Llyn Clywedog – Mary Ann Steggles

First hatch at Pont Cresor and Kielder Forest…late Monday in Bird World

25 May 2026

Hello,

It’s hot. We were out early with Toby and now we are inside, drapes drawn and AC on. Cavaliers are susceptible to many ailments (I don’t care, I will take good care of Toby forever) so that Toby cannot be out in the heat of the day. He has a ‘chill’ coat that is soaked in cold water and a chill mat and I have made ice lollies for him with bone broth. Interestingly, Don has a medicine that restricts him from being out in the heat, too. So I guess summer is going to be interesting!

The first hatch has happened in the Glaslyn Valley and it is at the Pont Cresor nest of Z2 Aeron and Blue 014.

There are still two at the nest of CJ7 and Blue 022 at Poole Harbour although I almost caught myself thinking there were three.

An aerial view of an ospreys' nest containing two chicks and three eggs, surrounded by twigs and nesting materials.

Aerial view of an osprey nest with three chicks and one egg among twigs and nesting material.

A close-up of a bird's nest containing two newly hatched chicks, with one chick facing upwards and opening its beak, while an adult bird is positioned nearby.

There are three osplets at the Moraine Preservation Fund Osprey Platform. Little is so tiny! I hope they get lots of fish and this baby survives.

An osprey nest with several chicks being fed by an adult osprey, surrounded by twigs, pine cones, and some debris.

Clark PUD in Washington State has three babies and no shade!

A close-up view of an owl nest containing several young owlets, surrounded by twigs and natural materials, with a background showing train tracks and green grass.

Newport Bay Conservany has two osplets that are getting their juvenile feathers.

A close-up view of an osprey resting in its nest made of sticks, with a scenic background of grassy wetlands and a winding river.

Three babies at Smallwood…

A bird sitting in a nest made of twigs and branches, with two chicks visible nearby.

Beautiful babies with Mum at Brevard in Florida.

Two osprey chicks sitting in their nest with a view of the water and a dock in the background.

Incubation continues in the Usk Valley in Wales.

Two birds sitting in a nest made of twigs on a tree branch, with a green landscape in the background.

Two little scrappers at Port of Ridgefield in Washington.

A bird standing on a nest with three chicks, surrounded by twigs and grass.

Please send the Dewey Beach every ounce of energy you can. One little osplet. Please, please let them have enough fish to keep this baby to fledge. Two small fish have come to the nest. Dad is trying but the adults have to be so hungry. This whole lack of fish ‘thing’ that is human caused is simply driving me to the brink.

An osprey perched on its nest, which is made of twigs and contains two small chicks, with a calm body of water and buildings in the background.

Incubation continues at Loch of the Lowes in Scotland.

An osprey standing on its nest overlooking a calm body of water surrounded by trees.

First fish from Jack at the Achieva nest came at 0832. The family was waiting. Mum got it and fed everyone.

An osprey nest with two chicks and one adult osprey perched on the edge, surrounded by branches. In the background, there are residential buildings and trees.

Chick 2 has hatched for Idris and Telyn at Dyfi.

An osprey standing near its nest, with three hatchlings visible on the ground among twigs and debris.

Two osprey chicks sitting in a nest made of twigs, with a scenic view of a grassy landscape and distant hills in the background.

A close-up view of a nest with several young osprey chicks and an unhatched egg, surrounded by twigs and nesting materials.

There are still three chicks at Rutland’s Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya.

Close-up of an osprey sitting in its nest with three chicks, near Manton Bay, with calm water in the background.

Three eggs being incubated at Lyn Brenig in Wales.

A bird perched on a nest against a backdrop of a river and trees, with the nest made of sticks and twigs.

One beautiful baby so far for White YW and Blue 35 at Foulshaw Moss.

An osprey sitting on its nest, surrounded by twigs and sticks, with a vast grassy field and distant hills in the background under a clear blue sky.

Frankie and Angel and their two darling osplets at Loch Doon.

An osprey standing on a nest made of twigs and moss, with two chicks visible nearby, set against a backdrop of trees and a distant landscape.

Dylan loves delivering Brown Trout to his family at Lyn Clywedog in Wales.

A close-up view of a nest containing several newly hatched chicks, with an adult bird standing nearby on the edge of the nest.

Life in the osprey world appears to be going well at these nests. There are, of course, many others, and we must check in on Iris. Tomorrow is the first day to vote on the name for NewGuy2. Please take part.

These two are hilarious.

An osprey is taking off from its nest, which is made of twigs and located on a raised platform. Another osprey is resting in the nest. The background shows a parking lot and greenery.

A close-up view of an osprey nest containing two juvenile ospreys, with one adult osprey sitting nearby, overlooking a parking lot and greenery in the background.

Rosie Shields brings us the latest news from Border Ospreys.

EGG COUNTDOWN Download

I am excited that Aran and his new mate will have chicks in a few days. He was the mate to Mrs G, then Elen (who is now with Teifi), and it is just great that there was a platform and a female for this dedicated dad.

A pair of osprey birds perched on a nest made of twigs and branches, located on a wooden platform. In the background, a blurred view of a grassy landscape with logs and a grazing animal.

Mary Kerr posted a YouTube video of Teifi and his brother Tywi in 2020. Teifi will be a dad in a few days when his and Elen’s eggs begin to hatch. Teifi is the son of Idris and Telyn. https://youtu.be/x1ewvCXqql8?

Close-up of two juvenile ospreys resting on a nest, one looking directly at the camera with a serious expression, and the other partially visible with its head turned.

It appears that Richmond and Wendy’s first egg is not viable at 41 days.

A chart titled 'Hatch Watch 2026' showing incubation projections for osprey eggs, with highlighted dates indicating possible hatching periods based on past incubation data.

Kielder Forest news – and there is a hatch at nest 1A.

Chick 1 for Nest 1A

Dale Hollow Eagle cam is frozen on 24 May.

A young eagle perched on a nest surrounded by lush green leaves and branches.

The livestream has been turned off of the Falconshire Bald Eagle nest where Scout eats crumbs and picks at his injured wing. Will he survive? We will never know what happened because they chose to intervene to band the chicks but not to keep Scout in rehab. Banding is, in my mind, a good thing but it is an intervention on the nest. Why not help Scout? Instead of hiding what is happening just because they are overwhelmed by people who care? Caring people should motivate for good!!!!!!

The last screen:

Two young birds in a nest surrounded by green foliage, with text wishing them a safe path toward fledging.

Good night from Missey.

A fluffy cat lounging on a soft surface near a window, looking relaxed and content.

First egg of the 2026 Loon Preservation Society has been laid!

First Egg Laid on LPCs Live Loon Cam Download

Bird flu has been detected in a pair of goshawks in the UK.

The heat on the Canadian Prairies has kept us inside. Don sleeps more as his disease progresses. Sometimes Toby ‘allows’ me to check on the bird nests. Toby is a bit like a toddler when their mother is on the telephone and they want attention!!!!!!! And how can I refuse?

Close-up of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with black, white, and tan fur, featuring expressive eyes and a curious expression, sitting on a couch.

If you are living in the UK, I know it is HOT, with temperatures of 35°C. Geemeff told me. Unbelievable. Mark Avery, head of RSPB for 25 years, has included paragraphs on a hotter Britain. I have included those thoughts in their entirety. “A hotter UK: a report published a couple of days ago – click here – by the Climate Change Committee contained the slightly chilling phrase ‘The UK was built for a climate that no longer exists today and will be increasingly distant in years to come.‘. That focuses our minds on what we need to do to adapt to the climate-mediated changes that are heading down the road anyway, such as increasing summer temperatures and increasing length of periods of what are currently abnormally high summer temperatures.

It won’t be me who is living in my current late-Victorian semi-detached brick-built, no cavity wall house in 25 years’ time but whoever does will need to do a bit more than know which curtains to shut, which doors to shut (and when to leave them wide open) to cope with high temperatures. Our house has quite a lot of roof that faces south (which is why solar panels work pretty well) but only one small window that faces south so the sun doesn’t beat down into rooms in the middle of the day. And the front door, and largest windows face west (whence the wind often comes) and the back door faces east, so it is possible to flush hot air from the house when temperatures drop in the evening. Even so, sitting quietly, reading a book, with one’s feet in a bowl of cold water is still an option applied even in these times.

There is much food for thought on flooding, the viability of farming, wildlife and infrastructure in this report. Read it and please never, ever, consider voting for Reform or the Conservatives whilst they have their current policies of scrapping net-zero measures. “

It is not just Britain that is hot. And the water that holds the fish for our beloved ospreys will be warming. Life will be difficult. How can we help? Remember: Put a bowl of water outside. There will be someone who needs it, and you might not know. It could be Mama Raccoon, the Sparrow, the homeless cat or dog, that comes in the middle of the night. Water is life.

It isn’t about raptors but if you happen to be near Mumbai, head over to see the art show and listen to a talk by my friend Pherozah Godrej.

Invitation to the 46th Monsoon Art Show at Jehangir Art Gallery, showcasing final year art students from various colleges in Maharashtra. Chief guest: Dr. Pheroza J. Godrej. Inauguration on June 19, 2026, at 5:00 PM, exhibition runs until June 29, 2026.

Beautiful Big Red and her babies. The oldest is just becoming steady standing.

A red-tailed hawk perched in its nest, overlooking two chicks among twigs and greenery.

Three red-tailed hawk chicks sitting in a nest made of twigs and branches, with a blurred background of trees and an elevated structure.

Ruth and Oren’s two hawklets are older at Syracuse University. Look at their juvenile feathers coming in and how good they are at standing.

Two juvenile hawks sitting in their nest surrounded by twigs and foliage.

Love White Storks? Knepp Farm’s Rewilding has brought them back to Britain and you can watch on their life stream: https://www.youtube.com/live/s0liN8AzykQ?

Two stork chicks interacting in a nest made of twigs, with greenery and a landscape visible in the background.

Geemeff’s The calm routine of the previous days changed today when Louis was kept busy keeping intruders away from the nest – while Dorcha protected the eggs, Louis chased away first a crow and later in the day an intruder Osprey. Neither got close enough to be a threat and Louis still had plenty of time to deliver two fish, taking the nest tally to eighty six. No intruders troubled the occupants of Nest One, and Garry LV0’s tally rises to eighty one after he delivered two fish to Aurora 536. The Inver Mallie forecast for the nest area is dry overnight with light cloud and light winds and a low of 9°C, continuing tomorrow with sunny intervals and a high of 20°C.
Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/XHVSJOXvl6U N2 Breakfast arrives for Dorcha on a damp grey morning 05.03.41 https://youtu.be/mt9KV0TNvi0 N2 Dorcha guards the eggs while Louis chases a crow 08.35.48https://youtu.be/wabw_lSDNBc N1 Aurora departs with her fish dangling precariously 12.41.19https://youtu.be/0U_yPezarMI N2 Louis is already on the eggs as Dorcha departs 13.47.12https://youtu.be/0JiykpnVbVI N2 Louis chases an intruder Osprey whileDorcha protects the eggs 18.45.56https://youtu.be/GYNsA8GWU84 N1 Garry’s in charge when Aurora departs with fish two 18.58.

You’re invited to 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

The Amersfoort Tower that has falcons in The Netherlands has another little one, Little Prince. He is doing so much better than Smallie that we worried so much about years ago!

A close-up of baby birds in a nest, surrounded by feathers and bedding material.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum – new couple? two eggs? three? hard to see. I did not see any fish brought on to the nest for the female. I hope I just missed the delivery. Looks like intruders about, too.

Two Ospreys resting in their nest made of twigs and branches, with a green landscape and pathways visible in the background.

Two osprey birds in their nest made of sticks and twigs, with green fields in the background.

Remember. Names for NewGuy2 posted tomorrow!

Thank you for being with us. I expect many more osprey babies to enter the world over the next couple of days. It is marvellous. I don’t believe I have ever worried about fish coming on a nest, save for the year that Aran was injured. What a contrast to the concerns in the NE US. Send wishes to all those nests, please – if the eggs hatch we need fish!

I have just learned that California has passed a law that would protect endangered species. I will find out more and report in a day or two. If this is true, it is wonderful – a real change from what is happening in Florida.

Take care. Stay cool. Remember to drink lots of water! Stay hydrated. See you soon.

Thank you to all of today’s contributors, whether it be videos, FB announcements, newsletters, or invites. We are grateful for all the camera owners who allow us to watch the lives of the birds, and we would be very grateful to know what has happened to Scout.

UK osprey chicks doing so well…Late Sunday in Bird World

24 May 2026

Hello Everyone,

Oh, the rain is gone, the sun is out, and Toby had a walk before the hot weather kicked in after lunch. Don and Toby are now sound asleep on the sofa. I noticed that it is sometimes harder for Don to walk with us. It looks like it is time to get that all-important walker! I am still sick, but the nice weather is giving me some energy!

Later…25 C. Toby hid under the deck when we went outside. It was his way of telling us that it was too hot for a Cavalier to be outside. Geemeff reported it was 27 C in London and we are expecting 32 C this coming week. Our City is wondering what to do about climate change – one big answer is trees. Thankfully, they have replanted every 123 year old tree cut down on our street. Will I live to see them reach 10 metres? I wonder. They certainly aren’t going to be offering shade soon.

Our Province generates electricity by hydroelectric power in the north. What happens if the water dries up? Are these things I should be thinking about insteading of listening to birdsong in the garden.

No, we should all be outside in nature listening for birdsong and enjoying the breeze, if there is one. It heals everything.

SK Hideaways videos of the week:

SK Hideaways Videos, week of 17 May 2026

FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Jackie, Shadow, Sandy & Luna
Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE
Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41eq4VzCYc4
Live Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz

Jackie & Shadow Greet Stunning Sunrise ~ Sandy & Luna Listen & Learn (2026 May 21)Jackie and Shadow greet each day with a series of chortles, snortles, and togetherness. 6-week-old Sandy and Luna observe the tradition in hopes of having perfect mates of their own one day. They did take a break in their listening exercise to have something that looked like a PS (poop shot) contest, which definitely added an unexpected element of humor to this otherwise serene slice of the family’s morning.
Video: https://youtu.be/gsX35LWeo8U

Fraser Point Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha, Zuma & Ryder
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s

Cruz manages the eaglets’ snatch & go shenanigans vs. peregrine mom Hartley doing the same (2026 May 20)
A morning in the life of Cruz and Andor, and their 7-week-old eaglets Sasha, Zuma, and Ryder. The Fraser Point nest is often called the “Zen nest” for good reason. We thought it would be interesting to contrast that calm to the mayhem that ensues when peregrine falcon parents bring prey to chicks of the comparatively same age. As such, there is a 2-minute clip of the San Jose City Hall Falcons receiving one of their meals this morning. Do you relate more with Zen or Zany?
Video: https://youtu.be/c9rs3z7Rh6c

San Jose City Hall Falcons ~ San Jose, CA ~ Hartley, Monty, Jet, Scout, Stewart & Walton
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

Meet Jet, Scout, Stewart & Walton ~ Flapping, Bouncing Boys at 4-1/2 Weeks (2026 May 23)Hartley and Monty’s 4-1/2-week old boys are on track to take flight far sooner than we’re ready ~ as soon as next week. Jet, Scout, Stewart, and Walton are flapping, bouncing, and head-tilting exactly as they should be at this age. Their shenanigans are more entertaining by the day.
Video: https://youtu.be/EYU0d3IHwSk
4 Week Milestones: Chicks sleep outside nest box, steal prey, perch on ledge and drain (2026 May 18)
The chicks are achieving milestones right on schedule. They had many firsts yesterday: sleeping outside the nest box (3 of them), stealing prey from parents, jumping up to the lower ledge (2 of them), and Red perched on the drain. They’re growing up way too fast for my liking.
Video: https://youtu.be/GhKpFR5-4Ao

Two Harbors Eagles ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Cholyn & Chase
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI

Cholyn & Chase’s Date Night ~ Seaside Chat & Sunset Stick Wrangling (22 May 2026)
Though we can’t follow them every second of the day (unfortunately), on-cam views tell us that Cholyn and Chase spend a lot of time together. Cam ops found them in their seaside hideaway, chortling, beaky kissing, and watching the world go by. Later, they met on the Two Harbors nest, where a pesky Y branch is partially obstructing one of their flight paths and really getting on Chase’s nerves. So far, the branch is winning. No matter where they are or what they’re doing, observing this special couple is always a huge gift.
Video: https://youtu.be/PxEikeV79oQ

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 24th May 2026

Today’s report is pretty much the same as yesterday’s – routine fish deliveries and incubation changeovers, and some rain. The only unusual thing was some owl calls heard near Nest Two in daylight, bringing up the possibility that last year’s mimic Jay might be back. Garry LV0 brought one fish on camera for Aurora 536, taking the Nest One tally to seventy nine, and Louis brought two fish for Dorcha, taking the Nest Two tally to eighty four. At the time of posting this report (23.30) night cam is on on both nests and both females are sitting peacefully on the eggs, three eggs for Dorcha and one for first time mum Aurora. The overnight forecast islight clouds with a low of 11°C, changing to light rain showers with sunny spells and a high of 17°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/N1PzT74pRgU N2 Breakfast for Dorcha 06.14.30https://youtu.be/uqynv2YQgfg N1 Large headless trout for Aurora 12.20.55https://youtu.be/N1PzT74pRgU N2 Second fish for Dorcha 17.49.34

Bonus watch – With reference to the mimic Jay and the cleverness of Corvids, here’s David Attenborough and the Crows in Japan who’ve learned to use humans to their advantage:

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/oQ-vxocxIJs N2 Watch those big feet Louis! Bob gets stood on 2025

You’re invited to join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, fun, and free!

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

When will Richmond and Wendy have chicks? Well, we don’t know but this was Rosie’s schedule.

Chart illustrating the hatching timeline for osprey eggs based on previous incubation data, highlighting key dates for potential hatching.

SK Hideaways introduces us to the San Jose City Hall falcons and their new names. https://youtu.be/EYU0d3IHwSk?

Four young peregrine falcons, labeled Jet, Scout, Stewart, and Walton, perched side by side on a ledge, showcasing their youthful feathers and behaviors as they prepare to take flight.

Two cuties for Idris and Telyn so far at Dyfi. Adults did a team feeding on Sunday. Sweet.

Close-up of two newly hatched osprey chicks with remnants of eggshell and nesting material in the background.

Two hungry beaks for CJ7 and her fish!

A close-up of a bird's nest with a chick and an adult bird, showing details of the nest's surroundings and the chick's striped feathers.

At Manton Bay, Blue 33 and Maya have a nest of almost three little reptiles as the soft down of the hatchlings gives way to that oily head and coppery feathers at the nape of the neck.

An osprey standing over its chicks in a nest, with several gray, downy chicks visible beneath its wings, set against a backdrop of water and twigs.

Dylan and Seren have three osplets and after delivering a fish at 1445 on Sunday, Dylan stayed and helped Seren feed the babies.

A pair of ospreys near their nest, with one adult bird looking down at a chick.

Two littles for Frankie and Angel at Roundhouse Loch Doon.

A bird, likely an osprey, is sitting on a nest with small chicks in a natural outdoor setting, surrounded by trees and greenery.

A nurturing osprey pair feeding their chicks in a nest at Loch Doon, surrounded by trees and a scenic landscape.

The chat at the Falconshire Bald Eagle nest remains shut down to the vulnerability of what is happening on the nest. Scout is still with us! The weather is not great, but a part of a fawn came in on Sunday morning, and Scout had a good feed. The wing is still healing.

Two young eagles standing in their nest surrounded by green leaves and trees.

Update on the bald eagle nest featuring Scout and Sunday, discussing food deliveries and recent challenges faced by the eaglets.

A dramatic scene showing young birds in a nest, one claiming a fish while another, a mature bald eagle, appears to attack nearby.

No one needs to worry about P3. The third hatch for Big Red and Arthur is doing quite well and is often right up front at meal time.

A red-tailed hawk is feeding its fluffy chicks in a nest made of twigs, surrounded by green foliage and a metal structure.

Big continues to fly and return to the nest for fish at the Achieva Credit Union.

A hawk nest with two young hawks resting inside, surrounded by sticks and twigs, set against a backdrop of trees and a residential area.

I might have missed it but I have yet to see a fish delivery to Mum and only chick at Dewey Beach. No, I didn’t. Nothing. This is going to be very sad.

An osprey sitting in its nest made of twigs and grass, with a blurred background featuring a waterfront and buildings.

A read: ‘Thirty-Two Words for Field’ by the late Manchán Magan, thanks to Emergence Magazine.

Thirty-Two Words for Field – Manchán Magan Download

News from Usk Valley Ospreys:

https://www.uskvalleyospreys.org/news/the-expected-and-the-unexpected?fbclid=IwY2xjawSAI-hleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe5vfMeScTIcfRfreHoSKJweUVbNkYoVbkNEqsxOIX-Y_AQog-HGfc5QjpA2g_aem_KfQAUFErO4f-7cwsr1PcEQ

A look at the eggs at Loch of the Lowes: https://youtu.be/IoouZT5I7MI?

Close-up of a bird's feet with leg bands resting beside a large speckled egg and straw in a nest.

If you want to know what is going on at the US osprey nests – I will only touch on a few – then please check out the FB group Joy of Ospreys.

Hatch watch at Glaslyn for both nests!

Social media post about Glaslyn Ospreys, announcing they are on egg watch as both nests have eggs due to hatch soon.

Thank you for being with us today. It was so hot here, and it is going to get worse. I imagine that no matter where you live, you will see a change in temperatures this summer. Please leave out water for the birds – baths help to cool them off, and bowls of water offer hydration. You also need to make sure that you are getting enough hydration, too.

Got old cat or dog kibble? Birds eat it! It is a great source of protein.

See you soon!

Thank you so much to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their diligence in sending me their weekly videos and daily summaries. I am so terribly grateful to both of them. It allows me to include much more news that I might – and I know you are wondering what is happening at all those nests! I am grateful to everyone who posts information on FaceBook whether it is a newsletter, or the latest news with a photo. Let us all thank the owners of the streaming cams who let us watch these amazing families.

Two osplets for Dylan and Seren, Names for San Jose Falcons…Late Thursday in Bird World

21 May 2026

Greetings Everyone!

Late Update: Names for the San Jose Falcons. Thank you ‘PB’.

A Facebook post from The San Jose City Hall Falcons announcing the chosen names for their birds, thanking the contributors, and highlighting the significance of the names honoring Glenn Stewart and Brian Walton.

If you missed it, SK Hideaways has the video of the banding: https://youtu.be/xAj20H9x1OI?

Oh, what a marvellous day it has been at home. We had a long leisurely walk with Toby and then headed to a local greenhouse/garden centre that started small about 22 years ago. I had wonderful students who worked there, a kind of hippie place that cared about the quality of what they sold. It still makes me feel good shopping there. They care for their plants and the family and students who own and work there benefit directly. By evening, all of our boxes will be planted. Don fell in love with a purple geranium and out went the red colour scheme! Who cares?! Right?

A purple geranium caught Don’s eye.

Close-up of vibrant pink and white flowers with lush green leaves, growing in dark soil.

One of my favourites is the fuschia.

Close-up view of vibrant pink and purple flowers with green leaves growing in a terracotta pot.

We had another long walk with Toby before I started writing and checking in on nests that might have a pip in the UK.

The Girls have been enjoying having the windows in the conservatory open ‘a little’. Of course, they can’t be open all the way because of Hugo Yugo – always the trouble maker – who likes to try and escape!!!!!! They have ‘dental treats’ before bed and remain my darlings, but this goofy dog who is so well behaved has my heart. I am grateful to the universe for sending him to me.

Close-up of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with fluffy fur and expressive eyes, resting on a person's lap.

It continues to be worrisome in some nests in the US. The death of both eaglets at Glen Hayes set everyone back, and now Scout, who was returned to the Falconshire Bald Eagle nest, is being literally beaten to death by its older sibling. Hopes are that Dewey Beach continues to have only one chick – the thought being they might be able to find enough fish for one.

But overall, there is a bit of a sense of unease and worry – that is why I am spending so much time outside with Toby and Don. If I don’t, come winter, which will be here too soon, I will regret it. If you know someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia or any mental illness, being outside is so beneficial. Well, it is to all of us!!!!!!! What I am saying is, do not stop caring for these little ones. It is what makes you so very special and caring, and people who will change the way the world is going in good time. But also, when you are feeling overwhelmed, step back, go outside, and listen to the birds, feel the rain or the sunshine on your face.

No pip at Dyfi for Idris and Telyn yet!

An osprey resting in its nest surrounded by twigs and grass.

Good look at the eggs at Poole Harbour – another clutch of four for CJ7 and Blue 022.

Aerial view of an osprey sitting on a nest containing eggs, surrounded by twigs and natural debris.

CJ7 has ‘that look’ on her eye. It was possible there was something happening with one of the eggs later. Maybe we will see tomorrow.

A close-up of a hawk resting on its nest, surrounded by twigs and natural debris, captured in black and white.

Checking in on Manton Bay, it appears some cracks might be in egg 4! Or is it my imagination and nesting material?

A bird of prey sitting on eggs in its nest, with twigs and grass surrounding it, captured in low-light conditions.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 21st May 2026

Another day with no intruders or alarms, just more rain, fish deliveries, and incubation changeovers. In a reverse of yesterday, Garry LV0 brought one fish for Aurora 536 while Louis brought three fish for Dorcha. That makes equal totals for Louis and Garry at seventy four fish each, but the Nest Two total is now higher at seventy six, including Dorcha’s two, while the Nest One total is lower at seventy four. The weather forecast is for more rain, throughout the night and continuing tomorrow, with an overnight low of 12°C and a high tomorrow of 18°C.Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/fXPVYmKOwe4 N2 Early breakfast on a damp morning 05.11.08https://youtu.be/OGSGhwPne-w N1 Delivery for Aurora – large fresh trout

11.23.15https://youtu.be/0XjZP34mVvI N2 Dorcha departs with her lunch leaving Louis in charge 12.19.49https://youtu.be/ugVh1YPz088 N2 Louis feaks his beak after delivering the third fish 18.34.53

Bonus read – the news item about the 2022 sighting in Shetland of 2020 chick Doddie JJ6, the only Arkaig chick to have been sighted as a returner to the UK:

https://www.westcoasttoday.co.uk/all-content-wct/lochaber-osprey-doddie-causes-a-flap-for-shetland-bird-watchers

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/y5N9tfD_PEE N1 What scares Louis off the eggs? 2019

https://youtu.be/Z6OExIKyXtQ N1 Pickup sticks: Aila ejects Louis 2020

https://youtu.be/gnWD639_5Ag N1 Early morning mating attempt in high winds 2021

https://youtu.be/U9Owo_N_ch4 News! News! News! Doddie JJ6 sighted in Shetland! 2022

https://youtu.be/fHuHEbhUV_c N1 Louis lands on Nest One giving little warning chirps 2023

https://youtu.be/EKDZm4svj04 N2 Tawny Owl attack – no harm done 2024 (slo-mo repeat)

https://youtu.be/vxm_bBzofYc N1 Jay returns 2024 (zoom)https://youtu.be/wWIaZEWpPyk N2 Well done Louis! First fish is the season’s hundredth 2025

https://youtu.be/qnHSG_tvBZk N1 Aurora gets a nice size fish supper from Garry 2025https://youtu.be/Vd9yqSxu-wYN2 Tawny Owl strikes three times with Louis & Dorcha both on the nest 2025 (slo-mo repeat)

You’re invited to 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

Big Red makes sure that P3 gets fed!

A red-tailed hawk feeding its chicks in a nest, surrounded by twigs and greenery.

Cowlitz PUD now has three eggs.

An osprey sitting on a nest with three eggs, surrounded by twigs and moss, near water.

Nothing nicer than waking up with Jackie and Shadow chortling as the sun rises over Big Bear Valley. The School children have been very successful in raising donations to save MoonCamp and the land area the nest. Congratulations to all who have worked so diligently on behalf of all the wildlife.

Here is the video: https://youtu.be/gsX35LWeo8U?

Mr and Mrs Crow have been very busy at the feeder.

A black crow perched on a feeder surrounded by greenery and a background of wooden structures.

We have two cute little osplets for Dylan and Seren now at Llyn Clywedog in Wales.

Two adult ospreys caring for their chick in a nest made of twigs and grass, surrounded by greenery.

Keep an eye on the UK nests, we should have some of the sweetest little osplets hatching.

Waiting for Bety and Bukachek at Mlady Buky Stork Nest to have little ones hatch.

A stork sitting in its nest on a rooftop, overlooking a village with houses and a scenic green landscape in the background.

Caitir and Loki lost one eaglet. The other appears to be doing fine.

A white-tailed eagle stands beside its chick in a nest, surrounded by branches and foliage, captured during a live feed from North Uist, Outer Hebrides.

Harry has been delivering fish to Winken at Moorings Park. All is well.

Two ospreys on their nest overlooking a body of water and surrounding greenery in Moorings Park, Naples, FL.

Not quite ready for eggs in Norway yet. These are the dates Fru Rauer laid:

-April 26 at 15:39 – 1st egg https://youtu.be/6-AtMkIDPVE?si=1KLrz… -April 29 at 12:01 – 2nd egg https://youtu.be/eVS-l2llF2w?si=BDsv-… – Third egg laid between 1st and may 3 (camera was down, so we do not know the exact time and date) Most likely may 2

A Norwegian osprey sitting on a nest made of twigs and moss, overlooking a serene water body.

Beautiful storklets at the nest in The Netherlands.

A stork stands on top of a large nest with three chicks visible inside, surrounded by trees and a building in the background.

Migratory Bird Numbers fell despite a warm spring in the UK.

Migratory bird numbers fall in Britain despite last year’s warm springhttps://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/may/21/weather-bird-numbers-fall-britain-despite-warm-spring?CMP=share_btn_url

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We will see you soon!

Thank you to all the contributors whose work is in this blog – videos, posts, and screen captures. I am very, very grateful. Thank you to ‘PB’, who keeps a close eye on Achieva. That nest is doing well with multiple deliveries by Jack today and a late, large catfish by Jill. Thank you to The Guardian for its continuing coverage of the environment and wildlife, and Geemeff for their dedication to the Loch Arkaig nests.

2nd egg pipping for Seren and Dylan…Late Wednesday in Bird World

20 May 2026

Oh, hello everyone,

It warmed up! Mike finished the railings and will begin the small deck extension shortly. Toby and I planted beans, tomatoes, red peppers, chives, various lettuces, and rosemary. We even managed to almost finish painting a wicker plant stand for one of the lovely chartreuse ferns. It was 17 C. Ann and Don went to the zoo, where to their delight, the peacocks were really putting on quite the show. It was what I call a ‘cracker’ of a day.

‘PB’ just sent a note about Achieva. Jill went out and caught a small fish for Big to eat alone. Then she went out again and came in with a big catfish for both her and Little. She is a brilliant dedicated Mum!

A bird standing on a fish in a nest made of twigs and branches.

A bird of prey, possibly an eagle, in flight carrying a fish in its claws, with a nest made of sticks visible below.

I love the fact that these two osprey are so bonded that they remain together despite having no eggs but protecting their territory and nest for next year! It’s called ‘hope’ and we all could use a good dose of it right now!

Two ospreys sitting in their nest surrounded by greenery.

An image of an osprey couple, FS2 and Eli, at their nest, appearing attentive and engaged in their relationship despite not producing eggs this season.

Sadly, Flora’s Harry has not been seen at the Alyth Substation osprey platform since Saturday. Flora had to go and find food, and when she left their eggs, the Corvids came and ate them. It is a blessing. There are no chicks to starve, and Flora can have a summer building up her strength. Harry was very special and is a huge loss.

Blue KL5 has not returned to the Loch Garten nest for many days. He is also presumed to be lost like Harry. It has been a rough year in the UK osprey world, much different than in previous years when couples were secure and chicks hatched and fledged in a normal calm manner.

Heidi reports on the saddness coming out of Mispillion Harbour osprey platform.

An osprey sitting in its nest, which is located in a wooden structure. The nest is made of straw and has several holes. In the background, there is a grassy area.

There is cuteness at the nest of Dylan and Seren – and what a bright spot these little osplets are that are hatching!

An osprey stands next to its nest, which contains a chick and an egg, surrounded by twigs and branches in a natural setting.

An osprey is standing beside a chick in a nest, with eggs visible in the background.

So cute – turn around you silly!!!!!!!! Manton Bay with Blue 33 and Maya.

Two adult ospreys standing near their nest, which contains several chicks and an unhatched egg, set against a backdrop of water.

Iris had a little visitor from one of the nests inside her nest!

An osprey sitting in a nest surrounded by twigs and grass, with a chick beside it.

Two young osprey chicks huddled together in a nest made of twigs and pine needles.

Have you been wonderfing about the female at the Glen-Hayes nest?

A post discussing the impact of consuming a deceased eagle's remains on a mother eagle already symptomatic with avian flu, detailing biological responses and immunity challenges.

A bald eagle with wings spread, situated in its nest among green leaves and trees.

We have a fledge/fludge at Johnson City ETSU.

A collage of images from a live nest cam showing a bald eagle nest with eaglets. One eaglet is visible in the nest, while another is perched nearby. The background features trees and foliage.

Have you noticed that Monty and Hartley raise the most energetic chicks?!!!!!!!! Always getting into mischief. SK Hideaways gives us some of their latest antics in this video: https://youtu.be/GhKpFR5-4Ao?

Two falcons perched on a ledge, with a camera and a building in the background. A text box explains how falcons bob their heads to enhance depth perception.

Lady and Dad have been regularly coming to the nest tree in the Sydney Olympic Park.

A nocturnal surveillance image of a bird perched on a tree branch, surrounded by foliage, captured in black and white.

A live stream image of a sea eagle perched on a branch near its nest, surrounded by trees at dusk.

Hatch watch for Richmond and Wendy.

Close-up of a mature osprey perched on a railing, with a sharp gaze, possibly considering fishing while monitoring a nearby nest.

Gracie Shepherd shows us the latest on the fires on Santa Rosa Island where there are eagle nests with babies!

Map showing Santa Rosa Island with highlighted areas indicating wildfire impact, alongside a coastal view of the island.

What a cutie that hatched for Dylan and Seren yesterday with another nice pip in the second egg!

A bird of prey, likely an eagle or hawk, is seen in a black and white image, tending to its nest that contains eggs and a newly hatched chick.

Prey becomes comfy pillows at Big Red and Arthur’s nest in New York.

A red-tailed hawk is nesting with several chicks in a nest made of twigs on a rooftop ledge, overlooking a city street.

A red-tailed hawk sitting on a nest with several fluffy chicks, surrounded by twigs and greenery.

Aerating the eggs at Pitkin County in Colorado.

An osprey resting on its nest made of twigs and branches, with green grass and shrubs in the background.

Ann loves peacocks and this article just popped up in The Guardian!

Peacock ‘invasion’ of Italian seaside town ruffles feathershttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/16/peacock-italy-punta-marina-tensions?CMP=share_btn_url

It’s raining. The sky is grey and it is cooling off. Hoping for warm weather tomorrow! Take care everyone. We will see you again soon.

Thank you to everyone for their contributions – videos, informative posts and messages with images, authors of FB posts and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us these screen captures and a view into the life of these families.

Name Jackie and Shadow’s chicks…Late, late Thursday in Bird World

16 April 2026

Good Evening,

Want to help name Jackie and Shadow’s eaglets? Here is the link. Below is a note about the process.

Naming Contest

A pair of baby bald eagle chicks in a nest, with one chick being fed by an adult eagle; to the right, a smiling woman with long gray hair is shown, likely in a natural setting.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 15th April 2026

Another quiet day, just the three Ospreys – Dorcha, Garry LV0 and Aurora 536 – around, and no nest swapping today. Cam One didn’t come online until nearly 1pm and through the swoops as the cam recalibrated Garry was seen with a fish which travelled on and off the nest a few times before Aurora took it from him and departed with it. They had several mating attempts one of which definitely looked successful. Dorcha was the only visitor to her nest, coming twice, keeping a quiet vigil, head turning, checking the area whether for intruders or her missing mate Louis we can’t say. Over in Bunarkaig things are settled too, LizB gave this report: Two ospreys at the nest when I passed earlier this afternoon. One arrived with a fish while I was watching, which the female took to a neighbouring tree to eat. The male spent time tidying the nest. All looked nice and peaceful.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/vGAt51eYQdY N2 Dorcha keeps a lonely vigil 09.04.14https://youtu.be/bP5DOJQFkhw N1 Garry’s seen with a fish as the cam comes online 12.58.23 https://youtu.be/XF5nxnqqZP8 N1 Aurora does nest prep like a reluctant teenager 13.32.54https://youtu.be/xILuXzfJnsg N1 Is Garry bringing a new fish or an old one? 14.02.35

https://youtu.be/UHwsdMnhE40 N1 Successful mating for Garry and Aurora 17.42.09https://youtu.be/a403Hb90Ww0 N2 Dorcha returns and waits as the day draws to a close 18.35.59Bonus read – George quoted in an article about protestors trying to save ancient woodland:https://www.pressreader.com/uk/barrhead-news-saxb/20260415/281852945143245
Blast from the past, this day in previous years:
https://youtu.be/51sv0sFASJA N1 Aila & Louis: love in the dark 2020
https://youtu.be/Ne6U24RQtfk N1 Louis is harassed by persistent Hoodies 2021
https://youtu.be/LbhbAx0KBh4 N2 Stickly situation: Louis and a log 2022
https://youtu.be/7w0I3iYZssc N2 Synchronised landings 2023 (slo-mo repeat)https://youtu.be/glFpcNXi9Oo N2 Dorcha and the egg star on BBC Breakfast 2024
https://youtu.be/cuIKVzgrQMY N1: Garry LV0 does some nest scraping and watches for a potential mate 2024
https://youtu.be/GVX93Gmg5KI George WTS’s interview on BBC Radio Scotland Today 2024https://youtu.be/A_RZD0tcTvQ N2 Louis arrives with a lively flapping trout 2025https://youtu.be/Ca_z21qf71I N1 Garry LV0 leaves in a hurry, an aerial fight ensues 2025https://youtu.be/6I2Eivd3aaM N2 Dorcha seizes fish number two as soon as it arrives 2025 https://youtu.be/6I2Eivd3aaM N1 is this a female Buzzard scouting for a nest? 2025

Why not come and join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and everyone’s welcome:

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

The osprey platform in Ranworth, Norfolk has its first egg.

Elen commands the nest at Glaslyn with mate, Teifi. Eggs next week?

An osprey perched on a branch near its nest overlooking a lush green field at dusk.

Fru and Herr Rauer have made the news in Norway. http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx-SD2WBXBbBJa05v7HZRPbBuwVAfRAlWv?

Dylan and Seren at the Lyn Clywedog 1 nest:

A large bird of prey standing on a nest, with an egg visible, set against a dark, mountainous landscape.

Songbird killing continues in Lebanon. Not nice.

A person holding several captured songbirds in their hands.

Pam Breci reports that the geese have taken over the Niagara Bee Osprey nest.

Osprey on south nest at Coeur de’ Alene, Idaho.

An osprey stands on a large nest made of sticks, situated on a platform above a park. In the background, there are playground equipment and trees beginning to bloom in a city area.

Geemeff sends us a good news story:

https://www.aol.com/articles/rhode-island-energy-moves-osprey-233149136.html

Hot in St Petersburg. Mum, Jill, shades the babies. Both had breakfast. But will the little one have anything else? Does Mum need to go and fish again? Does she know where Diane caught her catfish?

A bird perched on a nest made of twigs, with a scenic view of trees and houses in the background.

A hawk standing in its nest made of twigs, surrounded by trees, with a view of a suburban street in the background.

The Moorings Park osplets have been named. The oldest is Winken and the second is Blinken. (I guess Baby that was lost is Nod).

A nest of ospreys with two chicks and one adult bird in a natural setting near the water, captured during a live stream.

Geemeff informs me that JJ4 has been at Loch Arkaig and has brought in nesting materials. Now…if he wants to win Dorcha’s heart, he’d best get on with a fish!

An osprey standing on a nest made of twigs and branches, overlooking a scenic landscape with mountains and a river in the background.

Today was a long day with many individuals coming and going. The only thing that works when you are caring for someone with dementia is to keep the routine. Ours blew up in shards today. We did get our hair cut, and Miyoung is amazing. She is so good and careful with Donald. Doors were fixed, a digital door opener was installed, and now the third person is here, wiring the doorbell and the alarm. I still have to get the gate in front built so that it can lock. Don will be living in a fortress! But he can wander in the garden as much as he wants!!!!!!!!! All of this has made me mentally tired and I am going to take some time off and get outside once everything is finished! I will be back with you on Monday. Have a great weekend.

Thank you to Geemeff for the happy story and for the Woodland Trust news, to all those who post on FB with such great information, the owners of the streaming cams, and to you, my readers for being there for wildlife. Thank you to CABS for all they do!

Hatch at Port Lincoln, Blue 5 F, Seren, is in The Gambia…Sunday in Bird World

6 October 2024

Good Morning,

My inbox is full: There is finally a hatch at Port Lincoln and a pip in a second egg. Fish fairies get ready!!!!!!!!!

There is really good news coming out of West Africa. Blue 5F, Seren, the mate of Dylan from Llyn Clywedog in Wales, is right on her favourite stump in Tujering, The Gambia. She has arrived safely. Oh, that just puts a smile on my face and makes me feel warm and fuzzy. What a distance they have to travel and with the Sahara expanding every year, it can be even a more treacherous journey.

Autumn is such a bittersweet time of year. It is my favourite season because of the chill in the air, the crunch and smell of the orange, red, rust, and espresso-coloured leaves under my feet. As a young girl, there was something about walking through the University of Oklahoma campus when there was a home game that was energizing. At the other end, all of the leaves are falling off the trees, the vines on the woodshed are dead, and most of the songbirds are gone. Soon, everything will be only grey and brown. The geese leaving daily remind me that winter will be here sooner than one desires. Even so, the little sparrows are having baths today, while the Starlings hope that I will give in and put out more mealworms. Of course, I did! They are now busy gobbling them up. Yes.

A very unusual thing happened. The Boyfriend showed up at 1500 wanting his evening meal. The birds were eating at all of the spots ferociously. It is not 1515. The winds have picked up. Dark clouds have covered the grey sky and the phone now tells us to expect rain within the hour. Wind gusts are 40-68 km/h. The lilacs are beginning to whip around like mini-tornadoes and the leaves are flying about the yard. It seems that the garden animals are so in touch with the weather. They do not need an iPhone or the telly to tell them what is happening. They know precisely. I am always so amazed at how smart wildlife is and how so many people think they are just ‘bird brained’ and have no feelings. Silly people.

The Farmer’s Almanac: “Did you know that bird behavior can help us predict the weather? Closely observe nature and your feathered friends—you might be surprised by what you learn!

One of these days, take a moment to look up. Watch birds in flight. Birds flying high in the sky usually indicate fair weather. As the adage goes …

Hawks flying high means a clear sky. When they fly low, prepare for a blow.
Geese fly higher in fair weather than in foul.

Air pressure does indeed affect birds. For example, swallows have sensitive ears; when the barometric pressure drops, they fly as close to the ground as possible, where air density is greatest. Low-flying birds are generally a sign of rain, while high-flyers indicate fair weather.”

Birds and Weather Prediction | The Old Farmer’s Almanac Download

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources tells us more:

Out My Backdoor: Can Birds Predict Severe Weather? | Department Of Natural Resources Division Download

One of our readers, ‘B’ sent us a great article about the heavy impact that Avian Flu is having on Bald Eagles. The situation is far worse than imagined.

In eagle nirvana, bird flu is decimating our national bird – Washington Post Download

Waba is the 2022 hatch of Karl II and Kaia from the Estonian Black Stork nest in the Karula Forest. For many of us, he is very precious and we hope that he will live long and carry on the legacy of Karl II who was so tragically killed on a power pole in Turkey last year. Waba is now in Romania making his way down to Africa where he will spend the winter.

Two are already in Africa, Timmu and Kergu.

You can monitor their progress by following the bird migration map or checking in on Maria Marika’s very informative and up to date FB page.

Everyone is anxiously awaiting for that crack in the egg at Port Lincoln to give way to a very feisty little osplet! Heidi called it this morning for us.

Mum is snoozing. She needs all the rest she can get before these three eggs hatch. Those chicks will keep her and Dad super busy for the next 100 days.

Omega is fishing on the weekend at the boundary between Virginia and Maryland ensuring that they get every last Menhaden in the Bay.

Raining on Gabby Saturday. She is still alone at the nest. We have no idea what is happening elsewhere to either Beau or 24E1.

Gabby is here and moderators have confirmed that Beau is on the LOP.

Weather and migration.

So cute. The parents at 367 Collins Street are doing an amazing job with those three chicks. Remember that the falcon chicks cannot see for a few days. Their open eye is just a slit. This will change around day 5 to being fully open and round. As they begin to focus, they will be better able to aim and grab that prey!

Lovely video of F23 helping her little one. https://youtu.be/Fvhh5PWq7G4?

‘A’ loves F23’s technique: “At Collins Street, mum’s garage door technique is working a treat, with all three well sheltered by her body and wings. Clever mum. You have no idea how relieved it makes me to see that she has a preference for this brooding position. It really is by far the best for sheltering chicks from rain in particular – a larger area stays dry. I have watched it on eagle nests and osprey nests so many times, and this is definitely the most efficient position. So much so that I wonder why all birds don’t use it pretty much all the time.””At Collins Street, mum brought in a large fresh catch around 18:37, which she then prepared and fed to the three littles. At 18:41, dad came trotting down the ledge with a freshly caught bird in his beak. Mum and dad had a good discussion about the prey situation, and dad took his offering to stash somewhere for later. Mum continued with the feeding. Her bird is massive compared to dad’s, and the debris left on the ledge is impressive.

The Collins Street parents are working so well together to raise these three chicks. I am looking forward to this nest. I am confident these two are going to do a great job. And the pigeons have returned to the CBD it seems – I saw several in Fitzroy (a suburb right next to the CBD) today – they looked plump and healthy and a passerby laughed when he heard me encouraging one such plump pigeon to go for a sightseeing flight over the CBD because our baby falcons in Collins Street might need a feed. (Most Melburnians know about our falcons.) “

Breakfast at Orange. Will that third egg hatch?

‘A’ remarks: “Oh my goodness Xavier! He brought in a piece of prey at 09:25 this morning that was SO big, I have no idea how he managed to fly with it. I am notoriously bad at identifying prey but it was gigantic. Maybe a duck? I don’t know so never quote me on prey types. But this was half the size of Xavier! No, as I watch him struggle to take it away to a stash spot, I see that it is in fact MORE than half Xavier’s size. Seriously. Rewind the fotoage at Orange and have a look at this. Xavier really is stepping up his prey deliveries as the number of beaks in that scrape increases. We now have three little bobbleheads and we all know how much falcon chicks like their food. After all, they tell us so, very very loudly.””
Xavier has really stepped up his hunting since the chicks hatched, and today, he brought in an impressive array of sacrificial birds, including a duckling I’m pretty sure (there was a lot of discussion about the possible sources of duckling on the chat, suggesting that my guess re the ID of that gigantic piece of prey Xavier brought to the scrape was in fact correct. Surprise! It really was huge though. I have no idea how he managed to fly with it. Falcons are obiviously significantly stronger than they look.”

A beautiful family portrait at the Olympic Sea Eagle nest.

Jumping and flapping!

‘A’: “October 6: All early awake, with duets and all joining in. Dad brought leaves in a couple of times. The eaglets were waiting all morning until Lady brought a mullet at 12:26 and fed both. Just before 4pm, Dad brought in a small portion of fish and fed both – it didn’t last long, and SE33 grabbed the last scrap from SE34. Late afternoon, SE33 was standing right on the front rim, flapping and moving sticks about. Looking back, we noticed that on Friday, SE33 was seen on the lower part of Perching Branch – venturing out. At dark, both finally settled down.”

Look at all the little kestrel chicks having a feeding! Goodness me they are the cutest. https://youtu.be/AYGXwCBmOU0?

The Achieva nest is a real mess. Maybe a big wind will come and blow the entire lot of it down on the ground.

Florida will be hit again by Milton. It might clean up the Achieva nest, but let us hope that all stay safe.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care everyone. Enjoy the end of your weekend. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Heidi’, The Farmer’s Almanac, The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The Washington Post, Maria Marika, Port Lincoln Osprey, William Dunn and Menhaden, Little Fish, Big Deal, NEFL-AEF, Meterologist Chris Vickers, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Nesting Bird Life and More, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Olympic Park Eagles, Charter Group Bird Cams, Achieva Credit Union, and Sunnie Day.

Early Sunday in Bird World

4 September 2022

Oh, Good Morning Everyone. I hope this newsletter finds you well and happy.

It is a beautiful holiday Monday on the Canadian prairies. The sun is shining bright but the temperature is not going above 24 C today – a great day to go out and continue checking on the ducks and geese. Autumn is one of my most favourite times of year despite the fact that it leads us directly into winter and is often too short!

Yesterday the Cormorants and American White Pelicans were enjoying time in the shade near the dam at Lockport, Manitoba. The image below is one tiny section. There were more than 60 pelicans and 45 Double-crested Cormorants swimming and drying off in the sun.

If you live in or around Winnipeg, Fort Whyte will begin staying open Wed-Sunday beginning 21 September so that you can watch the Canada Geese arrive in the thousands at dusk. It is an amazing sight. There will be food trucks or you can bring your own picnic. The cafe might be holding its Goose Flight dinners but this is uncertain due to the same staffing shortages that are hitting the hospitality industry worldwide.

From the Mailbox:

‘H’ writes to ask me if I am familiar with moon_rabbit_rising on Instagram? Oh, yes, I am and if you love the Cal Falcons then you need to head over and see Bridgette Ahern’s incredible – and I do mean incredible – images of Annie and Grinnell and their family and now Annie and Alden and their family.

‘D’ wrote as did several others following my UK Osprey postings and information about the female departures: “Are the Dads usually the last to leave the nest?” Yes, the males are normally the last ones that leave the nest. The females usually depart about two weeks prior to the fledglings leaving and then the male stays, eats well getting his strength back, and then departs. There are always exceptions to the rule! I just had a couple of notes from ‘N’ who comments that the nests she normally watches generally have the males leaving first! It is a very poignant moment when the male arrives with a fish and waits – and waits some more – and no one comes to collect it. By now, Louis is wishing that Sarafina would fly in the same way that Idris would like to see Padarn off the nest.

Making News:

There are many times that I am proud to be a Canadian and today, it is so reassuring to see that the people in Callander, Ontario care about their Bald Eagle and its nest!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/callander-bald-eagles-1.6568714?fbclid=IwAR28VsUDKWDWjy5S-uop8h2WKVcyL8DVLdS-cV5llN-id623Kb0QHuE-hvg

If you missed the video that Ojai Raptor Centre posted of Victor flying – here it is. It is also worth a second or third viewing. Victor is doing so well.

Another juvenile eagle – this time caught up in fishing line is saved!

https://www.uticaod.com/story/sports/2022/09/03/eagle-rescue-canadarago-lake/65470809007/?fbclid=IwAR1CnT1OpPF1U68N8_S3q017q5b8WjnF56qr1ElgZt-RgvVTg9E0JePjfpk

The citizens living in the NE of England are demanding answers from the government on why hundreds of thousands of lobsters, crabs, and sea birds wound up on the shore dead.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/03/we-just-want-the-truth-british-coastal-towns-fight-for-answers-over-mystery-sealife-deaths

Raptor Persecution UK is calling out Natural England as being compromised in the handling of the killing of Asta, the Hen Harrier. This is their description of the crime:

“The level of depraved brutality involved in this crime is quite shocking, even to those of us who have become hardened to the relentless illegal killing of birds of prey in the UK. It’s virtually impossible not to look at these images of Asta and imagine the horror she faced at the hands of her killer.

The calculated deviousness of whoever committed this crime deserves the full attention of the statutory regulator, Natural England, and widespread publicity about the lengths these criminals will go to hide their ongoing, appalling violence towards this species and other birds of prey.” After 18 months nothing has been done and birds of prey continue to be killed over the grouse moor hunting estates. It is not just the brutality of the killing of this single Hen Harrier but also the other 72 that have been killed and the lack of accountability that is worrisome.

Natural England utterly compromised on tackling hen harrier persecution

Along this same theme, the Countryside Alliance is waging an all out campaign to get Chris Packham removed from the BBC because of his views about ending grouse hunting and thus, the illegal killing of raptors. If you live in the UK and have a view on this matter, please make it known.

The raptors are moving and Cape May, New Jersey likes to call itself the ‘raptor capital of North America’. See what is happening and why people are getting excited.

Cape May Hawkwatch

A win for all the sea birds comes as a South Africa court refuses to give Shell permission for offshore gas and oil drilling.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/01/south-african-court-bans-offshore-oil-and-gas-exploration-by-shell

Nest News:

It is the 10th anniversary of the Bald Eagle nest at Berry College. Who didn’t love Ma Berry? and who of us did not lose their heart to B15 this season? The Bald Eagle experts take you on a trip down memory lane with the Berry Eagles but, you have to go to the Berry College FB page. They will – despite saying I can embed the link – well, it doesn’t happen! Regrets.

Suzanne Arnold Horning posted some great images of our lovely Red-tail Hawks on the Cornell Campus over this past season on the FB banner! I have not seen a new update on L3 or L4 and in this case, no news is good news.

This is one of the last shots Suzanne took of L2 before his/her migration. L2 has not been seen in a week and so she/he is off to find their own spot in the world. L2 was the first to fledge and the second to catch her own prey. Often noted as being a ‘mini’ Big Red. Beautiful hawk. Soar high and always have a full crop!

Following Karl II’s family on their migration:

Waba is in Ukraine where he has been exploring the banks of rivers for food.

Kaia remains in Ukraine in des Desna near Vovchok. She only flew 47 km – around the area feeding.

Bonus is still in Belarus in the Prypjat wetlands near Makarichi.

There is no current tracking news for Karl II.

Thunder visited the West End Bald Eagle nest in the Channel Islands at 10:38 Saturday morning. Listen to her calls. You will notice another bird flying around – you can just see the silhouette.

The Sydney Sea Eagles did not have to wait until afternoon for their breakfast today. I caught several feedings for these fast growing eaglets. Notice how well behaved they are!

It had rained and Lady is offering some comfortable out of the rain for SE29 and SE30’s heads. Poor things. They are too big to fit under her.

Dad brings in a nice fish. Lady jumps down from her parent branch to feed the wet youngsters.

Dad comes in with another prey item. It looked like a small bird but I am not entirely sure.

Ranger Sharyn posted the following information for viewers of the Royal Albatross streaming cam on Taiaroa Head, NZ after the fledgling of the Royal Cam chick QT yesterday.

It should be relative quiet while birds are incubating eggs but yesterday, there was an intruder at the scrape on the Charles Sturt campus in Orange. Cilla Kinross caught it in slow-motion:

Xavier has spent some time on the ledge protecting Diamond and their eggs.

At Port Lincoln, all is well. Mum is sleeping and incubating the eggs and Dad is down in his shed, a place he spent having some good old’ chats with Ervie. It is the 5th of September with hatch expected in a fortnight (2 weeks).

It is quiet in Melbourne at the 367 Collins Street scrape. Where is Dad you ask? He will be perched nearby – sometimes on the camera.

The amount of detail that people keep on the UK Osprey nests is truly impressive. If every nest in the world had a dedicated group keeping every single detail for each season what an impressive amount of information we would have on the breeding and behaviour of Ospreys. Llyn Clywedog just posted the number and type of fish and what this means in comparison to average deliveries elsewhere. Well done, Dylan!

Peace and Love, the two fledgling Bald Eagles of Liberty and Freedom at the Glacier Gardens nest, were on the natal nest this morning watching the traffic along the road. How lovely to see them.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Please take care. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and their posts that made up my screen captures today: moon_rabbit_rising, CBC, Ojai Raptor Centre, Cape May Hawkwatch, Cornell Hawk Chatters and Suzanne Arnold Horning, Looduskalender, Explore.org and IWS, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, NZ DOC, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Cilla Kinross, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Llyn Clywedog Ospreys, and Glacier Gardens.

Featured image is L2 taken by Suzanne Arnold Horning.

Llyn Clywedog fledgling survives Goshawk attack

14 August 2022

There was a goshawk attack on the Llyn Clywedog nest at dusk – 20:38:40 on 13 August – that knocked the fledgling off the nest. Here are two videos, one in regular time and the other in slow-motion.

In my earlier blog today I lost much information including rare images of three fledglings together on a nest in Wales. It confirms that the fledgling that was knocked off the nest at Llyn Clywedog is fine!

Thanks to CarnyxWild for their streaming cam where I took my video clips and screen captures.

Early Wednesday in Bird World

27 July 2022

I am starting to write tomorrow’s blog on the evening of the 26th because there is good news at Osoyoos. It is a lovely evening on the Canadian Prairies. It is nearly 2100 and the garden animals have departed to their sleeping quarters. I would love to know where they go. It is cooler here, we have had lots of rain and the hot weather seems to have passed – for now. The clouds, however, are coming and looking strange and you can hear thunder in the distance.

It was certainly a relief to go onto the Osoyoos Osprey cam and see the time stamps that ‘A-M’ had listed for the fish deliveries by Olsen. Fish at 0510, 0524, o554, 0616, 0943, 1103 and 1633. Apparently all of the fish were a good size but the first one. This is fantastic. It just seems unthinkable that anything could cause these two beautiful osplets not to fledge.

It was also a good evening because Ferris Akel was on the Cornell campus in Ithaca looking for Big Red and her family.

Big Red looks as if she is beginning to moult. L2 has a much whiter than L4 but in these images it is truly hard to tell which juvenile is which. What is important is that all are safe and sound.

One of our readers, ‘J’ has written about the Sydney Sea Eagles SE30 and its attacks on SE29 when the two are alone on the nest. Yes, it is true that is happening and yes, 30 does, at some feedings, become submissive to the older sibling which is larger.

I remember when I began watching the Sea eagles. One of the moderators at the time told me that typically the second egg is the ‘insurance ‘ egg. It is only there if something should happen to the first hatch. Of course, I was horrified. At the time I had not had any experience with some of the other eagle species where the eldest hatch always kills the youngest. In some instances, the age difference impacts this even though there is lots of food on the nest. In other instances, it is simply ‘standard practice’ for the eldest to kill the youngest. This is known as obligate siblicide. I want to be clear. I am not saying this is what is happening at the Sydney Sea Eagle nest in 2022.

At the Sydney Sea Eagle nest there has been plenty of fish so far this year. The chicks hatched relatively close together and, observations over the past five years show that there has always been some initial competition on this nest;; once this resulted in siblicide. In fact, sibling rivalry with SE23 began on day 5 in 2019. The rivalry ended in week 6. In 2018, there was also sibling rivalry with SE21 becoming dominant often pecking 22 who would retreat in submission. That rivalry period lessened after 3 weeks. Sadly, there was a period of 6 days when the male did not bring any food to the nest. The female hunted but the prey was so much less and SE22 was constantly attacked, becoming weaker and finally dying on day 33. In 2019, 2020 and in 2021 both eggs hatched each year and both chicks fledged. So the last time there was siblicide on this nest was 2018 and that was the result of 6 days when the male did not bring food.

For those constantly watching the Sea Eagles nest, just take a deep breath. Hope for continued good prey deliveries and wait. There is a strict no intervention policy at the nest (or there has been in the past) and I have no reason to believe that this has changed. Wishing it to be so will only cause personal angst and frustration. If things get bad, this is what I suggest – take a three day break. Then go in and check on the nest and see how the younger one is doing.

Whenever individuals – and we all have – worried about dominance competition, I like to go back and look at one of the videos from the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest. In particular, one of E19 and E20 who, at the end, were the best of friends. The year prior, many will remember E17 having to go to ‘time out’ at the CROW clinic when it was so aggressive to E18. They were inseparable twins when they fledged.

Here is the announcement for the discussion with Christian Sasse and those wonderful folks from GROWLS. Please note the time in the posting below. This will take place on YouTube.

For those of you that love those UK Osprey nests, take note. I was reminded by my calendar and friends in Wales that the countdown to migration has started…by 4 weeks from today, the females should have or be departing, followed by the fledglings and finally the males. So enjoy them while you can!

Just a few images from the UK nests this morning.

Idris, Telyn, and one of the fledglings hanging out by the river with the cows.

Aran with one of the boys from 2022 at Glaslyn

Aran on the perch, Mrs G and kids on nest

Dorcha with Willow and Sarafina at Loch Arkaig

Of course, migration begins in North America also. If you want to keep track of North American migration in the east, there is no better place to go to see the numbers than Hawk Mountain in Pennsylvania. What is Hawk Mountain? Founded in 1934 by Rosalie Edge, Hawk Mountain became a sanctuary for migrating birds – not a killing club. Edge initially purchased 1400 acres of land which has now been extended to 2600. The thermals over the mountains are perfect for the migrating birds to soar. You can visit the centre and even take part in the great migration count or you can watch the numbers increase from August to mid-December. Here is the link to the chart for the Hawk Mountain fall migration count.

https://www.hawkmountain.org/conservation-science/hawk-count

If you are wondering about the drama playing out at the Whirley Crane in SF Bay home to Rosie and Richmond, here is the latest news. Please not that Brooks has come to the nest at least once but was chased away by the visitor.

The day has started early in Osoyoos with Soo feeding a small fish to the two chicks and herself. Hoping for lots and lots of early fish today as those temperatures are set to soar in the afternoon.

Those two are growing and they are so cute….wish for fish everyone!

There is sad news coming out of Estonia. The camera at the nest of Eedie had gone down. One of Jan and Janika’s chicks had been fostered there. Urmas has just announced that all four of the Black Storklets have been predated. This is a terrible loss. Of the three nests, Eedie, Jan and Janika, and Karl II and Kaia – only 4 storklets survive. The four in the images below will now have to fledge and then survive flying through the Ukrainian War zone and other dangerous places to reach Africa during the fall migration.

At the Karula National Forest nest of Karl II and Kaia, there is good news. Karl II did find the second fish basket that Urmas set up for him. This is wonderful as the feedings had been getting quite lean. Here is Karl arriving with a feeding for the four. Now, Bonus, the foster chick on this nest is the only surviving storklet of Jan and Janika.

One of the chicks at the Janakkalan Osprey nest in Finland is really getting some height to their hovering. Expect a fledge soon! It is so exciting. So much has happened on this nest – illness and presumed death of the Mum and starvation death of a sibling, an intruder – that we shall really celebrate when these two surviving youngsters fledge.

One last check this morning and that is at the Boathouse. The dancing diamonds from the sunrise make it nearly impossible to see what is happening on the nest but…it looks as if one of the chicks of Dory and Skiff is trying self-feeding! Oh, fantastic.

Thank you so very much for joining me this morning. Keep sending your best wishes to Osoyoos for fish deliveries today as those temperatures climb to 41 C or 102.5 F. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thanks to the following for their streaming cams, videos, and/or FB posts where I took my screen captures: Osoyoos Ospreys, Ferris Akel Tours, Audubon Explore.org, Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Dyfi Ospreys, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, CarnyXWild, Eagle Club of Estonia, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Lady Hawk, SF Osprey Cam with Richmond and Rosie, and Bald Eagles 101.

Early Tuesday in Bird World

19 July 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

We woke up to more rain with the promise of tornadoes in some parts of the Canadian prairies. When I first moved to Canada, tornadoes were rare – something that I knew a lot about coming from Oklahoma where F4s are the norm. Now everyone knows what the word ‘tornado’ means. It is 21 degrees C – almost half of what it is in parts of the UK and Europe. I am grateful for the rain – wells are full and so are lakes – instead of a drought and fire. The garden birds are happy today. Way too hot yesterday. Thunderstorms are headed to Llyn Clywedog in Wales but it looks like Glaslyn will be spared. The temperature at Heathrow Airport hit 40.2 C, a record. My thoughts go out to all the animals – human and not – around the world who are experiencing drought, massive flooding, fires, heat, or all of the above. We live in very challenging times.

In Finland, the female has returned to the Janakkalan nest. I have been missing her visits. Thank you ‘C’ for the time stamp. Reviewing footage, the Mum of the two beautiful osplets has tried to eat but she cannot keep the food down. She appears to be weak and tired. Her ‘ps’ is like water – not thick cream. It is so sad but we must be thankful that the chicks appear to be healthy, regardless. Dad is bringing in plenty of fish. One can eat well and the other one is getting there. There are, of course, fish squabbles and both wish their Mum was well and was feeding them. Send positive wishes to this nest – for Mum, so the chicks don’t get sick, for plenty of fish, and for cool weather as Mum is not able to shade the babies if it gets hot as she is normally not on the nest. This is a good thing since it appears that she could have trichomonosis which is highly contagious.

Rain is falling on the Ironwood Tree in the Sydney Olympic Forest. Mum is keeping SE29 nice and warm and we are waiting to see where SE30 is in the hatching process.

Very first bites of fish for SE29. Sweet.

The last osplet, Farne, has fledged from nest 1A at Kielder at 11:10. The Mum of the three fledglings, Mrs YA, has a real task ahead of her keeping these fed. This may hinder her own preparation for getting her weight and fat levels up for migration. I wonder what will happen at the time of migration? Normally the UK females leave earlier than the males leaving the Dads to feed the young ones for 2-3 weeks. Once the fledglings fly south the Dad will leave.

Thanks to Suzanne Arnold Horning we still have wonderful images of Big Red and Arthur’s Ls flying around campus, accepting prey drops, and catching their own.

Cutie Pie L4. Notice that the juvenile hawks have the loveliest blue eyes, sometimes blue-green or blue-green. As they mature, those baby blues will turn dark espresso brown.

Brooks flew off the nest on the morning of the 18th and has not returned. Richmond and Rosie are on the nest. I wish we had some understanding on what happened to Molate. GGA said that they will not retrieve Molate’s body while Brooks is still in the area. So sad for this lovely Osprey couple in their beautiful nest on SF Bay.

Golden Gate Audubon mentioned that some of the chicks in this area actually go to other Osprey nests where they are fed. This apparently happened in 2018 when one of Richmond and Rosie’s chicks moved to another nest and was fed and stayed there until he left the area. That was Brisa.

At the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Mrs G, it appears that Blue 498 fledged this morning. Congratulations! The only chick remaining on the Glaslyn nest is 499!

Both of the fledglings sitting on Aran and Mrs G’s perch! Gosh, they look like they are going to be dark like Mum.

Padarn and Paith on the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn. Pedran fledged on the 15th of July. Waiting for these two to test their wings. Gosh, look at that crest. Gorgeous.

All of the chicks of Dylan and Seren’s at Llyn Clywedog have now fledged. what a fabulous year for this nest!

Dorcha continues to look quite fine after the scare with the blood on her abdomen/leg the other day. Louis continues to get the fish on the nest and the weather looks pretty good today. It is about 24 there today.

One of Blue 33 and Maya’s girls was on the Manton Bay nest this morning fish crying to Dad. These were the first to fledge and it is rare to catch them on the nest at Rutland.

Annie and Alden, the Peregrine Falcon couple on The Campanile on the grounds of UC-Berkeley might be wishing that Lindsay and Grinnell Jr would find their own territory!

What a gorgeous sunrise on the Channel Islands West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta this morning. Thunder even came to the nest and paid a visit at 05:45.

Everything looks good at the Boathouse Osprey nest of Dory and Skiff on Hog Island this morning. It is going to get pretty hot on Hog Island today…going up to 28 or 29 C with a 50% chance of rain.

No one slept on the Mispillion Osprey nest by the harbour in Delaware. Later Mum is on the nest with one of the fledglings feeding it and then enjoying some fish herself. I am surprised the other fledgling is not rushing in for some of that fish.

According to the chatters, fish of various sizes ranging from tiny to a little bigger arrived at 0501, 0516, 0534, and again at 0650 for Mum and the two osplets on the Osoyoos nest in British Columbia. Dad is making up in numbers what he isn’t able to supply in size with the heat in the region. Looks like it will be up to 33 C later today — it is 18 degrees C now. What a difference. Mum will be shading her babies!

I have seen no updates on Victor or Little Bit ND17 so far. It is 0939 CDT. All of the nests look fine but two which are worrisome. One is the nest in Finland which took a turn for the worst with one chick dying of starvation. The two older chicks, realizing that fish was at hand, learned to self-feed. There is also worry for Mrs YA at Kieldner nest 1A – how will she get herself in good condition to migrate while tending to all the chicks? Send them all your best wishes – and also for Brooks. I hope that he is safe and being fed elsewhere or that he gets himself home.

Thank you for being with me today. Take care. Stay cool if you are in an area of extreme heat. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their photos, videos, or their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Finnish Osprey Foundation, Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Suzanne Arnold Horning, SF Ospreys and GGA, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, CarnyXWild, Friends of Loch of Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, LRWT, Cal Falcons, Explore.org and IWS, Explore and Audubon, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and DDNR, and Osoyoos Ospreys.

Tag Archives: Llyn Clywedog

First hatch at Pont Cresor and Kielder Forest…late Monday in Bird World

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UK osprey chicks doing so well…Late Sunday in Bird World

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Two osplets for Dylan and Seren, Names for San Jose Falcons…Late Thursday in Bird World

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2nd egg pipping for Seren and Dylan…Late Wednesday in Bird World

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Name Jackie and Shadow’s chicks…Late, late Thursday in Bird World

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Hatch at Port Lincoln, Blue 5 F, Seren, is in The Gambia…Sunday in Bird World

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Early Sunday in Bird World

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Llyn Clywedog fledgling survives Goshawk attack

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Early Wednesday in Bird World

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Early Tuesday in Bird World

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