It is 32 C. No breeze. Bright sun. Hot. Toby doesn’t even want to go outside, and the girls aren’t hungry either. They are sleeping like they are on the Savannah.
There is so much news. I will miss some things today – Toby and I have made Lemon Hibiscus mini-cakes. Oh, they were so delicious and the most ugly things I have ever seen!!!!! A cake decorator I am not. But with a large glass of iced tea they hit the spot on a dreadfully warm day.
First, Walton has been returned to Monty and Hartley after having a bit of fun in the area! Walton also had a good meal.
The fourth egg for CJ7 and Blue 022 at Poole Harbour has hatched! Geemeff says around 0725 this morning.
The third chick hatched for Aeron Z2 and Blue 014 at the Pont Cresor nest in Glaslyn today.
And after, the third osplet hatched for Elen and Teifi at the Glaslyn nest near to the Pont Cresor platform.
Dual feeding at Rutland Water’s Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya for some ravenous babies. OK. Not babies anymore…they are growing. And more feedings…these three are always hungry.
Jack has been delivering some good fish to the kids on the Achieva nest in Florida. Little really wants to fly. Look at those wings. Anytime.
The fish do continue to come to the Dewey Beach nest with the single osplet. Oh, I hope this continues after Omega starts fishing. That baby and Mum are going to be so full.
Look at that crop. Thanks, ‘PB’
And then, an intruder osprey accidentally lost their Menhaden on the Dewey Beach nest and Mum and Baby ate it. Look at their crops.
Sure is nice to see Oyster Bay Mum without that green twine!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 29th May 2026
After a very damp day, tonight’s forecast is dry overnight with light cloud, light winds and a low of 10°C but it’ll change to more rain, gentle breezes and a high of 17°C tomorrow. There were no intrusions or alarms today on either nest, just two soggy females spending most of the day protecting their precious eggs which are due to start hatching next week. The males relieved them from time to time, taking over incubation duties while they went off to stretch their wings and eat their fish. Garry LV0 delivered one fish to Aurora 536 and the Nest One tally now stands at eighty eight, while Louis delivered two fish to Dorcha, taking the Nest Two tally to ninety four.
Thank you so much for being with us today. I did not expect to be posting but there is a lot happening and my blog only touches the surface! Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to PB, SK Hideaways, Geemeff, and Jeff Kear at the UK Osprey Information FB page. I am grateful to everyone who has posted images on FB and information as well as the owners of the cameras who let us watch these incredible bird families.
Hello everyone, from a very hot Canadian Prairie that is due to get hotter. Ann kept Don and Toby inside. Friday is to be 34. I think that sounds like a walk at the mall!!!!!!!!
Allow me to take a deep breath, and before we get into the lawsuit in Florida about Scrub Jays, I want to say that by some miracle, the branch that broke on the Traverse City Bald Eagle nest in Michigan, fell and caught itself on the tree adjacent, and is supporting that tilted nest. How long it will hold, we do not know. I hope it is long enough for Snow to fly. We need a good three weeks. The average is 10-14 weeks. So, right now, Snow is 6.5 weeks old.
Now, back to the Endangered Florida Scrub Jays. We have a detective in our midst, and ‘R’ was able to find out the following information which should really bring a light to the threat to the birds!
“I searched for this, and got the following:
Yes, it appears Colosi knew (or should have known) about the protected status before buying. Key facts: • Purchase date: March 2024.  • Habitat plan: Charlotte County’s Scrub-Jay Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) was approved in 2014 — a full 10 years earlier. It’s been public policy since then, with clear rules and fees for building in designated areas.  • Public records: The county’s property records for his specific parcel note that “Land value may be adjusted due to scrub jay habitat.” It’s also visible on the county’s GIS maps (a public online tool)
Did he actually know? • Colosi and his lawyers (Pacific Legal Foundation) have not directly said whether he was aware of the restrictions when he bought it. When journalists asked, they avoided answering. • Critics and local observers point out it’s hard to miss: the restrictions are on maps, in public records, and part of standard real estate due diligence in the area. Many people assume he bought it anyway, possibly betting on a legal challenge. This is a classic “buyer beware” (caveat emptor) situation. The restrictions were already in place long before he purchased the 5 acres. He’s now challenging the fee system as unconstitutional rather than claiming he was blindsided.”
I love this type of deep digging and finding the true facts. Thank you, ‘R’. I hope that there are lawyers representing Scrub Jays. They have represented ‘trees’ why not birds and rivers? I must look into this. Gosh I wish I had the time I had before Don’s dementia entered my world.
A respected scientist recognized.
We are all pulling for Dewey Beach. Last year, the only surviving osplet died on day 50, five days from fledging, due to starvation. This year only one egg hatched and this little sweetheart has woven itself into our hearts. Dad is finding little fish, sometimes a nice sized Menhaden. Please keep sending positive wishes that this single osplet survives and flies. Now the question I have is this: When does Omega Protein start taking out all the fish?
Found out: Omega Protein’s menhaden reduction fishing in the Chesapeake Bay typically begins in May. For the 2026 season, operations are set to ramp up significantly in June.
Fundraising at Poole Harbour. Looking for a beautiful osprey print?
Myrtle, the female whose five eggs were destroyed by two different males, has returned to Loch Garten and is being courted by a pale male.
‘PB’ reports that there are four osplets at Steelscape in WA. They note that the older two are already fighting! Send them positive wishes. Mum is trying her best to feed all including little 4.
Please be sure to go and vote for the name for NewGuy2 at Hellgate Canyon. Iris’s great mate needs a name!
Help name Iris’s mate! Vote on your favorite name by June 2, and you could win free enrollment in Bird Academy’s Hawk and Raptor ID course. Vote here https://hubs.la/Q04hFrKD0
A nest of hawklets for Big Red and Arthur!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 27th May 2026
No rain, no intruders, just sunshine and plenty of fish today. Louis delivered two fish for Dorcha, taking the Nest Two tally to ninety, while over on Nest One, Garry LV0 delivered three fish to Aurora 536, taking that tally to eighty five. Aurora actually refused the second fish but took the third one eagerly, perhaps she’d worked up an appetite following her encounter with a Great Tit which startled her so much she fled the nest. Safe to say, the tiny passerine was also startled – the size difference is stupendous. Another dry night of clear skies and light winds is forecast with a low of 9°C overnight, continuing tomorrow with sunny intervals, a gentle breeze and a high of 25°C. At the time of filing this report (00.30), Cam Two is still on day mode. This time next week we could have our first hatch! Fingers crossed these calm conditions continue.
Monty and Hartley certainly have their hands full with these four boys. Thanks, SK Hideaways for capturing some of the antics: https://youtu.be/gJPOZNVVLf4?
The trio at the nest of Maya and Blue 33 are now in the Reptilian Phase. Big ones in food coma and Maya feeding the third hatch. It looks like the final egg is a Dudley.
One of those short reads that is so informative – think White Storks and how people love them. They bring luck and my friends and readers in Poland and other parts of Europe treasure these beautiful birds and pray that they will make a nest on their home!
‘PB’ sent me a note at a time when I really needed a renewal in trusting humans to help. A female White Stork whose eggs were hatching lost her mate. The community takes turn feeding her just like they did at Mlade Buky.
Good night Bety and Bukachek.
Little Golden Eaglet safe under Mum in Estonia.
Black Stork Nest 3 in Estonia has 3 eggs.
Toby says ‘enough is enough’. It is time to play fetch! How can I resist those eyes?
There is a second hatch at Pont Cresor! Yeah for Aeron Z2 and Blue 014.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. Stay cool and hydrated if you are in a region that is hot like it is here. See you soon!
Thank you to all my contributors – to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their videos and reports, to ‘PB’ for keeping me up to date on several nests, to the folks that are literally with their will power and that supporting branch miracle holding up Snow’s nest, and to the others who wrote reports and posted them on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams who let us view these incredible bird families. Thank you to all! We are so fortunate.
It is freezing – well, not literally, but temperatures will drop to 11 C tonight. Already it is feeling like wool socks and jumpers.
I hope your day has been as good as it can be as we worry about our little Mini. I hope that we are not worrying about Mini in a week – that she is progressing. My friend ‘R’ says that when a patient comes into a doctor’s office with a complaint, they look for symmetry. Do you know how hard it is to get Mini to stand with her legs apart, facing the camera? Three does it all the time. Frustrating!
Before we even peek at the kittens today, the big news is that Ervie is on the move! Oh, I hope that someone will be there to take photos of our little lad. Ervie is nearly two years old (hatched mid-September 2021), and I would love for him to stay in Port Lincoln and take over the barge from Mum and Dad. but now thankful he has a tracker.
Thank goodness for the three kittens! They work wonders – better than worry beads!
Calico now allows me to scoop her up and rub her cheek against mine. She is also in full approval of kitten milk. She drinks about 1/3 of a cup at each meal. Her fur is beginning to shine a bit. She is very sneaky, and I cannot find that kitten/s. She weaves in and out – keeping me guessing and running – when she is ready! Geemeff suggested in jest that I put a GoPro on her. Well, there is one sitting here in front of me. But Calico doesn’t weigh more than a quarter, so I am reluctant, but it sure would help me find where she is going! She certainly has a PhD in thwarting surveillance techniques.
Oh, Wednesday was another day spent – in part – staring at Mini’s leg to see if something is wrong and what it could be. The truth is we will never know. She is eating and flying and that is good. Mum is checking on her and fish keep coming in. She did not even finish a really large one. I am glad she is not grounded because who knows what would happen after that…let us all hope it is a sore sprain. Someone thought her foot had been cut but it was blood from the nice fresh fish she was munching on…fingers crossed. She is surely loved and if love can heal she will be 100% soon!
Mini got some nice fish flakes but lost part of the fish over the side of the nest. She appeared to be in some pain and having difficulty with that left leg in the early morning.
This is the best image to see that left leg.
16:31
1727. Parent with another fish for Mini.
These parents are amazing. They take such good care of all their chicks and now they are concerned about Little Mini, too.
Mini flew off shortly after. Please send her positive wishes. On Thursday morning the parents brought Mini her breakfast fish…she is not putting any weight on that left leg today. She ate some of the fish but appears to be worse than yesterday.
My heart is just broken. She cannot be taken into care unless she is grounded. Oh, I so wish this is just a bad sprain, but I fear it is worse than that.
If we ever begin to doubt how much Mini wants to live and how much she deserves to, ‘MP’ found a screen shot of the Patchogue nest he took eons ago. It was raining and the three bigger chicks were under Mum and Mum had quit feeding the fourth hatch. There is Mini. She should have died of exposure. She didn’t. She should have died of hunger. She didn’t. Let us all help her beat this! Positive energy.
Today, Mini appears to be in considerable pain – visually so. I hoped – beyond hope- this was just a simple sprain and she would ‘get over it in time’. But it looks like she really needs an intervention – which is something that I did not want to see for fear that our darling girl cannot get better. Send our little fighter all of your love.
There have been worries at several other nests. One was the third hatch at the Steelscape nest that has not had fish in some time. ‘PB’ alerted me to a fish arriving at 1535 on Wednesday and the third hatch devoured it. Thank goodness, the older siblings flew in later. This baby was starving.
At Loch Arkaig, after being MIA for 28 hours, Louise arrived with one fish for Nuka and returned shortly after with one for Dorcha. Relief. I don’t even know what my mind would do if we lost Louis this year to intruders – and there are intruders everywhere.
In the middle of some worry over Mini and concerns for the third hatch at Steelscape (and other nests), there are always stories that lift our spirits. ‘MB’ sent me one of those today to share with you. One lucky osplet family.
I reported about the storks dying due to extreme weather. Those were Latvian storks…my friend Sassa Bird says that they have not witnessed in their lifetime a catastrophic storm with tornadoes and hail and the winds that caused the deaths of the beloved storms preparing for migration. It is simply heartbreaking. The Latvians love their storks, and this has been a challenging year in the area with the weather. Our thoughts go out to everyone there.
The trio at Osprey House in Australia are beginning to enter the Reptilian Phase.
Bitty – DH2- from Decorah Hatchery caught its first fish. Did the parents leave the fish? Who knows – it is a great milestone for this beautiful eagle.
First fledge at nest 10, Kielder Forest! 9 August.
Seaside: Fledglings on the nest – one with fish and one wishing! It is fantastic to see all of these young fliers return to the nest to be fed. We get to know they are safe and the parents can feed them while they work those flight muscles.
Boulder County: Some fledglings have huge crops, while others sit and wait and hope for fish. Just look at the one in the middle – reminds me of Diamond when she finishes eating a huge pigeon. There are no worries about these. Fish are plentiful. Great parenting to get the three to fledge.
Dunrovin: All is well. Swoop is busy bringing fish to the nest and the three are at the nest at night.
SSEN Alyth: So many fish that the one has a crop that is about to pop and another fish comes to the nest!
RSPB Loch Garten: Sadly, there was an aerial battle between fledgling 2C4 and intruder KL5. The result was that 2C4 has been injured. It looks as if that injury is on the right elbow – perhaps a deep talon scratch – that has bled between the wing and the body. Send your best wishes.
Geemeff sent me the video of this persistent attack on the two youngsters at this nest.
Dyfi: No one is hungry at the nest of Idris and Telyn – not even the cleaners!
Time for ‘H’s reports:
Fortis Exshaw – “As nest cam viewers, we try to rationalize what we see on the livestream. But, sometimes even the most knowledgeable viewers can only guess at possible causes of what we see, or what we are not seeing. Louise used to bring in 5-8 fish per day, and now it’s down to 1-2 per day. On 8/7 the air quality was smoky. The temperatures in the area have been in the low to mid 70’s, and there were a couple of light rain showers on 8/9. There was one brief intruder issue on 8/9 that we saw, and both Louise and O’Hara defended. There has been some intermittent construction taking place very close to the nest for the last two days. The construction disturbance has not completely prevented Louise from delivering fish, but we don’t know if it has hampered her efforts at times. There was only one fish delivered to the nest on 8/9, and it was brought by Louise. The older sibling, Banff, ate it. The younger osplet, JJ, only had a fish tail to eat on 8/7, he had two small-ish meals on 8/8, and had nothing to eat on 8/9. We are praying for a fish-filled day on 8/10. The chicks are 53 days old.”
Forsythe – Wow, what a day for Ollie and Oscar! Oscar delivered six fish to the nest for Ollie (at 0613, 0803, 0906, 1342, 1444, and 1734), and a couple of them were quite large. Ollie was probably pinching herself to make sure she was not dreaming, lol. There were times when there were two fish in the nest, and a small partial fish was left on the nest when Ollie finally retired to her roosting spot. It was the sixth straight day with no sign of the older sibling, Owen.
Barnegat Light – Duke was minding his own business and enjoying his afternoon bath in the Bay . . Ah, but someone else was also minding his business . . Dorsett flew right at her Dad and buzzed him! It was hilarious.
Kent Island – This family had a fish-filled day, and Molly and Audrey each had their own fish at one point. 59-day-old Molly has been sleeping upright for two nights in a row.
Osoyoos: Offline.
Severna Park – One or both of the siblings can often be found at the nest. Being the good Dad, Oscar is continuing to provide for his two fledglings.
Patuxent Nest-1 – Foster and Sib-B are often seen at their nest, and Dad continues to supply them with large fish.
Thank you so much, ‘H’.
Sydney Sea Eagles: ‘A’ reports “Isn’t it always the way? Just as I say the WBSE food supply has been wonderful, we had a day today when the first food did not arrive on the nest until nearly 12:25. It was a nice, big whole fresh fish (perhaps a bream?), which Lady quickly took charge of to feed the eaglets, who had spent the morning snuggled up sleeping together and putting in some serious growing time. Once food arrived however, SE32 was quickly up at the table and got at least the first dozen bites. SE31 was not bothered, lying behind SE32 and watching its younger sibling eating. Amazing! SE32 was obviously hungry and Lady fed it bite after bite. Eventually, SE31 decided it was ready for brunch and stood up to eat but SE32 just pushed forward another step and kept eating. SE31 watched. Lady kept feeding SE32. After another six or eight bites for SE32, SE31 again tried to get to mum’s beak but Lady keeps feeding SE32. Finally, SE31 has no real choice but to beak SE32 in the back of the head. Not hard and just once, but SE32 ducks down and SE31 gets to eat a few bites. SE32 is back up with 25 seconds and accepting more bites. They eat side by side until SE32 decides to stare down SE31, which had the usual result. SE32 allows SE31 to eat for a moment or two before again popping up. The pair are remarkably civil and both get plenty of brunch. I am no longer worried about the relationship between them, unless the food situation deteriorates. It was an exceptionally windy day in Sydney, with the trees tossing violently. This is no doubt the reason Dad had problems fishing today. This was a big fish though, enough to feed Lady and the kids for the rest of the day.”
Avian Flu has not gone away -. Now it is in the Red Grouse populations.
In a related vein, Wild Justice held a poll about banning rouse hunting or issuing licenses. Geemeff sent me the results of that vote. As Geemeff says, the authorities should take note of this!
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, MB, MP, PB, R, Sassa Bird’, Port Lincoln Ospreys, PSEG, Steelscape, Geemeff and the Woodland Trust, Al Eastman, Sassa Bird, Linda McIlroy and Raptors of the World, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Joanna Dailey and Kielder Forest, Seaside, Boulder County, Dunrovin Ranch, SSEN Alyth, RSPB Loch Garten, Fortis Exshaw, Forsythe, Wildlife Conserve of NJ, Kent Island, Severna Park, Patuxent River Park, Raptor Persecution UK, Wild Justice, Syllabub and RSPB Loch Garten, and Dyfi Ospreys.
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.
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.
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.
Oh, it is simply a gorgeous day on the Canadian Prairies. The wind is blowing gently and the temperature is perfect. The tyres in the bikes are topped off and they have had a good wash in anticipation of a ride along the trails this evening. Did I say Canadians love being outside once the snow melts? The ground is still water logged and the flooded areas are drying up.
In the garden. I have seen Dyson a couple of times. The leaves are so thick that I only catch his tail as he weaves in and out. Little Red appears to have found himself a new home in a near by tree!!! Thank goodness. The new rabbit continues to come. The little plants that he likes are under the frame that will hold the sunroom —– where I can ‘spy’ on all of them much better. I will transfer those plants for the bunny to another area of the garden. The real break through has come with Mr Crow. Two years ago I was ‘mad’ at him. He would go to the Grackles nest and take out one of their fluffy chicks and sit so I could see him wolfing it down. Not pleased. It has taken him two years to forgive me and trust me again. Several weeks now have seen him coming for nice Italian bread, cheese, and sausage with cheese in the middle – a sandwich – around 1700. He began calling me at a distance when the food was gone. Now he will come within 2 metres or 6 feet of me. I show him his dinner and walk away. Prior to yesterday he would wait a considerable time to fly down and eat. Now he knows that I am not going to hurt him so he drops down almost immediately.
He likes the little mess that has been created by Dyson & Co with the seeds!
Mr Crow has eaten the cheese first, then the bread, and now he is after the Polish sausage with the cheese in the middle. He will eat the cheese first, take a couple of bites of the sausage, and return to the pile to get another sausage.
Mr Crow has figured out that he can take two sausage pieces together to his nest. Are there babies? Maybe. Last evening a murder of Crows were together and not happy. It appears the GHOW was in the neighbourhood and it is one of their main predators.
He’s got them!
The last thing I want to share with you from the garden is a picture of the tea roses. These wild rose bushes were here when we bought the house. But they were ‘ragged’. Two plantings survived from the former 1902 house on the property – the tea climbing roses and the peony bush. So slowly, ever so slow, they have been cleared out and staked and with all the rain this year they have really taken off. I wish I could bottle the scent for everyone!
I often try to imagine the woman who planted these two flowers. Hopefully they will be here in another 120 years!
There is a really nice article about the fledging of the Pittsburgh-Hayes trio. Publicity and streaming cams along with those fabulous on line discussions educate people and hopefully, the more they know about the wildlife, the more they will respect it and its needs.
One of the skills that Little Bit 17 (ND17) from the Notre-Dame nest has learned is how to eat carrion! Thank goodness for those poor raccoons that have been road kill because they have literally kept this wee third hatch alive on that nest. And they will keep him alive after he fledges!!!!! Just think. We are all talking about 17 branching before 16!!!!!! Remember those times when we ached with worry that he would not live another day? He has and he is going to fledge! Yesterday when I was watching with the chatters, 17 had one foot on the nest and one on the branch. If 15 would have moved, Little Bit would have easily branched before 16. Easily.
So today has been another Raccoon day on the nest. It arrived around 13:04. At 14:18 Little Bit 17 gets it. Two minutes later 16 takes it. Little Bit stole it again and around 14:46 Little Bit has it and is eating away.
At 14:17 Little Bit is looking at that Raccoon again and he wants it!
At 14:17:42 Little Bit has the raccoon.
The big sibling will give him a few minutes and then 16 will take it. (I think it is 16).
At 14:45 Little Bit is ready to go back and get some more raccoon. This time he let the older sibling open it up for him instead of doing all that work for them to get the benefit. That is how he will survive!
At 14:46:12, Little Bit has it again!!!!!! Way to go 17.
Little Bit is still eating on the meat of the Raccoon thirty minutes later. Oh, wow. He is going to get some good nourishment from that road kill.
At 15:22, Little Bit appears to be finished. There is not a lot left on that prey item. What are all the words we could use to describe this amazing third hatch? My money is on 17 being a survivor. He has all the skills to live out in the real world, all of them. Wouldn’t just love to set a couple of big fish right in front of him with no other eaglets around? He certainly does deserve them.
Give it up for Little Bit 17 again!!!!!! Big cheers. Adult flew in with what appeared to be a small fish at 17:53:53. Three captures. Adult in, 17 pounches on delivery, 17 horks delivery ——- right in front of 16. Way to go 17, ‘the King of the Snatch and Grab’.
Little Bit is having a rest on the nest – raccoon and a fish with the fish taken before 16 could even think about it. Sweet Eagle nap dreams, 17.
Birds are soooooooo intelligent. Tiger Mozone posted this BBC video on our FB group today and I hope that he doesn’t mind if I put it here. I want to add that there are other notorious birds that have done precisely what Henry did – Stanley, Iris’s mate, for one! I knew that but Tiger added that both Oden smashed the eggs and Red 8T just kicked them to the side of the nest. What I also found interesting was that EJ went missing for 9 days from Loch Garten in 2005 and Henry had to go get her and take her home – and when they got there, there was another couple on the nest! I continue to say that watching bird cams is much more interesting than much of what is on the streaming movie stations!!
Don’t miss watching this one. It is delightful. The BBC presenter says it is a tale of ‘revenge, jealousy, and murder’ worthy of any soap opera. Absolutely.
In total, Henry kicked out 8 eggs of EJ’s – four in 2005 and 4 again in 2007.
I want to do a couple of quick nest checks. The Loch of the Lowes lost a chick when the oldest prevented it from eating and then killed it a few days ago. How is that nest doing today?
Both had a good feed at tea time.
Dylan delivered such a large trout to Seren to feed the three Bobs at Llyn Clywedog that she was still feeding the trio an hour later!!!!!!! Those kids are going to sleep with sweet Osprey dreams for sure.
Despite the gale force winds at Loch Arkaig, Louis has been bringing in fish for Dorcha and the two chicks. Meanwhile, she tried to cover them with moss and keep hunkered down. Then they got a break. Oh, I hope they get more some good weather -nice sun and no rain – and no wind.
Louis delivered a whole trout and everyone had a really good feed. Just lovely. Time: 22:25.
Blue 33 and Maya have three big osplets!!!!!! When will they ring them?
It has been a good day at the UK Osprey nests – and it was a good day for Little Bit 17.
The White storklets at the Mlade Buky nest of Betty and Bukacek are doing marvellous. Mum Betty looks down as they wrestle with a single large fish. Then Betty gives them lots of smaller fish! All is well on this nest now. I do not believe there will be another elimination.
As I write this, Lindsay and Grinnell Jr have not flown and neither has RTH L4 at Cornell. Those are both a relief.
Thank you so much for joining me. Take care everyone. Smile – Little Bit is going to bed tonight quite full. So happy! See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams or FB pages: Capi Mlade Buky Storks, LRWT, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and Scottish Wildlife Trust, CarnyXWild, Tiger Mozone and BBC.
I want to start this newsletter off with something wonderful! At the Redding California Bald Eagle nest, Sentry and Star are both on a high branch of the tree. Sentry has found his way home to Liberty, Guardian and Star who has yet to fledge. This is fabulous news!!!!!!!!
The weather in California is beautiful.
The bad weather returned to the Canadian Prairies and thus, also, to the MN-DNR nest of Nancy and E1. The tree is twisting around in the heavy winds at the moment and rain is pouring down.
There are floods in Montana and, we should check on Iris and her nest at Missoula. Iris did not spend the night on the perch or the nest that I could see. There is a wee bird that has made its home and nest under Iris’s big one. Can you see it?
The waters in the Clark Fork River are said to be rising. There are floods in various parts of Montana which means that it is difficult for the Osprey to catch fish. No wonder Iris did not want to share her fabulous catch yesterday with an intruder. Iris is simply amazing. There she is holding that precious fish and fighting off the intruder at the same time! Bless her heart.
The weather is quite bad at the Charlo Montana platform. (For Ospreys but occupied in March by geese…and not aware of current occupants, if any).
There are birds singing at Dunrovin!
Harriet continues to sit on her eggs even though they are well past the day to hatch. Swoop is supporting her. We wonder as do the folks at Dunrovin when they will quit hoping for their miracle.
Why do eggs not hatch? Dunrovin in their newsletter listed the following causes: cold weather, high humidity, lack of food, lack of egg fertilization. They noted that like many places it has been a very cold and wet spring in Montana.
The camera is still down at the ND-LEEF nest. It is 96 degrees at the nest – perhaps more higher up. Thoughts go to Little Bit 17 who desperately needs food (as do the other two but less so than 17).
The tea time feeding at the Loch of the Lowes left Middle and Big with gigantic crops. There was clearly enough fish for three. But we need fish for four – Mum has to eat, too.
Before Little Bob at the Loch of the Lowes was fish begging to Blue NC0 before she tucked them all in for the night. He first looked to see if Big Bob was in a food coma. He was. Little Bob is smart.
It would have been the perfect time for a fish to arrive. Little Bit would have had his fill along with Blue NC0! Sadly it was not to be.
Blue NC0 stood waiting and waiting for a delivery. Finally, everyone is in bed.
They are a beautiful couple – CJ7 and Blue 022 at the Poole Harbour Osprey Platform. Blue 022 brought in a nice big fish for CJ7 and the three Bobs at 21:08. These are first time parents making history in Poole Harbour. There have been no ospreys hatched in Poole Harbour for 200 years.
Know what? They are doing a fantastic job!!!!!!!!!
All is well at the nest of Idris and Telyn in Wales near the River Dyfi. Bobs are well fed and sound asleep. Another great Osprey couple. This is good news…we need all the good news we can muster. Good night Telyn. Good night Bobs. Good night wherever you are, Idris.
Gracious. Look at the crop on Mrs G!
Louis delivered a real whopper to Dorcha and the two surviving chicks at Loch Arkaig. What a monster. Everyone is going to eat well – a good time for it to come on the nest. Hopefully the weather will start giving this nest a break.
Middle Bob looks sassy!
The sheep are bleating. Aran is on his perch and the kids are asleep. It looks like Mrs G is going to go into food coma, too!
Notice the grass growing in the nest. In Finland they have noticed that grass growing in the Osprey nests actually helps hide the chicks from predators. Quite interesting.
At Rutland, the three osplets are fast asleep and Maya is going to take some time to enjoy some fish before lights out, too. Looking forward seeing these three ringed any day now.
The Bobs are still quite small compared to those at the Loch of the Lowes but everything at RSPB Loch Garten with Mr and Mrs AX6 and chicks seems fine.
It is 21:30 at the Llyn Clywedog nest in Wales – the nest of Dylan and Seren and the three Bobs. Seren is giving Dylan grief and telling him to go and get some more fish. Meanwhile the Bobs have eaten very well today. It takes a lot more fish to feed these fast growing large Bobs – and Mum.
Did you know that there are less than 1500 ospreys in the whole of the UK? That includes juveniles, too. There are a little less than 100,000 in the US. I hope to find out the distribution in the US. There are many in the US and the Cape area in the NE area of the US.
At the Manchester NH Peregrine falcon scrape, Clem was returned this morning. It looked like she wasn’t going anywhere for some time and then – she fludged again.
Colum, one of the males, is at the nest now. Little Colby fludged too but photos of him doing well have been posted on the groups FB page.
Lindsay and Grinnell Jr were ‘loafing’ earlier this morning and now I can only find one of them playing hide and seek. Fledge watch is on.
Alden is doing some ‘loafing’ too. Once those two chicks fledge he is going to be even more busy! So glad he signed up for all of this. You are fantastic, Alden.
Gosh. Do you remember when Alden had no idea how to feed a chick? maybe he had never seen one! – most likely.
Both fledgling ospreys from the UFlorida-Gainesville nest were having a fish dinner at 18:00! Lovely. These two have figured it out perfectly. Fly and get your wings strong. Learn about landings and take offs. Fly to the nest and be fed by Mum and Dad. When you are ready, 60 million years of knowledge will have you catching fish without realizing it….if there are fish to be caught.
They are gorgeous!
Oh, those three Black storklets of Jan and Janika are doing fabulous in rehab care at the Vet Clinic. The plastic decoy mother fell into the nest and the chicks were delighted!
Notice also that a couple of times they work to stand on their feet not walk on the ankles. It will not be long til they are standing and walking. Lovely crops. So healthy!
Today has had some really good news. We will continue to watch the Loch of the Lowes nest as well as wait for word of the ND-LEEF nest and Little Bit 17. Did I saw it was 96 degrees on the ground at the nest – hotter above! I hope 17 got some food.
Thank you so much for being with me. Lots of fledge watches – Star at Redding, Star at West End, the Cal Falcons, L4 at Cornell, National Arboretum, etc. The list is long! Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I grabbed my screen captures, for their FB postings and for the videos uploaded: Liz M and EMU, Peregrine Networks, Cal Falcons, Friends of Redding Eagles, UFlorida-Gainesville Ospreys, Friends of Redding Eagles, MN-DNR, Montana Osprey Project, Owl Research Project Explore.org, Dunrovin, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and Scottish Wildlife Trust, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Dyfi Ospreys, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, LRWT, RSPB Loch Garten, Scottish Woodland Trust, Friends of Loch Arkaig and People’s Post Code Lottery, and CarnyXWild.
The third hatch of Big Red and Arthur fledged at 11:29:32. One of the older siblings had just taken off after eating some lunch and L3 followed right after them.
What a great flight! Look at that take off.
Cornell put out a video of the fledge! Oh, look – get your legs up! Just beautiful.
One of the FB chatters SAH got a photo of L3 in the trees where she landed. Thank you!
Ahote and Kana’kini had been venturing out to check out their surroundings. They returned home a little while ago thinking that Thunder had brought in some lunch!!!!!
The head of Scottish Wildlife sent this out to subscribers today. Thank you to ‘S’ for forwarding this to me. It seems that they are worrying about the state of the small chick, too. These chicks are getting their juvenile feathers. All of the nonsense should have stopped. It is noted that Laddie has cut down on his fish deliveries which is causing the issue. I remember last year Blue NC0 went out and fished – she is a good fisher and really did great supplementing the male’s deliveries. Those chicks were a little older. Fingers crossed and toes for the wee one.
There is no problem with fish deliveries at the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Mrs G. It seems that Mrs G no more than gets the kids fed and Aran is taking the head off another fish! The osplets are 16, 15, and 12 days old and are right in the Reptilian Phase. They are getting the dark wooly down that will help them thermoregulate their temperatures. there is Little Bob right in the middle. Oh, how they have grown.
The two bigger ones are really exploring around the nest. Little Bob looks like he is going to climb out of that nest cup soon.
It is late and Aran has another fish that he will be bringing to the nest either for the bedtime meal or for first thing in the morning. Way to go Aran.
Life is good at the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn. All three Bobs were packed with good fish before bed today. They are 19, 18, and 16 days old today.
The three Bobs at Llyn Clywedog are in their third week after hatching. They love looking out beyond the nest and thankfully the early angst over Little Bob is gone. Dylan is delivering fish regularly and life is good with Seren and the kids. They are now at the stage where predation is decreasing. Yippeee. The early signs of a Goshawk in the area were worrisome.
There are now two chicks at RSBP Loch Garten! The second arrived about 04:11 Monday morning and they were being fed at 19:38. Congratulations AX6 and Mrs AX6! It is lovely to have Ospreys at Loch Garten. Hoping for a very successful summer for all of you.
This is the link to this camera:
The Bobs at Manton Bay are now past the 35 day mark and they can be ringed anytime. It will be fabulous to find out who is a male or a female -. They have been a cuddle bundle to watch this year. Blue 33 kept them full and Maya fed them – and except for two flapping fish incidents early on – the three have survived those huge fish deliveries!
At the ND-LEEF the food has been very scarce. Little Bit had that bit of fish this morning for about a minute. Every one of the eaglets is hungry. All of them! The news this late afternoon is that ND15 has branched. Branching is when the ‘bird’ gets fully out of the nest and onto a branch. Branching normally takes place before fledging which is the first flight.
There has been more activity late in the day at the Cape Henlopen State Park Osprey Nest. The bird that I believe is a large female intruder who has taken over the nest has been poking around the chick to the left as you view the nest. She finally lifted it and because of the size, the poor dead little one fell on the side of the nest box.
She is doing the quiet peeps that she has done all weekend. Ospreys normally do not move the chicks from the nest once they are this large.
I continue to find this just super sad. ‘EJ’ informed me that on one of the FB postings a dead osprey had been found on a trail near the nest about the time the male went missing.
It is not often we get such an upfront view of a tragedy on an Osprey nest – the loss perhaps of an entire family and the intruder trying to figure out what to do with ‘what’ is on the nest. She does not appear to recognize the dead chicks like the Mum would or us – as the once vibrant babies on the nest. She is also not strong enough to carry them off the nest. I think that she is also very hungry.
In another nest twist, Lady Hawk posted a video of the hawklet being raised by the Bald Eagle family on Gabriola Island. This was 17 hours ago.
The worry over Little Bob at the Loch of the Lowes and the happenings at the Cape Henlopen nest wear on one after a bit. Then there is the worry over Little Bit 17 getting something more to eat today. It seems that this year has been anything but smooth for many of our nests. Some of you might remember the Collins Marsh nest in WI last year. Little Malin was force fledged and was found later dead on the ground. Either the adults from last year did not return from migration or they took up another nest, perhaps closer to more fish. At any rate, there are no ospreys nesting on the top of that tower this year, thankfully.
When I need a smile I think of a few of the birds that we have met this year. Ervie is one that always gives me tears of joy. What a special third hatch he has turned out to be. He has been flying around Port Lincoln staying around the hotel and the silos. PLO posted his lastest tracking and it is for the 13th of June. Always good to see that tracker moving! Mum and Dad have been on and off the barge. Oh, how I wish they would let Ervie make an appearance!
Lots will happy between now and tomorrow. Let us hope it is all good! Thank you for joining me. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for the screen cams, FB postings, and videos: Lady Hawk, Cornell Red Tail Hawks, Explore.org and Institute for Wildlife Studies, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and Scottish Wildlife Trust, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, CarnyXwild, RSPB Loch Garten, LRWT, LD-NEEF, Cape Henlopen State Park Osprey Cam, and Port Lincoln Ospreys FB.
Good Morning Everyone. I had so hoped to have some images of the Tunda Swans landing here in Manitoba for you today but, alas, we have a flooding issue that is causing a bit of a problem for some of the bridges and roads outside the City. So, that will have to wait! We will be back up to a balmy 7 degrees C and I am told to get out and enjoy it. Snow is coming again in a few days. Thinking that somewhere tropical looking at birds in the winter might be a nice change next year, for sure.
White-tail eaglets are hatching! The British RSPB (and others) have been working to reintroduce the White-tailed Eagle to the UK. The RSPB at Loch Garten in Abernathy Scotland announced the hatch of the very first chick in the Cairngorms Connect Programme happened at 19:42 last night. Congratulations everyone!
White-tailed eagles in the UK became extinct with human persecution. The eagles last bred in England and Wales in the 1830s, in Ireland in 1898, and in Scotland in 1916. This hatching in the Cairngorms is, therefore, a big deal. One current threat to them is shooting. Several of the White-tail eagles introduced to the southern part of England have been shot near hunting estates this year causing wide spread outrage.
Almost simultaneously, the first White-tail Eaglet in Denmark hatched!
Norway has the largest population of White-tail eagles in Europe. That is completely understandable because the birds like to have a territory that is located near to or adjacent to a body of water. Their territory can be as large as 70 km.
The White-tailed Eagle appears in Germany’s coat-of-arms and is Germany’s national bird. The eagle appears on the 1 Euro coin.
The eagles are recovering but they are still in a critically dangerous level. There are only 600 breeding pairs in the EU. Factors causing a decline in the population include shooting, poisoning, nest robbing – eggs and chicks -, the loss of habitat, the loss of wetlands, and the high pollution of water.
White-tail eagles eat fish, birds, and small mammals. They are one of the largest birds of prey in the world with a wingspan of 5.8-8 feet and weighing 9.5-12 pounds. They normally lay 1-2 eggs. The nest in Denmark has 3 eggs this year.
Congratulations to Richmond and Rosie at the SF Osprey Nest at the Richmond shipping yards on their second egg. Here is one of my favourite male Ospreys rolling his eggs — Richmond!
The contest for naming Annie’s ‘The New Guy’ has made the news in California. Be sure to put your suggestion in. Cal Falcons will create a short list for voting on the 13th.
There is another naming contest for the two eaglets at Redding. Here is their announcement:
Everyone hoped that Big at the Dale Hollow nest had moved on from beaking Little Middle. Not so. Perhaps the wet cold weather caused Big to not be so friendly this morning when the breakfast fish was brought in. Big attacks Little Middle at 10:08:01. Little Middle waits and listens and moves up to eat at 10:14:18 doing what he does best – the snatch and grab. Both eaglets were fed. Little Middle stayed and did clean up.
It was not nice. Big can still get a good hold on Little Middle around the neck.
I am so delighted! Karl II was on his nest yesterday. Welcome home, Karl II. Congratulations to everyone who worried so much and did such good tracking of his migration home.
Idris and Telyn are eating, working on the nest, and thinking about eggs and chicks at the Dyfi nest in Wales.
Idris on the nest; Telyn up on the perch eating a fish.
Everyone is still waiting for Aran to arrive. Mrs G, the oldest Osprey in the UK, has been visiting Aeron Z2 over at the Pont Cresor nest which is close by to the Glaslyn nest.
I did not catch it but a male, LJ2 has been sky dancing over at Glaslyn for Mrs G. Will Aran return is the big question on everyone’s mind. I hope that he is arriving as I write this! That would be grand.
All the nests appear to be doing fine. There are some weather systems to be watched for next week. The Dark-eyed Juncos are arriving along with several species of Sparrow. The Canada Geese continue to arrive along with the Bald Eagles. There were 43 of them on the river near to where I live two days ago. They are on their way up to Lake Winnipeg and the good fishing.
Thank you so much for joining me. I hope that you have a lovely Saturday. Take care everyone.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, DHEC, Dyfi Osprey Project, Eagle Club of Estonia, Birdlife Denmark, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, Redding Eagles, and the RSPB Loch Garten Abernathy.
Gracious. Andy is sure hauling in the fish. There have been 9 fish deliveries at the Captiva Osprey nest before 14:30!!!!!! Needless to say everyone has eaten well and all chicks are sporting blood feathers, tail feathers, and contour feathers. It is a good day at Captiva. Lena is even looking much refreshed.
It is busy at the West End Nest of Thunder and Akecheta. The newness of parenthood has not worn off Cheta. He is bringing in fish, brooding babies, and being security guard. The third hatch had its first taste of fish juice, saliva, and fish flake at 11:28. There it is in the image below.
Thunder and Cheta with their three babies on a beautiful California morning. This just puts a smile on my face! Beautiful.
Here is a video of the third chick getting its first meal from Thunder and one of the older siblings doing a great poop shot. Its plumbing is definitely working!
There is now going to be no time to rest. The UK Ospreys are arriving and it looks like the first one at a streaming cam is Laddie, LM12, at the Loch of the Lowes nest! So Laddie is here on 13 March. Last year he arrived on the 21st of March. He is eight days earlier than in 2021. Last year Laddie and NC0 raised two beautiful chicks to fledge. NC0 arrived on 25 March last year.
To see the Osprey you need to go to the lettering at the top. Stop at the ‘c’ in camera and looking down. Laddie is sitting in his favourite spot on the very top of the dead Silver Birch tree.
Here is the link to the Loch of the Lowes Osprey Cam:
I was expecting Blue 33 and Maya to be the first to return! That nest looks very empty. I cannot wait til they get back. They are one of my absolute favourites of the UK nests.
There is a new camera at the Loch Garten nest in Scotland. Here is the link:
Loch Garten holds a very special place in the heart of Osprey lovers in the UK. In the 1950s, a pair of Ospreys settled on the nest and began breeding. It was then the very first nest to have a breeding pair after the ospreys were made extinct in the UK. Indeed, the pair returned to the ancient Caledonian forest, part of Abernethy Forest Wildlife Reserve, near Aviemore, in 1959. It was a perfect place for Ospreys. There were lochs, rivers and estuaries full of fish. There is a little paperback that tells the story of the nest and the return of the Ospreys to the UK. It is Lady of the Loch. The Incredible Story of Britain’s Oldest Osprey by Helen Armitage.
There are high hopes for attracting a new breeding pair to the fine new nest that has been erected for them!
Talk about hoping to have a new breeding pair. The folks at Poole Harbour cannot wait for CJ7 the resident female who did not have a mate and Blue 022, a male who courted her last year, to return and raise chicks on CJ7’s nest. It this happens it will be the first time in 200 years that an Osprey chick has hatched at the site! Incredible.
Turning back to North America, everyone is on pins and needles waiting for Iris, the oldest osprey in the world, to return to her nest at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana. No one expects Iris to raise chicks. Her mate, Louis, has another nest that he cares for. I have a soft spot for Iris and feel that at 29 years old it is time she enjoyed her summer holiday. Raising chicks is a lot of work and really diminishes the health of the mother who loses approximately 30% of her weight.
Each of the three chicks at the Dale Hollow nest of River and Obey had a good feed around 11:28ish. Even Little Bit. They all stood in line and were very good as River fed them.
The wee one is doing well. The two older siblings are generally well behaved towards it – such a relief.
You can see that the snow is really melting as we see more and more of the edge of the nest. All of the babies are having a nice sleep in the warm sunshine.
I happened to look over at the Captiva nest. Andy just delivered the 10th fish of the day and it is a nice one. Little Bob is really enjoying this fish. Everyone is being civil and the kids are stuffed to their eyeballs…It is 15:48. Look at Little Bob open his mouth wide for delicious fish. Big is not paying him any mind at all. Food security is back in the mind of Big. Yippeeee. And well it should.
little Bob is still up near the table. Big looks like she has eaten so much she is going to get sick.
Little says there is room for more Mum!!!
What a beautiful image. All three chicks so full that they are passing out in food comas and Lena is getting some nice fish to herself. It just puts tears in your eyes. This nest has had a few really rocky days but today is one for the record books.
Every nest is doing really well. That is just wonderful. We can all rest easy tonight. Here is a sweet moment at the nest of Jackie and Shadow. Keep your eyes on the little one.
Thank you for joining me. Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB Pages where I took my screen captures: Captiva Ospreys and Window on Wildlife, Dale Hollow Lake Bald Eagles, Explore.org, Cornell Bird Lab and the Montana Osprey Project, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes, Loch Garten, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Rutland Wildlife Trust, and West EndBald Eagles.
Many who read my newsletter have a love for all birds and a particular fondness for one or two species and a number of nests. My personal journey began with an encounter in my own garden – literally, getting up close and personal with a female Sharp-shinned hawk in the dead of winter who, I believed at the time, was eating the garden rabbit, Hedwig. She wasn’t. Our eyes locked to one another’s, ‘something’ happened. I cannot describe it but those minutes changed my life. I know that many of you have had a similar experience as well as others who have gone on to write books about their journeys.
Philip Brown’s, The Scottish Ospreys from extinction to survival, written in 1979, is just such a book. My used copy arrived in the post a couple of days ago from the UK. The only time that I have had to read has been late at night. The book is so well written that I was often hesitant to stop reading. His enthusiasm and love for these fish-eating birds animates the drive in Scotland to reintroduce the Osprey after years of extinction. Brown gives a good solid history but it is his personal stories of spending time with others at the eyries of Loch Garten guarding the nests that draws the reader into sympathy with the birds. Brown worries about the trees that are partially dead but have nests, about the poachers that are killing the birds, and how to halt the illegal practice of egg collecting. Those are woven in with the growing understanding of osprey behaviour and the efforts to grow public interest in the birds. If Ospreys tug at your heart then this is a book that you should read. When I was looking for a copy I discovered that the book could be ordered from the UK with standard post for a very reasonable price. It is a hardback book and used copies are available for less than 5 GBP.
I want to re-mention another book, available only in paperback. Lady of the Loch. The Incredible Story of Britain’s Oldest Osprey is by Helen Armitage. There are a couple of ways it is different than the Brown volume. It is newer, written in 2011. The book covers the reintroduction of the Osprey to Scotland also but does it by focusing on a single bird, Lady, at the Loch of the Lowes. Lady raised 48 chicks migrating to Africa and back 20 times. That is simply astounding. Armitage’s book is different in another way. The lens is female, a welcome change when the majority of books on Osprey are written by men. She includes details not found in other volumes including one that I found particularly interesting. In trying to protect the Osprey, “In September 1899, Queen Victoria confirmed that certain regiments would stop wearing osprey plumes…” She also notes that it was women who continued the fight to stop the use of bird plumes including the Duchess of Portland who became the head of the Society for the Protection of Birds. It is time to think of fall reading and these are two really excellent books to curl up with.
In nest news, it appears that Bukacek or Father Stork is the only member of his family sleeping on the nest at Mlade Buky.
It is possible that both Pankrac, the female, and Servac, the male are with other fledglings preparing for their migration?
The normal practice with raptors is the female leaves for migration first. The male remains feeding the fledglings and bulking up himself. Once the fledglings depart, the male begin his long journey. Is this also the same ritual for storks?
I had a beautiful letter from a reader, ‘S’. She confirms the special status of storks in her country, Latvia. The people of Latvia have a special name for the White Storks, svētelis. She says the term speaks to the “embodiment of something holy and brings peace and protection from bad things.” This belief explains so much about the great love the people of Latvia have for their storks and that same understanding of storks being special must extend to surrounding countries where people go to great lengths to care for these amazing birds.
In regards to the migration of the storks, ‘S’ says that every year the storks gather on the trees, the roofs of all the houses and buildings, as well as on the electricity poles close to where she lives. When they are all ready to leave they begin clacking their bill together similar to what they do when the storklings are wanting food. Close your eyes and try to imagine how wonderful it would be to see this enormous gather of storks, each being called by the winds to begin their journey. The only equivalent we have in Manitoba are the Canada Geese. Every year they gather on the large ponds near to our nature centre, Fort Whyte. They arrive as the sun is setting calling one another. It is extremely moving. I can only imagine if it were storks!
There are several videos on YouTube about Klepetan and Malena, the famous Croatian white storks and the man, Sljepan Vokic, who has cared for Malena for more than 22 years. Sometimes, it is nice to see one of those videos just to remind ourselves that the world is full of kind caring people.
Skipping down to Australia, the two little sea eaglets, 27 and 28, are doing really well. It is mystifying watching Lady feed them the tiniest morsels of fish from her large beak.
Just look at the size of fish flake Lady is feeding to 28. She is so gentle.
There is plenty of fish in the nest and, so far, I have not seen any signs of food competition. Both of the little ones have nice tiny crops after their feedings. So far, so good. Fingers crossed it keeps up. Indeed, the only cheekiness I have seen is 28 trying to take a bite of 27’s head!
I love the look in Lady’s face as she stares at those two precious little fluffy bobbles. In many ways Lady reminds me of NC0 on the Loch of the Lowes nest in that she has grown into being an excellent – and loving – mother.
There is a gentleness about her movements with the two chicks this year that is striking. These moments of both of them tenderly tucked under mom will pass so quickly – they grow so fast!
A quick early Monday morning check on the UK Osprey nests reveals that Aran and Mrs G have been on the nest together since approximately 4 am.
Amidst the bleating of the sheep and the cows mooing, Aran brought in a fish for Mrs G and did a survey of their nest.
It is reported that Aran’s wing is much improved. He is flying more and fishing for himself as well as delivering fish to Mrs G. This is all good news since it was unknown at the time of his wing injury in late May whether or not he would be healed in time for migration.
One of Laddie and NC0’s chicks is on the Loch of the Lowes nest hoping for a food drop. Of course, that band is in hiding so it is anyone’s guess which chick is calling for fish!
The scene at the Dyfi Nest of Idris and Telyn and their two fledglings is simply pastoral. That said, no one is home!
The nest of Tiny Little is equally beautiful. I love the gentle yellows of the sun kissing the Dyfi Nest as it moves above the horizon and the gentle golden pink colouring the landscape of the Foulshaw Moss nest below.
A little later the Foulshaw Moss is magical. No Tiny Little though.
I cannot think of a better way to start a Monday morning than collapsing into the serenity of one of these landscapes. You can feel the stillness while, at the same time, soaking in the freshness of the smell of dew on grass.
Thank you for joining me. I will get the synopsis of what is happening with the Gough Island Recovery project this week. Once I started reading Brown’s book on Ospreys many other things went to the wayside. I hope that you have a great start to the week. Take care all.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: The Scottish Wildlife Trust and Friends of the Loch of the Lowes, Dyfi Osprey Project, Sea Eagle Cam, Birdlife Australia and the Discovery Centre, Mlade Buky White Stork Cam, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, and The Cumbrian Wildlife Trust and the Foulshaw Moss Osprey Nest.
