Tag Archives: Loch Arkaig Ospreys

Late Saturday in Bird World

23 July 2022

Oh, it turned out to be a cracker of a day in Winnipeg. Everyone woke to a forecast of rain and then the skies cleared. The paths at the nature centre were packed with smiling faces and everyone saying ‘hello’ or talking about the teenage goslings. It was fantastic.

Sleepy babies.

Teenagers – long necks and legs. Paying close attention to the adult’s instructions!

One lone America White Pelican in the middle of the lake — image cropped a great deal!

It continues to be quiet in Bird World. Seriously this is such a good thing.

Good news has come from the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Ospreys. You will remember that the two gorgeous and almost fully feathered osplets on the nest were pulled off when Mum got her talon caught in monofilament line and nesting material. One died when it hit the ground but the other was saved by a passerby who knew what to do – and got immediate help! That chick was in very guarded condition at the time. This is today’s update and it is a little better.

5H1 made history today as the first fledgling Osprey in Poole Harbour, UK,, for 200 years. CJ7 and Blue 022’s chick really does love to fly. Here is a video of her landing on a subsequent flight….gosh, she is pretty steady on those legs.

The names of Louis and Dorcha’s two surviving osplets for the 2022 season have been released by the Woodland Trust. There were 2674 votes cast. The winning names are Willow for LW5 with 22.7% and Sarafina for LW6 with 20.5%. That was an amazing voting turnout. Thank you to everyone that took part.

That is Willow standing up. My goodness she is going to be dark like Dorcha. Stunning plumage.

Olsen had delivered several twiddler size fish and one nice one by 10:48 at the Osoyoos Osprey platform. He brought in another fish at 12:49. Thanks Olsen! Olsen appears to have a wee crop so he is eating. Remember it is like the directions for the oxygen masks in planes – put yours own and then help your child. Olsen and Soo have to eat in order to care for the chicks and keep their health up as good as they can in the circumstances of extreme heat. Soo immediately started feeding the two chicks. The rest of the day she has kept them covered when the sun was at its hottest.

Just a quick check on a couple of other nests. The juveniles have not been seen at the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta but, there was a fly by this morning in the distance. Those nests sure do get lonely if you have been watching intently for months and then — everyone fledges, returns to the nest for prey drops after flying, and then…poof. Gone. Turn that love into making their world better! So instead of wondering if they survived, we can say with certainty that we have made improvements and a greater percentage lives to see their first birthday.

At the Two Harbours nest, you could hear Lancer squeeeeing at 14:47 as she flew onto the nest. She was so right. The adult flew in with a fish and got out of there really quick without getting its talons trapped. So nice to see you, Lancer.

I have been following the social media posts about the electrocution of Junior on Gabriola Island just off the coast of Vancouver Island in my country, Canada. The world watched the graciousness and the love that flourished on the Bald Eagle nest and their adoption of Malala, the Red-tail Hawk as a member of their family not as lunch. It touched the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

The tragic death of Junior, the fledgling eaglet, Malala’s friend and nest companion, shattered us.

I have noticed that some FB groups are no longer going to post any news about Junior. Of course, that is their choice but, please understand that this issue is not small and isolated. British Columbia has the largest population of Bald Eagles in the world. We are not talking about just ‘fixing’ one pole on Gabriola Island, what we want is an undertaking by BC Hydro to amend the way they construct the hydro poles immediately so that the space between the wires is wider than 7′, the length of a Bald Eagle’s wing. No bird would ever die again.

Make BC Hydro live up to what they say – words mean nothing without action behind them.

Of course, retrofitting those on Gabriola Island is paramount. More about this tomorrow but, please don’t let the story of Junior and Malala pass when something else comes in the news. We have a chance to make progress and — let’s do it. Do not let this opportunity slip through our fingers.

I am trying to find out the time of Christian Sasse’s talk on the electrocution of birds. It is possible that it will be on Wednesday afternoon at 1300 or 1330 Pacific time but, I am not certain. If we want to help the eagles we need to arm ourselves with an understanding of the problem and the solution! Thank you, Christian, for educating us!

Here is the contact information for BC Hydro:

Images on the Notre-Dame FB page show 3 juveniles flying around the nest and landing on a tree near to the nest tree. It has been really stormy there and some branches have broken. It is shocking that anything is left of that old Eagle nest!

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

Thank you to the following for their FB postings and streaming cameras where I took my screen captures: Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, Bald Eagles 101, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Osoyoos Ospreys, Explore.org and IWS, GROWLS, and ND-LEEF.

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.

Update on Victor and other Bird World News

13 July 2022

Good Morning Everyone. I hope the start of the week was a good one as we celebrate the rescue of Victor at the Fraser Point nest in the Channel Islands.

Here is the latest news on the Fraser Point eaglet of Andor and Mama Cruz:

As new birds go into wildlife rehab, it is easy to forget some that remain in care. At the Pitkin County Osprey nest, both chicks were pulled off the nest when the female’s talon was tangled in nest material that had fishing line. Here is an image of the chick in care and below it is the mass of fishing line and nest material that came off. One chick died. This one will be in rehab for some time and will not be returned to the nest area as the parents will have migrated when it is ready to be released.

How possible is it for every nest that is on a streaming cam to have the nest material examined and any fishing line, hooks, or other dangerous items removed when the camera gets its annual maintenance? That would help – it certainly won’t keep new items from coming on the nest but it would go a long ways to mitigating issues. Then, of course, there is the whole issue of educating the public about fishing line and hooks! And how dangerous they are to the water birds.

There has been no update on Little Bit ND17 this week. Will post as soon as I see one. No news is good news!

The Patuxent River Park Osprey nest 1 is empty. Was there a fledge?

Tonight there is a huge storm with thunder and lighting at the Patuxent River Park #1 nest. It could even scare me! You can see the nest because the lightning is making the entire sky glow.

Yes, it was a fledge at Patuxent River Park and the new flier has returned to the nest to the delight of Mum and Dad.

It has been 25 hours without her brother, Victor. Lillibet is on the nest panting and hot in the California sun.

The mother has returned to the Janakkdan nest in Finland to her two osplets. There has been lots of fish and she has been feeding them. Let us hope that what has been ailing the female is getting better. They are super beautiful and big osplets. It was just lovely to see her and the chicks are getting stronger and older and should be feeding more to themselves. That will certainly help. Mum does look better than the past couple of days. Fingers crossed. Send those good positive warm wishes to her. They help!

The first egg at the Sydney Sea Eagle nest is 35 days old today. Pip watch begins on day 40 which will be July 16/17. Lady and Dad are busy incubating and rolling the eggs. The cam operator gave us a good look. Thank you!

The White-bellied Sea Eagles are the second largest bird of prey in Australia.

Diamond looking out of the scrape at Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia.

The scrape box on the water tower has been used by falcons for the past twelve years. Before that they made their nest on the water tower itself. The first couple were Swift (female) and Beau (male). In 2015, an entirely new couple were in the scrape. They were Diamond and Bula. In 2016 just when their three eggs were hatching, Bula disappeared and was presumed dead. Xavier means ‘savior’. He came along, just like Alden, right at the moment he was needed. He saved the breeding season. Xavier provided prey for Diamond and the chicks. He proved to be a very capable mate and Diamond accepted him with wonderful bonding displays in the scrape. Xavier is a darling. This will be Diamond and Xavier’s 6th breeding season. Diamond is at least eight years old and Xavier is at least seven years old.

The average life expectancy of a peregrine falcon in the wild is often considered to be quite low, 2-4 years. Our Princess in Winnipeg lived to be 19 years old. It is unclear to me how accurate that 2-4 years estimate is.

Diamond. 13 July 2022
Xavier. 13 July 2022 with a prey offering for his mate.

The other peregrine falcon nest in Australia is in Melbourne. They will start streaming nearer to hatch once eggs have been laid. It is quite interesting to watch the rural nest of Xavier and Diamond with the urban one in Melbourne.

Do you like Great Horned Owls? Would you like to learn more about their lives on the prairies? Here is a free Zoom talk that you might wish to join.

Louis and Dorcha’s two osplets were ringed yesterday. They have two girls! LW6 was 1760g with a wing of 300mm and LW5 weight was 1910g with a wing of 350mm.

Chick LP8 fledged at Loch of the Lowes today. In celebration of this achievement, Louis brought in a fabulous fish! Congratulations LOTL.

The three girls at the Dyfi Nest of Idris and Telyn are really hovering. Who will be next to fly?

Thank you so much for joining me this morning. We send our good wishes to L3, Little Bit ND17, the Pitkin Osprey, and Victor as they continue to work hard to get better in care. Stay safe. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: the Ojai Raptor Centre, Patuxent River Park, the Finnish Osprey Foundation, Pitkin County FB Page, Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Explore.org and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, Prairie Conservation Action Plan, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and Woodland Trust and the Dyfi Osprey Project.

Friday in Bird World

8 July 2022

I hope that everyone had a lovely day today. It is relatively quiet in Bird World. That is a good thing!

It is so nice to get an update of WBSE 27. At her second stint in wildlife rehabilitation, WBSE 27 was kept and the staff did not release her until she was flying and hunting prey in a way that ensured she would survive in the wild. A real round of applause for Ranger Judy Harrington and Australian Raptor Care and Conservation. The most important thing is that the raptors are not released before they can manage completely on their own otherwise the stay in rehab has been futile.

The ‘problem’ with the WBSE nest in the Sydney Olympic Forest are the Pied Currawong. When the WBSE chicks fledge, the Currawong chase them out of the forest so they are not able to return to the nest to be fed. As a result they do not: 1) have the GPS coordinates imprinted in their mind for the nest; 2) do not have the time to allow their flight training to gradually progress; and 3) they do not get lessons on hunting from their parents; and 4) they generally starve as they cannot hunt. If located after flying off the nest, the birds are emaciated, like 27 was twice, and being beaked and attacked by all manner of smaller birds. It is a tragedy.

This is WBSE 27. Isn’t she gorgeous? She was ringed and fitted with a tracker the the rehabbers. What a good move. There is a very good report under the picture. What a blessing that the staff worked so diligently with her to ensure that we can be reading such a great progress report.

Lady and Dad have been busy incubating the eggs for WBSE 29 and 30. Here they are changing shifts. Pip watch should begin in about 4 or 5 days.

Here is the link to their camera:

The big news in US Osprey Land is that Tom and Audrey at the Chesapeake Conservatory Nest had a successful first hatch with their second clutch. Time was 0341. Oh, fingers crossed for all of them and that the chicks grow fast and healthy so that they are ready for that big migration south in the fall! Congratulations to everyone. Thanks ‘H’ for those two screen captures. Big Bob is adorable. So happy for Tom and Audrey.

Audrey looks down at her little upside down bundle.

Hi Dad, is that my fish?

What in the world is Bukacek doing? He started working on another nest the other day and now Betty is over there with him — and the kids are at the old nest!

Great timing. Just got there when Skiff brought Dory a fish for the three kids.

It looks like Little Sloop is in the middle. Which one is Schooner? and Slipjack? I have yet to be able to tell Big and Middle unless they are really looking at me.

Skiff has been on and off the nest all day. Is there an intruder about?

The kids have been pancaked on occasion. See how close big and Middle are…can you tell them apart? Any tips would be welcome.

For those watching the Osoyoos Osprey nest, Little Bob got himself on the other side of Mum today to get some fish. I wonder if that Big Bob is a female? She can be rather bossey.

We are definitely on fledge watch at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest. It is a good thing that the pair do not start wing flapping at the same time. Poor Mum. Either or both can take off anytime…they just don’t know yet that they can fly.

Idris has been filling the nest full of fish today. Pedran and Paith (Big and Little) both took turns feeding off of one fish. Telyn might be wondering when she can relax on the perch and they can feed themselves. It sure has been a busy season for her and Idris with these three whopping females.

Pedran is the one feeding herself. Paith is learning but she needs to figure out how to hold the squiggly fish down with her talons.

Louis has been busy today, too. I just feel for Dorcha. She has had so much bad weather this season in this nest. But today they are dried out. Big kids like those at Dyfi, almost ready to start thinking about learning to self-feed.

As the chicks get bigger they sure can eat a lot of fish. Laddie flew in with a really nice salmon for Blue NC0, Big, and Middle. The kids are also starting to think about what wings are for! I can’t help but think Blue NC0 is tired this year and she will need a time to get her strength up and her weight.

The wind was really blowing at Loch of the Lowes but it did not stop Laddie. Here he comes with that tea time whole fish!

What a scramble on the nest as he gets closer. Gosh, Laddie looks so tiny.

Blue NC0 got it. Best to let her take that fish and get off that nest. Talons could be in danger.

He’s off.

Karl II comes in with tonnes of fish for the four Black storklets. At the beginning, Bonus is in the back but he moves up the left side to come to the front. You can tell Bonus because his plumage is still whiter than the storklets of Karl II and Kaia. This intervention is doing great. So very happy.

Alden has been loafing. What a character. So happy to know that Annie has accepted him as a mate…we can prepare ourselves for more loafing and moth chasing next season.

As Suzanne Arnold Horning was leaving the Cornell campus, she spotted 2 Ls on top of the Riley Robb Building – a first ever she says. Big Red and Arthur are moving the chicks further around the campus as they get more hunting and flying skills.

I was able to pick up an ex-library copy of Alan Poole’s Ospreys. A Natural and Unnatural History. There are no big colour images like his other book, Ospreys. The Revival of a Global Raptor but this book is choked full of really interesting information on Ospreys. If you are an Osprey fan and want to learn more or are just beginning to appreciate these amazing books, see if you can find a used copy. Well worth it!

Thank you so much for joining me today. Take care of yourself. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, videos, and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Australia Raptor Care and Conservation Ltd, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Chesapeake Conservatory, Capi Mlade Buky, Audubon and Explore.org, Osoyoos Osprey Cam, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and DDNR, Dyfi Osprey Project, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Wildlife Trust, Must-Tooneburg and Eagle Club of Estonia, Cal Falcons and Suzanne Arnold Horning.

Brief News in Bird World

7 July 2022

Do you remember holding your breath whenever the Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu H5N1 was mentioned? I recall looking at the falcons on The Campanile and the eaglets in the Channel Islands and just hoping that it would not land on those islands and wipe them out. Very very sad news is is coming out of the UK. H5N1 is in the north of Scotland and Shetland but today Coquet Island said that every chick on each of the 1964 Sandwich Tern nests has been killed by Avian Flu. Tragically, they believe that it will also wipe out every Roseate Tern as well.

Coquet Island is off the east coast of the UK just a little north of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in Northumberland.

“Coquet Island” by Grand Mookster is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
“Royal terns, Sandwich terns, Least terns, Forster’s Terns, Caspian Terns and Black Skimmers taking flight on the Gulf Coast, North Beach, Fort De Soto Park, Saint Petersburg, Florida” by diana_robinson is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
“Roseate terns/ Palometas” by USFWS/Southeast is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Suzanne Arnold Horning – thankfully – has her camera with her just when she needs it. She caught the 3 Ls on a fence at Cornell today.

Can you tell who is who?

Lancer has been playing with sticks on the nest…often the Red-tail hawks will play with pinecones to help with their eye-talon coordination. This is a very cute video of Lancer having some fun. It reminds me of the Finnish Osprey couple pulling on their fish!

As well as being asked if the females ever go fishing for the osplets, I am often asked if the males ever feed their chicks. Many do! This is Aran at the Glaslyn nest today feeding his triplets.

Awwww. They finally lined up.

The beautiful Glaslyn Valley – home to Aran and Mrs G.

It is that golden glow of evening on the Dyfi Nest. Idris has brought in a nice fish for the end of the day and Telyn is busy feeding those three growing bigger girls. The weather is nice just like it is at Glaslyn.

Oh, Dorcha is feeding her big girl and boy their last meal at Loch Arkaig. It looks like she had a nice weather day – well, deserved.

The cam operator caught two of Dylan and Seren’s chicks close up. Oh, they are gorgeous. There is a third – it hasn’t gone anywhere! Just sleeping between the two. We do not need any more excitement in Osprey Land this week. Seren has also been fishing – bringing in some nice fish from the reservoir when she thinks Dylan hasn’t provided enough. Go Seren!

At the Boathouse on Hog Island, Skiff brought in a fish. It looks like Little Bob – Peanut to some – is getting another private feeding. ‘H’ mentioned to me the nautical names given to the trio – schooner, Skipjack, and Sloop. So Little Bob or Peanut is really Sloop. Did they intend for him to be a small anti-submarine warship from WWII or a sailboat with a single mast?

Big ones are full enough and Sloop gets some nice fish all by himself. I continue to praise these first time parents. They are doing fantastic.

If you have been watching the Cornell Kestrels in Wisconsin, there was a fledging frenzy today. Here it is if you missed it. All four took flight.

A few days ago ‘L’ asked about Malena and Klepetan, the White Storks who had their nest on the roof of Stjepan Vokic’s house in Croatia. Malena had been shot by a poacher and left to die. Vokic rescued her and Malena lived with him for 28 years. For 19 of those years, her mate Klepetan flew from South Africa to Croatia. The couple raised 66 White Storks to fledge with the help of Vokic.

Surprise! I found a book, Malena and Klepetan. A Love Story on Wings by Jillian Marie Shea.

The author puts several quotes in the front. One says, “You must write for children the same way you write for adults, only better.” That is the nacre of this book!

The book is rightfully dedicated to Stjepan Vokic – who would win my vote for Gold-level Interventionist. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” A good reminder that we have the capacity to give our feathered friends a second chance– if we will only reach out and do it – because, like Malena, so many of their tragedies are due to us.

It’s a feel good book – for all of us!

Thank you so much for joining me today. Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Cornell Bird Lab, Explore.org and Audubon, CarnyXWild, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Wildlife Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, and Suzanne Arnold Horning.

Late Wednesday in Bird World

6 July 2022

The beautiful day gave way to heavy rain and dark grey skies. Manitoba is water logged.

It was fantastic to have the commentary of someone actually watching Idris catch this fish – it took him 5 tries to pull it out. I do wish the cameras gave us a better idea of the size of some of these amazing catches. The ‘girls’ of Dyfi were appreciative of his efforts.

The three females now take up more than half of that big nest. Eating, sleeping, growing, and getting their flying muscles stronger. Sleeping now!

Hi Dad!

Telyn arrives to feed the girls.

One of Wales Osprey couples – Aran and Mrs G. Mrs G is the oldest osprey in the United Kingdom. She is very dark with a large necklace. Dorcha at Loch Arkaig reminds me so much of Mrs G. I love Aran with his penetrating eyes.

Dorcha has, perhaps, even slightly darker markings than Mrs G.

Louis does not fail to deliver the tea time meal to his Loch Arkaig nest – he is an extraordinary fisher.

Speaking of crops – the female osplet at Loch of the Lowes has quite a large one this evening! Blue NC0 looks tired to me this season. I hope these two fledge and give their Mum time to replenish the weight and fat that she has lost caring for them before she leaves on her migration. The females leave about a fortnight before the others. That is, however, an average as nests can vary greatly.

The two chicks at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest were happy when a fish arrived too…what is with feeding them when they are resting duckling style??

Wonder what they are looking at?

Neither of the two appear to be overly hungry. Thank goodness. It looks like a teaser.

At the Boathouse on Hog Island, Skiff brought in a really nice fish. Big was full and Middle and Little got a really nice feeding from Dory. This is just wonderful to see!

In Montana, they are ringing/banding all of the Osprey nests. If I recall there are about 200 along the Clark Fork River. Those who make up the Montana Osprey Project will also test the birds for toxin residues that remain in the water and the fish from the mining around Missoula. Here is an article with some images of the events.

https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/photos-banding-testing-osprey-chicks-at-warm-springs-state-wildlife-management-area/collection_26d264c0-6fdc-5f49-affe-dfb9ed6f19b5.html?fbclid=IwAR3DvEnjnqjvw3G9DQLg8FvyJgk66NbVaumjoGEDkkgyMWR5pSt65-tZHPQ#3

How many successful Osprey nests fledge 4 chicks? Maya and Blue 33 did it two years in a row. This year it is a Kielder nest and there is a short but nice article in the BBC celebrating this great achievement – and it is. Some nests do well with 2 but give them 3 chicks and there are often problems. 4 chicks would keep Mum and Dad busy 24/7. Ironically the literature on siblicide notes that the % of events is higher in nests with 3 chicks than with 4.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-england-tyne-62016351

Two of the fledglings at the West End nest have locked talons and fallen off the nest! I am not 100% sure who the pair were but I think that it is Ahote on the nest and Sky coming in but – without seeing those bands it is so difficult to be certain.

The talon tumble happened yesterday and as far as I know both fledglings are fine – just their pride wounded a little.

The other fledgling can be seen flying in the distance. The one on the nest is alerting.

The one on the nest goes up and lunges forward.

Talons engaged.

They go down and then without having good footing both tumble down the cliff talons engaged with one another.

There is something very strange going on in Mlade Buky. Bukacek is building another nest! The storklets are watching him. This could get interesting. Does anyone know about this behaviour?

There is Bukacek down below the nest. Some of you may remember that the two engineers that set up the camera and saved the storklets last year when Bukacek’s mate died, did sometimes put fish down in that area. I wonder what is going on??

What is a crop? The crop is a muscular pouch. It is part of the bird’s esophagus and is used to store extra food before going being digested. Often birds will eat and eat and eat – because they do not know when they will find more food. Thank goodness that crop is expandable. Vultures and condors are known for filling their stomach and then eating – if there is enough prey – until their crop is entirely full. Some birds that regurgitate food for their young often use the crop to soften it so the wee chicks can eat easier. Hawks, vultures, condors, eagles, falcons – they all have a crop. Pigeons and doves use the crop to produce ‘crop milk’ – pulverized food – that they feed to their babies.

One of Karl II and Kaia’s storklets today with an extended crop.

Do you live in the UK? Near Rutland? ‘L’ just reminded me that the annual Birdfair will take place on the 15, 16, and 17th of July. Here is the information in case you want to attend. Thanks ‘L’! If you do ever find yourself at Rutland, please go on the water tour. You might be lucky enough to see Blue 33 land one of those huge fish he brings to Maya.

https://gbf.yourticketpurchase.com/events/globalbirdfair?utm_campaign=345240_BIRD%20Zeiss%20Global%20Birdfair&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotdigital&dm_i=73DM,7EE0,ZVKBA,VB2M,1

This has just been a hop, skip, and a jump to check on our nests. It appears that all of them are doing alright. No strange events – unless I have missed them! In that case, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Wildlife Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR, Mlade Buky, Looduskalender and the Eagle Club of Estonia, Boathouse Ospreys and Audubon, Explore.org and the Institute for Wildlife Studies.

Wednesday in Bird World

5 July 2022

Good Morning Everyone. It is such a blessing to have a beautiful day – almost mosquito free!

There are many times in our lives when we just need a good laugh..one of those rolling on the floor, letting it all out kind of hysterical moments. Just sit back and watch this Osprey couple solve a problem while the little one looks on. It took a day but they did it! Thanks to ‘T’ for the first volume and to ‘R’ for finding the finale – . Enjoy.

Just a note: This is the nest of Ossie and Alma. With the tragedy last year with the goshawk, the nest was abandoned. This is a new couple Eura (male) and Eine (female). May the wings of the goshawk never grace their territory.

You might remember that two osprey chicks were pulled off of the nest when the Mum got her talon caught in monofilament line. One died and the other was transported from the Pitkin Osprey nest to the wildlife rehabber. Thank you to everyone who got to that nest in a hurry and helped that baby. Here is the story and an update on the chick’s status:

Humans come to aid of Emma Osprey chick

Every once in awhile I get the question. This is a popular one at the moment: Do the female Ospreys fish? Yes, absolutely they do. Most will wait til their chicks are older than 35 days. At that age they are less likey to be predated. Some Osprey mothers have to fish to supply the food for the family earlier. Blue NC0 has been fishing for about a week and a bit at Loch of the Lowes. Rosie is a good fisher too and she brought in two very rare and protected fish to the nest today. Don’t tell anyone! The females will be entirely responsible for their food once they begin migration until they return to their nest during breeding season the following spring.

Another extraordinary effort to get a juvenile eagle – like our Little Bit 17 – to a rehabber so that it has a chance on living and flying. I will put a map of BC underneath so you can see where Powell River is!

Oh, wow. Another ringing and this time it is the historic moment that Ospreys return to Poole Harbour.

https://www.dorset.live/news/dorset-news/first-wild-osprey-chicks-england-7294802?fbclid=IwAR3lckBYdTwTjLC670Cd0c5ps_-JJX4AioxsOsAYYdny6D_hKle-asLUQ7g

Do you love the Dahlgren Osprey nest of Jack and Harriet? ‘H’ caught them on the nest today! How wonderful to see all three together. That nest has been empty for days. Thanks ‘H’ – this is a great screen capture.

It is the time of year when people are out fishing in Canada (and elsewhere). Yesterday at the Nature Centre there were dozens of youngsters with poles. Here is another reminder of what can happen to our birds. Let’s all make an effort to help our birds by spreading the word about the dangers of fishing equipment. This is a pickerel rig – line, hooks, lead sinkers – it is all there! I can only imagine what could happen to this beautiful Osprey.

So help spread the word to fishers – not only clean up after yourself but also anywhere you see fishing tackle, old line, make an effort to clear the shores and trees of it. Of course, there are fish that will break the line and take the hook and line with them and these also wind up on the nests of our Ospreys and Eagles. Herons get tangled. Pelicans have hooks in their pouches. It is endless.

I have no idea who took this imagine. I wish I did! It is a good one to share if you hope to make the point about the dangers that fishing tackle can have on wildlife.

Poor Dorcha. After Aila not returning in 2021, Louis did not take his new mate to the nest that he shared with Aila. Instead, Louis chose the alternative nest. The weather is much worse at the new one. It has pitched rain all season – and the winds have been gale force. It was like that last night at Loch Arkaig. Dorcha is still wet and keeping the two big kids protected as much as she can.

Later in the day, everything began to dry.

In contrast, Blue NC0 and Laddie LM12 have had nice weather at the Loch of the Lowes. I am told that Loch Arkaig has its own kind of micro-climate different from the rest of Scotland.

Notice how large the chicks are compared to Mum. Once they fledge, Blue NC0 is going to begin building up her strength and eating so that she is fit for migration. Laddie will remain at the nest and leave last – staying to feed the chicks til they leave. Then he will begin his journey.

Blue NC0 fish calling later in the day.

It is always good to know where places are in relation to one another. Here is a map showing the distance from Loch Arkaig and Loch of the Lowes. I want to draw your attention to Aviemore, too. There are some incredible ospreys that live in that area on private estates. If you ever plan to go to Scotland or the Lake District, print up a map and locate all of the Osprey nests with wildlife centres and hides so you can go and see them. Many are very close together. The same goes for Wales.

The Osoyoos chicks are both on the nest —- thankfully and Mum is feeding them their breakfast. It looks like it could be a morning without rain! The nest and the chicks need to dry out. Love the crop on the big one. Hope that baby gets enough!

The Ospreys in Canmore, Alberta are going to have a nice day! Beautiful sunrise this morning. The high will be 21 C or 69.8 F. Perfect. Last year the chicks were literally jumping off the nests in British Columbia and Alberta due to the heat. (Not at this one). Twenty-three were rescued in lower British Columbia and taken into care so that they would not perish. That was just remarkable. So glad that the weather pattern is different this year for them.

Oh, beautiful Boathouse Osplets on Hog Island in Maine. They are all Reptiles!!!!!!!!! That wonderful charcoal coloured thermal down is in and you can see the wee little dandelions of natal down that will come off. Their heads have lost the ‘soft’ look and appear as if they have been smeared with oil. The coppery red feathers are on the back of the head area, the nape. Little Bit is right in there between the two older siblings.

Aran is preparing a fish for Mrs G and the kids for their tea time meal.

Mrs G is anxiously waiting! Looks like a lovely afternoon at Glaslyn.

It looks like everything is fine with the Osprey nests this morning. If you are watching Carthage, TN, ‘H’ reports that the first fledge happened early this morning. Congratulations! And ‘T’ says that the two Imperial Eaglets in Russia were ringed yesterday. Fantastic. So cute.

Thank you so much for joining me this morning. All nests seem to be doing just fine. Take care. See you soon.

Thanks to the following for the streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Boathouse Ospreys and Audubon, Fortis Exshaw, Osoyoos Ospreys, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and Scottish Wildlife Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Dahlgren Ospreys, Bald Eagles Live Nest cam and News, and Pitkin Outside.

Friday in Bird World

24 June 2022

Stormy weather with hail and strong winds in the south of our province meant that I am home earlier than planned. How nice! I get to check on some of our favourite birds and that is always a wonderful thing (unless something awful is happening).

This was a super cell caught at noon posted by Manitoba Storm Chasers.

Remember that I said that Blue NC0 was a good fisher? I have watched her go out fishing for three years. She left this morning and came back quickly with a meal for her and the chicks – they are older now and there is less of a threat of predation.

Now why did Blue NC0 go fishing? Her mate, Laddie LM12, spent the morning keeping 5 different intruders away form the nest. There is that word that is becoming haunting – ‘intruders’.

This morning both Lindsay and Grinnell Jr returned to The Campanile. It is a rare event and one that is to be celebrated – all chicks being together at the same time. Cal Falcons posted a lovely video of that visit. Those babies are doing so well ——- rabbit_moon_rising and others have posted fantastic photographs of aerial prey drops between Alden and the kids. Check out the Cal Falcons FB and Twitter pages.

The adults at the ND-LEEF nest continue to do great in feeding Little Bit 17 and 15. I have seen no word on 16. Sadly, the nest is continuing to break away. Will it hold out until Little Bit can fledge safely – not a forced fledge but on his own? He is 80 days old today. We really need about another 7-8 days. Positive wishes, please!

More of the left side breaking and on the right where the rim was it is all ready to collapse at any moment. Will the weight take the rest of it tumbling? Oh, I hope people are close by to help!

Little Bit and 15 are such good mates. Eating the fish together.

The remains of a very large sucker.

Several hours later, and Little Bit 17 is up on a very safe branch! 17 has officially branched already but this is so good because of that nest moving away. If you look at the image above, it will not take much for the right side to fall away completely. I hope that Little Bit is imprinting his exit route if that nest collapses. After spending time on this branch, he jumps back to the nest. So if he hears the nest giving way surely he will jump up to the branch. Oh, surely.

Oh, Little Bit. Stay safe!!!!!!!!

I seem to have not mentioned the Kakapo lately. Every time I put on their cute t-shirt and go out in the garden, I think of them and how much is done to try and protect their numbers and the cost of it. Helping wildlife is a good thing to do, whenever and however you can.

Kakapo are parrots that do not fly – sort of. They live on only a couple of islands and wear transmitters that need changed each year. I believe there are now 194. Last year it was 208. Staff change their transmitters annually and do wellness checks year round. Those who need care are flown to Dunedin, near Taiaroa Head, for help.

They are cute! Here is a link that was posted to help raise awareness of these flightless birds and their funding needs.

https://www.google.com/search?gbv=2&hl=en&q=kakapo&sa=N&start=18&ndsp=18&tbm=isch

Gosh. I blinked. They were wee babies and I was worried about their feedings and now Big Bob at the Llyn Brenig Osprey nest is standing up on its feet!!!!!!! Not yet steady but wow. So happy. They lost one chick and the weather was not grand but wow. Nice.

Oh, the weather can turn so nasty so quickly. I don’t think I would ever visit Wales in June because of all the rain and cold blowing winds. (Oh, that also sounds like Manitoba!). Poor Mum!

The winds are up at the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn. Telyn is out on the perch with the chicks in the nest. I wonder if she will join them? That perch is really bouncing around.

Oh, my goodness. The wind is tearing through the Glaslyn Valley with great force. Mrs G is really hunkered down with the trio tonight. Just look at her determined face. Poor Mum. Those babies are too big to be brooded. Send positive thoughts to all these nests.

The weather is not that bad at the Rutland Water’s Manton Bay nest of Maya and Blue 33. The wind is up a little bit. You can see it from the windblown look of Maya’s nape of her neck.

It’s 22:12 at the Loch Arkaig nest of Louis and Dorcha and all is well. They are just that further north that the day camera is still on.

It looks like it was an alright day on the Mispillion Osprey Nest on Delaware Bay. The chicks are flapping their wings and getting those muscles strong. Hard to see if Mum has done any more decorating. I don’t think so today.

Oh, and what a beautiful sight – three little Bobs enjoying their fish at the Boathouse Osprey nest on Hog Island, Maine. It looks like Dory has figured out the feeding!

I just love this phase of Osprey development. Being good, eating well for Mum, no beaking. Adorable. Just look at Little Bob…precious.

Only Bob at the Patuxent River Park nest 1 has a charmed life. He doesn’t have to share any of the fish with anyone but Mum and Dad.

I have a love-hate relationship with Goshawks. They have been known to lure Osprey parents off the nest into the forest where they kill them. (They do the same to other birds as well, mainly Corvids). Then they return for the chicks. In fact, Llyn Clywedog was just bothered today by a Goshawk intruder.

The trio of little hawklets at the RSPB nest in Abernathy, Scotland are certainly growing and getting stronger on their legs.

Liberty and Freedom have growing eaglets up in Alaska. Lots of food brought to the nest – no one is hungry!

It has been a couple of days since the Summer Solstice but, I don’t know about you but I am having some ‘Spirit Withdrawal’. Sure miss seeing this beauty on the nest all the time. Cali Condor caught her visit!

If you are having Red-tail Hawk withdrawal – and it is easy to do – Ferris Akel posted the highlights of his tour the other evening when he got all of them on camera. Much appreciated, Ferris!

It was nice to catch up with our feathered friends. Thank you so much for joining me. Take care. Stay safe. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages and videos: Ferris Akel Tours, Cal Falcons, ND-LEEF, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and Wildlife Trust, MB Storm Chasers, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bwywd Gwyllt Glaslyn, LRWT, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Post Code Lottery, and the Woodland Trust, Mispillion Ospreys, Explore.org and Audubon, RSPB, Glacier Gardens, and Friends of Big Bear Valley.

Late Thursday and early Friday in Bird World

23-24 June 2022

With all of the troubles in the Osprey nests, I missed that Chase & Cholyn’s only eaglet of 2022, Lancer, fledged on the 22nd. Here is a video of that first flight!

This is the very latest information from the Pitkin Osprey Nest.

This was one of the original postings if you are not familiar with what happened at this nest.

These poor Mums who have lost their chicks. Just like Mum at Pitkin, Electra at Cowlitz PUD continues to return to her empty nest after the Bald Eagle took all three of her very healthy osplets. Heart wrenching.

There are three beautiful osplets in a nest in the Ramuka Forest in Poland. They are a little older than the ones at the Pitkin Nest. Napi has just brought in a fish for Lotewka and the two chicks. The oldest hatched on 24 May and the youngest on the 26th of May. The oldest is 30 days old today (Thursday) and the youngest is 28 days. They are doing so well. Napi looks tiny next to those big chicks.

I was able to catch a late feeding at the Mispillion Osprey Nest in Delaware. You might recall that Mum removed her pretty yellow mesh and has replaced it now with a bright green-blue ‘something’. I want to say rope but it doesn’t look like rope. Anyone have any ideas? I hope that Mum removes this before any member of the family gets tangled!

When I did my last check on Little Bit 17 and the ND-LEEF nest, Little Bit was fine. Prey had been delivered and so far – fingers crossed – the nest is holding. ND15 had found another branch on which to perch but, to my knowledge there had been no sighting of ND16. When the branch broke that both 15 and 16 were on, both flew away. It had to be quite shocking and traumatic. As many times as I got furious at 16, I really do not wish for that lovely bird to come to any harm.

ND15 has found a strong branch on which to perch.

Little Bit is going to sleep duckling style. I just wish he would move away from that edge. I don’t know if it is lens distortion but it certainly appears to be leaning down as if it could give way. Optical illusion – let’s hope.

The ND-LEEF nest is looking more precarious where 17 was resting yesterday. Oh, I wish Little Bit would find a place to perch on a branch. Little Bit has beautiful wings and in days he is ‘old enough’ to fly but, his tail still seems not long enough.

Dawn is just breaking at the Dyfi Osprey nest in Wales of Idris and Telyn. The three chicks are old enough to sleep in the nest without Mum who is up on the perch with dad. they will be ringed next week!

The wee one – Bobby Bach is what he is called at this nest – will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. Big Bob will be 31 days and Middle Bob is 29 days. Ringing next week – the norm is 35-38 days but not later than the 43rd as they could bolt then. Telyn is giving all of them their lunch. Nice big healthy chicks.

It is a bit of a misty morning at the Loch of the Lowes. I can see the remnants of a fish left over from last night on the nest.

At one point, Blue NC0 was on the nest sleeping. It takes a lot out of the females during breeding season. Cornell Bird Labs estimate that by the times the chicks fledge the females will have lost 30% of their body weight. They also need to replace all that calcium. It is not as easy as it might look even in such a beautiful place. I have mentioned it before but I like to in case someone missed it – no one is allowed around the loch during breeding season, from 1 April to the end of September. That is so there is no disruption to the birds other than other intruder birds!

The two surviving chicks at the Llyn Brenig nest are quite small in comparison to the two at the Loch of the Lowes. Mr AX6 has delivered a morning fish much to the delight of Mum and the two chicks who seem to have really grown over the past couple of days. It isn’t a huge fish and it is alive! Oh, dear. Dad did not take any for himself – maybe because it was so small.

There are three little osplets at the Fortis Exshaw Nest in Canmore, Alberta. The wind is ripping through tonight. Thank goodness it is not as hot there as it is here. Rain is forecast over the next two days. I really hope that Dad can get fish on the nest with the wind and rain – so far he is doing well. The little ones are doing some beaking but this is pretty natural at this stage. We want to see it stop, however!

This is the link to this streaming cam.

Oh, those babies are so tiny at the Hog Island osprey nest in Maine. It is the home of Dory and Skiff. I mentioned the little one’s names yesterday but just a reminder that they are Schooner, Slipjack, and Sloop. Dory is a first time Mum. Fingers crossed especially when there are three!

Oh, they are just soooooooo tiny.

Skiff has brought in a fish for everyone – you can just see the peach and pink from the sun setting over the water. Cross your fingers and send good wishes to this family!

There are three little Bobs at the Osoyoos Osprey nest in British Columbia. Osoyoos is located close to the US border in an area that is known to be one of the warmest spots in our country. Last year the chicks died during the Pacific Northwest heat wave. Fingers crossed for this year.

Aran is such a great fisher. Him and Mrs G have one of the best locations – except for the intruders. Kids were sure happy to see that whopper today…and so was Mrs G – ever anxious to get at it! There will be some for her, too.

Someone asked if the males feed the osplets. Many do! Some of the males really do enjoy feeding their chicks. Some females will also fly out and fish once the chicks are big enough they will not be predated. Blue NC0 at Loch of the Lowes is a great fisher.

Here is Louis at Loch Arkaig feeding the chicks while Dorcha looks on.

The storklets of Jan and Janika are to be moved to a forest enclosure soon. They are still being fed by the remote ‘Dad’ and look at how well they are doing.

The four Windsbach kestrels are still with us. Europe is going through a real heat wave and they are huddled in the corner out of the sun.

They perk up when Mum comes in with their tea time snack!

Ahote arrives at the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta early hoping to get in line for breakfast before anyone else!

Lancer is at Two Harbours waiting for breakfast too!!!!!!!

Checking on Ervie. His latest tracking shows no visits to the barge. PLO think he has gotten the message that he is not welcome! Did I miss another visit to the nest? Would love to see Ervie! Looks like he is fishing close to the shore. Puffers???

I would like to say that things have slowed down and are uneventful after the past couple of weeks of troubles. The tree at ND-LEEF is very worrying. The staff are excellent and they have been out looking for ND16. I have heard nothing about 16 being seen. 15 has been perched on another branch. It is 17 of course that is the worry. That eaglet fought so hard to live that it would be a real tragedy if the rest of that nest collapses before it can fly. I wish it would get up on one of the branches! Send real positive energy that way! In other news Lindsay has been up on the Campanile and that is a good thing. If you are wondering how long L3 will be in rehab, probably 3-6 weeks plus flight training. They should teach her how to hunt at the same time so that she is insured of success once she leaves the Centre. And they will probably band L3 and we will find out if she is a she or a he.

Take care everyone. I hope that you have a wonderful day. Thank you so much for being with me. It is pretty quiet in Bird World. I will be back tomorrow. See you then!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Cowlitz PUD, Explore.Org and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, Ospreys Online-Ramucka Forest, Mispillion Ospreys and DDNR, Pitkin County Open Spaces and Trails, ND-Leef, Dyfi Osprey Project, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw, Explore.org and Audubon, Osoyoos Ospreys, Bywyt Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Post Code Lottery, and the Woodland Trust, EMU, Windsbach Kestrels and PLO.

Eagles tumble, tug-o-fish, and rehab…a busy day in Bird World

23 June 2022

It is 96 degrees F on top of the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey nest. Big and Middle are feeling the heat. ‘R’ tells me that a cooling down rain is on the way. Wish for rain!

I am extremely grateful to ‘R’ for the time stamp for the tug-o-fish between Big and Middle at the UFlorida nest. No rain but you can clearly see why the adults get out of the way once they drop a fish!

Wildlife suffer in the heat. As temperatures rise, scientists are noticing that birds are adapting somewhat by being smaller in size and by moving north to cooler climates. That said, it was 100.4 degrees F in Winnipeg two days ago and it was scorching hot yesterday and today. Will there even be a cool spot?

As you may be aware, the ND-LEEF nest – home to Little Bit 17 partially collapsed a couple of days ago. The adults tested the remainder of the nest and have been bringing in prey and feeding the three eaglets. Both 15 and 16 have fledged. Little Bit is not ready yet. Last evening both 15 and 16 were perched on a dead branch. It broke. Both flew off. 15 has been located but not 16.

So far the nest is holding and Little Bit is alright. Continue to send all that positive energy!

Parents are delivering prey to the nest and 15 has come in to eat. It looks like there is a raccoon on the nest as well. Little Bit 17 is fine. Eagles are solitary raptors for the most part. I suspect he is enjoying getting more of the prey and having his crop full.

The third hatch of Big Red and Arthur, L3, was found injured last evening. Here is the full announcement from Cornell.

Isn’t she gorgeous? Wishing her a speedy recovery.

At Loch Arkaig, Louis brought in two nice sized fish in less than 12 minutes. In the end, he decided to tandem feed with Dorcha – so everyone was really full! Fantastic. It looks like the weather is much better there. Thankfully.

Oh, its soggy at Llyn Clywedog, home to Dylan and Seren and the three Bobs.

It was soggy earlier in the Glaslyn valley home to Mrs G and Aran.

Below the Glaslyn nest there are sheep and cattle. You can usually hear them.

The nest started drying out later in the afternoon. There is Mrs G with those 3 big Bobs. Is it possible they are all Bobettes?

It is rather idyllic at the Loch of the Lowes. Blue NC0 looks out over the loch with her two big Bobs that should be getting ringed any day now.

Oh, it was hot on the Canadian Prairies and the heat made it very difficult to count ducklings and goslings.

I did not see any ducklings, only goslings today. I wonder if the rain and flooding ruined all their eggs?

Thank you so much for joining me today. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, ND-LEEF, Cornell University, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Post Code Lottery, and Scottish Wildlife Trust, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Woodland Trust, and CarnyXWild, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn.