keep on the hopeful side, here is the good spring news:

Synopsis: 21 nests; 11 w/ active pairs; 5 w/ at least 1 returned; 1 taken over by goose; 3 abandoned.

I can observe 21 nests that have been more or less active since 2020. A 22nd nest that has had a pair for years was destroyed in winter storms and no efforts at repair attempted by birds or humans.

Pairs have settled in 11 of the 21 and many appear to have begun laying eggs this week. I only feel confident of one pair actually incubating.

I have only been able to observe one osprey returned to each of four nests that had pairs last year.

I have also observed a single osprey on a fifth nest, but foliage often hides this nest from me so I cannot vouch for its history, nor feel confident in a full accounting this year.

Three nests, inactive last year, are abandoned, although Nest 3 has become the exclusive property of Nest 4 which is very close. A goose successfully kept 6-year resident Ethel off Nest 1 and probably has laid eggs in it. Nest 2 seems oddly still up for grabs, its story below.”

This is rather joyful. Two years ago all the osplets nearly died. Last year the adults abandoned their eggs after two weeks. So….it is all systems go. Can’t wait to see how things turn out this year. Thanks, Viki.

We have first eggs at Glaslyn for Teifi and Elen and at Usk Valley.

https://www.uskvalleyospreys.org/news/first-egg-of-2026?fbclid=IwY2xjawRSK09leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeoee73KNJ939ySV0-g__UEvcgJAnew0nL0V0BIAxOgxFiqdRMbqpmU2-vMPU_aem_0HnkVQA10sfwPQwnusGEYw

Jeff Kear and the UK Osprey FB Group have wonderful lists. Oh, I do love lists. Now, how can we get the date in there – or shall I go to the other forms???

Table of nests with corresponding egg counts for EGGS 2026 as of April 19, 2026, listing nest names and check marks indicating presence of eggs.

I continue to dream that every osprey nest on a streaming cam or in a place to be monitored could have its history saved. It is so important to understand the osprey population – its growth and decline.

With all this good news, I am disappointed that there was not a single penalty imposed on the individual who destroyed the Peregrine Falcon eggs at St. Albans Cathedral last year.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 19th April 2026

It was another routine day with no intruders, just both pairs going about their business. Garry LV0 brought two fish for Aurora, although she didn’t want the second one, and spent time bring nesting materials and arranging the furnishings. His fish tally now stands at eighteen, while over on Nest Two, Louis delivered three fish, all eagerly grabbed by Dorcha, and his tally rises to four with a nest total of six including the two brought by Dorcha before he returned. The day started with the lovely sound of Louis skydancing before dawn, while Dorcha called not quite so melodiously from the nest, and ended with both of them on the nest in the dark, Dorcha on her perch and Louis snoozing on the nest. At the time of this report (23.30), they’re both still there, Louis still dozing, not surprising that he’s worn out after all his hard work yesterday and today – mating repeatedly, catching fish, skydancing and doing some enthusiastic nest prep.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/H3M5JbuK5rU  N2 Dancing in the dark – Louis skydances for Dorcha 05.07.52https://youtu.be/OQExTBwCf9U N2 Breakfast arrives for Dorcha 07.01.23

https://youtu.be/pMoOJLuZggA N2 Louis delivers a whopper second fish 10.39.03https://youtu.be/YQgCZz4zJlg N1 Aurora wrestles the fish away from Garry and departs with it 12.17.31 https://youtu.be/Drr2i4ZyROM N1 Garry offers a second fish twice but Aurora doesn’t take it 16.20.41https://youtu.be/VRo2qRd6Ctw N2 Louis brings a third fish for Dorcha who’s calling loudly 18.47.57https://youtu.be/2Uvtj0H5mlM N2 Lou

is dozes off on the nest 22.13.31

Bonus read –  guide to mating and egg production: 

https://kielderospreys.wpcomstaging.com/2013/05/04/copulation-and-laying-eggs-a-bit-of-a-biology-lesson
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/eLQgDi2VKIA  N1 A stranger follows Louis to the nest 2021 (slo-mo)
https://youtu.be/Pt6-35zGrZw N1 Prince takes a very long mating run-up 2022
https://youtu.be/GLChgTeSpiA N2 Louis chases Prince away from Nest Two 2022
https://youtu.be/9O8JWeQEXeE  N2 Dorcha uses her crow voice on a Hoodie 2023
https://youtu.be/kZJTfoKO6GY  N2 Dorcha is very vocal when supper arrives 2023https://youtu.be/BCOPgYVTB5s  N2 Drama as Dorcha fights with an eagle 2024 (slo-mo repeat with zoom)
https://youtu.be/nHPwQ5xDs5U  N2 Dorcha’s injury visible as she takes the first fish 2024 (zoom)
https://youtu.be/G6MmnbWYf90 N2 Affric waits on Nest One but Garry’s a no-show 2024
https://youtu.be/dVOw0D9-zaU  N2 Louis arrives chased by a Hoodie as Dorcha rests quietly 2024 (zoom)https://youtu.be/r3HwBnSxQFg N2 Hoodie chased away by Louis 2025https://youtu.be/JZ4karhsVMo  N1 Affric touches down and is chased away 2025 (zoom)https://youtu.be/gnysQoRM6G8 N2 Egg number two! 2025 (zoom)https://youtu.be/EzmggXArZEQ N1 Blue 536 gets a fish from Garry LV0 2025


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

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

‘J’ sends the banner from naturechat.org:

Freja laid 4th egg this morning at Kestrel Cam in Denmark.

1st egg & 2nd egg both hatched yesterday at Peregrine Falcon Cam in Belgium, and pip watch for 3rd egg.

1st egg hatched yesterday at White-tailed Eagle Cam in Latvia, and pip watch for 2nd egg.

I am so excited for Milda and Zorro’s first hatch. Milda is very special to me. I cried when she lost her loyal mate, Ramis, and then again when she stayed on the nest without food for at least 7 days. She was gone for a number of hours. It was winter and cold. No one believed the eggs would hatch, but there were two little miracles. And then…no food, again. The miracle little fluff balls died. Life has been very challenging for this amazing WTE and I am so hopeful that her hatchlings will thrive this year.

A close-up view of a bird resting in its nest made of twigs and branches, surrounded by a forest landscape at dusk.

Ah, it’s a good night in Bird World! There is lots more going on…stay tuned!

Female birds are often overlooked. Their colouring is not so dramatic as the males. Now someone has studied female birdsong!

‘How much have we missed?’: book tunes in to overlooked world of female birdsonghttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/19/hidden-world-of-female-birdsong-book?CMP=share_btn_url

I am looking forward to tomorrow – the first day for the lovely cleaning lady to tackle a home with four cats, a dog, and two adults, plus a stock of bird seed! I hope she doesn’t run away and never return.

Our little garden is growing.

Three black planters with soil and growing seedlings: small green plants on the left and taller green shoots in the center.

Take care all! See you soon.

Thank you to SK Hideaways, Geemeff, ‘PB’, the authors of those amazing FB posts, Raptor Persecution UK, and the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to cry and leap with joy with our bird families.

Wednesday in Bird World

18 March 2026

Hello Everyone,

We are in the midst of an unexpected blizzard, while thousands of miles to our southeast, it is green, and geese are enjoying the grass on a golf course. Thank you, ‘L’, for letting me share this lovely image of spring! We love our geese, but there is no place for them here, and yet, many arrived several weeks ago! The ponds have frozen, but there remains some open water in the two rivers that wind their way through our City. It is supposed to warm up beginning tomorrow, but I will believe it when I see it. We were not expecting this much snow today!

It doesn’t look like much, but the snow is blowing and accumulating so quickly! The lad who shovels or us thought snow was finished – he is going to get a real surprise! It is more than 30 cm deep on the walkway he cleared a few days ago, and is within 45 cm of covering the large bird table feeder. Unbelievable.

Toby loves it. He bounces through the snow if there is even a whiff of a ‘cat’ in the garden. My plan is to have a tall wooden fence built to match the one constructed a few years ago. I had not planned to put a fence on that part of the property, but the theft of dogs in our City has become quite troubling. Of course, ‘the cats’ – distinguished from ‘The Girls’ – come in from that back corner, so it is important to close it in. Toby loves his sisters, ‘The Girls’. He plays with them, but those that make their way into his outdoor territory will be ousted unless they are Brock (who now still spends 99% of his time at the neighbour down the street)!!!!!!!!!

I hope, after all these years, that each of you knows that I love all animals, but there is a special place in my heart for Big Red and Arthur, the late Annie at The Campanile, and ospreys. I have posted this song before, but I want you to get in the mood. Osprey season is starting in the UK – and has already begun in the US. Here are those wonderful school children with the Osprey Song (2011): https://youtu.be/KoOQK6ejuXY?

At the Lake Murray Osprey platform, Lucy has laid her second egg with a new mate. Please, please put up the owl defences for this family Lake Murray!

Company for Brutus. Storms are tearing down eagle and osprey nests around the US including an osprey nest that Penny Albright monitored near Sanibel that lost two chicks when the nest collapsed. These eaglets made it through…

Blue 25 has made another visit to Blue 33 and Maya’s nest at Manton Bay – Blue 33 normally arrives a few days prior to Maya, and Blue 25 enjoys his company! Geemeff caught her time on the nest: https://youtu.be/HU_XGU3NTro?

We have an osprey at the MNSA Osprey nest in Oceanside’s Jay Cool platform.

“WYL greets his chick upon returning to the nest in New Zealand. The adult male arrives from a foraging trip over the Pacific to feed his growing chick at the Plateau nest site. As the chick gets bigger, the parents will take longer foraging trips to collect enough food for both themselves and their chick.” (Cornell Bird Lab)

Peanut defended the Winter Park Florida nest against a RTH! Nestflix Memories (Gracie Shepherd) caught it on video: https://youtu.be/cQksMDubVEc?

Tonight, Wink is taking now chances. She is right in the nest with Peanut if that GHO returns – and, of course, it will – they never give up! Wink is an incredible mother – I am truly amazed and thankful for her diligence.

Gabby with her babies, Kai and Eve, at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest in Florida. Best keep a close eye on these two – they could fledge before you blink.

At the Johnson City nest of Boone and Jolene in Tennessee, snow arrived. Jolene kept those two babies warm and tried to feed them at the same time. Like Wink, she is an experiened and an exceptional Mum.

Huge crop on JBS 24. Mum and Dad are delivering food and leaving it for self-feeding on occasion.

Harry and Sally are up there in my list of osprey parents. Three babies, three little fat bottoms. Large fish coming in and Harry on guard as it appeared there could have been an intruder around today during a fish delivery. If you haven’t been watching Moorings Park, then check out this osprey family. It is a success story – and believe me when I tell you that there will be few such stories in the NE USA this season unless a miracle happens.

Rutlands Lagoon 4 nest is trying to keep the Egyptian Geese from laying eggs while everyone waits for the ospreys to arrive. This is a second nest with a camera amongst several nests at Rutland Water. AI says: “Based on 2025/2026 sightings, the Lagoon 4 nest at Rutland Water is often occupied by male 359 (a 2021 Rutland-born osprey) and female 3H9 (a 2023 Rutland-born osprey). They have been observed investigating the nest and strengthening bonds. Note: 359 and 3H9 are a distinct pair from the main Manton Bay pair, Maya and 33(11).”

I am getting impatient – and it is a tad early – for Maya and Blue 33 to arrive at Manton Bay.

At the Whitley Crane nest known as the Golden Gate Audubon Osprey nest, Richmond has worked and worked. There is a new female at the nest with him. I do not believe Rosie will make an appearance. Why do I say this? Well, when Aila did not return, Louis moved his nest to another location when he bonded with Dorcha. We often think animals and birds are not intelligent. If I have said it once, I will say it again million times, my teacher about raptor behaviour, the late Laura Culley, taught me that they are smarter and use higher levels of intelligence and communication that humans have lost.

I noticed in one of the chats – it was the Winter Park Florida chat – that someone noted that ‘animals have feelings’. Dr Mark Beckoff and Dr Jane Goodall taught us this. There are several good books out there. I urge you or anyone who is interested in the behaviour of non-humans to read any or all of the following.

Saddness at the Two Harbours as Chase & Cholyn lose their last egg. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/8vmMpnkNsh4?

Big Red and Arthur have snow on their nest at Cornell University.

Suzanne Arnold Horning caught Big Red relaxing on the lights!

Cameras are now live at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022.

We have an osprey at Threave. Is it Black 80?

At Achieva the third egg was laid on the 25th of January. Can someone who is watching this nest tell me if Jack is delivering enough fish to his mate? I did not see deliveries today, but I might have missed something.

Dyfi is live! Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/tOS_34MKI5E?

In fact, start checking out all your favourite UK and European nests as the cameras are being turned on faster than I can keep a list.

The Pitkin County Osprey nest in Colorado is live.

I have such a soft spot for this White-tail eagle in Durbe County Latvia. Milda. Her current mate is Zorro. There was sorrow and now Zorro has proved to be a good mate and provider.

April 7. Hellgate Canyon. Iris’s favourite day to return to her nest in Missoula, Montana. Count the days – 20. Less than three weeks! The snow has melted.

There is evil in the world. I cannot imagine how anyone could harm an animal and yet, every day I find myself telling people not to give their kittens away to anyone. Russell Mason beat a Goshawk to death – how in the world can someone do this?

Large estates, with no eyes around in Scotland (and elsewhere), allow many horrific things to happen to our beautiful feathered friends. What can be done to stop this?

The Cornell Bird Lab gives us hope that people around the world are increasingly engaging with nature and birds. Yes, there are incredibly vicious people anywhere in the world that will harm birds and other animals, but there are more, I hope, that love and help them.

To put a smile on your face:

A total hoot! Beautiful birds – in pictures

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2026/mar/17/a-total-hoot-beautiful-birds-in-pictures-claire-rosen?CMP=share_btn_url

Thank you so much for being with me today and for your patience, as my posting is often irregular. I had hoped to keep to Fridays and Mondays til the UK osprey season began, but every day there is something new and exciting! I will continue to post at the oddest of times, sometimes two or three times a day as news comes in. As you can imagine, my life is anything but routine. We do have a schedule, but it all depends on my husband’s mood, which can vary. I am impatiently waiting for spring to arrive. What I miss most is reading. Yes, we have story time, but it isn’t the same as sitting quietly on a park bench with squirrels dashing around, the wind gently blowing, with a good book in my hand, reading in silence. So, no promises other than there will always be a Monday blog, often coming out late Sunday, until we have osprey chicks on the nests in the UK and Europe.

Thank you to everyone who created videos, wrote informative FB posts, to Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us informed, and to the Cornell Bird Lab for continuing to support education. I remain forever grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to venture into the challenging lives of our feathered friends. To all my readers who are now long-time friends, I appreciate your support. Your letters and comments mean the world to me.

First egg for Milda…Where is Rosie…Thursday in Bird World

12 March 2026

Hello Everyone,

It is ‘lazy’ Thursday, a day in pjs with only walks with Toby and nothing more – no house cleaning, no extensive baking or cooking, and very little time spent on a screen. It is -2 C, but it is windy, and it feels like -14 C. We are expecting snow in three hours! Yes, more snow. The Girls and Toby have quickly caught on to Thursdays.

Toby is not modest. He will sometimes turn on his back on walks when some of his favourite – and very trusted people – stop to chat.

Missey and Hugo Yugo are really beginning to hang out more and more together.

I want to share with you the best video that Heidi has created since I have known her. It is a montage of R9 and R10 with a focus on R10’s fledge. We get to see the brothers follow one another with their eyes, some rivalry, and some great flying. There is a dual feeding in there and some humour, but it is also a great historical document of the Dade County nest. https://youtu.be/jNsQaARNK-Q?

SK Hideaways captured Monty and Hartley’s first egg! This is really exciting, as you know, there is a diminishing population of falcons in parts of California due to HPAI. https://youtu.be/IjFb8_sj-lU?

My favourite White-tailed eagle, Milda, has laid her first egg in Latvia! I have followed Milda for years, and I miss her mate Ramis from eons ago. The link to Milda’s camera is here: https://www.youtube.com/live/3wSd4iXrCw0?

It is spring in Latvia. Our friend Sassa Bird sent me a short video of the birds and birdsong in their garden in Latvia yesterday. It gives me hope that spring is coming to us! And our friend AK in Japan sent me a gorgeous photo of the Japanese White-Eye and the first plum blossoms.

There is some sadness looming. At the Golden Gate Audubon nest of Richmond and Rosie, Rosie is very late in her arrival. I fear I will have to add Rosie to the Memorial Wall. There is another female osprey taking some interest in that beautiful nest that Richmond has prepared.

Here is Richmond working on that nest: https://youtu.be/XxSY1Er3z7U?

I think it is interesting that Richmond is back working on a nest at the Whirley Crane instead of the light pole.

There is also good news in so many places.

I am so proud of the effort to save Moon Camp. The fundraiser “Save Moon Camp” campaign has now raised over $1.1 million in just a few weeks. Managed by the Friends of Big Bear Valley, this initiative aims to raise $10 million by July 31, 2026, to purchase and permanently protect 63 acres of bald eagle habitat near Big Bear, California, from a proposed luxury development.

My inbox has been bursting since E26 fledged. It was a beautiful flight – perfect and several returns. Everyone said that F23 would be so proud of her beautiful eaglet. I totally agree. It really was a tearful moment. M15 will indeed take care of his juvenile very well and teach them everything they need to live in the real world – including, I hope, NOT flying to get roadkill.

The snowstorm is coming. It is about an hour away, and it is time for me to keep my promise to Toby for a walk. Take care, everyone – thank you, as always, for being with us today. A big thank you to Heidi and SK Hideaways for their great videos. To the owners of the streaming cams, thank you for allowing us into the lives of these amazing birds. Thank you, Sassa Bird, for your images, and thank you, AK, for allowing me to share your photos of the Japanese White Eye with everyone in Bird World.

Late Thursday in Bird World

19 February 2026

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Hello! Oh, another brilliant day on the Manitoba prairies. We had some soft snow late in the night. Everything is beautiful. All the dirt and grime are covered! The birds and squirrels are happy as the temperature has risen to – 4 C. It will get colder later this week, but for now, we are truly enjoying this break in winter.

Missey in the conservatory.

The conservatory is where we spend our time regardless of the cold outside. In the years past, when we had this amazing glass box, it was very expensive to heat. This year, the temperatures have not been so cold. It is mid-February, and most years the room would be freezing, requiring supplementary heat from a portable electric heater. This year, the furnace heat has been enough for most days. I haven’t even turned on the underfloor heating! Why am I telling you this? Because the climate where I live is changing. Fall lasted long into November, and now everyone, including Brock, thinks that spring is right around the corner. He is now dining and dashing, as Jane says, and we wonder if it isn’t ‘kitten making’ season. It is unusual as he normally lingers.

There is good news in the garden. The grey squirrel that was exposed to rodenticide and had its immune system compromised, causing it to contract mange, is growing its fur back. It survived! We were overjoyed this morning.

There is some good nest news coming out of the Kistachie National Forest E3 nest. ‘MP’ and I have been joking that maybe the male eagle thinks he married the wrong female! He has been feeding his eaglets, much to the female’s chagrin. He also brought in a big fish and she did feed both – it is wonderful to see the little one having such a nice big crop.

Three fish before mid-day. Keep sending positive energy!

Things are going very well at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Bald Eagle nest. SK Hideaways has this special nest on video: https://youtu.be/h_Nks375XLg?

The adults at JBS lost JBS25 to an unknown cause but JBS24 is doing fantastic. We were so frightened that it was HPAI and would take both eaglets but – nothing happened. How grand.

I haven’t posted much on Beau and Gabby’s Kai and Eve – I hope you have been watching them. Two beautiful fully feathered eaglets, self-feeding. Happy Days.

The two surviving of four owlets for Owlvira and Hoots have names. This is what was posted on the chat:

@liveowlcamera2837​​Here are the names of the Owlets Meadow Owlet 2 Larger/Older Nugget Owlet 3 little one Both in basket and doing well !Passed owlets: Coco Owlet 4 Passed Feb 5Beaker Owlet 1 Passed Feb 14th

Androcat captures the beauty and sadness at Eagle Country as the GHO’s Willow and Gus’s egg passes the opportune time for hatching. https://youtu.be/Un7Nct8YzEM?

Wink (the oldest presumed female) and Atlas (the second hatch presumed male) at the Winter Park, Florida, Bald Eagle nest are simply terrific. We worried. We sent good energy and look. At the time, I posted information on how rare it is to have siblicide on a Bald Eagle nest. Around 5%. So far, all of the nests that have had difficulties this season with food competition have overcome the fear of the second one passing. Let’s hope this continues to be the case (feel free to correct me if I am wrong).

It is Day 38 for the first egg laid at Duke Farms. We are on pip watch.

Milda and Zorro have been tending to their nest in Durbe County Latvia. What a beautiful winter wonderland!

‘L’ reports that there are three eggs now at the Sutton Centre in Oklahoma. Thank you for your report!

Reforming the laws in the Dales is the first step in stopping the illegal killing of the raptors. Raptor Persecution UK has the full story.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Toby sends his love to everyone!

To our friends who are celebrating the Lunar New Year – have a wonderful new beginning in the Year of the Horse and a fabulous time with friends and family.

Thank you to SK Hideaways and Androcat for their videos, to ‘MP’ for the wonderful and funny conversations about the male and female eagles at KNF E3, to those who posted information on FB, and to all the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to participate in the lives of these amazing birds. Thank you Raptor Persecution UK for your consistent and steadfast reporting.

Monday in Bird World

15 September 2025

Good Morning Everyone,

We are one week away from the autumn solstice. It is a beautiful Saturday on the Canadian prairies. It is 24 C. The sky is a hazy light blue with the sun beating down on the garden. The cranberry bushes are turning flame red, the leaves have been turning for some time, and early in the morning, sitting on the deck with Toby and a coffee, we can hear the geese far above us honking.

Time passes too quickly. Not two blinks ago, the children were getting out of school for the summer holidays, and now they are back. We are even having our annual street party tomorrow. It felt as if the last one was just months ago. Do you ever feel this way? Like time is melting between your fingers? Still, it will feel like aeons until Gabby and Beau have their first egg. Time will drag til the ospreys return, and then it will fly again!

I am happy to report – thank you to all the good energy you sent – that Baby Hope is completely healed and new fur is growing over her injury! I cannot tell you what a relief this is. We worried that she would continue to scratch at the injury so that it wouldn’t heal. Toby is also fine. He is a little ‘stiff’ going down the stairs but he is back to wrestling some with Hugo Yugo. They continue to sleep together in the big dog bed. It is so sweet. Missey and Calico are well, too. I cannot ask for more.

So what is happening in Bird World? For the most part, the ospreys are gone. Tiger Mozone reminds us it is approximately 178 days til they return in the UK. What will we do without them? — Watch Port Lincoln! And the Bald Eagles, right?

We will start with two video offerings by SK Hideaways to get us excited! None other than Monty and Hartley and, of course, our favourite Big Bear Valley Eagles – Jackie and Shadow.

San Jose City Hall Falcons Hartley & Monty (2025 Sep 14)

Monty arrived to tidy up the nest prior to Hartley’s arrival. Their meeting was a veritable beaky kiss fest. Guess three successful broods is the key to a successful relationship.

Courtesy San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon Cam

Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBSxPjy5sow

Ledge Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pp9TisLmLU

Roof Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLhmV6bP6o

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SanJoseCityHallFalcons/

Wiki https://sanjoseperegrines.editme.com/

Big Bear Eagles Jackie & Shadow (2025 Sep 12-13)

Jackie and Shadow perched on their Roost Tree overnight and Lookout Snag at dawn. Such peaceful, soothing scenes.

Courtesy FOBBVCAM, Friends of Big Bear Valley

Resident Bald Eagle male: Shadow (unbanded) since May 2018. Estimated hatch year: 2014

Resident Bald Eagle female: Jackie (unbanded) since September 2016. Estimated hatch year: 2012

Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE

Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc

LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz

There are a few ospreys still at home. Dinas is one of those in the Glaslyn Valley with Oscar still in Nova Scotia.

Others are being spotted as they move through the UK on their way to the coast and off to the Iberian Peninsula or West Africa.

The last hatch, the fourth, remains at Dunrovin Ranch in Colorado with Dad, Swoop.

Looks quiet at Charlo Montana.

Rosie is still at Golden Gate Audubon. She migrates while Richmond remains in the territory over winter.

Iris was still eating fish at Hellgate Canyon on Saturday! Lucille Powell caught her on camera on Sunday. Iris is staying late.

Fledgling White Tail Eagle, Leo, is still at Milda’s nest in Durbe County Latvia! https://youtu.be/H-0dVRE5nfg?

Heidi reports that the male is still at Field Farm feeding his two juveniles who fledged mid-August.

It has gone quiet at Rutland Manton’s Bay Osprey platform.

Making the departure of Blue 33 and Maya complete, Colin, the Cormorant has moved into the nest!

As I shift the blog to Mondays until the first hatch at Port Lincoln, I hope to fill you in on some of the books that Calico and I have been reading. Yes, it has been more than two years, and we are still having story time – four cats and a dog! Here are our first offerings. Some will make great holiday gifts.

The Naturalist’s Notebook for Tracking Changes in The Natural World around You by Nathaniel T Wheelwright and Bernd Heinrich (2017).

It is a beautifully illustrated book with gilt edges and just the right size to hold and read comfortably. The authors discuss their ancestors and how they learned to observe the changes in the natural world, day by day and month by month. In the back is a five-year calendar divided by the seasons, reminding us to be present in our lives. I am particularly fond of the extensive calendar, which allows me to easily compare the arrival of the Starlings, the fledge of the Blue Jay babies, and the first honks of the geese flying overhead to their winter homes. It would make a lovely gift for someone just beginning to learn about the world around them, or for someone like me who wants to keep track of what is happening in my garden. $24.95 CDN.

The Company of Owls by Polly Atkin.

This is a review on Goodreads – and it is spot on! Atkin, like Wheelwright and Heinrich in The Naturalist’s Notebook for Tracking Changes in the Natural World around You, observes owls that live near her. She doesn’t travel far and wide, and like so many, she is not a professionally trained expert in the behaviour of owls. She is a person, just like all of us, who loves animals and birds and is a keen observer of their lives. That review reads: “Polly Atkin does not profess to be an expert on owls or anything else. This refreshing book brings the love of birds, especially owls, right from her heart to yours. It also brings the sights, sounds, and weather (oh, the weather!) of England’s Lake District right into your sitting room.

In The Company of Owls, we are treated to the author’s observations of the owls that choose to live near her. This nips off to other places she’s lived and visited, which adds richness to her descriptions, but it is her ‘home’ birds, and particularly one year in their lives, that is the primary focus.

The author has wonderful descriptive powers, and it is no surprise to glean her interest in poetry from her tale. Her description of the bog habitat where she went looking for short-eared owls is superb, although given the daily walks that provide the basis for her writing about her local owl family as they grow, it is amazing that there is no hint of repetitiveness.

Atkins supports her story with solid research, comparing owl numbers now with the records since Victorian times. These details tend to slip in as anecdotes, and more narrative quotes combine to give a really good picture of how owls have fared over the last century or so.

It’s a very personal record, and she isn’t afraid to reveal her own mistakes, which brought me back after a slight dip in attention in the middle of the book. On the whole, I think this is a really good book for the cosy bird lover, and people who like to know all the birds on their patch, rather than the twitching variety. I’m a patcher, of course.”

Both of these books take a very personal look at the natural world that is around them. They are inspirational to each of us to look just outside our back door – we don’t have to travel the world checking off lists – great things are happening beside us – now.

The power couples of Florida’s Bald Eagle streaming cams are returning to their nests and restoring them for the new season.

M15 and F23 have been home at SW Florida working on their nest.

Beau was absolutely delighted when Gabby arrived home to their nest in NE Florida early.

Ron and Rose are at the WRDC nest near Miami.

Now what is going on with Connie and Clive at Captiva?

In California, Andor and Cruz are at Fraser Point.

‘A’ is keeping a close eye on the Royal Cam chick for us as well as the others in Australia.

“Dad came in a couple of hours ago and fed his big girl breakfast. She was very excited to see him, and watched him closely as he took off after the feeding. It is hard to think this may be the last time they see each other. We (the viewers) hope not because Miss SS Trig still has what the viewers are calling a belly mohawk, with quite a bit of tummy fluff we would like to see gone before she leaves. Her feather development when compared with dad’s this morning was obviously still a week or so away from being ready, so we do hope she doesn’t get overexcited (or caught in a storm Lillibet style). Miss SS Trig is 229 days old today (Lillibet fledged at 219 days, the second youngest ever, the youngest being 218 days old a few years ago). And that number I was trying to read the other day wasn’t 555 at all – her number is YE55 (so the E looked like a five and the Y was further around her leg and not readily visible). This may become important later on, as she will lose the GPS device with her first moult, I presume. I did read something about this being a better GPS device but can’t remember what it was.”

Wow. Doesn’t SE35’s feather development over the last few days astonishing? So much more advanced than SE36, who is still a fluffball with few discernible black lines along its wings. This afternoon, the pair have been left alone on the nest in the dappled sunshine, working as hard as they can at converting fish into eaglet feathers. The effort is obvious, as they are flat out like a lizard drinking (sorry – old Australian saying). SE36 has a huge crop so has obviously eaten well today. SE35 is never hungry so there’s no need to update you there! Oh they are exquisite at this age, are they not? Every bit as gorgeous as they were last week and probably just as beautiful as they will be next week when their plumage will be completely different to what we see today. (In other words, they are absolutely lovely every single day of their growth, from the moment they hatch to the day they fledge, and even then, their plumage has many stages to go through before (hopefully) they finish up looking like Lady and Dad. 

I did mention to you that the juvenile red wattlebird in my garden has breast plumage that reminds me of the young falcons but from doing a bit of reading, I think those vertical striations (in either greys or caramels with cream) must be common to many (perhaps most) young birds – the red-tailed hawks have a similar pattern. Obviously, it is an excellent camouflage because it is very similar to the way objects appear when struck by the rays of the sun glinting through leaves. 

But I digress. I came here to Olympic Park to say that the littles are doing fabulously well, as usual. Lady is such a devoted mum, and Dad, despite or perhaps because of his advancing years, is an incredibly reliable provider, even in difficult conditions. I have to believe that is the result of his experience – he must know exactly where he can fish when the winds are coming from a particular direction or when there is prolonged rain or whatever the prevailing conditions are. These are the advantages of old age I suppose. And Lady is no slouch herself – she often brings in a late afternoon fish when she has the chance to stretch her wings. It’s easy to forget how old these two actually are. Their fertility appears stable – two fertile eggs per year.”

Incubation continues at Port Lincoln Osprey barge.

It has been a wonderful year at the Osprey House Environment Centre. If you didn’t follow the nest, the fledgling from 2024, helped the parents to care for the little ones in 2025. It turned out marvellous. The babies thrived and now the first one has fledged.

Incubation is still going well for the falcons in the CBD of Melbourne at 367 Collins Street.

Little Gimbir is winning hearts and minds as he has proven to be an exceptional hunter and provider for Diamond at the Charles Sturt Falcon scrape in Orange.

The Wedge-tailed Eagle is the largest in Australia. This is a short film, 18 minutes by Filming Wildlife, of this large raptor hunting! https://youtu.be/TEJ7gSYUOek?

Meldrs, the Golden Eagle fledgling of Spilve and Grislis, no longer comes to the nest in Latvia but is out following the adults, learning to hunt.

‘L’ from South Carolina sends me the most gorgeous images of a Cooper’s Hawk that visits their garden often, drinking at the bird bath. It is a reminder that we should all put out water for the birds that stay and those, so thirsty, that are passing through on migration. (The hawk is enjoying a Shrike lunch).

Emergence Magazine is launching its next volume, Seasons. I am attaching a link to a film, Crying Glacier by Lutz Stautner. The author says, “In the trickling, creaking, and gurgling heard through hydrophones and contact microphones, sound artist and composer Ludwig Berger listens for the voice of Switzerland’s dying Morteratsch Glacier. Directed by Lutz Stautner, this short film follows Ludwig on one of his many visits to the glacier, where he gathers its hidden sounds, the pop of centuries-old air bubbles and the groan of ice, inviting us into the intimacy of listening to more-than-human voices. One hundred years from now, we may only be able to hear the sounds of glaciers through recordings like these.”

https://emergencemagazine.org/film/crying-glacier/?utm_source=Emergence+Magazine&utm_campaign=5f28ad1708-Newsletter_20250914&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-0be9b497cf-356972785

Dedicated individuals continue to fight to end the industrial fishing of Menhaden if the osprey and other species are to survive in the Chesapeake Bay and region.

It’s migration. Please encourage everyone to turn off their lights!

One lucky little gosling.

Your smile for the week comes from Toby who is busy excavating peanuts in the flower pots where the squirrels have hidden them!

Very pleased with himself.

Toby had his operation on Tuesday. He can’t have a bath for another week and a half! He is so dirty and stinky!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for being with us today. We hope that you had a lovely weekend and were able to get outside and enjoy lots of fresh air and bird song. Take care. We will be back with you again on Monday the 22 of September. Fall will have officially begun!

I want to thank our notable contributor, ‘SK Hideaways’ for their videos highlighting the nests we are following, the owners of the streaming cams listed in bold, the individuals who take the time to create videos and the authors of posts such as Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, and all others, often too many to name but whom I have tried to cite in bold. I am very grateful to you and to the newspapers and journals that still cover environmental issues as they relate to our precious feathered friends. My blog would not be what it is without your input into the world of birding.

Sunday in Bird World

22 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

As is typical, I am writing my post on Saturday. I had hoped for some sun and wind to dry up all the rain, but, the rain is now coming down harder and harder. Three Crows were frantically pecking at the nut cylinder. I noticed that they gave each other space so that they could eat. All was going well until Dyson arrived! The Crows flew off. They returned later for a big bowl of cheesy dogs. I can see Junior at the feeder sorting through the peanuts. Where is Mrs Junior? It is always worrisome when one or the other does not show up at the morning feeder.

Dyson is moulting. She isn’t sick! She is so strong and healthy. It makes us happy to be a part of her life. I wish we could get the trees to grow faster or convince her to please just stay in our garden. No roads!

It has really started pouring. And yeah, Mrs Junior just flew in to get some peanuts!!!!!! Relief.

In Canada, Beaumont continues to deliver large fish to the nest where his two fledglings might like to scrap for the dinner! Both are eating well and Beaumont is making sure each is fed.

Dad and at least one chick are still at the LDF nest in Kuzeme Latvia.

Right now there is harmony and peace at the NE Florida nest of Gabby. She doesn’t seem to care if the male has necrotic feet in places. They are on the branches together, side by side at times, and in the nest making nestorations. If Gabby gets to raise little eaglets in peace this year, we should all jump up and down with joyful tears.

They have been on and off the nest on Saturday. The AEF has ‘temporarily’ designated the male as 24E1 (year, eagle, first visitor).

The eyes of the male visitor remind me so much of those of Samson. I know it isn’t, but for a split second.

The SW Florida streaming cams are up and ready for action starting today or tomorrow.

It was a beautiful day at the nest of Bella at the NCTC. Didn’t see any eagles.

You can help support conservation by buying stamps! Aren’t these beautiful?

These will be available in the new year. There are currently others for sale – some designed by adults and other junior winners. They are lovely.

The little eaglet in Australia is doing so well and this little fluffy bundle of joy has a name – Lukin.

Bradley and Shultzie. Yes! Good thing there are two perches. It’s always good, just like the Blue Jays, to get a total head count before sunset.

Judy Harrington brings us up to date with the Olympic Park Eagles.

The new pair in the USK Valley in Wales left late. They didn’t breed but hopes are high for 2025.

Bird Flu is possibly the reason for the decline in Peregrine Falcon populations in the US. Like everything else, it is still with us – it just isn’t making the news like it did. That is a shame.

Xavier flew out for the morning breakfast hunt. Diamond waits patiently to see what he will return with for her meal.

We blinked and the Olympic Park Eaglets grew and grew. When did this happen? They are more steady on their feet. Their wing feathers are growing in. They look like eagles, not nestlings. SE 34 is learning to self-feed.

Will we see the Royal Cam chick back on cam before fledge? Possibly not.

Pippa’s Mum is the first to return: Royal Cam chick Atawhai (Miss Pippa) and Lillibet’s Mum YRK is the first to return to Taiaroa this year. You will remember her amazing mate, OGK – some of us still tear up at the thought of him. OGK has not been seen since he went missing in 2022.

The Only Bob at Growing Home is so fortunate. It will never ever have to share a fish with a ravenous sibling. Look carefully. Tiny white bobblehead.

The fight for the survival of the osprey (and other wildlife) in the Chesapeake Bay is on and hinges on the curtailing of the industrial fishing of Menhaden.

There is always something to learn about migration: “For migrating birds, fall brings difficulty and danger. To reach warm winter climes, many birds must fly hundreds or thousands of miles, expend immense amounts of energy and successfully dodge storms, skyscrapers and other potential threats.

Still, scientists have long assumed that a basic trade-off made migration worth the gamble: Once birds arrived at their wintering grounds, they wouldn’t need to work so hard to stay warm, saving substantial amounts of energy. “But nobody ever tested this,” said Nils Linek, a behavioral ecologist at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany.

Now, Dr. Linek and his colleagues have done so. Their findings, based on a partially migratory population of German blackbirds, challenge the conventional wisdom. Even in the depths of winter, blackbirds basking in balmy southern Europe or northern Africa did not spend any less energy than those riding out the cold in Germany, the scientists found.”

Read on to find out more.

On line tool is helping with bird collision and renewable energy in Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Nepal for the past two years.

Calico’s Tip for the Day. You have heard us mention numerous times the need to halt bird collisions. Residences indeed account for more deaths than skyscrapers. Hard to believe? I know, but it is true if you take all the deaths due to our windows collectively. So what is the problem? People do not know how to stop the birds from hitting their windows. Calico says that you must space the decals on the OUTSIDE of the window at least 5 cm or two inches apart. That’s right. You cannot just put one decal on the outside of your window and hope it will work; you never put it on the inside. The most economical method is window paint. Again, on the outside of the windows. I liked using the white or the yellow. Squiggle everywhere. Let your children or grandchildren help. The window paints come off easily.

Nova Scotia’s official bird (I know that everyone knew that, right?) on an iconic boat, the Bluenose II.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for the notes, posts, videos, articles, images, tweets, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘PB for today and for Saturday’s Tweet from Dr Greene’, Newfoundland Power, LDF, NEFL-AEF, NCTC, USFWS, Port Lincoln Osprey, Judy Harrington and Olympic Park Eagles, Jeff Kear and USK Valley Ospreys, Audubon, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Olympic Park Eagles, The Royal Albatross Centre, Growing Home, Bryan Watts and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Sharon Dunne, Bluenose II, USFWS, Birdlife International, and The New York Times.

Saturday in Bird World

14 September 2024

Hello Everyone,

The weather is still warm and will continue to be. The air was heavy Friday morning. We headed out to the nature centre to see how many geese were on the lake and check on the Mallard family with the two small ducklings. The sky was black, and it looked like rain could start any minute. In the forest, we could hear the Black-capped Chickadees and the American Goldfinch. The Goldfinches migrate, but the Chickadees stay all winter!

We found the Mallard family, but we could only see one duckling. I hope the other one was hiding in the reeds. The tiny duckling has grown but is still not large enough to migrate. Our weather is supposed to stay warm through October, so it should be fine to take off then.

At the hide, a female Downy Woodpecker was at the peanut feeder while another Mallard looked for seed in the grasses. Honking was constant overhead as the winds grew stronger, and the dark clouds gathered.

Even with the impending rain, it was a good morning to be outside for a walk. Always makes our day!

I was just so happy to see Annie! Annie is loafing!!!!!! Oh, it is so good to see you, Annie. https://youtu.be/3Vcnr3Fg9yU?

In Bird World, Hartley and Monty are back at the scrape in San Jose, too!

https://youtu.be/bg-SeoBSjDc?

Please tell everyone to please store their sports nets (of any kind) but especially soccer when they are not in use. Look what happened to this owl!

West Nile Virus killed the only surviving, of two, hawlets of Big Red and Arthur this year. It is also having an impact on all of our feathered friends including ospreys.

What is West Nile Virus and how is it impacting birds? Sadly, the most common in Canada are my beloved Crows and Blue Jays.

“As of September 2003, West Nile Virus has been identified in 11 Page 2 species of native owls, 4 species of falcons, and 15 native species of diurnal raptors, including osprey, vultures, and bald and golden eagles.”

This document from the Cascade Raptor Centre is particularly good:

Heidi reports that Harvie and the two juveniles at Fortis Exshaw Canmore Osprey Platform are still home. You can see the wildfire smoke spreading through the valley behind the nest. Yesterday, Heidi saw five fish delivered in a short period of time to the fledglings at the nest after a period of rain.

Heidi checked on Fenwick Island and Johnny is still bringing Fen fish.

At the Hellgate Canyon nest, Antali had a very late night fish. I can’t rewind but he is holding it at 22:46 and is till eating in the wee hours of the morning. Antali has an enormous crop. It seems Finnegan wants to fill his fledgling up and hopefully get him on his way south.

Antali’s crop was still huge at 0741 when he was fish-calling. No delivery. Antali flew off after Dad (or so it would seem).

Finn sits on the nest with a lunch fish looking around and Antali comes flying in! He is not going to miss that fish dinner.

Finnegan takes good care of his boy. Another headless fish is delivered at 1644. Antalia has not had a sunken crop all day!

Now I love geese and on my ‘Bucket List’ has been a trip to see the Pinkfooted Geese that breed in Iceland and Greenland and then travel with their fledglings to the UK to winter arriving sometime after September 1. In the 1880s, the birds did not come to the UK til the last week of October. Now, to the astonishment of all, a pair of Pink-footed Geese have bred in Lancashire!

The concern was with climate change and the melting tundra that the Pinkfoots might not migrate to the UK. So this is very interesting.

Look at the image below. The heads are the colour of a cafe lait. This dark to medium brown head fades into a boey that is blue grey. The lowest part of the neck is pink! The goose has fluffy white underparts. The legs are, of course, pink matching the lower neck which gives these geese their name.

The female lays a clutch of 3-5 eggs. It takes 26 or 27 days for the wee ones to hatch. At that moment, both the male and the female will lead the clutch to wetlands to feed. In Iceland, they also eat crowberries, which makes their ‘ps’ pink!!!!! Their main enemies in Iceland are foxes and gyrfalcons.

Pink-footed Geese” by naturalengland is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Some absolutely gorgeous closeups on this video by Cornell Bird Labs of the Royal Albatross chick. https://youtu.be/PsUNmjyrOFU?

The area of Shadow and Jackie’s nest is under voluntary evacuation for the Line Fire that is scorching parts of San Bernadino County. Shadow was spotted at the Snag and Roost Tree despite the wind and smoke by Eagle22 on the 12th of September. https://youtu.be/VNOQ7VrBTXc?

They say Jackie and Shadow are safe from the Line Fire (as of 9 September).

Connie Dennis reports that Oscar is still feeding Skylor at the Russell Lake nest in Nova Scotia. So no migration other than Mum, Ethel, so far.

Skylor you crack me up!

Dad is still providing fish at Niagara Bee.

Charlie is still supplying fish to C16 at Charlo. Interesting that it is the males staying behind at the nest and having Dad fish and fish and fish!

No love is lost at the Newfoundland nest of Hope and Beaumont between fledglings when a much-desired fish dinner arrives at the nest. That was the only delivery I saw at the nest – fish could be provided elsewhere, I do not know.

Juveniles in Latvia fight over dinner! https://youtu.be/eh85H6lpaW8?

A juvenile at the Kurzeme Osprey nest in Latvia gets a goldfish dinner. https://youtu.be/E-Bm_C8mv4E?

There was an odd break in the transmission from Sandpoint. Keke is still delivering fish. River was on the perch and then mysteriously on the nest with a nice fish. It was the camera. River is not catching fish – as far as I know, none of the males at these nests are getting their own food. Gorgeous wingspan on this fledgling.

At Orange, a Willy Wagtail comes to visit Diamond.

https://youtu.be/fl7TSd-6KiU?

Incubation continues at 367 Collins Street.

Still no breakfast at the Olympic Sea Eagle nest by 1130. Lady found a few scraps in the nest.

Do you love seabirds and Puffins? Dani Connor Wild has some amazing images in her recent video. https://youtu.be/IJi4vnEk1do?

Calico’s Tip for the Day: When the sisal on the scratch post cylinders is ragged, and you are ready to toss the entire thing in the garbage, don’t. First, could you check your online retailers for replacement sisal disks? They are about half the price of a replacement post where I live. The package we ordered also contained new hardware and an Allen key. Calico knows that I am the least ‘handy person’ in the neighbourhood, so if I can do this, so can you!

The Girls had really scratched up that sisal!

New cylinders to compare. Note the small bag with the hardware and Allen Key. We used our handy dandy cat fur remover and tried to get the old scratch post in near new condition.

What do you think? You can see that we got it all finished. Make sure that the Allen Key has everything secure. Gosh, I even amazed Calico and she gave the new sisal cylinders her Golden Paw Award – because they had a small bag of hardware with the Allen Key so I didn’t have to go rummaging around trying to find one!

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourselves. We hope to have you with us soon!

Thank you to the following for their posts, notes, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: SK Hideaways, Farmer’s Way, Diana Lambertson and The Joy of Ospreys, the CDC West Nile Virus, Cascade Raptor Centre, Fortis Exshaw Canmore, Heidi McGrue and The Joy of Ospreys, Montana Osprey Project, Openverse, BirdGuides, Cornell Bird Lab, Eagle 22, News & Observer, Connie Dennis and Ospreys of Nova Scotia, Pam Breci and The Joy of Ospreys, Charlo Montana, Newfoundland Power, Sandpoint Ospreys, Liznm, Holly Parsons, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac,