Tag Archives: menhaden

Chick at Hellgate doing well, RJ does the shake shake and gets that fish hook out of its talon…late Saturday in Bird World

13 June 2026

Greetings Everyone,

My goodness.

First up. Some good news. At the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout, RJ got a fishhook attached to a stick stuck in its talon. That chick did the ‘shake, shake, shake’ and got rid of that nuisance. Well, it is more than a nuisance. Could have caused permanent harm or death. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/Kx5Fw2LwQT8?

Sad news coming from the Salmon River Bald Eagle nest. ‘PB’ writes, “1:41 Salmon nest baby 2 gone confirmed with Idaho Fish and Game. Parents brought more twine in, and Sweet #2 was by mom’s foot when she left, took the twine and the baby with her. He managed to hang on to the far left side before falling, and they had someone check, and he was confirmed dead.”

More information from the Missoula team:

Post about the hatching process of a baby Osprey, detailing the egg's structure and development.

Cutie Pie waiting for some more fish.

An osprey standing on its nest made of twigs and branches, with an empty parking lot and trees in the background.

Clark brought several fish and then a mid-afternoon whopper!!!!!!!

An osprey standing on a nest made of sticks and branches, with a fish partially visible in the background. The scene is set in a parking lot area, indicating the nest's location.
Two ospreys in their nest, with a view of an empty parking lot in the background.

Oh, my heart.

A close-up view of a young osprey chick sitting in a nest, surrounded by dried leaves and grass.
Close-up of a young osprey chick resting in a nest made of twigs and grasses, with some greenery in the foreground.

Wide open. Iris seems to be getting more fish around its beak than in its mouth.

An adult osprey feeding a chick in a nest, with the chick visibly begging for food.
A close-up view of a young osprey chick being fed by an adult osprey, with remnants of fish visible on the nest.
An Osprey chick is being fed by an adult Osprey in a nest, surrounded by nesting materials and greenery.

I hope that baby got some fish – it is definitely hungry.

More fish for Iris! Clark, I want to hug you. This time Clark ate the head but the fish is big and it is getting late.

Two ospreys in their nest with eggs, perched on a structure made of sticks and twigs, with an empty parking lot in the background.

Baby gets feed while Clark keeps watch over it and Iris.

An osprey stands on its nest surrounded by twigs and branches, with two chicks visible in the nest. The background shows a parking lot and trees.
Close-up view of a young osprey chick in a nest, with a glimpse of its parent's wing in the foreground and other chicks visible nearby.

Two precious babies and baling twine on the Charlo Montana nest. Please make some calls if you are in the area. Try the biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Audubon Society. This is human-caused!

A newly hatched bird chick is resting beside an unhatched egg on a bed of pine needles and small debris.
An adult osprey is seen close to its two newly hatched chicks, which are pecking at an eggshell in a nest made of twigs and other natural materials.
An osprey is sitting in a nest, gently inspecting a single speckled egg surrounded by green vegetation and twigs.

I dislike the camera at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. No rewind. There are babies. You can see movement but that is all I know.

A bird of prey sitting in a large nest made of twigs and branches, with a park and playground visible in the background.

Just look at the temperature on the nest at Dewey Beach today and our precious Little Dewey.

An osprey standing beside two chicks in a nest made of sticks, with a scenic backdrop of water and buildings.
An osprey standing in a nest with a chick, surrounded by sticks and branches, overlooking a waterway and buildings in the background.

Menhaden are a big deal for the ospreys that live in the NE.

Map displaying fishing fleet locations near Reedville with annotations for schools of menhaden fish and probable set locations marked in red circles.

D3 and D4 nearer and nearer to fledging at Decorah.

Decorah Eagles: DH3 and DH4 Climb Higher Before First FlightsDownload

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigFriday 12th June 2026

Today was much calmer after the upset of losing little Chick3 yesterday. Early this morning Dorcha removed the body and disposed of it in the forest, leaving the two remaining chicks more room and a cleaner environment. There were some minor intruder alarms but none came close enough to be caught on nest cam, and both males had ample time to fish, and in Garry LV0’s case, to take over egg-sitting duties and release Aurora 536 to eat and stretch her wings. Sadly it does look like their hard work might be in vain because today is Day 43 and Osprey eggs usually hatch between 37-42 days. However, there is still a very slim chance that their egg might hatch, many eyes are watching Nest One hoping for a chick for them this year. Aurora returned to the nest with fish shortly after the cam came online, almost certainly caught by Garry and with his other delivery, the Nest One tally now stands at one hundred and fourteen. Louis brought three fish today and the Nest Two tally now stands at one hundred and thirty two. The thunder didn’t materialise but the showers did, with frequent dry spells throughout the day. However more rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow, with an overnight low of 10°C and a high of 14°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/BZs0k59dgeQ N1 Unfortunately there’s no sign of a pip 02.11.42 (zoom)https://youtu.be/lppct_pvTHc N2 Early breakfast, fish one is still flapping 05.41.39https://youtu.be/_tczuzhplOk N2 Dorcha removes the remains of tragic little Chick3 08.09.00https://youtu.be/34AODPhClto N1 Aurora appears with a fish when the cam comes online 08.25.02https://youtu.be/gjkV9TBdV1A N2 A second whole trout arrives 14.55.39https://youtu.be/HWDQIKWiWac N2 Fish supper for the family, fish three today 19.18.57https://youtu.be/PvnULhnXmC8 N1 Fish supper for Aurora, second fish today 20.20.03

Bonus Osprey longevity info – for those who feared Louis was too old to return when he was late back this year, at thirteen or fourteen years old he’s not even half as old as the world’s oldest known Osprey – Iris of Hellgate Montana. She’s been nesting there since 1999, and yesterday, at the grand old age of thirty or thirty one, she hatched another chick! First hatch of her clutch of three eggs. Congratulations Iris and new mate Clark!

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, fun, and free!

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

You need to be vocal. Not only is the price of timber causing habitat loss at a time when we need trees more than ever, but tourism and luxury hotels are now threatening wildlife and our precious birds. In Manitoba, our Premier and everyone I know have been protesting AI data centres. I am glad our leader is Indigenous. I am proud that he is protecting wildlife habitat in the north. But I still need to be vigilant because my City seems to be doing the opposite! Please have your say when you hear about new developments – with strong united voices, we can invoke change. We just have to be patient sometimes. We cannot give up!

‘The birds will fly away’: can Albania’s flamingo revolution keep its wetlands free from Trumps and tourists?https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/12/albania-flamingos-wetlands-trump-tourists?CMP=share_btn_url

Quiet Eagle brings us an update on little eaglet Snow that was in the nest that slid at Traverse City and survived! https://youtu.be/j756uY1hbZE?

I want to close with an image of one of our local ospreys. My grandson, Jeremy, sent it to me. It is a short video and this osprey has a fish.

We have a growing number of osprey in our City. People are putting fish into the retention ponds for them. That might be an idea for some of you in the US, where there is a fish shortage. :))). I can’t seem to post the video so here are some screen captures. Look at the size of that fish. Wow.

A bird, possibly an osprey, perched on a pebbly beach with water in the background.
An osprey takes off from a pebbly beach, carrying a fish in its talons, with water in the background.
A bird flying low over calm water, reflecting its image on the surface.

We have rain or storm clouds brewing overhead. So much rain! There should not be any wildfires, and the trees and shrubs are doing incredibly. It is a green paradise with a touch of pink or red! There are now four fledgling Starlings – I probably said. They fascinate me. Tonight they are eating a New Zealand dog nugget that is a whole meal – Toby said he didn’t mind since we ran out of minnows and hot dogs! The weather is cooler – 14 C. I wonder if that makes them need more food to stay warm?

It’s too grainy. I so wish I had my long lens camera!

They are so cute and have entertained us all day.

Two small birds perched on a feeding tray filled with grain, surrounded by greenery.

I want to thank you for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon.

Thank you to everyone who posted information on FB, with or without images, and to Geemeff for her daily summary of the activities of the two nests at Loch Arkaig, Scotland. I want to thank the authors of newsletters and articles that provide us with a wealth of information. To the owners of the streaming cams, we are grateful to be able to watch the lives of our feathered friends and their growing families. I also want to thank the Guardian for their continued reports on the environment and wildlife and last, but not least, Jeremy, for remembering me and sending me that great osprey video to share with you.

Golden Eagle female missing and chick cannot self-feed…late Friday in Bird World

12 June 2026

The female at the Golden Eagle 2 nest in Estonia has been missing since the 11 June. Dad continues to supply food to the eaglet but as his role is hunting and protecting, he is not feeding. The chick has tried to eat but just can’t. This could quickly turn into a very sad situation where we lose both a healthy bouncy eaglet and its Mum.

A nest in a tree with a chick resting among twigs and greenery, surrounded by lush foliage.

“The Bald Eagle 2 nest camera is located in the extended danger area near the Estonian Defence Forces Central Training Area in Northern Estonia. Defence Forces training involves quite noisy activities or a large number of equipment and people moving around the training area. In order to clarify the impact of these activities on eagles nesting in the vicinity of the training areas, the State Defence Investment Centre has commissioned a study, which is being carried out by the Eagle Club. During the study, we installed a nest camera on a bald eagle nest, among other activities.

Kaljukotkas 2 is a native territory of golden eagles – one of those located south of Lahemaa National Park in Põhja-Kõrvemaa. The nests have been located in this territory over time on different bog islands or on the edge of the bog; the generations of golden eagles have changed there, but the territory has remained the same. The eagles have been nesting in this nest at the end of a large stump since 2016. In recent years, the chick here has become capable of flying, although at a later time than average. This indicates that the laying of eggs is later than average. The chick of 2023 also got a companion with the help of our German colleague Oliver Krone. It flew from the breeding territory to Latvia in early November, returned to Estonia in early December and spent the winter here. We have not added the monitored golden eagles to the migration map, because they tend to be quite sedentary. However, some of the young birds hatched in Estonia move as far as Poland and Ukraine for the winter.

Both adult birds are here without rings, so we do not know their age or origin. The first egg appeared in the nest this year on March 26 at 2:46 p.m. We can expect the chick to hatch at the end of April.”

Clark brought the first fish right after 0900 but immediately an intruder was in the area. He flew off with the fish and returned it to Iris at 0931 so that her and the baby could eat.

Two ospreys are standing on their nest made of sticks and branches, with one chick visible among the nesting material. In the background, a green space and a parking lot can be seen.
Two ospreys are nesting on a large nest made of sticks and greenery, with a parking lot and trees visible in the background.
A pair of ospreys in their nest, with one chick visible among twigs and greenery, set against a background of an empty parking lot and trees.

Baby has had at least one other feeding before noon! Things look good for Iris and Clark who has been bringing in nesting materials, too.

Heidi reports that Miles and Hennie now have three babies. Wish them well.

An osprey nest containing three chicks, with one chick being fed by the parent osprey. The nest is made of twigs and is located in a grassy area.

There is a baby at nest 12 at Kielder Forest!

Nest 12 hatch news

Dani Connor saved a plantation forest in Sweden near her home in the north through a GoFundMe. She was determined that the red squirrels and other wildlife would not lose their home. Just look at what is happening in Norway. Our wildlife need trees and it isn’t just the birds. Our planet needs trees. I know the plantation trees were planted to be cut down but perhaps with the climate heating up so much, it is time to find a way to purchase these lands.

A view of a logging site in Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, showing cleared land with fallen trees and stumps, reflecting deforestation efforts. The background features a green landscape and cloudy sky.

This reminds me. It appears to me that the fundraising for Moon Camp to protect the land around Jackie and Shadow’s nest has stalled at about 3.3 million. That is a huge amount of funds donated by fundraising by viewers and local school children. They are posting that they need 6 million by the end of the month. If you are intending to donate but haven’t yet, please check in and do so. Help them save this land where other wildlife also live. Go to SaveMoonCamp.org

A plea for donations to save Jackie and Shadow's home, mentioning a fundraising goal of over 6 million by July 31.

It looks like SK Hideaways has caught Jackie and Shadow’s Luna getting lift, and believe me, everyone is concerned about fireworks with Luna and Sandy. They are in a fledge window. https://youtu.be/W1TSYPxDU_I?

I love this family tree from Big Bear that was posted on FB.

Infographic detailing the Eagle family tree associated with Big Bear, featuring images of eagles and their names, from the founders Ricky and Lucy to current generation Sandy and Luna with 2026 eaglets.

SW Florida’s Bald Eagle nest in Fort Myers on the Pritchett Property M15 has a new female to replace F23 who was killed during the 2026 season. Check out Photos by Donna Lee on FB to see all of the images of M15 with his new mate.

A Facebook post dated June 10, 2026, describing the author's encounter with a bird named Mighty M15 and his new companion, the Lady Eagle, including a narrative of their behaviors and a photo opportunity.
A collage of several images featuring a Bald Eagle perched on a metal structure, showcasing its feathers and silhouette against a cloudy sky.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigThursday 11th June 2026

Sadly, there’s only one talking point today and that’s the loss of little Chick3. Hatched on 6th June shortly after midnight, the little chick was five days old today and didn’t really have a chance against its two big siblings. Despite Louis delivering plenty of food, Dorcha keeping the chicks warm and dry, and the older pair mainly taking out their aggression on each other, the youngest chick was too weak to survive on a reduced diet. Comfort can be found in that Chick3’s death was as peaceful as is possible on a lively Osprey nest. In other news, Dorcha furiously saw off an intruding Osprey who first perched on the camera pole and then on the nearby Scots Pine – she kept it so well away that it was impossible to see if it was yesterday’s intruder JJ4 returning, or a stranger. Louis delivered four fish taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and twenty nine, and Garry LV0 delivered three fish to Aurora 536, taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and twelve. Aurora’s egg is now forty two days old and the possibility of hatching is improbable but not yet impossible. The weather was a repeat of yesterday’s, wet and windy, and tonight’s overnight forecast is light rain and light winds with a low of 11°C overnight, continuing with thundery showers, a moderate breeze and a high of 15°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/000FxooDYzw N2 All three chicks are up and begging when fish one arrives 04.21.29https://youtu.be/yMsFcwb3ydo N1 Dorcha furiously sees off an intruder Osprey 08.34.16 (zoom)https://youtu.be/I8khzUqtd8I N2 Mum blocks the view when fish two is dished up 09.06.53https://youtu.be/XhHOcGuOSM0 N2 A little life has ended: RIP Chick3 10.00+https://youtu.be/i7VWDUd6J0k N1 Is Garry’s first fish a Silver Tourist? 10.53.39https://youtu.be/gRTAjaxD40k N2 Fish three is huge but there are only two chicks 14.15.26https://youtu.be/fVKuNTE9nDo N1 Aurora’s very quiet but does take fish two 18.45.22https://youtu.be/fn1jj9Oh-4w N1 Aurora takes fish three and stumbles on a loose bit of bark 21.36.09https://youtu.be/u3rJzYfaS1M N2 Fish number four is tiny and is quickly demolished 21.51.01

Bonus read: Toby Carvery apologise for cutting down one of the important trees on Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Register and will plant 1,000 new trees (Ed: as if that could replace the 500 year old oak!) 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05yz89jrleo

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

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

I am happy to say that our garden animals are thriving. We now have four European Starling fledglings! And I have discovered that Crows like large raw minnows – the ones that were in the freezer that Toby decided were not ‘dehydrated’. So there you go – have large minnows in your freezer, and you don’t go fishing, well, feed the crows. Their babies need mushy protein.

Thank you so much for being with us today. I am signing off. Toby and I are going to relax a little while Don is out with Ann. We wish you a lovely weekend with a lot of ice cream. And watch Iris and Clark with their new baby – . Might there be others? I promise you that unless there is another weather event there, this nest is going to be one to watch and I was a huge skeptic.

Toby loves strawberry ice cream.

A close-up of a bowl of pink ice cream on a colorful patterned tablecloth, with a small dog resting its paws on the owner's leg, eagerly looking at the ice cream.

Thank you to everyone who contributed information and images to FB, to SK Hideaways for their video, Geemeff for their daily summary, and Donna Lee for those great images of M15 and his new lady. Always great to have news from Heidi and Keilder Forest. hank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these amazing bird families.

Hatch continues at Hellgate with no Clark and no fish and will more people speak up for ospreys?

11 June 2026

Greetings,

If you have read my blog for the past three years, you will be very familiar with the word ‘Menhaden’, a species of fish that is crucial for ospreys in certain regions of the world. In fact, it is the basis of the ecosystem of The Chesapeake Bay where many species depend on it. But with Omega Protein taking all of the schools of fish through trawling with huge industrial ships and spotter planes, there is nothing left for the birds and marine life. A new study puts the problem squarely on over fishing while many over the years have tried to find other reasons. Politicians in Virginia – which are really holding up the changes since Omega is stationed at Reedsville – even blamed the Bald Eagles for taking all the fish!!!!!!!!! Do they think we are that stupid?

https://www.cbf.org/news/new-study-links-starving-chesapeake-bay-osprey-to-menhaden-woes/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSXu81leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFMT01yTjZFMk1MR29TSkllc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvcMqcfw3ZxwVx2R-_ayVd5ch9hYNoTxBkb4I8j6WMTTtXiuxNasnYHgUFJx_aem_XGbseQfXHe_VJvAjGggebA

Justin Hawkins wrote on Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal a good analysis of what is happening and why Menhaden are so important.

“The Localized Depletion Debate: Can a Healthy Menhaden Stock Still Leave Predators Hungry?

For years, one of the most common responses to concerns about industrial menhaden harvest has been straightforward:

“The stock isn’t overfished.”

According to Atlantic menhaden stock assessments, the species is not currently classified as overfished, and overfishing is not considered to be occurring on a coastwide basis.

To many people, that sounds like the end of the discussion.

But for a growing number of fisheries scientists, conservation groups, and recreational anglers, it may actually be the beginning.

The reason is a concept known as localized depletion.

It is a simple idea that asks a surprisingly complicated question:

Can a fish population be healthy overall while becoming less available in the specific places where predators need it most?

Looking at the Coast From 30,000 Feet

Stock assessments are designed to evaluate fish populations across enormous geographic areas.

For Atlantic menhaden, that means examining the entire Atlantic coast.

Scientists estimate population size, fishing mortality, recruitment, spawning success, and long-term sustainability across a range stretching from New England to Florida.

From that perspective, the species may appear healthy.

But critics argue that broad-scale assessments can sometimes miss what is happening at smaller scales.

After all, predators do not live on a coastwide scale.

A striped bass feeding in the Chesapeake Bay is not utilizing forage fish off Rhode Island.

An osprey nesting on a tributary of the Bay is not hunting schools of menhaden hundreds of miles away.

Predators live locally.

They feed locally.

And they respond to local prey availability.

That distinction lies at the heart of the localized depletion debate.

A Grocery Store Analogy

Imagine a city with one hundred grocery stores.

Ninety-five are fully stocked.

Five are nearly empty.

Looking only at the citywide inventory data, food supplies appear abundant.

But for the residents living near those five stores, availability is a very different story.

Supporters of the localized depletion theory argue that forage fish may function in a similar way.

A coastwide stock assessment can show healthy overall abundance while predators in specific estuaries, bays, or feeding areas experience reduced access to forage.

The fish exist.

The question is whether they exist where they are needed.

Why Chesapeake Bay Became Ground Zero

No area illustrates this debate more clearly than Chesapeake Bay.

The Bay serves as one of the most important nursery and feeding habitats for Atlantic menhaden.

It is also home to striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, dolphins, ospreys, pelicans, and countless other predators that depend directly or indirectly on menhaden.

Historically, the Bay also hosted much of the Atlantic reduction fishery.

For decades, hundreds of millions of pounds of menhaden were harvested annually from this single ecosystem.

Conservation organizations began asking a straightforward question:

If such large quantities of forage are removed from one of the most important feeding areas on the East Coast, can local predators remain unaffected?

That question remains largely unresolved.

What the Osprey Studies Suggest

One reason localized depletion has attracted scientific attention is because of osprey research.

Biologists studying portions of Chesapeake Bay documented declining reproductive success in some nesting populations.

Researchers observed that adult birds were bringing different prey species back to nests and, in some cases, appeared to be delivering fewer energy-rich menhaden than historically observed.

The concern was not simply about osprey numbers.

It was about what the birds might be indicating.

Osprey are highly efficient fish predators.

If they struggle to locate preferred forage in specific areas, researchers naturally wonder whether other predators may be experiencing similar challenges.

While alternative explanations certainly exist, including habitat changes, climate factors, and environmental stressors, the findings fueled further interest in localized prey availability.

Predators Don’t Read Stock Assessments

One criticism often voiced by anglers is that predators respond to conditions in real time.

A redfish cannot eat a coastwide biomass estimate.

A striped bass cannot feed on statistical abundance.

Predators require actual prey in actual locations.

This is why many fisheries scientists have become increasingly interested in ecosystem-based management.

Rather than focusing solely on whether a forage species remains abundant overall, ecosystem approaches attempt to understand whether enough forage remains available to support predator populations.

It represents a subtle but important shift in thinking.

The question is no longer only:

“How many menhaden exist?”

The question becomes:

“How many menhaden are available to predators when and where they need them?”

The Challenge of Measuring Local Impacts

One reason the localized depletion debate remains unsettled is that it is extremely difficult to measure.

Fish move.

Predators move.

Environmental conditions change.

Water temperatures fluctuate.

Weather patterns influence distribution.

Separating the effects of fishing from natural variability is one of the most difficult tasks in fisheries science.

As a result, definitive proof can be elusive.

But many researchers argue that uncertainty should not be mistaken for evidence that local effects do not exist.

In fact, some contend that localized depletion may be one of the most important unanswered questions in forage fish management.

Why the Debate Matters

At its core, the localized depletion debate is not really about menhaden.

It is about ecosystems.

If forage fish become less available in key feeding areas, the effects may extend far beyond a single species.

Striped bass may have to work harder to locate food.

Osprey may experience lower nesting success.

Marine mammals may alter feeding behavior.

Entire predator communities may be affected in ways that are difficult to detect through traditional stock assessments.

Whether those effects are large, small, temporary, or significant remains the subject of ongoing research.

But the question itself has become impossible to ignore.

A Different Way to Think About Fisheries

For decades, fisheries management focused on whether harvested species could sustain fishing pressure.

Today, scientists are increasingly asking whether ecosystems can sustain it as well.

Localized depletion sits at the center of that transition.

It challenges the assumption that a healthy stock automatically means a healthy ecosystem.

And it raises a possibility that many anglers intuitively understand:

A fish can be abundant somewhere and still be scarce where it matters most.

That possibility is why the localized depletion debate continues to shape discussions about menhaden management, predator conservation, and the future of ecosystem-based fisheries management along the Atlantic coast.”

A shoreline view featuring tall grass and waves, with several blue and orange fishing boats in the background and the text 'Local Ecosystems Pay The Price' overlaying the image.

But…this is happening now.

I continue to check in on Iris with tears in my eyes. Babies hatching and no fish for her or them. Where in the world is Clark? How far does he have to go and get fish?

This just might be the nest that breaks me this year.

An osprey resting in its nest made of sticks and twigs, with green grass peeking through, set against a background of a parking area and vegetation.

Please send Iris and Clark your good wishes. We need fish!

The river’s levels are low, but it appears to be still flowing fast. The forecast is for cooler temperatures, thank goodness. Will Iris leave the nest with the babies to go fishing? This is the question of the day, along with the problem of Clark’s presence. He was so good til he got into that altercation with the Bald Eagle. Oh, I am worried.

A chart displaying discharge rates and conditions for three nearby rivers: Bitterroot River, Clark Fork, and Blackfoot River. Includes flow measurements in cubic feet per second (cfs), wind speed, temperature, and high/low temperature for specific dates in June.

Weather forecast showing temperatures and conditions for June 11 and 12, with various times of the day and expected weather including sunny and partly cloudy skies, and one instance of light rain with thunder.

Thank you for being with us again this morning.

Thank you to the Montana Raptor Project and Cornell Bird Lab for their streaming cam and the FB group Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal for covering the disaster that began several years ago in the NE. Thank you also to River Reports.

A miracle happens amidst the tragedies…late Monday in Bird World

8 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

UPDATE: Clark has returned to the nest. He must have had great difficulty fishing. He came in with a nice one for his beloved Iris who had to be absolutely at her wits end and starving. Time 1106.

An osprey standing on a nest made of sticks and branches, with another young osprey nearby. The background shows a parking lot and greenery.
A close-up view of an osprey on its nest made of sticks, overlooking a parking lot and a train passing in the background.

I am hardly controlling my tears of joy. After the past week, it just felt like something terrible was going to happen. I could hardly bring myself to hope. But here is the miracle that I was waiting for! Clark is home. Iris is fed. Now, to get those rivers to calm down so Clark can feed their babies. We are on pip watch.

My inbox and FB Messenger are full of comments about how we – humans – have failed our planet and our wildlife. Right now, that focus is more on the disaster that has occurred in and around the Chesapeake Bay. That ecosystem has been destroyed by one company, Omega Protein out of Reedsville, Virginia. It isn’t just ospreys that are going extinct – yes, I am using that word – but also Striped Bass, terrapins and anything in the food chain that depended on Menhaden. ‘The Bay’ is dying. Why isn’t someone doing something? That is the question you are asking.

Those ships are out -.

Map showing the location of fishing ships and flight paths, with 5 Omega ships highlighted in yellow and 2 independent purse seine ships in red.

Last week I received a little book from a friend in the post, Song of the Seasons. a Meditation on Cycles, Story, and Humility by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, a Sufi writer and spiritual ecologist. Vaughan-Lee maintains that the problem is that humans do not believe that our planet is a living entity and that they have dominion over it. “The story of forgetfulness that has distanced us, that has put us to sleep…is about the denial of the spiritual nature of this living, breathing Earth.” (32) “Our senses can again become attuned to the spirit that flows through all things, so that when we hear the birds at dusk, we let their song penetrate our being. Why would we not want that? The song that we hear, in this moment, is of this place, and of this season. And this song wants to be heard….it wants to be heard not just with the outer senses, but with the…ear of the heart, so that that birdson becomes part of us and links us to this moment, to this cycle, to this place. Vaughan-Lee is asking us to be present in this moment – to literally, as Ram Dass asked us to ‘Be Here Now’. At the same time is the underlying thread that every living thing including our Earth is sacred, a belief held by many cultures and religions. So special is the soul that my Jain friends in Udaipur will not even step on an ant or kill a fly. One of my best friends taught me that all things have souls and I will always be grateful to Ikuhiko for teaching me about Shinto.

I feel that the Earth has become nothing more than a commodity – AI centres using up all the water, dredging ocean floors and ruining marine life, and then there is the focus of my anger at the moment, the commercial overfishing of Menhaden in the NE US and in the Gulf region of the US by Omega Protein. It is not just this company – don’t kid yourself. But all is not despair, although I might feel that way today. There are good people doing amazing things around the world, including fighting against the establishment of AI Centres, lobbying for no drilling on lands where wildlife thrive, purchasing electric vehicles and beginning to use alternative energy, growing gardens and teaching others; the list is long. We cannot give up because if we do, we give all the beauty that we love over to what I want to simply call the dark side – those that would destroy all our planet and its wildlife deliberately for their own gain.

I hope this is for real.

Announcement about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge remaining untouched after the latest oil and gas lease sale drew no interest from major oil companies.

As I write this, the rivers in Oregon and Colorado are drying up due to drought and the fish are dying.

A group of dead fish stranded in muddy, dry reservoir beds, highlighting the impact of drought conditions.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts/horizons-with-pbs-news/as-the-colorado-river-dries-up-how-western-states-are-confronting-the-water-crisis

I really hope to get to some good news by the end of this blog. And it happened, it is at the top.

Clark has not returned to the nest he shares with Iris at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula. The rivers were raging, and fishing was difficult. He was last seen on the 6th, and that was, as far as I know, the last time Iris ate. Their eggs are ready to hatch. Clark is also known for being overprotective of Iris and their nest, and he lost at least five tail feathers in what is assumed to have been an altercation with a Bald Eagle. Clark was very attentive, and my concern is that he has met with a battle he could not win. I want to be wrong.

An adult osprey sitting on a nest made of sticks, with a parking lot and trees in the background.

At Lake Murray, the GHO took the last two of the three osplets last night.

I wonder what we would find if we put up a big map and put a red pin on places where osprey parents fledged their full clutch. Which ones can you think of? Venice Beach. Achieva (that is a huge surprise). Any others? We will do this again at the end of the season.

Big and Little continue to be well cared for by Mum Jill. Such stability at that nest. Big and Little came together to the nest about the same time that Jill goes fishing every day. She is an amazing mother. I wonder how the female is doing in Minnesota who is raising three osplets alone – from incubation to now. This could be Iris if the Crows wouldn’t take the babies and if Iris would go fishing for them.

Fishing at Loch of the Lowes: https://youtu.be/c9UP6e5tChQ?

Telyn appears to be fine, although some are wondering if she swallowed a braided line and a different hook, one used by poachers. I am just glad she is doing well as are her three chicks.

An osprey sits on its nest made of twigs, with three chicks visible. The background features a green field and distant hills under a clear sky.

Latest updates on situation from Dyfi Osprey Project:

https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/telyn-swallows-fishing-hook-and-line

I am going to stop because I am so delighted that Clark is home I don’t want to ruin the day by finding out something else has happened on another nest. Yes, I am going to stick my head in the proverbial sand for a bit.

Take care everyone. Delight in this miracle and pray for the river to calm so Clark can feed their babies quickly.

Thank you to everyone mentioned in this post and the owners of the streaming cams, authors of newsletters and FB page information. Always grateful.

Important post from Ben Wurst…Sunday in Bird World

7 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

This continues to be the most important story coming out of the US when it concerns ospreys.

Ben Wurst writes today:

Last week, I flew along the entire 130 mile coastline of New Jersey.

What I saw was alarming.

The goal was to locate schools of Atlantic menhaden, a historically abundant forage fish found in New Jersey’s nearshore waters. Menhaden have long been a primary prey species for coastal nesting ospreys, as well as many predatory fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. They also support the largest fishery by volume on the East Coast and are harvested for bait and industrial reduction products (oil + meal).

I teamed up with my friend and pilot, Adam Sherer, for the survey. It was my first time flying in a Cessna and conducting an aerial survey along the coast. Spotter planes are commonly used by large-scale bait and reduction fisheries to locate schools of menhaden. Some aircraft fly weekly from Reedville, Virginia, to Sandy Hook to assess the presence and abundance of fish.

After what we observed with osprey reproduction last year, I felt it was crucial to gather independent observations on menhaden presence, or absence, off New Jersey. As far as I am aware, there are no dedicated public surveys conducted along New Jersey’s coast to assess nearshore menhaden abundance.

Conditions for our flight were ideal: light north winds, excellent visibility, and calm seas. We flew from Barnegat Inlet south to Cape May, then north to Sandy Hook, surveying waters approximately 1–3 miles offshore at elevations between 1,500 and 2,500 feet above ground level.

Throughout the entire flight, we did not observe a single school of menhaden.

Schools of menhaden are highly visible from the air, often appearing as large dark patches near the water’s surface. They are frequently accompanied by predators such as bluefish, striped bass, tuna, dolphins, whales, and seabirds like northern gannets, all of which feed on these important forage fish as they move along the Atlantic coast.

Adam is an experienced pilot who knows how to read the water. Given the conditions, I am confident that if substantial schools of fish had been present, we would have seen them. The coast was so calm and quiet that it felt eerie. Aside from several small pods of dolphins, we observed very little marine life. There was also surprisingly little fishing activity.

Meanwhile, many osprey nests in New Jersey remain empty because females never laid eggs this spring. Without adequate food resources, females are not able to reach breeding condition. Many nests that do contain eggs were initiated later than normal and often have smaller clutches, both potential signs of food stress.

As chicks hatch and adults shift to feeding young, abundant prey becomes even more critical. If food remains scarce, we may see increased food stress, brood reduction, and nest failures, similar to what we documented last year when menhaden appeared scarce along portions of the coast and what many osprey pairs are experiencing on the Chesapeake Bay, which has always been considered the most important nursery grounds for menhaden on the Atlantic coast.

Another concerning observation is the condition of nesting females. While photographing a female leaving her nest, I was struck by how pronounced her breastbone appeared through the viewfinder. Her mate was absent, likely out searching for prey. Similar reports and observations are coming from throughout the coast. This is not what we typically expect to see during the nesting season.

Perhaps most concerning is that fisheries managers continue to rely heavily on fishery-dependent data to estimate menhaden abundance, while warning signs from dependent predators like ospreys receive far less attention. What we are seeing at nests all along the coast is that something is out of balance.

In addition, reports indicate that the reduction fleet in Virginia has remained at the dock for much of the spring while spotter aircraft search vast stretches of coastline from North Carolina to New England looking for fish.

Taken together, these observations raise serious concerns about the condition of the marine ecosystem and the forage base that supports whales, dolphins, ospreys, game fish, commercial fisheries, and coastal economies.

If you care about our coast and the wildlife that depends on it, now is the time to pay attention. We need better monitoring, greater transparency, and a stronger commitment to understanding and protecting the forage fish that serve as the foundation of our marine ecosystem. Follow groups like the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Menhaden Defenders, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Forage Fish Campaign to get involved and stay informed.

Very grateful for this opportunity to help better understand what is happening along our coast. Thank you, Adam.

Heidi and I have been warning about this collapse for three years, along with others from William & Mary College, including Michael Academia. This is VERY serious. It is not only the osprey that are starving, but also the other fish that depend on Menhaden and even tarrapins. The entire ecosystem is dead or dying. Some might point to multiple conditions, but for me, there is a single major cause: Omega Protein, a Canadian company that turns millions of tonnes of Menhaden into chicken and salmon feed, based in Reedsville, Virginia. They are also gutting the schools in the Gulf. This has to stop. I urge each of my readers to write in support of a three-year moratorium on commercial-industrial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and all the waters from Long Island, around New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. Please note that mile limits have caused Omega Protein to use helicopters in at least one instance to get the schools to flee back to deeper water where they can net them!

E-mail address of the Governor of Virginia: abigail.spanberger@governor.virginia.gov

You can use the wording from Ben Wurst’s letter. He is the Conservation Officer for New Jersey. You might also want to educate yourself before writing by examining the posts on the FB group – Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal.

I am very concerned about Little Dewey at Dewey Beach in Delaware. And I want to make clear that if any of the birds on streaming cams are starving, the cause can be argued to be human-caused, a reason for intervention! Remember I have said that we might have to have a test case to prove that this is human caused.

This image, from Heidi and PB, shows the tiny Menhaden that Baby Dewey had for breakfast. This precious family might need help, and the USFWS should permit fish to be placed on the nest for them, since the absolute decline in the Menhaden population has caused issues and endangered ospreys to the point that they might not exist in this region as they did during the time of DDT. The Ospreys are the ‘Canaries in the Mine’ warning us of disaster.

An osprey stands over its chick in a nest made of twigs, holding a fish in its beak. The background shows a blue building in the distance.

In other news, ‘PB’ reports that both Jack and Jill have been at the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest with fish but no Big and no Little to eat. Please return you two. You are still a little young to be out on your own, Little.


SK Hideaways Videos, week of 31 May 2026

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

Sandy & Luna Play Tug of Fish🦈🪢 Jackie & Shadow Steal Away (2026 Jun 3)When Shadow brought a whopper to the nest, Sandy and Luna got to work consuming their fair share. While the eaglets pulled the fish from each other time and again, the 90-minute meal was more a tug-of-peace than a tug-of-war, as they both got plenty to eat. Abundance makes for peaceful mealtimes. Once  the eaglets were in food comas, Jackie met Shadow on the Simba Tree for a most picturesque rendezvous. Hatch dates: Sandy, 4 April; Luna 5 April
Video:  https://youtu.be/ki-gZ6sEY6M
Fraser Point Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha, Zuma, and Ryder
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s

Sasha Branches 🪾 Cruz Approves ✅ Sasha Returns (2026 Jun 5)
Congratulations to Sasha on an easy branching to and from the left branch at 69 days
Video: https://youtu.be/jFYnyJCpC_E

Eaglets Show Big Wingers🪽and Jumps🦘➕Nonstop Eating (2026 Jun 4)At nearly 10 weeks old, Sasha, Zuma, and Ryder will be branching and fledging any time now. We wondered how they’d all fit on the nest once fully grown, but they’re managing just fine and even allow Cruz and Andor to visit ~ as if they have a choice. We checked on their progress as they displayed their beautiful wings, made some impressive jumps, and ate… incessantly. What a joy to watch these triplets thrive.
Video: https://youtu.be/0-PBOvkuCX0


San Jose City Hall Falcons ~ San Jose, CA ~ Hartley, Monty, Jet, Scout, Stewart, and Walton
Courtesy San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon Cam
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBSxPjy5sow
Ledge Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pp9TisLmLU
Roof Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLhmV6bP6o

Party in the A.M.🎉Party in the P.M. 🍾 Things Get Raptoresque (2026 Jun 5)
The boys met on the roof for the first fete of the day, which left them loafing in the afternoon. Come 5 p.m., they were right on time for happy hour on the nest ledge. They even let Monty stay… for a while. Then the rave kicked into full gear and things got raptoresque.
Video: https://youtu.be/EiemTOD-YGI

Chicks Vie for Cutest Raptor Fledgling Championship🏆 You Decide (2026 Jun 4)
This day-in-the-life video includes an opportunity for you to cast a completely unofficial vote for the Cutest Raptor Fledgling amongst a selection of raptor types in Northern California, where this falcon family lives. The rest of the video is a collection of the day’s poses and shenanigans, which all contribute to my own personal vote. Enjoy the fun and your own personal contest.
Video: https://youtu.be/-aE-lEcDHSE

Chicks Present, Accounted For,📋and Even Cuter (If Possible) (2026 June 3)
Despite the fact that fledge watch has completed, we are all compelled to check on the boys. Happily, all four are present and accounted for as end of day today. They seem to get more adorable by the minute.
Video: https://youtu.be/ZtjQtjaK9L0

Chicks Take Over Fledge Watch 👀 Hartley & Monty Bond in Nest  (2026 Jun 2)Jet and Walton took up their post on the roof to observe early morning aerial activity. I don’t know if they knew the featherless giants (with occasional long black eye protrusions) were gone, but they did seem to take responsibility for the skies above city hall. Meanwhile, Hartley and Monty took a moment to bond in the nest box; perhaps reveling in another wildly successful breeding season.
Video: https://youtu.be/tce7draJcbg

All 4 chicks returned to the nest 🎉 Monty hung out with his boys (2026 May 31)
The four boys gave fans a real treat ~ thanks to a steamy San Jose day ~ and spent nearly the entire day and overnight in and around the nest area. They found shade in the nest box and along the sides of the runway to keep cooler. Along the way were visits from Hartley and Monty, giving us the bonus of seeing the entire family together. 
It was fascinating to watch Monty spend a good amount of time with the boys, despite their occasional protestations; a very different response than when his offspring have been larger females. Because this is a rare and unique event, I captured a substantial part of the day, allowing us to savor the waning moments of seeing this special family together. 
Video:  https://youtu.be/-j4K_dqhkgM

Fledge Watch 2026 👀 Day 3 Highlights (2026 May 30)
A collection of images from the San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon cam, my phone camera, and my phone camera through one of the scopes atop fledge watch HQ chronicling the highlights of fledge watch 2026 day 3. It was a thrilling couple of days for this avid fan, who continues to be humbled by the magnificence of our falcon family. I am equally humbled by the wisdom, dedication, and compassion of the fledge watch team and photographers, who show up day after day, year after year in support of these special birds.
Video: https://youtu.be/slTtVRA98TI

‘AK’ was watching nest 5 in Finland when this lynx went up to the nest. No chicks yet, just eggs. ‘AK’ notes that the adults were able to frighten it away. I have never seen a lynx climb a nest!

‘AK’ adds: This happened at 02:51:50 Finnish time.

A lynx cub standing on a nest made of sticks and moss, with two eggs visible in the foreground. The background is dark and natural, indicating the setting is outdoors.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 6th June 2026

Today’s big event was the overnight arrival of Louis and Dorcha’s third chick. The exact time was difficult to determine as Dorcha was blocking the view, doing a good job of keeping the chicks warm and dry despite the constant rain, but eventually the time of 00.49.09 seemed the most logical based on glimpses of empty eggshells (thanks LizB). Dawn gave us and Louis a good look at the little hatchling, although Louis seemed more interested in snaffling a bit of left over fish, until Dorcha returned and made him give it up for the chicks. He delivered only one new fish to day but it was massive, and the Nest Two tally now stands at one hundred and fourteen. Nest Cam One has been zoomed in ready for those magic moments when the egg pips and the little hatchling emerges, but there’s no news yet – the egg shows no sign of pipping. However it’s only day 37 and hatching is possible right up to day 42, especially as Aurora 536 delayed incubation for the first couple of days. Garry LV0 brought her two fish and his tally now stands at one hundred and three. It was another damp day and set to continue with light rain overnight and a low of 10°C, changing to thundery showers and a high of 15°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/CCyxjTOFDDU N2 Third chick is fully hatched 02.15.10

https://youtu.be/t5z8rFsT28Q N2 Louis’ first look at his new chick 05.14.49

https://youtu.be/GDKqiFdvzr4 N1 The cam’s zoomed in ready for hatching 08.39.58

https://youtu.be/d8VGs8JTvS4 N1 Another flatfish for Aurora 09.44.27

https://youtu.be/-O_WQ33FChQ N2 A huge fish arrives and Dorcha feeds all three chicks 15.23.12

https://youtu.be/5161efEC9vU N1 It’s a trout this time for Aurora 15.59.56

Bonus advice from George WTS – Osprey chick inequality and potential effects on nest cam watchers:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam/?ht-comment-id=34713635

Come and join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and everyone’s welcome:

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

Telyn looks well. May she live a long and healthy life – and may we, humans – clean up after ourselves so that wildlife do not have to suffer.

An osprey stands over its nest, feeding three chicks with a piece of fish. The nest is made of twigs and located on a grassy area.
An adult osprey stands protectively over its two chicks in a nest made of sticks and grass, with remnants of fish visible nearby.

It’s raining in Missoula (again). Is Clark having trouble fishing? Is there a pip in an egg?

Posted on Montana Osprey Project FB:

Scatter plot showing the incubation duration of Iris' eggs over various years from 2011 to 2025, with data points representing the first, second, third, and fourth eggs.

I mentioned that Lola had returned to her nest that she shared with Charlie raising chicks. When she arrived (after a month of healing), Charlie was incubating the eggs of his current mate.

Screenshot of a social media post discussing a video of an osprey named Lola returning and interacting with another osprey.
An adult osprey standing next to a chick in a nest made of sticks and greenery, with a grassy field in the background.

The premier, Wab Kinew, of our province has turned down a request to build an AI Centre next door to our now only Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre, Wildlife Haven.

There are many places fighting the building of AI centres including the Nashville Zoo.

You can help by signing the petition.

https://www.change.org/p/nashville-zoo-says-no-to-proposed-data-center?recruiter=41216441&recruited_by_id=d8263160-56f4-0130-cb1f-3c764e049c4f&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_medium=mobileNativeShare

Thank you for being with us today. It is very hot, and we continue to have a yellow heat warning. It is the temperature and humidity that are causing this. My sidekick, Toby, is right here with me. Don is doing better today. He had a bad fall yesterday and had been unwell for several days. He is so much better that I am feeling a little bit like a human being today. We are staying in, hoping it will be cool enough for Toby to go outside with his cooling vest and boots. Remember, if you have a dog, the pads of their feet can burn and crack from the heat of the sidewalk. If you need shoes, so do they!

Take care. We will see you soon.

Thank you to SK Hideaways for their great videos, to Geemeff for their daily summary and videos, to Heidi and PB for their news, to AK for the image of the lynx and alerting me to this new danger to our ospreys, and to everyone who posted news on FB or elsewhere. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch the lives of these incredible bird families.

Snow’s nest is still holding by a miracle….late Wednesday in Bird World

27 May 2026

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.

A bald eagle and a younger eagle perched on a nest surrounded by pine trees, with the sky in the background. The timestamp shows 9:42 AM on May 27, 2026.
A close-up view of a large eagle's nest located on a tree branch, with an eagle standing inside the nest. The background features a calm body of water and partly cloudy skies.
An osprey sits on its nest, which is located high in a tree near a body of water. The nest contains young chicks, and the scene is set in a partly cloudy sky.
Two eagles, one adult and one juvenile, perched on a nest surrounded by trees near a body of water.
A large bird resting on a nest made of twigs and grass, surrounded by a natural setting. The scene captures a partly cloudy day, with a view of a blue sky in the background.
A young bird sitting in a nest made of twigs and grass, overlooking a body of water. The setting is partly cloudy with visible weather information displayed in the corner.

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.

Email announcement from BirdLife International regarding Dr. Stuart Butchart's election as a Fellow of the Royal Society, highlighting his contributions to conservation science.

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. 

An osprey nest with a parent osprey feeding its chick, with an adult bird visible in the background. There are two eggs in the nest among twigs and grass.
An osprey is feeding its chick in a nest containing two eggs, with a waterfront restaurant in the background.

Chick 3 has arrived at Kielder 1A nest.

Full complement at Nest 1A

Fundraising at Poole Harbour. Looking for a beautiful osprey print?

Artwork featuring a detailed illustration of ospreys in their natural habitat, created by wildlife artist Bruce Pearson to celebrate the nesting of the Carey Ospreys.

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.

An osprey nest with one bird perched and another flying above, showcasing a natural environment at Loch Garten.

‘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!

A red-tailed hawk is perched in a nest with two fluffy chicks, surrounded by twigs and branches, against a backdrop of greenery and urban streets.
A nest with several fluffy red-tailed hawk chicks resting inside, perched on a metal railing, with a view of a tree-lined street below.

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.

Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/kiZWFWC-Z1U N2 Louis delivers a very early breakfast 04.48.25https://youtu.be/q7tXL9-lePA N1 Garry LV0 brings elevenses 11.07.27 https://youtu.be/zqn2ekT6_a0 N1 Aurora’s not interested in the second fish 15.07.16https://youtu.be/_0Lt0-0fHzE N2 Louis arrives with a teatime trout 15.44.22https://youtu.be/hRAXavzJk9Q N1 Aurora is startled by a passing passerine and flees the nest 17.15.39 (slo-mo repeat)https://youtu.be/jnSHJWFcXRY N1 Aurora doesn’t ignore fish three – she seizes it immediately 19.35.13
Bonus read: For those interested in technical details, here’s the consultation on the management of Clunes and Arkaig Forest:

https://forestryandland.gov.scot/living-and-working/communities/land-management-plans/active-plans/clunes-and-loch-arkaig-forest-land-management-plan-consultation

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.

An osprey stands near its nest on the edge of a water body, with three fuzzy chicks nestled in the nest surrounded by sticks and twigs.

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!

Country diary: A jaw-dropping bounty of wildlife – and a reminder of what Britain has lost | PolandDownload

‘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.

A stork standing on a nest made of twigs atop a pole, with clouds in the background.

Good night Bety and Bukachek.

A view from a stork nest overlooking a small village at dusk, featuring two storks, one standing and one sitting, with rooftops and mountains in the background.

Little Golden Eaglet safe under Mum in Estonia.

A golden eagle sitting on its nest with two white eggs, surrounded by trees and foliage.

Black Stork Nest 3 in Estonia has 3 eggs.

A stork standing in its nest with two eggs, surrounded by trees and foliage.

Toby says ‘enough is enough’. It is time to play fetch! How can I resist those eyes?

A black and white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel sitting on a brown mat with a toy in front of it. The background includes wooden decking and potted plants.

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.

Jill steps up the fishing, Loch Arkaig Summary…late late Saturday in Bird World

2 May 2026

Hello Everyone,

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 2nd May 2026

In the early hours of this morning, Dorcha produced egg number three, most probably her final egg as she’s not one of those rare Ospreys who produce four eggs. Nest Two was calm today, no intruders and two fish deliveries, although Louis did take his time with the second, bringing it more than fourteen hours after the first. Louis’ tally rises to thirty five, and the nest total to thirty seven. Over on Nest One, Aurora 536 spent most of the day on the nest, although she did spend a block of more than three hours off the nest, leaving the egg unattended. She might have been perched nearby, it was in the early hours so we don’t know. Garry LV0 brought two fish, taking his tally to forty three, and he’ll need to keep up a steady supply as Aurora’s second egg is due tomorrow. At the time of filing this report (23.30), Louis is still on Nest Two incubating the eggs, looking unlikely to move any time soon although Dorcha is standing right behind him.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/XVLCnN4L_3A N2 Egg number three, with squeaking 03.12.24https://youtu.be/hTbtvizGGYE N2 Dorcha departs with her breakfast leaving Louis on egg duty 06.45.44https://youtu.be/bu4-o68r8fo N1 Aurora departs with her fish, Garry remains on egg duty 10.17.57https://youtu.be/bdwfME2osds N1 Aurora refuses Garry’s second fish 15.40.38

https://youtu.be/4MxkQbfIcns N2 Louis gives fish number two a tour before landing it 21.17.31

Bonus guide – Woodland Trust’s advice on visiting bluebell woods:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjpl597rjko

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/0Rw_H0C8-SE  N1 Owl strike on unsuspecting Aila 2020 (Slo-Mo)

https://youtu.be/JJRPS8QYvpY  N1 Lockdown Ospreys star on BBC Breakfast 2020

https://youtu.be/rwa2_9rR24Q  N1 WT’s Dr Jessica Maxwell discusses the nest on BBC Breakfast 2020

https://youtu.be/1syQj_jjjxw  N2 Golden variation: Dorcha is bathed in the setting sun 2022 (Classic Ospreys Bach)

https://youtu.be/efwVjBqAYpA  N2 Gerroff and go fishing! 2023

https://youtu.be/bdcOT9JEGB8 N1: Garry LV0 brings moss, flies to Pole Tree then away 2024 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/GioCl06202I N2: Fish number one and only for Dorcha 2024

https://youtu.be/EKAjiNbY3A0 N2 Shadows seen near the nest at the time of the Eagle encounter 2024 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/WLLCALZOinI N1 Blue 536 gets the first fish from Garry LV0 the second times 2025

https://youtu.be/Cp3WkBSAZ_I N2 Intruder Osprey buzzes Louis & Dorcha 2025 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/vF0HagQMSb8  N1 fish number two but it’s B536 who brings it! 2025

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

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

‘PB’ continues to admire the fortitude of Jill, the female at the Achieva Osprey Platform, in St Petersburg, Florida. I don’t blame them. Jill is stepping up on the number of catfish she is bringing to the nest. As the two chicks get older, they require more food. She has to eat. Jack is not contributing nearly enough. We think of healthy osprey chicks. I look at nests like the Dyfi nest of Idris, Blue 33 at Manton Bay, Dylan at Lyn Clywedog, Louis at Loch Arkaig, or Blue 022 at Poole Harbour. Let’s think 7-8 fish a day. Nice big fish – not little twiddlers. Of course, there are others, White YW – I could go on and on. So the gold standard would be those 7-8 big fish, like Mullets, to make healthy fat osplets to fledge. I fear that like many of the eagle nests we have seen where the eaglets looked healthy but when taken into care were noted to be infested and ‘thin’ (Eagle Country a couple of years ago). So bravo to Jill. I wish we could drop some nice fish for her.

Others are abandoning their eggs. Severna Park in Maryland is one of the first on streaming cam. I want you to prepare yourself. There has not been an influx of fish falling into the waters. Better the eggs do not hatch than wee babes or fully feathered near-to-fledge chicks starve on camera. I warn you to brace yourself for what could be the most tragic year yet. I want to be wrong. If it is, It is sad and entirely unnecessary.

The Chesapeake Bay ecosystem is in a very dire situation. In its case, there are no Menhaden for the ospreys, the Striped Bass, the Tarrapins or others that fed on them to eat. I cannot comment on the neighbouring states, but we do know from images taken that Omega has been industrial fishing along the shores (within legal limits, but sometimes seen to use helicopters to push the fish out) of other states. Virginia is the problem. Want to change this? People have to care. So you have to elect people who really care about all living things, the balance of life on the planet, and are action, not all talk.

Look at how much Little has grown since it has had fish!

A nest with two young hawks and one adult hawk surrounded by twigs and leaves, set against a backdrop of trees and a residential street.

Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to Geemeff, to ‘PB’, to you the readers who care dearly about all the wildlife and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us witness the lives of these beautiful creatures.

Loss of fish will impact our sea birds and ospreys…

25 February 2026

Good Morning,

There has been a lot of discussion about the industrial fishing of the Chesapeake Bay and the lack of Menhaden for the Ospreys.

The Bay is one of the main areas for ospreys in the United States. There were hundreds of thousands of them. That is a lot of fish required for adults and chicks and the fish are just not there. Can the osprey adapt to eating a different kind of fish? They have certainly adapted over 61 million years, but the problem is – what other fish? Talk to Brian Collins or some of the other fishers from the region and we immediately understand that Striped Bass numbers are down as well along with all other species. Has the industrial overfishing impacted the other regions? Some debate that.

Ben Wurst’s recent newsletter from Conserve Wildlife of NJ indicates the lack of prey is the root cause of nest failure in the area of the Bay. Thanks, Heidi, for this great article.

A Tale of Two Seasons: Ospreys and Menhaden on the Mullica River

Heidi, Viki, and I monitored the changing behaviour of osprey in the area. We noted that Duke and Daisy chose not to breed. Viki noted that in 2024, all chicks starved in the fifteen nests they had monitored for twenty years in Maryland. Last year, those same adult osprey laid their eggs and abandoned them before hatching due – I strongly believe – to a lack of food. No sense hatching them if they are going to starve to death. Please don’t tell me our raptors are not intelligent. They are. I continue and will always add what Laura Culley taught me – they are smarter than humans!

The problem is we are killing them and their habitat.

One thing that we cannot ignore is the rising temperature of the oceans, lakes, and streams. This is killing off fish and that will have an immediate impact on seabirds and other raptors that rely on fish as their sole source of food.

Here is an article today in The Guardian:

hronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life, study findshttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/25/chronic-ocean-heating-fuels-staggering-loss-marine-life-study?CMP=share_btn_url

So as we move into osprey season, I want us to educate ourselves on some of the major challenges the populations face in different regions of the world.

Thank you for being with me this morning. Take care. Regular blog back the end of the week!

Thank you to Heidi for sending me the article by Ben Wurst. Thank you Ben for writing it and to The Guardian, we are always grateful for your coverage of the environment.

Day 11 Welcome to Winter

13 December 2025

Good Morning Everyone!

Today, it was -22 degrees C. It was cold. Despite this, Ann braved the cold with Don and Toby to go for their walk along the river.

It’s funny. We know winter is coming when we complain it’s too hot in summer. Still, it takes time to get our heads around the fact that we do need to find all our winter kit. We have coats and boots down to -40 °C. We have scarves and toques. We have ski pants. I have discovered we need a few things because we are finding ourselves outside, walking Toby three times a day, no matter the weather. Today, two out of the three winter wardrobe essentials arrived – Merino wool Long Johns to go layer with those ski pants. They are rated for extreme cold. The next are faux fur-lined bomber hats, complete with flaps. We are just waiting for some much warmer mitts with glove liners. Toby, as you know, is all kitted out with absolutely everything. He doesn’t mind his boots, and those jump suits lined with thermal blanket are pretty amazing. If the ice on the roads would disappear, it would be really nice to go for a long walk through the forest with the chickadees.

We had ‘sun dogs’. This image was taken out of the screened window of the conservatory around 1530. Sunset is an hour later. Sun dogs appear when it is very, very cold on the Canadian Prairies.

So what are sun dogs? Mr Google says, “Sun dogs are bright spots of light that appear on either side of the sun, formed when hexagonal ice crystals refract sunlight in the atmosphere. They are also called parhelia or mock suns, and are most visible when the sun is low on the horizon, like during sunrise or sunset. The ice crystals act like tiny prisms, bending and separating the light into a spectrum of colors, with red on the inside closest to the sun.” There is another one on the other side of the sun that is low on the horizon – too low for me to get an image of the entire scene.

There is a new FB group organised by Cali Condor and a few of their friends. I am putting the link here, and I urge you to step up and join.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/867433012696499

I caught Toby and Hugo Yugo again, so here is another of their ‘loving’ videos! I hope these two cutie pies bring you some joy today.

Want to help support ospreys in South Australia? Why not purchase a copy of Fran Solly’s book about Marie!– – Let’s talk Fran into writing a book about Ervie and that clutch! Hint, hint. The story of Ervie and his brothers, Falky and Bazza, is remarkable. There were no fish fairies that year. It was just heart-warming.

Here is the link if you wish to purchase and have the book sent to another country other than Australia:

https://www.clientstake2photography.com.au/marieslongflight

SK Hideaways caught Liberty and Guardian having a ‘discussion’ over stick placement. Don’t you just wish you could talk ‘eagle’? I bet it sounds something like humans talking about furniture. https://youtu.be/a_YZBv6zTZo?

SW Florida’s M15 and F23 – November 12 was the day the first egg was laid. So today is day 31. The range is 34-38 days.

WRDC nest of Rose and Ron – November 12 was also the day the first egg was laid. So it is also day 31 at the WRDC nest.

Captiva Bald Eagle nest of Clive and Connie – November 16 is the date for the first egg.

This coming week is going to be very busy in terms of pip watches and hatch.

Gabby and Beau’s first egg was laid on November 23 so we have a couple of weeks before we are on pip watch for NE Florida.

The American Bird Conservancy’s Bird of the Week is the Waved Albatross – a new seabird for me. Have a read! These beautiful birds are critically endangered. Like other albatross, there are many ways we can help and changing the nature of long-line industrial fishing is at the heart of it.

Waved Albatross – American Bird ConservancyDownload

Menhaden – Always on my Mind should be a popular song. Wonder what would happen to those osprey nests – the adults and any chicks that hatch – if 112 million tonnes of Menhaden got dumped in The Bay? Check out this meeting!

Wishing you a lovely weekend from our house to yours!

Thank you to Cali Condor, Friends of Osprey South Australia, Port Lincoln Osprey, and SK Hideaways for the content I added to my blog today. I am very grateful for all they do and their love and support for our Raptors. I guess I should also thank Toby, Hugo Yugo, and the American Bird Conservancy, too!

Lend your voice to help the ospreys!

14 July 2025

There is a petition and there is now an article. There is a meeting coming up on 7 May. Do not let the voice of a commercial industrial fishing company, Omega, get the last say. The Chesapeake Bay is dying. There are few baby osplets reaching fledge age.

Read the article. Write the journalist. Sign the petition that was in my earlier Monday blog of 14 July.

Menhaden fishers urge ASMFC to maintain quotas in face of NGO criticism _ SeafoodSourceDownload

Write the Governor of Virginia and those Virginia legislators that refuse to fund a study that will look at the area and –not the ocean. Omega’s figures come from the ‘ocean’ not the Bay. There is a big difference!

Virginia lawmakers decline to study menhaden abundance _ SeafoodSourceDownload

Glenn Youngkin. His office is located at Virginia’s Executive Mansion, 1010 E. Main St, Richmond, VA 23219

“The Governor of Virginia’s email address is not publicly available. However, you can contact the Governor’s office through the Governor’s Office website.You can also reach out to the Governor’s Scheduling Office to request a meeting or to have him attend an event. For general inquiries, the Governor’s Fellows Program email is GovFellows@governor.virginia.gov“