Tag Archives: Loch Arkaig

Monty’s last Bobby Bach has died and other brief news in Bird World

26 July 2022

While it was pouring down rain and thunder and lightning were rattling the skies on the Canadian Prairies, little Willow was being tossed off the side of the Loch Arkaig nest by a Tawny Owl. I caught it in a very very short video.

Willow returned to the nest and appears to be unharmed.

Tragic news has come out of the Dyfi Nature Centre this morning. Normally, if a fledgling survives its first migration to return at the age of two and then again at three, that Osprey will live a long and fruitful life. So the news today of the death of Hesgyn is particularly troubling.

Hesgyn was Bobby Bach, the third hatch of Monty and Telyn (now with Idris) in 2019. He and his sibling Berthyn had returned to the UK in 2021. It was the first time the Dyfi Osprey Project had two chicks from the same brood return after their first migration.

Hesgyn was three years old when his body was recovered from Criccieth Beach in north Wales yesterday. Emyr Evans wrote a lovely tribute to this promising son of Monty.

https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/hesgyn-has-died?fbclid=IwAR27ciHVWxDnXJLsIZLFMlCiIa-jzrkS9JQqVItjgJPGD91_6Pcjuns01Mw

When you read about Ospreys you will sometimes see that their diet is 99% fish. This mourning Asha at the Loch Garten Osprey nest brought in a young Grebe and fed part of it to the two chicks on the nest.

It is clearly an example of Ospreys eating something else although I suspect if the Grebe were under water Asha might have thought it a fish. What is so troubling about this – and I have yet to see anyone mention it – is the highly pathogenic Bird Flu that is across the area. It is a nest that will be monitored with the hope that the young waterfowl did not carry H5N1.

“File:Little grebe Zwergtaucher.jpg” by Andreas Trepte is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5.

Avian Flu continues to kill thousands and thousands of birds across the UK. It is wiping out bird populations on the islands and the mainland.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-62253049

At the Llyn Brenig Osprey platform in Wales, it was a very special afternoon. at 12:45 X6 Olwen fledged. Perhaps her brother Gelert KA9 will fly tomorrow. You might recall that this was the nest cut down with a chainsaw in 2021. Congratulations to everyone today!

There have been two fish deliveries so far at the Osoyoos Osprey nest (it is currently 0920). The first was a little fish at 0554 and the second was a fairly good size one at 0616. Keep sending all your good wishes their way – a heat warning is in effect and the temperatures will climb to 41 C or 105.8 for almost the entire week. This is a tragedy…look at those beautiful osplets standing so nicely. We want them to survive. Will someone supply them with a fish table or fish basket if it is necessary? Certainly Urmas, the state Ornithologist in Estonia would do this exact thing. These beautiful raptors certainly didn’t cause the planet to heat up catastrophically!

My heart just aches for this beautiful family who have struggled for weeks with low fish yields, a chick falling off the nest, and extreme temperatures. If they were in NZ, they just might have a mister and lots of supplementary fish like the Royal Albatross.

In comparison, the Fortis Exshaw Osprey platform at Canmore, Alberta will be hot but significantly cooler than at Osoyoos. Last year all of the chicks on the nest of Soo and Olsen died because of the heat wave that hit the area. They were considerably younger but this nest on the border of British Columbia and the US will need fish – it is the only hydration the Ospreys get.

The three osplets of Dory and Skiff at the Boathouse Platform – not on Hog Island but often called the Hog Island Ospreys (thanks ‘H’) – are doing fine today despite temperatures rising to 29 C or 84.2 degrees this week. Osoyoos would really welcome that weather – although I wish for all of them that it would be about 24 degrees C or 75.2 F.

At Mispillion one of the chicks was on the nest eating a fish alongside Mum’s little treasures – the yellow mat and the yellow grid metal ornament. Both could get tangled in the legs of the birds. But, on a good note, the chicks are being fed by the parents off the nest. This one lands with a small headless fish on the nest – a nice safe place to eat.

Dad is bringing in lots of fish to the Sydney Sea Eagles nest and Lady made sure that both had big crops before it was light’s out.

Lindsay is not quite as loud as Grinnell, Jr but she sure tries to be!

On the Notre Dame Eagles FB page, there is mention of all three eagles again being in the trees. The notes are confusing so I am not copying them here but I do join in with everyone hoping that the trio are learning to hunt and are eating. I wish for Little Bit to find a prey rich area to build up his strength before migration.

Thank you so very much for joining me this morning. I do not see any new news on Victor who continues his rehabilitation at the Ojai Raptor Centre. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their FB posts, web page announcements, and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Dyfi Osprey Project, Loch Garden RSBP Ospreys, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Osoyoos Ospreys, Fortis ExShaw Ospreys, Audubon Explore, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR, Sea Eagles @Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, and Cal Falcons.

Little Bit with sibs in the forest and other brief news in Bird World

24 July 2022

What promised to be a lovely day at the nature centre doing the 4.5 km walk and checking on some little Coots turned out to be a run flat tire shredded by the time I got to a place where I could get a new one! Can you hear me growling??? As I waited for my new tire, I noticed something and it made me mad. In Winnipeg, glue traps were outlawed as of 1 July 2022. So why am I seeing stacks of these horrible killers on the shelves??? Letters have already gone out to the company and to several municipal offices. The products should be removed and destroyed responsibly. This is a plea by a raptor group that shows what glue traps do to birds – and other animals that get on them. It is horrible. Please do not use these.

The public attitude towards wildlife – including our fearless raptors – has changed over the decades. Perhaps it has not been as fast as some of us would want but, there is a growing awareness that we live in a world that is ‘connected’. The balance that we need to exist means that all living things have rights and are to be respected. It is no longer acceptable to shoot raptors and it is definitely no longer acceptable, as it was in the 1950s and mid-1960s, to shoot Bald Eagles for the $2 bounty. Cut their legs off, tie them up, you get $2! That would outrage us if we saw buckets of our beloved eagle’s legs on a dock! It is also no longer acceptable to tear down nests to build parking lots for stores. The more we learn and study and watch our beautiful feathered friends the more we understand that they are not so different as us as families. What is different is that their lives have been compromised by humans. In 2022, we know that we need to fix that but…we need everyone to understand and care for wildlife, to demand that utility companies and businesses who make huge profits undertake to be responsible stewards of our planet. That is why I am always happy to see a news story about the birds!

It is always good when stories about our beloved raptors make it into the news. California really is the gold star for keeping wildlife and their stories in the public.

One of the most loved nests is that of Louis – Lonesome Louis he was called before Aila came to Loch Arkaig. Now he is with Dorcha for their second year and the two surviving osplets were named by their fans – Willow and Sarafina. That made the news!

https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/loch-arkaig-osprey-chicks-named-willow-and-sarafina-after-thousands-respond-to-online-poll?fbclid=IwAR0Hj816uXXGaIuKAGMCrpgiMB4Am-lquafaz7UZVyyS4dbcroN7h2BJCow

Continuing on with birds in the news and birds in the news who are making history is the story of the first fledge out of Dorset and Poole Harbour in over 200 years! Once again our hats are taken off in great respect to the team that worked on this translocation project. It worked thanks to CJ7 waiting for a mate and Blue 022 falling in love with her and returning this year to start a family!

Harbour Update – posted 23/07/22

To put a smile on everyone’s face, Kennth Kujawski filmed the 3 juveniles at the Notre-Dame nest. Here it is and it feels wonderful to see them all! Little Bit 17 is identified first – but all three are there. ND17 must be eating — and that puts tears on my cheeks.

There have been three fish deliveries so far to the Osoyoos Osprey nest today in British Columbia. Soo is trying to keep the babies cool.

Lady and SE29 and 30 are just waking up in the forest of the Sydney Olympic Park. Dad has lots of fish on the nest and the two are just cute little fluffy snow people with wings!

I am continually checking on the two osplets in Finland at the Janakkalan Nest. They are either sleeping or eating – good things to do as they prepare to fledge and fatten up for migration. Dad is doing a great job. I have not caught the intruder on the nest, have you?

These two look great!

Ever want a list of the names and images of all the eaglets at the nests in the Channel Islands but were afraid to ask? Here you go.

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/chil_eaglecam/meet-the-class-of-2022-t13084.html?fbclid=IwAR2a6B-K1vNfkgcu51Bu10nJYonvMwP0pdppzoiMFAPu2BdSoT6ox51e5cQ

Last but never least, Annie and Alden whose scrape is in UC-Berkeley’s Campanile, finally got some quiet time to bond in the scrape!

Continue to send warm wishes to the Osoyoos Nest. We want Soo to have so much fish that she cannot believe her eyes! OK. Maybe I am not being realistic. How about one large headless fish?

I will write more about BC Hydro but if you want to send a letter about how outraged you are that they do not take their responsibilities to the wildlife seriously, you can e-mail them at: connectwithus@bchydro.com

Chris O’Riley is the CEO! What we want is an immediate start to using poles with a clearance of a little more than 7′ on all new poles between the wires. They can retrofit the existing poles. They are a public company that needs to be mindful of their powerful and thus responsible position as a public utility funded by the taxpayers ——-who demand that they take seriously their role and protect wildlife that are injured by their poles.

Thank you for joining me today. All the nests seem fine as do the Crows, the Blue Jays, Dyson, and the rabbits in the garden right now. It is the flurry of eating before bedtime for all of them. Take care of yourself. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their FB posts and their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: The Raptor Trust, Osoyoos Ospreys, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Channel Islands Eagle Lovers, Cal Falcons, and Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.

Ervie went fishing and other early Sunday news in Bird World

24 July 2022

We are all starting to get ’empty nest’ syndrome as the Bald Eagle fledglings make their way into the world and the Osprey fledglings in the Northern Hemisphere begin flying, returning to the nest less regularly unless they are being fed by their parents there. Migration begins within a fortnight in the UK, some females leaving early while others hold on a little longer. The female Ospreys are out fishing – bringing whoppers to the nest larger than the males – feeding the chicks and themselves. Dad, of course, will continue to feed the fledglings after the Mums leave staying at the nest until the fledglings depart and then he will leave. For White YW at the Foulshaw Moss Nest in Cumbria last year, he continued to feed Blue 463 into September!

The three daughters of Idris and Telyn have been flying about. Paith has been spending time on a perch by the river while the other two come and go from the nest. Telyn brought her first post-fledge fish onto the nest today. It was a fantastic catch.

The Glaslyn Nest of Aran and Mrs G is empty as well…chicks will fly in if they see Dad coming with a meal.

The chicks of Louis and Dorcha, Willow and Sarafin, have yet to fledge. If you haven’t found this nest I would certainly put it on your list for next year. Great parenting but the weather is often dire at this alternate nest. When Louis’s mate, Aila, did not return last year – and all of our hearts were broken – he picked Dorcha and they took a nest out of view of the camera. This year the Woodland Trust put cameras on both nests. Maybe a new couple will take the old nest next year. If you look to the top right you can see the loch where Louis fishes.

This is the link to Louis and Dorcha’s streaming cam:

Yesterday was a great day for Olsen at the Osoyoos Osprey platform. They may not have been huge fish but there were lots of them. It is now 0900 and only one small fish has come on the nest at 0518. Let us hope the fishing luck improves!

The chicks at the Fortis Exshaw nest in Canmore Alberta are really getting big and they are wanting to start self-feeding. One tried this morning and caused a bit of chaos. Mum took over and all is well except for the camera which continues to have issues – it needs a good rain to wash it off – or is it condensation again?

Freedom and Liberty at the Glacier Gardens nest in Juneau, Alaska might want the rain to stop for a bit. Eaglets Love and Peace have scrambled to get under Mum to keep their heads dry!

The fox cub has been back sniffing for food on Andor and Mama Cruz’s nest at Two Harbours in the Channel Islands. I wonder where Lilibet is? She isn’t squeeeewing away at the visitor.

Lancer was on the natal nest at Two Harbours for about five minutes this morning arriving around 0822. One of the adults was on the nest around 0702.

As streaming cam bird watchers begin to turn their attention to nests elsewhere, if you love Peregrine Falcons, there are two in Australia. The scrape of Xavier and Diamond on the water tower on the grounds of Charles Sturt University in Orange and the family on the ledge of the CBD at 367 Collins Street. The streaming cams – three of them – at Orange operate year round. The Collins Street cam will come on once eggs are laid near hatching time.

Little Xavier is so cute..for those of you that do not know this nest, Xavier means Saviour and, like Alden who came in to help Annie when Grinnell was killed, Xavier helped Diamond. He is adorable and ever so funny with his prey deliveries. Sometimes Diamond reminds me of a ‘stern matron’ – she is also gorgeous but Xavier is just funny. They are bonding and courting now. Eggs the end of August or beginning of September.

Xavier brought Diamond a tasty treat today. Diamond does not like Starlings but they are plentiful. You will also see a variety of parrots brought into the nest – I am told by a good source that parrots are like sparrows around Orange. Too plentiful. Could this be a parrot of some type? Not many pigeons at Orange but lots and lots of them at the Melbourne scrape on Collins Street are brought in as prey items for the chicks.

Diamond was extremely happy and even ate the food gift in the scrape box!

This is the link to the box cam:

At the Sydney Sea Eagle nest, Lady has the two little eaglets tucked in but they continue to wiggle about.

Mum and Dad are sleeping on the perch at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge.

But where is Ervie you ask???????? Our beautiful lad is out catching his own fish!!!!!!!! Isn’t he handsome? I cannot think of anything nicer than being able to sit and watch Ervie catch and eat a fish. But, gosh, golly, I wish they would remove those spikes.

It is a great day when we get to see Ervie. He is looking fantastic. That satellite tracker doesn’t seem to bother him one little bit and it sure helps us keep track of his movements.

GROWLS has posted the simple fix that BC Hydro can make so that no bird is ever killed again. In the scheme of things, my expert in BC tells me that it will only cost pennies to make the poles a little larger so that the spread between the phases or phases and grounds is wider than 7′.

There is much more to say about BC Hydro and the urgent need for them to undertake a change in their construction methods. I have lots of information and am trying to put it together in a logical way for tomorrow or Tuesday. In the meantime, educate yourself. BC Hydro is a public company and the public want wildlife protected — things have changed and our public utlities companies need to change, too.

It is a hazy hot Sunday on the Canadian Prairies. The Blue Jays are getting peanuts off the deck, the Crows have been flapping about demanding their sandwiches and the Cooper’s Hawk has been hiding in the neighbour’s lilac bushes hoping to get its lunch. Both Hedwig and Little Hedwig have been to the garden and have escaped the eye of the hawk..in fact, my garden is so lush right now that the hawk doesn’t seem to bother checking out the feeders. All are hidden! I hope to get some good images for all of us but, first, I have to remove the screens from the new sunroom. They do not allow any decent images to be taken!

Thank you so much for joining me this morning. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday wherever you are. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their FB pages and their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: GROWLS, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Charles Sturt University at Orange Falcon Cam, Sydney Sea Eagles @Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, Explore.org and IWS, Glacier Gardens, Fortis ExShaw, Osoyoos Osprey Cam, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, and the Dyfi Osprey Project.

Cute little Sea Eagles, an angel of a step-Mum, and more in Bird World

Wednesday 20 July 2022

Good Morning Everyone. It is not raining! The sky is a beautiful blue, there is a breeze, and it will be a high of 27 today. That is the same temperature as at my son’s house in the Caribbean! Mr Blue Jay has come to visit the new bird bath and after having some big drinks jumps down to get a peanut. Too quick for me. Oh, there he is planting them in the gutter! Silly bird. I love those images of trees where the Blue Jays have pushed their stash into the grooves of the bark. I am surprised that Dyson is not around! Images are shot through a screen with my phone so not great, apologies. The glass in the sunroom also causes some very strange reflections.

White-bellied Sea Eagles live along the coastal waters of Australia, New Guinea and parts of Asia extending all the way to India. If you have ever been in Singapore you can see them at the harbour. You will find them along inland rivers as well. They are sometimes called the White-bellied or White-breasted Fish Hawk because, in many places, their diet consists of mostly fish. Unlike the Osprey who lives exclusively on fish (unless there is nothing else), the White-bellied Sea Eagles do eat birds and mammals.

Lady and Dad live in a typical stick nest in the Sydney Olympic Forest. Like other White-bellied Sea Eagles, Lady laid a clutch of two eggs. It is extremely rare to see a clutch of three like we do in Bald Eagle populations.

WBSE29 hatched on the 19th of July with WBSE30 hatching on the 20th. Incubation by Lady was deliberately delayed so that the hatches would be close together. During the first week of their life, the hatchlings will be covered with soft fluffy down. Their beaks are black; the little white spot on the end is the egg tooth. By day 7 the chicks will be sitting nicely, no more bobbing of the heads, etc. You may see some sibling rivalry.

The newly hatched chicks, once they are dried off, look like little snow people with arms. Darling.

Tumbling around. In a few days they will be ever steady on those cute pink legs.

The Janakkalan Osprey nest in Finland is still causing some confusion over what is precisely happening on the nest but, I believe the mystery is now solved. The Mum has been very ill and on the nest yesterday, very tired and looking ill. (Mum of chicks has red Darvic ring – the Dad has a yellow ring). I have not seen her since. Maybe you have?

A female intruder and other visitors have been around. This is the female intruder eating some fish on the nest with the chicks. She does not have a Darvic ring. She is the one that pecked at the chicks and took their fish the other day, I think. Darvic rings are very helpful….we need all the birds to have them.

There is a fish delivery at 12:29. The chicks were calling as the adult came into view with their lunch. This is the female intruder bringing a fish to the two osplets. There is no Darvic ring on her leg.

The largest of the chicks mantles and gets the fish.

The female looks around.

The largest chick will enjoy some good fish. There has been fish all over the nest lots of it so neither are starving. This is a good thing. They prefer, of course, the fresh fish! I would, too. Sometimes the new female takes the fish and then brings it back.

The female flies off the nest and leaves the chick to eat.

It would appear that the one chick that got the fish is finishing the tail at 13:06. The other one did not eat but there is plenty of fish coming to the nest so no worries.

One would have to understand that the female has died or is dying. Is the father accepting the female for maybe next year? It appears that the two osplets will not perish but will thrive. They have another female helping. This reminds me of Alden moving in to help Annie. It is brilliant!———-I am glad that the confusion is turning into something good for this nest. I wonder then how many times will potential mates step in to help a single osprey family member? and help raise their chicks? Is this behaviour more common than we think?

‘H’ was able to get a great capture of the Exshaw nest at Canmore, Alberta. The camera has, for days, had condensation, so that we could not see the three chicks properly. Well, look at them this morning! They are doing fabulous. Thanks, ‘H’.

In the UK, the Belgravies Osprey nest has collapsed. I have no images but the juvenile is on the ground. No word if it survived the nest failure. So sad. So many issues with nests this year. It is a good opportunity to consider checking every single platform and nest that can be checked and refurbished/re-supported after breeding season this year.

Lindsay has been taking some lessons from her younger brother Grinnell Jr! BTW. I feel so blessed to be able to see these two darling fledglings as much as we have. Oh, we will miss them when they depart the area.

Fish deliveries were early on the Osoyoos nest. It is cooler but will be going up to a high of 35 C. A scorcher. You can see that both of the chicks have a nice crop in the image below including the younger one. I hope Mum got some nice bites too. So want this nest to succeed this year after the tragic ending to the 2021 season. Mum is fantastic. She will make sure that the pair of them are shaded as best she can from the heat of the sun this afternoon.

All around the UK and Europe, temperatures are climbing into numbers never before seen. I did not check all the temperatures in Scotland but their weather looks nicer – sitting at 23 degrees C. It looks like a gorgeous evening at the Loch of the Lowes. Both chicks have fledged and if you squint you can see Ospreys on the dead tree to the left. This is one of the favourite places for Laddie. One fledgling on the nest hoping for a fish delivery.

Loch Arkaig has its own microclimate. The two osplets of Dorcha and Louis are not panting…it looks like a good evening for them, also.

Louis arrives with a nice fish for everyone. How lovely. These chicks are also starting to work their wings.

Wales is cool also — at 22 C. Everyone is on the nest in the Glaslyn Valley – Mrs G and the kids – awaiting Aran with the evening delivery. I believe there is one more osplet left to fledge on the Glaslyn nest (Blue 499?).

I apologize for forgetting to report on the Ospreys nest in Estonia. I forget – lost in what is happening on the Black Stork nests. The three osplets of Ivo and Liris were ringed by Urmas. That took place two weeks ago. It is wonderful that this nest has osplets that are now fledging – no Goshaw issues!

Urmas is one of my great heroes. As ‘the’ ornithologist for Estonia, he is always thinking of clever ways to help their wildlife survive. The rescue and fostering of the Black Storks and the creation of the fish baskets when fish supplies are low is commendable. He gets it. I wish that others around the world would take note of the fish supplies. He has even climbed up to the nests and placed fish on them (Grafs and Grafiene 2021). Here he is banding these fantastic osplets. Look at the one stand up and become fierce as Urmas approaches.

Ivo flies with a fish encouraging the osplets to continue their hovering but to think about flying! It seems that the chicks are flying…I will try and get the details.

It appears that for today the two nests of concern – Osoyoos and Janakkalan – are alright. Osoyoos had a larger fish early on and it is the fish deliveries that are important in the heat. We all know that is where the ospreys get their hydration. We hope for more during the day. I am delighted to have been so confused by the Finnish nest – and to see a female stepping in showing that she will not harm but help raise the chicks to become the potential female for nest year is nothing short of heartwarming. All of the other nests appear to be doing well except for Belgravies which has collapsed. No word yet of the fate of the occupant juvenile.

I want to close with a very cute video of Diamond and Xavier in the scrape box at Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia. These two are real characters when it comes to prey delivery. They are delightful. Diamond does not always accept the prey. Xavier doesn’t always leave it. Sometimes it is a Starling and Diamond does not like Starlings. Too crazy. Too fun!

Thank you so much for joining me. It is nice to bring some good news. I will not be posting an evening report today. I am hoping to make the rounds of our own birds to see how they are doing. It has been a scorcher for them, too. Take care everyone. Stay cool. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their FB posts, their videos, or their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Cal Falcons, Falcon Cam Project Charles Sturt University, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney, Finnish Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllyt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Wildlife Trust, Eagle Club of Estonia and Looduskalender, Fortis Exshaw, and Osoyoos Ospreys.

UPDATED: Victor stands on his own, Brooks is home, Padarn fledges and other news in Bird World

19 July 2022

UPDATED: PLEASE SEE SECTION ON FINNISH NEST

The big news of the day is that the physical therapy for Victor at the Ojai Raptor Centre must have really helped! The staff caught Victor standing for the first time on his own this morning. It feels like the time to bust out the champagne or a glass of herb lemonade. Tears of joy. Victor is 14 weeks old.

No images provided but so happy that physical therapy is working. We knew you could do it, Victor!

Oh, what a relief. The minute I hit ‘publish’ on the early news, a notice appeared in the inbox that Brooks had returned to Rosie and Richmond’s nest on the Whirley Crane in the Richmond Shipping Yards. Gone for 49 hours, 44 minutes and 36 seconds, Brooks was obviously hungry. He was screaming his head off for a fish! Like many of you, I was concerned that the presence of Molate’s body was upsetting Brooks. So glad you are home, Brooks!

The last chick on the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn, Padarn, fledged at 15:07 from the nest in Wales. Congratulations Idris and Telyn, Emyr and everyone at Dfyi! Padarn was 53.9 days old.

The Woodland Trust would like your help in naming Louis and Dorcha’s two osplets of the 2022 breeding season. The original submissions were reduced to a few pairs of names. Why not help name these two darlings? Here is the information:

There are two female chicks on the Pont Cresor nest of Aeron Z2 and Blue 014. They were ringed on the 18th of July. No other news is available as to their weight, etc.

UPDATE: THE REASON FOR MY CONFUSION ABOUT THE PHYSICAL STATE OF THE MUM IS THAT SHE WAS ON THE NEST VERY TIRED. THERE WAS ALSO A FEMALE INTRUDER WHO ‘R’ TOLD ME PECKED AT THE CHICKS AND TOOK THEIR FISH AWAY. SO – IT APPEARS THAT MUM IS ACTUALLY QUITE UNWELL AT THIS POINT. THE PROBLEM FOR THE CHICKS IS THIS INTRUDER OR OTHER PREDATORS.

It is really quite difficult to figure what is going on with the female at the Janakkalan Osprey nest in Finland. One moment she appears tired and weak and the next she flies in looking refreshed. Only time will reveal if she is getting worse or better. In the meantime, fish are arriving on the nest and the chicks are really taking to flapping their wings and trying to hover.

THIS IS THE INTRUDER BIRD THAT WAS MEAN TO THE CHICKS TAKING THEIR FOOD.

As the sun sets on the nest and the two osplets are alone, I wonder if Dad will bring another late night fish?

Mum is trying hard to keep the two chicks cool on the nest in Osoyoos. Olsen has been bringing in fish – they are small. The big ones are probably at the bottom of the lake keeping cool! I understand the heat wave in BC will last through Sunday. Send wishes for this nest for fish! It is the only thing that keeps them hydrated.

Everyone is well fed on the Fortis Exshaw Osprey nest near Canmore, Alberta. The wind is sure blowing the pole around but it will all be fine. I can hear Mum chirping away wanting more fish! or could it be an intruder flying over head? They just had a pretty nice fish lunch.

Will Alden be able to hide from Lindsay and Grinnell, Jr?

It is quiet in Bird World today…and there is good news to share. We should be seeing WBSE30 any time. Another cute fuzz ball in Sydney. Thank you for joining me. Send good wishes to all the wildlife caught in the heat. Remember to put our water and ….take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for the FB pages, their videos, or their streaming cams where I took my images: Ojai Raptor Centre, Finnish Osprey Foundation, SF Ospreys and GG Audubon, Dfyi Ospreys, Cal Falcons, Osoyoos Ospreys, Fortis Exshaw, and Friends of Loch Arkaig FB.

Monday Afternoon in Bird World

18 July 2022

Hi everyone…

So many places are experiencing extreme heat right now. Remember all our feathered friends need water just like we do. Don’t have a bird bath? That is definitely not a problem! Cereal Bowls…quiche dishes are great. Make sure that the dishes are not any deeper than 7.6 cm or 3 inches. Some people put stones or rocks in the larger bowls for the birds to stand on. Metal gets hot…ceramic is good. Even a small desert bowl will help them. Fill it often!

I began to put out more water sources for the birds when someone I respect in the UK mentioned to me that dehydration cannot be ruled out in Ospreys on high nests in the heat. It made me think of Molate.

SF Ospreys posted a tribute to Molate. You will definitely need tissues.

There is no way around it. Another name was added to the list today.

Kieldner Forest is confirming fears that Mr YA from nest 1A is injured or dead. There remains one osplet to fledge.

Mr YA was an incredible male Osprey. Kieldner said, “YA is effectively Mr Kielder, having raised 26 offspring to successful fledges. Two males, UV and Y1 bred successfully giving him 4 grandchicks last year. Female offspring have been seen in Scotland and his legacy will continue to contribute to the success of the UK population.”

It will be another really hot day for Mum and the babies at the Osoyoos Osprey nest. They had that lovely left over fish this morning. And it looks like Dad has brought in 3 other fish, one a little larger than the smaller ones. Yeah for Dad. It can’t be easy. Not bad…it is not yet 1400 on the nest as I write this.

Oh, how I wish all of the nests would put in the temperature and wind speed. My friend ‘N’ in Maine tells me that it is hot there, too..the kids don’t look so bad on the Boathouse Osprey nest. I wonder if being above water might help. Looks a little rainy to me…

At the Janakkalan Osprey nest in Finland, that big female sure can eat the fish! She finally got her fill at 17:11 and the smaller osplet got to eat.

Dad is taking good care of the two chicks. He brought in another nice fish at 23:38. The female is just not around that much and I am beginning to start to wonder about her health – again.

There is Dad with a really nice fish for the two. He continues and will continue to supply fish for them. They have not fledged so he has a lot of work to do. Mum’s role was security and feeding…both now can feed themselves although the younger might be happier if Mum did it!

Poor Alden!

Dad came down to check on Lady to see if she wanted a break from brooding 29 and incubating 30 while it pips its way out of the shell. They had a bit of a conversation.

Lady always seems to just ‘glow’ once one of the eggs has hatched.

Oh, how I wished the eaglet would turn around! The white spot on the beak is the egg tooth that helped this white fluffy ball break through that shell.

Australia is waking up and the sun is setting over Finnish Osprey nest #1 of Eura and Eine. The Only Bob is so sweet when it is asleep!

Beautiful Eine. Her and Eura are occupying this nest for the first time.

It appears that Dorcha has had a bath and gotten rid of the blood on her leg. I cannot see any new blood…and that is wonderful. Louis seems to be having a great day fishing! Just look at the size of that chick compared to Mum! Wow.

The cam operator at the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Mrs G really gave us some great opportunities today to get some good shots of the couple with their fledgling 497, the osplet with attitude.

From the bottom: Aran, Mrs G, and Blue 497

I really hope that the rehabber at Humane Indiana Wildlife has second thoughts about releasing ND17 back at the natal nest…because there really isn’t much left of it and well, the prey in the area is not that good. We saw that this year with the high river and the reliance on road kill.

I have not seen any new updates on either Victor or Little Bit 17. Let us all assume that no news is good news.

Sharon Palmer-Hunt put together a fantastic video on the Bald Eagle season on Gabriola Island including the arrival of Malala! Enjoy!

Tomorrow we can hopefully look forward to welcoming WBSE30 into the world. Then the fun begins!

Thank you for joining me today. Please take care. Stay cool…drink lots of water! Put water out for the birds, too. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: SF Ospreys and GGA, Kieldner Forest Ospreys, Osoyoos Ospreys, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Cal falcons, Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery and the Woodland Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Notre-Dame Eagles ND-LEEF, and GROWLS.

Life and Death in Bird World…

18 July 2022

We are going to start off with the good news…a hatch! Sydney’s Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre is giving the official hatch time of WBSE 29 at 1426. There is also a pip in WBSE30’s egg.

Beautiful Lady. By the time we wake up tomorrow morning there should be two healthy White-bellied Sea Eaglets in this nest getting ready to bop and bob.

I thought I might make it through Sunday evening without finding out about another Osprey death. Not so. A much loved male Osprey of a long time mated pair in Bitterroot Valley, Montana was shot with a soft bullet and died. Local animal right’s activists have issued a reward for the identity of the shooter.

Shootings of protected raptors are on the rise in the area. There were 7 last year and already there are 5 this year in this single area of Montana. Reports from wildlife rehab clinics often cite either shootings or – heavy lead toxins due to the eating of prey with bullet fragments – as the major reason for eagles to be in care or dying.

It is, of course, illegal to shoot a protected species but, it doesn’t seem to matter. It has happened in my City, all over the US, in various countries in the EU such as France and Malta. And, of course, there are the ongoing issues in the UK on the private estates where grouse hunting is permitted.

https://mtstandard.com/news/state-and-regional/bitterroot-osprey-shooting-leaves-activists-looking-for-answers/article_fe7ff6c8-f90b-535f-98b6-9a3826e123ee.html?fbclid=IwAR3qVHQb8gMmqRYhFw6CQZX24PHNfYuaFMh57p_EOndiZBTT7NLxDI5dwno

There is good news coming out of the Osoyoos nest. One look at the image reveals the remains of a large fish still on the nest. ‘A-M’ mentioned on the chat that both chicks had eaten well today and Little Bob even had a really full crop. Apparently both parents brought in 2 big fish. It is wonderful to see Mum with a big crop, too. Oh, we could not ask for anything better coming out of the heat in the area. Fantastic.

With all the sadness, the fact that this nest got 2 great big fish and everyone is full and there is still fish is something to celebrate. I wanted fish to fall from the sky but coming in from the lake is just as good.

To also put a smile on your face, Lilibet at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Mama Cruz had something to say to the fox cub that keeps getting on her nest! And she was very vocal about it.

There is other good news. The youngest osplet of the trio at Llyn Clywedog fledged at 10:22 on Sunday the 17th. Congratulations Dylan and Seren for another successful year and to all those at Llyn Clywedog in Wales.

Seren on one perch and two of the fledglings on the other perch.

The two osplets on the Llyn Brenig nest in Wales have not fledged. They certainly have grown since I last checked on them! Mom looks happy and I bet that fish Dad brought in really tasted good.

Dorcha looking over her two osplets as the sun was setting on Loch Arkaig.

and dawn over Loch Arkaig. I has been impossible to tell how Dorcha is doing. Hopefully she will go for a good swim and get the blood off from her injury – continuing good thoughts for her to heal quickly.

The area is so beautiful.

The Glaslyn Valley nest of Aran and Mrs G is so very different than Loch Arkaig and Loch of the Lowes. The cows and the sheep make the entire scene look like it could be a 17th century painting.

At the Loch of the Lowes, one of the fledglings slept ‘adult style’ on the nest perch all night. There is another (or two?) osprey/s on the dead tree at centre left. Where is everyone else? Laddie? Blue NC0?

Later. Waiting for a delivery!

Dad delivers fish to the Janakkdan Osprey nest on a regular basis. Here is the last delivery for the 17th at 19:28. The osplets will take turns self-feeding.

I have not seen the female on the nest for some hours – from 1900 to 0700. The chicks have not fledged. Some on the chat questioned if she has begun her migration. No, it is too early. Let us hope that she is well.

It is possible there is a perch and Mum is there. She was on the nest at noon today. Both chicks appear to be capable of eating on their own. One better than the other but it has had more practice.

‘H’ reports that it is Smooth Dogfish Shark for breakfast at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest! Dad brought in two in quick succession. Everyone was hungry – one fledgling trying to self-feed and the other being fed by Mum who eventually feeds both.

While the ospreys in Delaware were enjoying their Smooth Dogfish Sharks, Karl II was delivering large fish to the Karula National Forest Black storkling nest – that includes Bonus, the adopted storklet of Jan and Janikka. I am so happy that the four are doing so well and so grateful to Urmas for his fish basket! Thank you, Urmas.

The camera was down at Glacier Gardens for part of the 17th. NitBot reports that there were four fish deliveries with Peace getting 1 fish and Love seeming to get the other 3. It is so hard to see the eaglets – is it condensation on the camera? and the cars racing up and down that road are making me nervous. But…Liberty and Freedom know best!

There is no word yet on what caused the 9 day old osplet of Tom and Audrey at the Chesapeake Conservancy to suddenly die. Will keep you posted on any news. Its death was entirely unexpected. There was lots of fish and it was eating well.

Everything seems to be fine for Dory and Skiff and their three osplets on Hog Island in Maine.

Here is a short video of Dory feeding the three just a short while ago.

Like everywhere else, it has been hot and stormy on the Canadian Prairies. If you are in an area of high heat and have shallow bowls (no deeper than 2 or 3 inches), put some water in them if you do not have a bird bath. All manner of raptor are coming to cool down including the local crows and owls – even the rabbits have been in to drink water and get in the shade of the lilacs and ‘the bush tunnels’. I will try to get a photo if I can but Mr Crow was on top of the sunroom/greenhouse this morning telling me that he wanted breakfast!

An osprey expert in the UK told me that never rule out dehydration in the death of Ospreys. He was talking about Molate. But, remember that all of the birds can suffer in the heat without water!

The image below is (I believe) Hedwig’s baby. It is really cropped and blown up – the rabbit is tiny. Those are dandelion leaves and they are not long. He thought he was hiding behind some of the builder’s garbage! But we saw you, cutie pie. Caught in the act. You can eat all of the dandelion leaves you want!

This is Hedwig the Elder over eating the seeds that the birds spill everywhere! What they are really enjoying are the tender shoots.

Bye Hedwig!

Hedwig and Little Hedwig took off together to go to their burrow which is across the back lane underneath a garage.

It has been a week since Victor was rescued. I have not seen an update but it is early in California. Looking forward to some news. Things are rather quiet in Bird World — and goodness, gosh, golly…quiet is welcome. There will be more fledges in the UK and another baby Sea Eagle tomorrow. Something to look forward to….

Thank you for being with me today. Take care Everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Sydney Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Osoyoos Ospreys, Explore.org and IWS, CarnyXwild, Llyn Brenig Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig, People’s Postcode Lottery, and the Wildlife Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch of the Lowes, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR, Eagle Club of Estonia, Glacier Gardens, Chesapeake Conservancy, and Explore.org and Audubon.

Late Saturday News in Bird World

16 July 2022

The ‘sunroom’ – the reason for Little Red’s eviction from the ancient shed – is not finished but, I am enjoying sitting here until I am tossed out so the workers can finish the floor and the dry wall on the one wall. It is almost like having eagle vision – I have a clear view of the garden and the critters. For Dyson, this means that I now know for certain that he sees himself as the ‘dominant osprey in the nest’. Poor Hedwig the Elder had no peace trying to have its breakfast and I have discovered that Junior also gets chased by Dyson. I have seen this behaviour before but was not aware of the extent of Dyson’s reign of terror. Of course, he is far too cute and the shenanigans he gets up to so he can enjoy just one more peanut or another cup of bird seed are precious.

Dyson first made a mess eating the peanuts and leaving the shells,. Then he decided to stash them instead of sharing with Junior. There he goes running. (Sorry for the not so clearly focused image…his coat is beautiful and that fluffy tail has all grown back — which clearly leads me to believe now that Dyson is a ‘she’ not a ‘he’. )

The birds gifted me sunflowers in the Vermillionaire boxes for the hummingbirds.

I was not quick enough to even get a bad picture of Junior but, it was Junior. Last week when we had everything going on with Victor, I came home and found a dead Blue Jay in the front garden. There had been a big fight between a Blue Jay and Mr Crow with Mr Crow winning – and well, I thought it was Junior. For days I worried about the three juveniles but, alas, it was not Junior. I was able to confirm by a distinctive mark that only Junior has that I saw this morning. Relief.

The other thing the garden critters battle, sadly, are cats. We have a bylaw that states people are not to let their cats out of their house. Is it enforced, no. But it called enough attention to the problem of rising feral cat numbers that most people abide by the law. But some don’t.

The bylaw has helped. The sheer number of feral cats has had significant declines. It is just getting humans to obey the laws – it is not the cat’s fault. I do not know who owns this particular cat but a gentle tap and it is gone. It is impossible to keep them out and well, the cat doesn’t know it isn’t supposed to be outside. There are advantages to cats staying inside – they won’t get hit by a car, they won’t get bitten by bees and have to go to the vet, they will not get injured in fights with other cats, they will not get their fur matted with plant material, they will not get caught in traps…

It really is a simple fix and could save tens of thousands or more birds each year if we would only trim our trees and shrubs before or after breeding season…not during. And keep the cats inside! The Guardian just featured an article on this very topic today. That said, I was planning to write about this regardless. Now that I have an eagle’s 270 degree view around my garden and neighbourhood, I just noticed yesterday that the man across the lane cut down the top third of his tree. In that part of his tree were two nests: the Blue Jays and a Red-squirrel. We were alerted to the issues when a squirrel sat on the power line screaming its head off for the entire day on Thursday. Did it have babies in a nest?

If you or someone you know is cutting down or trimming a tree, if your City is cutting them down, take the time to tell them if there is an unseen nest. Two years ago we had to lobby our power company over a Cooper’s Hawk nest – they backed down and we got a commitment to fall only trimming. Everyone can do their part!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/15/think-of-nesting-birds-before-pruning-your-hedge

Akecheta and Thunder continue to have trouble with juveniles coming to the West End nest in the Channel Islands. Akecheta had to escort another one out of the territory today.

There has been a fledge at the Loch of the Lowes. It happened at 10:06 this morning. So both of the osplets of Laddie LM12 and Blue NC0 have fledged. Congratulations Laddie, Blue NC0 and everyone at LOTL. Well done.

There are some concerns about Louis’s mate, Dorcha, at the Loch Arkaig nest. She has blood on her lower abdomen. It looks rather nasty. I had originally thought it might have come from a fish but not so sure. Did she get injured trying to move one of her big sticks?

Fish continue to come on to the Osoyoos nest. The last one was a little larger but it took only 3 or 4 minutes to finish it. One osplet got it all but the tail which Mum ate. Please send wishes for more fish on this nest…we need so much more. It is a bad situation with the heat. Mum needs much more food to survive and we have chicks getting juvenile feathers now…I am really worried about this nest. The parents have to eat as well as the two chicks…hoping the heat wave will end!

Oh, I would love to send a big fish like the one that Dad just brought to the Mispillion Harbour nest over to Osoyoos! It is a nice lunch for everyone in Delaware today.

The three osplets are getting their juvenile feathers, too, at the Boathouse Osprey nest on Hog Island, Maine. They have been pancaked many times this morning..more problems with intruders it would appear.

Every once in awhile I want to remind you of special blogs or websites. One of those is Bruce Yolton – a bird lover and photographer – who covers the urban hawks in New York City. Today, he has some wonderful images of the Peregrine Falcons and Red-tail Hawks. Have a peek! urbanhawks.com

Image copyright. Bruce Yolton.

There were ospreys on the Henlopen State Park nest in Delaware today. Not sure who they are. Is this the same intruder that injured the Mum causing the three osplets to die?

Dear Victor. I love how Ojai Raptor Centre is helping Victor through the physical therapy. Everyone cross their fingers and toes and hope that they find out what is the cause of Victor’s problem. Poor Baby. You got this Victor!

It isn’t just Bald Eagles that raise other species, this showed up in my inbox today…an owl and a duckling.. So grateful that the duckling is precocial and can pretty much take care of itself if it finds water and plants to eat! Thanks Mama Owl.

https://www.sonyaz.net/foto-galeri/owl-mistakes-duck-egg-for-her-own-and-raises-it/521/?fbclid=IwAR2cJDFz7Tlp5UwB099kFhajw_DYxckz-hClWyLQTQyw2u1Ty3MQcDj510A

Keep Southern Royal Albatross male, OGK, father to Miss Pippa Atawhai and Quarry Track chick, in your thoughts. He was last positively seen on the 19th of May. It is unusual for a parent, especially one so devoted as OGK,, to be away for this long period of time. As is the practice of the NZ DOC, he will not be declared deceased until he does not return for the next breeding cycle in October 2023. Let us all hope he finds his way back to QT chick!

I have not seen any updates on Victor or Little Bit 17 this weekend. Perhaps on Monday. We know that Little Bit is working on his flying and Victor is getting therapy. Lots of fledging in the UK – too much to keep track of at times and intruders, many juveniles hatched from the nest in previous years such as KS7 and KS8 visiting Llyn Clywedog. KS7 fledged in 2018 and KS8 in 2021. Looking good! Continue to send your warm thoughts to all our birds.

Thank you for joining me today. Take care everyone…see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, FB posts, blogs, etc, that form my screen captures: Explore.org and IWS, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Woodland Trust, Osoyoos Osprey Cam, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and the DDNR, Audubon Explore, Bruce Yolton, Ojai Raptor Centre, Cornell and the NZ DOC, and the Dodo.

Ervie fishes with Dad, Fledge at Mispillion, and more

12 July 2022

Ervie. Bazza Hockaday caught Ervie fishing with Dad! He posted images of the two of them together on the FB Page of the Port Lincoln Osprey Group. Now, how wonderful is that? I am so excited. Ervie can fish with dad and not feel so rejected..he just can’t go on the nest near Mum! Remember how Ervie and Dad used to sit in the ‘shed’ and chat? Seriously, tears of joy!

Dad above and Ervie below with the tracker.

@ Port Lincoln Ospreys and Bazza Hockaday. 10 July 2022

The newsletter that I get from the Cornell Bird Lab is carrying an article on neonics, a pesticide, that is having a deadly impact on our songbirds. Have a read. Also consider, however, the fact that the ‘Green’ herbicides and pesticides used on lawns are toxic. Take, for example, the neighbour who wants the weeds killed so that they can put down a matt and then put on wood mulch — the ‘Green’ spray was toxic — it killed the weeds. They did not know that they could simply use vinegar.

Neonic Nation: Is Widespread Pesticide Use Connected to Grassland Bird Declines?

The three Ls (L3 is in care) are flying as almost as good as Big Red and Arthur. They are learning more and more about catching their own prey and in 2-4 weeks they will leave the territory of Big Red and Arthur and find their own place in the world of hawks. So thankful for Suzanne Arnold Horning who takes her camera to the campus each day and allows me to share her images of Big Red and Arthur’s family with you.

One of the Ls hunting in the pine trees. Big Red and Arthur have been moving them around to various parts of the campus for prey drops and hunting. Everything they do are lessons for the kids -. Once the Ls leave the territory, Big Red and Arthur are going to enjoy a much needed rest. We will then see them back on the nest checking things in the late fall or early November. Time definitely passes too quickly!

L4 – we worried and worried and it turns out he loved to climb over his siblings to get to Big Red’s beak – totally unafraid – and was one of the first two to catch prey and become an official juvenile. Here he is on top of a small shed stalking something and stretching.

L4 – cutie pie.

Ferris Akel just uploaded his tour of the Red-tail hawks at Cornell from last weekend. Here you go!

The storklets on the Mlade Buky nest of Bukacek and Betty are big! No wonder Bukacek was working on a second nest. No room for him and Betty!

Urmas and Dr Madis V’s experiment to raise the storklets of Jan and Janika continues to go very smoothly. Karl II has brought food in. Bonus watches the others and begins the same ritual to cause Karl II to be able to regurgitate the fish. Everyone looks nice and healthy on this nest and we know from the postings that both Karl II and Kaia have found the fish basket left for them by Urmas.

The storklets are losing their white natal down and those lovely black feathers are coming in. Bonus is in the front with the two metal rings.

At 13:30 ‘H’ reports that one of the ospreys on the Mispillion Harbour nest fledged. It was a beautiful first flight returning in about a minute and a half. Congratulations to everyone and to you ‘H’ who has watched this nest like a wonderful auntie and kept us informed. Now…when will the next one fledge?

There he goes!

Louis and Dorcha’s two osplets are being ringed at Loch Arkaig at this very moment! There is the proud mama Dorcha with the two before the banders arrived. Dorcha flew around at the arrival of the humans and her and Louis are now perched on a tree waiting for everything to be finished so they can get their chicks back! Will there be one big girl??? and a boy?

The camera is turned off and will come back on line when the ringers are finished.

The chicks of Louis and Dorcha have been ringed but no word about gender, weight, etc. Will post tomorrow when I hear.

Fledgling 554 is enjoying her freedom as she stares at us from the perch at the Llyn Clywedog Osprey nest of Dylan and Seren. 554 was the first osprey to fledge in Wales for the 2022 season – yesterday.

554’s other siblings are flapping their wings now, too….will there be a rush on fledging?

Idris has brought in 3 fish in three hours. Those three big girls will each have their own fish at the Dyfi Nest this evening.

It was a gorgeous day in the Glaslyn Valley. Mrs G looking over her nest full of osplets no doubt so happy that this season went superbly.

Since last year many of us have wondered what the fate of CJ7 would be. Would Blue 022 return? would they bond? would they have chicks? They did bond, they did have chicks….the nest was so deep that we could only get a glimpse of them. Now, here they are staring at us. Just gorgeous osplets. Congratulations – you two are famous. Right, you don’t care. Just clean up the environment so that Ospreys can have lots of non-toxic delicious fish, clean air, safe migration, and wonderful nests. Oh, right..and stop the shooting of Ospreys. Gotcha. We are gonna work on that.

Dory watches over three sleeping little ones on the Boathouse Osprey nest on Hog Island. Just look at how well their plumage camouflages them and how much copper/orange they are getting on the nape of their necks. So lovely and content.

Meanwhile, in California, Rosie continues to supply Brooks and Molate with goldfish. This is number 8!

To the delight of everyone Annie and Alden continue to pair bond in the scrape at The Campanile every other day it seems. This was yesterday.

If you missed it, Mama Thunder made quick work of that juvenile intruder yesterday. Here is a 40 second clip of the action at the West End Bald Eagle nest:

Lillibet wondering where Victor is in the middle of the night at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Mama Cruz.

It is going to take a few days for the blood work to come back on Victor and for all other tests to determine what is causing him to lose his balance and not be able to fly. Here is an edited post by Dr Sharpe.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Both Little Bit 17 and Victor are getting fantastic care and as someone joked – “There will be a run on Costco trout, I want to eat what Victor is having!” Cute. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cam and/or FB pages or blogs where I took my screen captures: Suzanne Arnold Horning, Ferris Akel Tours, Mlade Buky Storks, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, CarnyXWild, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Audubon Explore.org, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, Cal Falcons, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Bazza Hockaday, Explore.org and The Institute for Wildlife Studies.

Update on Victor…and other Saturday news in Bird World

9 July 2020

All attention has been on the Fraser Point Bald Eagle nest of Papa Andor and Mama Cruz on Santa Cruz Island. Victor and Lillibet fledged on 30 June. On the 8th of July, Victor flew onto the nest around 1038 on 8 July exhausted and appearing to be in distress. Since then issues with his left leg have been noticed.

Santa Cruz is part of the Channel Islands and lucky for Victor, falls under the care of Dr Sharpe. If you watched both the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta or the Two Harbours net of Chase and Cholyn, you will know that Dr Sharpe and his team rescued eaglets that tumbled off the nest and also ringed the eaglets. Victor could not be in better care.

This is the latest announcement by Dr Sharpe:

Margit the Estonian Golden eaglet of Kalju and Helju and fledged today. What an amazing first flight from the nest in the Sooma National Park. She was 75 days old. This is the video of her first flight.

This is the link to the Golden Eagle cam in case you do not have it.

The whole family is home at the Bald Eagle nest on Gabriola Island.

When Louis arrived with a nice live fish on the Loch Arkaig nest, only the two osplets were home. There was already an old fish on the nest – quite a nice one. Louis moves the old fish to the side of the nest. Meanwhile one of the kids amuses itself with the fish breathing and doing little jumps. It attempts self-feeding. Dorcha arrives with a big branch and immediately sees the fresh fish and – everyone had lots of fish for their tea time meal.

The new little peanut on the Chesapeake Conservancy nest is staying warm and dry under Mum Audrey. They are having some rain today. Hopefully it moves along quickly!

It is raining in Finland at the #1 Osprey nest. Mum and wee one are enjoying some nice fish – regardless. This Mum really does like her fish. She fills up Only Bob, he goes into food coma, she moves the fish and has a really nice lunch! Well done.

It was raining – at times pouring- at the western Finnish nest #4 of Ahti and Nuppu today, too. Nuppu keeping the osplet dry and warm. All appears to be fine on this nest.

The Osplets at the Fortis Exshaw nest had a huge meal today. Just look at the size of the crops! Looks like it has swallowed a small baseball – or large golf ball – each.

It was not a good day for fledging at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest. Looks like they were getting some rain and wind.

And a swing to California where Annie and Alden were once again pair bonding in the scape! That should put a smile on your face! Thanks Cal Falcons. Annie initiated the bonding calling Alden…

Thanks for being with me today. Send all your best wishes to Victor and hope, beyond hope, that Dr Sharpe can find people to help him rescue Victor should this be required. Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and FB pages where I took my screen captures: Explore.org and The Institute for Wildlife Studies, Channel Islands Eagle Lovers, GROWLS, Friends of Lark Arkaig and the Woodland Trust Fortis Exshaw Canmore, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys, Chesapeake Conservancy, and Saaksilvie.