Tag Archives: Latvian Fund for Nature

Tiny Little, it is good to see you!

Friday morning started off fantastic with Tiny Little on the nest alone food calling. She was later joined by older sibling, 462.

What you need to know is that Tiny Little had an entire fish to herself a little earlier for breakfast! Just look at her enjoying that fish!

7:45 nest time. Nice fish delivered by White YW to his girl.

Tiny Little returned later and was joined by 462. Yes, I said that already! They waited and waited. All that waiting and food calling paid off! Both Tiny Little (or Bobbie to some) and older sibling got a fish – older sib gets the flounder, Tiny Little has something else (?). Dad, you are fantastic. This is the way to keep the kids happy and quiet.

Tiny Little is the fledgling on the right. She is a ‘big’ girl! I am just so delighted to be able to see her. She is growing and growing. Tiny simply doesn’t fit anymore!!!!!!

This is the link to the Osprey Nest at Foulshaw Moss managed by Cumbrian Wildlife Trust:

https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/cams/osprey-cam

But there was more happiness. To top it off, the little Osprey nestling at Collins Marsh Nature Centre had two feedings before 9:30 this morning. If this pace keeps up Malin is really going to have a big growth spurt this week. Already the tail and back feathers are remarkably changed from last week.

And another feeding here. So happy to see these parents stepping up the food. Malin is really starting to present as a juvenile Osprey now. I keep looking at those little feet – wonder if we have a little boy here? Male or female it doesn’t matter. Malin is really a gorgeous/handsome.

The link to the Osprey nest at Collins Marsh is here:

https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/cams/osprey-cam

One of my readers was asking about the nest for the Black Storks in Latvia. I was able to find some information and a couple of images so that you can see the beautiful forests in the area.

The nest is in a forest in the Sigulda region of Latvia. It is 53 km southeast of the capital, Riga. It is the orange area on the map below.

The area is home to Sigulda New Castle and the remains of a medieval castle built in 1207.

The image below is the New Castle.

“Siguldas jaunā pils (Sigulda Castle)” by twiga_swala is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Through the forest you can see the New Castle.

These are the remains of the medieval castle. It is a major tourist site and because of this, Latvia has stabilized some of the walls so it can be fully appreciated.

The nest in the forest is on a pine branch that extends about 1.8 metres from the trunk of the tree. So, in plain English, the nest is on a branch that is sticking out —- just a big branch! I know. Take a deep breath. It could make you nervous. The nest is 18 metres from the ground. Imagine these storks on such a branch! I kept thinking they could slide off the edge.

The youngest storkling is 53 days old today. It is flapping its wings and gets really excited. The eldest is 56 days old and the middle one is 54 days.

The adults, Grafs and Grafiene, have to be very careful when they come to feed their little ones now so they do not slide off the nest. It is getting a little crowded as the nestlings grow!

One of the moderators for the nest forum created a video of Grafiene coming to feed the storklings about one month ago. It is very short but shows us just how much these nestlings have grown in that time. Just look how tiny they were.

All of the storks meet to begin their migration. ‘S’ tells me that they land on the tops of all the houses, the hydro poles, and the trees. And then they begin clacking and this is the beginning of their long journey as far as South Africa. Everyone is a little sad when they leave.

The link to the Latvian Black Storks is here:

Don’t all babies look sweet when they are sleeping? The little sea eaglets are no exception. You would never know that they are so tired from all the mischief they cause when their parents aren’t watching.

They look like little angels.

Dad is making sure that there is lots of food on the nest.

Here is the link to the White-Bellied Sea Eagle nest in Sydney’s Olympic Park. It is the only WBSE nest in the world that is streaming live. One of the really neat things is just listening to the forest sounds when the streaming cam is on. You will hear many Australian birds. There are lots of YouTube videos of the birds and the sounds they make. Just do a search of ‘Australian Bird Sounds’.

There has been a lot of chatter about when the female ospreys in the UK will be leaving the nests and heading off on their migration. Blue NC0 is still up at the Loch of the Lowes working hard, along with Laddie, to feed LM 1 and LM 2. She is known to catch big fish and this morning she brought in a whopper. The sad part was NC0 worked so hard to get this fish out of the water and on to the nest and one of the kids let it fly off the nest. It happens but we all must appreciate the real effort these parents put into feeding these juveniles especially when they must be eating themselves, fattening up, to make their journeys.

NC0 has turned into one wonderful mom over the season. It has been such a joy to watch her develop from when the little ones hatched and we had no idea if she was going to figure out how to feed them!

The fledglings still associate the nest with food so you might still get in some good action. This has to be one of the most beautiful nest locations in the world. When I went to check, I could see the Ospreys flying around and food calling on the branches at the top left of the image below. So turn up your sound and look there when you check on this nest.

Here is the link to their camera:

I checked to see if the names had been announced for Louis and Dorcha’s chicks on the ‘other’ Lock Arkaig nest. There seems to be no mention or I have missed it. So hold on. Will let you know as soon as I hear anything! I am also waiting for the Collins Street Peregrine Falcon cam to come on live. You are going to be in for a real treat with that falcon nest! I promise.

Thank you for joining me today. I hope everyone is well. Tomorrow I am heading out to find the local hawk. Expect news to come in the late afternoon for all the nests. Enjoy your weekend. Stay safe.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cameras where I took my screen shots: The Latvian Fund for Nature and the Sigulda Black Stork Nest, the Collins Marsh Nature Centre and Osprey Cam, the Sea Eagles, Birdlife Australia, and Discovery Centre, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Friends of the Loch of the Lowes.

Late Wednesday and early Thursday nest check in

Kindness, the Bald Eagle nestling in the Glacier Gardens Bald Eagle Nest in Juneau, Alaska is 70 days old today (5 August). Bald Eagles are considered fully grown at 12 weeks. The average age of fledging on the Glacier Gardens nest is 89 days while the rest of Alaska is 80 days. Kindness had a quiet Thursday. It was misting rain. Mid-afternoon Dad brought Kindness a small live fish. She ate it all!

Kindness is very good at mantling.

Kindness was fascinated by the flopping of the tail of the live fish.

She is growing into such a beautiful juvenile.

Kindness is such a sweet little Eaglet.

You can watch her here:

The little osprey nestling, Malin, on the Collins Marsh Nature Cam, had at least five feedings on Wednesday. A big shout out to ‘S’ in Hawaii for counting those feedings! Malin’s tail and wing features are looking so much better.

It was nice to see Malin with a bit of a crop early Wednesday afternoon. Those feathers are really developing and that girl loves to use her eye liner. Can’t wait to see what Malin looks like when she has all of her juvenile plumage.

Malin’s crop got bigger. So happy to see this. When Tiny Tot on the Achieva Nest needed food to really grow and begin to catch up, it arrived. Everyone’s warm wishes must be working for Malin! I do hope she grows feathers back over that shiny crop. I don’t think I have ever seen that in an Osprey chick, have you?

Malin is becoming quite the character. She is so happy when mom is on the nest. I wish I could sit in that yoga position like Malin does!

The Collins Marsh Osprey Cam is here:

At the White Bellied Sea Eagle nest in Sydney, it is all about the feedings. Unlike Kindness who eats more and requires less feedings, these little nestlings require lots of feedings with fewer bites. Lady and Dad have both been taking turns feeding and brooding. Lady does do all of the night time brooding. 27 and 28 can melt your heart. I have been told the bonking is minimal.

27 is 7 days old and 28 is 5 days old. These two are really sweet.

Lady just adores these little ones. She is so happy to be a mom again.

You can catch all of the action at the WBSE Nest in the Sydney Olympic Park here:

Hob Osterlund reports that Amazonia, the last of the Laysan Albatross Colony to hatch, fledged sometime between Monday and Tuesday off Kauai. For me, there are always a few tears when the birds fledge but no more so than for the Albatross who spend 4-6 years at sea before ever returning to land. What a leap of faith that first flight brings and how astounding it must be to fly. Take care H958. We hope to see you in Kauai in a few years with your sea legs on.

@ Hob Osterlund

There is troubling brewing down in Orange, Australia. Xavier and Diamond have been preparing the scrape box for the 2021 season. Izzi was officially 10 months old yesterday. There was a confrontation in the scrape box with Xavier. Neither bird was injured but it was Xavier that left the box. Most people feel that Xavier and Diamond will now have to treat Izzi like any other intruder – unless, of course, he wants to join in raising his siblings. It has happened – actually worked well – in the UK. We wait and watch.

Cilla Kinross posted a very short video of the unfortunate encounter:

It is a new day in the scrape box. Xavier arrives with a male Red-rumped Parrot as a food gift for Diamond around 11:20. He calls Diamond and she quickly arrives accepting the gift and fleeing the scrape box. Xavier waits and leaves after. This is good. I did not see anything of Izzi!

Diamond must have been so happy that Xavier brought a parrot than a Starling!

She grabs it quickly and goes out to enjoy her meal.

Here is the link to the camera for the Falcon Cam at Charles Sturt University:

The female at the Port Lincoln Osprey Barge laid her first egg of the 2021 season two days ago. Today should be egg#2. It wasn’t there at 12:32 on August 5 (nest time) but Mum looked restless and uncomfortable.

Still only one egg. Old timers tell me that there can be 4 days between eggs.

The 2018 hatch, Calypso, has been seen hunting just north of the barge. She was the first Osprey banded for a long, long time in Australia. She stays within 10 km of the barge – a real difference from Solly who remains up near Eba Anchorage, more than 200 km away.

Those beautiful Black Stork nestlings are doing very well. Everyone worries because these lovely nestlings hatched so very late. It is hoped their parents will stay with them and not leave for migrate before they can fly.

My friend in Latvia, ‘S’, also included a video that was made showing how the nest looked after last year’s season was ending. Wow, that nest is really narrow at the base. Have a peek!

The light in the forest changes throughout the day. There has been lovely misty rain in the early mornings with the sun bursting through later in the day. I must rewind the streaming cam today to find the parents returning to this nest to feed this trio.

There is still plenty of time before these beauties fledge. You can watch this rare Black Stork nest in Latvia of Grafs And Grafiene here:

Thank you so much for checking in with our birds today. It looks like everyone is doing fine except for Xavier and Izzi. We hope that is sorted and Izzi, the little cutie pie that no one wants to leave, is on his way to start his journey and find a mate! Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots: The Latvian Fund for Nature, the Glacier Gardens Bald Eagle Cam, Collins Marsh Nature Centre, Sea Eagles, Birdlife Australia and the Sydney Discovery Centre, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Falcon Cam Project at Charles Sturt University in Orange, and to Hob Osterlund for the photo of Amazonia on her FB page.

Birding Action has started in Australia

Wow. At 00:52:40, Mom goes into labour. She is the female Osprey on the Port Lincoln Osprey Barge in Australia. Dad is sitting right at nest side in support. It was magical. The minute the egg was, Dad was off. My time said 00:57:58. And with that single significant event, the Port Lincoln Osprey season for 2021 is underway!

Mom looks very content in the early morning Australian sun.

I was very glad to see Dad there. Last year Dad just about ended my love of Ospreys. The death of Tapps, the third hatch in 2020, practically cemented that. The Achieva Osprey nest brought back the pain but the triumph of Tiny Tot gave me faith. It also has made me question the entire notion of ‘survival of the fittest’. So this year I am wishing for consistent fish drops when the eggs hatch – Dad, that means enough fish for everyone every day with no breaks.

The Northern Hemisphere fledglings are preparing to migrate (if they hatched in an area where the birds travel to warmer climates during the winter) so for all Osprey lovers this is a chance to start at the very beginning again — in Australia.

The adults spent a lot of time bringing in new twigs and lining the nest cup with bark. It is quite beautiful. This nest looks like someone cares!

Of the chicks that have fledged from this nest, Calypso (2019) fishes and is seen regularly in the Port Lincoln area. Solly (2020) was fitted with a satellite tracker as well as a leg band. It is reassuring to know that she is well. There have been no reported sightings of her brother, DEW, that I am aware of.

Solly is 317 days old and she is at her favourite place, Eba Anchorage.

The two eggs have hatched at the White-Bellied Sea Eagle cam in the forest of the Sydney Olympic Park. They are WBSE 27 and 28. Both are doing fantastic. Dad has been bringing in Bream, Pigeon, several other types of birds, and Eel-tailed Catfish. The chicks are not wanting for food or variety!

The link to the Sea Eagle Cam is here:

Are you a Peregrine Falcon lover? There are two excellent nests in Australia on streaming cam. One is on all year round and has covered the antics of Xavier, his mate Diamond, and their son, Izzi. The scrape box is on the water tower on the grounds of Charles Sturt University in Orange, NSW. This family is part of a research project of Professor Cilla Kinross.

I should tell you that this nest is hilarious. Xavier is such a sweetie and he is courting Diamond now even though they have been a bonded pair for a number of years. He brings her gifts of prey to the scrape box and they do a courtship dance. Sometimes Xavier forgets and brings Diamond a Starling. Diamond hates Starlings and refuses to accept the gift from Xavier! And then there is Izzi. Izzi is like the cutest almost one year old falcon. He should not be at the nest but he is. You see, Izzi fledged three times. The first was accidental so he was taken back up the 170 stairs to the scrape box on the water tower. The second was a good fledge but he ran into a window. He was in care for several days and returned to the scrape box. The third time was the charm. The problem? Well, Izzi should have left his parent’s territory before the beginning of 2021. Yes, it is now August. That is the problem.

I mean seriously – could you tell this cutie pie to leave home?

Both Diamond and Xavier have been ‘scraping’ in the scrape box. The indentation they are creating is where Diamond will lay the 2021 season eggs. The couple have already been mating on the top of the water tower.

This is Xavier. The yellow around the eyes, the cere (part above the beak), and the legs and feet are a deep yellow when falcons are adults. Look at the beautiful plumage patterning.

This is Xavier scraping in the scrape box.

This is Diamond scraping in the scrape box. Notice the colour of the stones. In his book, The Peregrine, J.A. Baker states that “Peregrines bathe every day…The bed of the stream must be stony and firm…They favour those places where the colour of the stream-bed resembles the colour of their own plumage.” Absolutely. Camouflage. But why do they take so many baths? Baker believed that it was so they would not transfer any lice or other parasites from their prey onto them that could cause illness or disease. The same is true of the scrape box. Peregrine falcons lay their eggs in gravel and not on a twig nest to avoid illness or disease.

Here is a very short but loud pair bonding in the scrape box. Have a look at the dance that Xavier and Diamond do together. Xavier is the smaller of the couple. Falcons, like other raptors, have reverse sex size diamorphism – meaning the female is larger.

Here is the link to the box camera. There are in fact two cameras: one looks at the inside of the box as above and the other is positioned to look forward from the back taking in the ledge and a bit of the outside world. That is cute little Izzi looking out to that big world beyond.

The chat feature has moderators, often Professor Kinross, as well as a FB Page where you can get great information.

The second is the Collins Street Falcons better known as the CBD Falcons in Melbourne. The camera is not operational yet. There are many videos from last year if you search for Collins Street Falcons on YouTube. In 2020, the couple had triplet girls. Triplets? Three eggs hatch within a period of 24 hours. These girls grew like crazy. They grew bigger than their dad.

I am including one video of the male delivering a pigeon to feed them. I just love this tiny little male. He melts my heart every time I look at him.

The diet of the two falcon families is different. The Melbourne falcons are urban. Their diet is almost exclusively pigeon. In contrast, the falcons in Orange are rather rural with a more varied diet including Starlings (remember Diamond dislikes those), Galah, sometimes a Supreme Parrot, other parrots, and birds. One thing that eyases love are cicadas. They hold them in their foot and eat them like a popsicle. It is crazy. In one day last year, Izzi ate 17 cicadas in a row. There had to be a swarm of them! It was incredible.

As night comes to the Canadian prairies the sun is rising on a new day in Europe for all of the birds. The rain falling in the Latvian forest where the three Black storklings nest sounds wonderful.

It was reported today that my city had only 1/10 the average amount of rain in July. It has been 150 years since this small amount of rain was last recorded. We long for a day just to listen to the sound of rain falling like it is here on the Black Storklings in Latvia:

Thank you so much for joining me today. It is wonderful to have you with me. Take care everyone!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: The Latvian Fund for Nature, Sea Eagle Cam, Birdlife Australia and the Discovery Centre, Charles Sturt University and the Falcon Cam Project, Port Lincoln Osprey Project and PLO FB Page for Solly’s transmitter data.

Note: The next newsletter will appear late Tuesday.