It’s the end of the day and I have two great offerings for you.
We have SK Hideaways video of all of Clark’s fish deliveries the other day. My mailbox thought it was ‘Junk’ Mail – geez, what do they know!!!!!!! Ugh.
Clark Answers Iris’s Fish Calls ~ Chick #1 Gets Its First Meal ~ 2026 Jun 11
Iris and Clark’s first chick hatched today, but Iris waited some 48 hours for Clark to bring fish. No one knows why he was delayed, but he certainly made up for it with 4 fish deliveries (as of this video). Once Iris refueled, she fed chick #1. Congratulations, Iris and Clark, and welcome to the world #1.
So sorry I missed it but I know that each of you won’t want to miss seeing Clark and all those fish again!!!!!!!!
Clark just keeps bringing those big fish in.
Louis delivered a late fish at Loch Arkaig. It is included in the daily summary.
Geemeff Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigMonday 15th June 2026
There was the odd chick fight today but not much, and not too serious so perhaps as both begin to develop the oily look of the reptilian phase, and with Louis bringing plenty of fish, the aggression will taper off completely. It was an otherwise calm day – Garry LV0 delivered two fish taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and nineteen, and he and Aurora continue to incubate their unviable egg. Louis delivered five fish, the first arrived as this season’s earliest shortly after day cam came on, and the last arrived as this season’s latest, with night cam coming on as he landed.The chicks lined up squeaking and will go to bed with full crops. The Nest Two tally rises to one hundred and forty four. The weather today was dry and warm as forecast, but also as forecast, is set to change back to wet with a 70% chance of rain overnight and a low of 11°C, and light rain, light winds, and a high of 18°C tomorrow. Actually, change that 70% to 100% because at the time of filing this report (midnight) it’s started raining and both females are pearled with raindrops.
Thanks so much for being with us! The rain and hail have stopped. The sun is out. Cats are fed along with Toby, and Don is fast asleep. I have a new bird book that I am going to start, but to my shock, it doesn’t contain anything about ospreys. What a disappointment. I was hoping it would be a gem so that it could be the book I donate to the final raffle for the Loch Arkaig group.
See you soon!
Thank you to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their incredible work documenting the lives of our raptors through video and summaries.
I don’t know about you but I am so overjoyed that if my house blew away today it would probably not have even phased me.
Clark arrived. Saw the shell, listened to Iris, saw his first baby and went fishing. Within three hours, he had brought in three fish. It is 1827 nest time and it might have even brought in more. It seems his protective instincts along with paternal ones kicked in right at the time of hatch and right when the Clarke Fork River had descended and slowed. Dr Green noted that it was now good for osprey fishing.
Did you shed any tears as you watched Iris gently feed that wee babe the tiniest little pieces of fish? Despite not having had chicks every year, Iris knows how to feed them so they get the fish.
As you know, I was extremely worried, even going so far as to wish those eggs would not hatch. That was when the first egg was hatching!!!!!!! I worried Iris’s babies would starve to death. This has happened with Louis. Or worried she would be so hungry she would have to leave them. Well, thank goodness for miracles! And today felt like a miracle.
Proud parents.
Happy Mum! The oldest breeding osprey in the world – at least thirty years. Imagine.
Oh, another fish. 1747.
Iris plays with her stick while Clark prepares to brood his baby and incubate the other two eggs.
It sure sounded like Iris was ordering more fish when they exchanged places and Clark flew off.
First fish: 1242. Second fish: 1414. Third fish: 1512. Fourth fish: 1747.
I might have missed one between 1512 and 1747 but if you look that is five hours and four fish. I would say Clark is doing so well as a new dad. I am without words.
RP sent the following video links for us to enjoy:
15:22, 6/11 Less than 5 hours old, and Iris gives the Chick his first feeding. Iris is amazing to watch. She is an experienced Osprey Mom. #HellgateOspreypic.twitter.com/HmzG7M6hry
Little Dewey got fed well today, too. Three fish by the time this image was taken. Little Dewey looks like the Hulk. Thanks ‘PB’ for the image:
That’s it for today….let’s all walk around smiling. Two nests doing fantastic. With Little Dewey not so little anymore. Notice the feathers coming in. What a character.
Take care, everyone. Hugo Yugo and Toby wish you a great end of the week.
Thank you to PB and RP for their images and video links. Much appreciated. Thank you to the Montana Osprey Project and Cornell Bird Lab for their streaming cam so that we can watch this miracle unfold at Hellgate Canyon.
The end of the weekend and the beginning of June tomorrow. Summer is feeling like it is here. Children are still in school in Manitoba for a few more weeks but I suspect summer holidays have begun in the US. Please take care if you are out on the roads!
At the Dale Hollow Nest, there was almost a problem. DH23 was knocked from the nest. It is on a branch lower in the tree calling for food and flapping.
Images before:
Fish has come to the Dewey Beach nest and Mum and Only Little Baby are so full and happy. Thanks, ‘PB’.
Such a cheeky little one. Oh, please keep the fish coming.
It is raining again in Missoula and the Clark Fork River is once again raging – dirty and fast. It will be tough fishing for NewGuy2 again.
Despite this, Iris’ ‘man’ brought her a fish. He is incredible.
Monty and Hartley’s four fledglings are keeping absolutely everyone busy chasing, tracking, and taking back to the roof! Those volunteers must be worn out.
The latest post cut and pasted as it is long:
The San Jose City Hall Falcons
· And another more detailed report of Day 2 from BOG: Yup, still late, but here is my recollection of Fledge Watch day 2. After a few hours atop the Rotunda (starting from around 6AM), working his way up and down and all around, Walton takes off south from the Rotunda. It looks like he’s going to land near Stewart on the elevator shaft but keeps on going. He ends up in a palm tree on 6th street, where he’s harassed by crows. An adult followed him and briefly attempted to drive off the crows. Walton eventually takes off first heading west then heads southeast where he lands on the roof of the SJSU Student Union. He eventually takes off and heads back toward City Hall, heads around the east side then the north side, and is next seen on the southern tan perpendicular under a satellite dish. He eventually makes it back down to the nest area. Sometime after 1PM Stewart departure from the Council Chambers elevator shaft has him flying low to the east, at one point going up against the western slats of the elevator shaft on the southern part of City Hall. He ends up on the exterior walkway that runs on the north side of the corridor that connects City Hall to the Council Chambers. As collectors approach from both sides to try to pick him up, he flees through some bars and ends up mothing and trying to grab hold of a window edge on the west side of the North tower. Eventually he gives that up and floats to the ground where he is surrounded and picked up for a ride up to the roof. While he is being brought up, Scout departs from the nest area. He flies over the garage and is last seen heading west. I head in that direction and catch a glimpse of a falcon flying past the east side of the 88 building, going north to south, at a down angle then going up around the south side and disappearing around the west side While this is happening Jet takes off. I circle the 88 building but don’t see anything. But from the library, Deb spots a bird on the roof of the 88, behind the glass wall above the penthouse. Paula H confirms the sighting and it is later verified as Scout. Scout makes it to the top of the glass wall on the 88 and takes off heading south. He goes about a block or so before turning back to disappear behind the west side of the 88. I find him on top of a white wall on the southern part of the roof and right when I do, he takes off and heads toward City Hall to land on a louver on the south side. While out looking for Jet, Animal Control contacts Falcon Central that someone reports a bird on the ground on Second Street, just south of San Fernando. A person there tells us it was sitting on a railing, was spooked by someone and flew a short distance into the glass wall of a business. The business had told Animal Control it was there about 30 minutes. Thankful that they reported it! We picked him up and returned him to the roof to join Stewart. At some point Scout departs City Hall and lands on the roof ledge on the north side of the business center. A crow harasses him for a bit but he pays it no mind. At some point he takes off and makes it to a northeast roof edge of the library. Hartley brings in a big meal and lands on another nearby northeast edge, but Scout shows no interest. But Walton does and takes off from the upper front ledge of the nest area and makes straight for Hartley and claims the meal. Walton begins to pluck and eat. Hartley is often perched nearby, constantly complaining about something. At one point Walton drops the meal over the edge but quickly grabs it with a talon before it is lost and pulls it back to the roof. Hartley lands later and attempts to take the meal from Walton but he has none of that and Hartley takes off. Later, Hartley lands and is able to take the meal and starts feeding Walton. When Walton has had enough Hartley continues to eat. When Hartley is done she takes off heading north toward the Miro building. She starts circling to gain altitude, then heading south of City Hall and then she turns back to deliver the meal to Stewart and Jet on the roof of City Hall where they share the meal. Scout and Walton spends some time together on the library before Scout takes off toward City Hall. He tries for the southern louvers but hits the wall, slides down trying to grab a hold, and turns away. He ends up on top of the bars that partially encase the rotunda. Walton soon takes off from the library and heads toward City Hall, but ends up turning south and lands on the northeast tower of Clark Hall. While no one is looking, he suddenly appears back on the library roof. After a short appearance he takes off toward City Hall and lands on a 17th floor louver on the south side.
Three osplets at Clark PUD in Washington State are entering the Reptile Phase.
At Allin’s Cove East, there is at least one osplet. The nest is high and deep and we cannot see to confirm how many babies there are.
For those of you asking about Scout, the last news I saw was five days ago on 26 May.
As we wait for Geemeff’s excellent report and videos from Loch Arkaig, it appears that there is a pip at the nest of Louis and Dorcha. We are hoping that Aurora’s single egg is viable and there will be another chick at nest 1 soon.
We are on Pip Watch at Glacier Gardens Bald Eagle nest! “@LadyDeeagle55 5/31/26.. Egg #1 is 35 days old..Pip watch has begun on egg#1..https://www.tickcounter.com/countup/5…”
Fish is coming to the nest. Snow is adjusting beautifully and the parents are so careful and gentle. Snow is 50 days old today. We need a good three weeks for her to fly. Keep sending very positive wishes. So far the nest is holding.
Just look at that wee baby at Poole Harbour.
If you have not heard, I want to tell you about an amazing situation taking place in Minnesota. A female osprey lost her mate. She incubated her three eggs all by herself for 37 days. The three have hatched and she is feeding them herself – flying off briefly and returning. Imagine. I thought Jill was incredible, but here is yet another female this year that is doing amazing things without a mate.
Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch
OMG….my heart! I visited the female who is raising chicks alone today….she has THREE beautiful bobble heads….and I was overwhelmed with love and anxiety. How will she feed three chicks alone….and get enough food herself? She left for about 7 minutes to get a fish….and during that time I saw one little head pop up briefly….but when she came back with a fish at first I saw two heads and then OMG three…. Wow. I was mesmerized watching them. It was so damn hard to move on to other nests…. So this post will just be about her. That males other nest has not hatched yet…. Why do these pictures make me cry? So many big feelings…. I love what I do, I love these birds, I love THIS osprey in particular, and I am so lucky to be skilled enough to even know what’s going on each nest.. how many people would even know her story without following that male, reading bands, watching her so closely. I have been challenged lately by trying to explain what is going on to many of the volunteers….somehow I notice more….and I can’t figure out why. I understand behaviors after all these years….and I am patient, and I am still deeply curious about what is happening, so I often add up behaviors differently, I spend more time, I come to different conclusions, I have a good scope….I ran into a lot of new people today and shared a lot of stories…I LOVE teaching people about ospreys! I literally feel so much in my chest right now looking at these photos and thinking about this female and all she has faced, endured, and is up against in the coming days and weeks. On two different nests in my 33 years of studying them, ( only two) I have seen an unrelated male bring fish to a nest where he was NOT the father. I remember talking to my mentor Sergej about this and he explained to me it is an unusual behavior, but it is a way for a male to secure a territory. He gets a territory and a female….but he has to bring food to chicks that do not carry his DNA. It’s also unusual for a female to allow an unrelated male anywhere near her nest.…but if he has a fish….and she is desperate, well maybe. Dare I hope for this? I do have a monitor, Pat, who witnessed this several years ago on a nest she was monitoring. My goodness we witnessed a lot and learned so much as we both put in many extra hours observing and documenting this unusual behavior. ( too long a story and too much to write now). I also witnessed an unrelated male bring fish to a nest many years ago, in the beginning of my researching days…..after a male was hit by a car and killed when the female had young chicks. He never actually fed the chicks or brought fish directly to them, but he brought fish to the female, as a courtship behavior, which allowed her and her chicks to survive….and he became the territorial male at that for many years after that. But that first year, she never let him stay on the nest with the chicks….he would just drop a fish at her feet and she would say, scram, and he would leave. I am hoping for something miraculous to happen for this female and her awesome little family. Think about her, incubating alone for 39 days, leaving to feed herself without being gone too long. She had a perfect success to hatch three chicks.
Find the positive energy and send it to this mother who is going beyond what anyone might believe. No mate, nothing, three little babies to feed and herself. Fishing for an osprey is not easy. Oh, my.
Mum at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is keeping her eggs dry on a soggy day.
The difference in size at the Pitkin County Trails Osprey nest in Colorado is incredible. There is bonking that has begun.
There are three babies on one of three ospley platforms at the City of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
It is unclear to me if this is the same female. She lost her mate in a previous year and chicks died but one (if I remember correctly – perhaps all did – it was sad). I hope they get lots of fish. Three little cutie pies.
They are doing an amazing job in introducing ospreys to South Australia – think Port Lincoln, Ervie and his family and all the others. A few people can make a huge difference! Also remember that these are the fish fairies.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 31st May 2026 Today’s big news is that one of the eggs is pipping! Louis & Dorcha’s first chick is on the way! And just in time, Nest Cam Two was zoomed in to give us great closeups of all the action at the heart of the nest. Nest Cam One will also be zoomed in soon, Aurora 536 laid her egg four days after Dorcha’s first, so there are a few more days before we’ll be on double-nest pip watch. Louis delivered two fish to Dorcha, including the season’s first Silver Tourist, and the Nest Two tally rises to ninety seven, while Garry’s single fish takes his tally to ninety. It was damp today, it rained on and off, and it’ll be
11°C,wet and windy overnight and continuing with heavier rain tomorrow and a high of
17°C. Dorcha is going to have to do her best mumbrella to shelter the little one when it hatches.Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/dLfbf8qndhg N2 Louis is in charge when Dorcha departs with fish one 10.24.59https://youtu.be/A9s1lx_2yG4 N1 Both Aurora with her fish & Garry depart but he quickly returns 15.40.40https://youtu.be/-ert550qbjw N2 Nest cam is zoomed ready for hatching but is there a pip already? 20.04.58 (zoom)https://youtu.be/0BKHmOZJwgs N2 A second fish for Dorcha – this one’s also very silvery 21.41.34 https://youtu.be/4LHyxhrugEE N2 Louis stands guard as the pipping egg starts chupping (zoom, audio-boosted) 22.12.45
Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care as we end the weekend and start the week. See you soon!
Thank you to all the individuals today for chasing down what is happening to the birds in our world. I am so very grateful to those who post on FB, send me notes, create videos to highlight the amazing adventures of our birds and their families and to Geemeff and SK Hideawys and ‘PB’ for all their contributions over the years. Thank you also to the owners of the streaming cams and to the newspapers that continue to write about nature and the environment.
We wake up, and over our morning cuppa, we count the animals at the feeders. There are always four grey squirrels, one red squirrel, two Blue Jays, and two Crows. The number of Starlings, Sparrows, Juncos, and others varies during the day. But, for two days, there have only been three grey squirrels. Thankfully, the elderly Dyson, the matriarch of all the grey squirrels, is one of those. But where is the other one?
On our walk with Toby, we passed by the house that had burned down at the corner some time ago. There on the boulevard was the grey squirrel. It had no visible signs of being hit by a car, and there were no wires for it to fall from its position. A friend of Don’s was here for lunch, and we determined with some minor science that it had probably been poisoned. Its body was brought back to the garden where it had played in the lilacs and filled its belly for several years with peanuts. I buried it between two trees. Will find a beautiful stone to sit on top – incense lifted its spirit into the wind.
My concern now turns to who is using rodenticide and why. Yes, there are mice. Most of us feed the birds, and where there is seed, there are mice. I have been told that using only Black Oil Seed and peanuts will not attract the mice as the grains do. The Crows and the Hawks catch mice; we don’t have to do anything. Owls, of course, are another great way to rid an area of rats and mice. But with rodenticide use, nothing is safe. What if the Crows had eaten the carcass? Or a pet dog? Toby? One of the feral cats? Brock? It makes my mind go crazy thinking about poisoning our world.
Luckily, our lovely company kept my mind off of rodenticide and I needed to check the ospreys while Don was busy with his friend.
I had a look, and, surprise, surprise, there is the first UK pip at Maya and Blue 33’s nest at Rutland’s Manton Bay!
It is such a deep nest. We need an overhead cam!!!!!!!!!
All is well with the trio at Big Red and Arthur’s Red-tail Hawk nest on the Cornell Campus. Yes, P3 is being fed!!!!!!!!!!!! No one is left out. We are too conditioned by the osprey and eagle nests!!!!!!!! Hawks and Falcons are notorious for making sure everyone is fed. There is no shortage of prey.
The first failed osprey nest in Maryland was in Severna Park. Was it before those failing in Virginia? It is not clear. I am receiving notes today that several other nests where Omega Protein fishes a mile off the coast of Nassawadox Creek are seeing the adults abandon their eggs. Nassawadox Creek is a tidal waterway in Northampton County, Virginia, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. There will be more, and we must prepare ourselves. If you have not figured it out, the decline in osprey numbers is worse than the DDT crisis of the 1970s. Someone needs to do something about this!
Sad news coming out of Scotland over the use of an illegal trap.
There is really great news coming out of Glaslyn. Aran and Elen’s two year old chick has touched down for all to see! What a wonderful migration and so happy that one of their babies has been seen in Wales.
This is a reason to ring every osplet on every osprey nest – which is attempted in the UK but not in North America.
Everything is going well at Achieva Osprey Platform.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 11th May 2026
Another routine day, it started and ended with a little rain, and in between were lots of fish deliveries – both males brought three fish each, although one of Louis’ was so tiny, it needed a close up to see it was actually a whole fish and not just a scrap, and Garry LV0 also brought a tiny fish – his was still flapping. The Nest Two tally rises to fifty six, and Garry’s rises to fifty eight. It’s great to see both males supplying a steady stream of fish as hatching day starts getting nearer when it will be paramount. As the day ends, Dorcha and Aurora 536 are tucked up sitting on eggs on their respective nests, protecting them from the sporadic light rain which is set to continue through the night and most of tomorrow, with an overnight low of 6°c and a high of 13°c tomorrow afternoon.
There is so much going on. Iris’s new mate kept her company at the nest. This lad really does like to incubate, but I wish he would fish a bit more!
I love Iris and New Guy 2 watching their trains!
Thank you so much for being with me this evening. Take care! See you soon.
The two besties – Toby and Hugo Yugo – wish you a great week.
Thank you to Geemeff for all things Loch Arkaig, to ‘PB’ and Heidi for counting and identifying fish, to everyone who posts on FB with images and news updates, to Raptor Persecution for always reporting what is truly going on without any prejudice, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these amazing families.
I hope that the week has been good to you and that you are planning to be outside this weekend so that you can hear some birdsong. With migration well underway throughout the middle US, we are expecting more and more species to be arriving in Manitoba. Many ospreys are making their way home especially to the nests in Nova Scotia. We wait for the last of the streaming cam stars to arrive in the UK and northern Europe.
Thank you so much for your lovely notes. I really appreciate them, and this week they warmed my heart so much. I have been unwell, passing kidney stones the old-fashioned way. Life with Don did not permit me to be in the hospital taking advantage of modern methods of blasting these excruciatingly painful little blobs!!!!!!! I am, however, feeling much better as I write this. Don has been going to bed early for the past few nights, and this has given me a wee bit of time to sit and sip tea in the silence. Ironically, both Toby and Don ‘understood’ that I was ‘sick’ and each helped in their own way. I wish you could see my smile. It is also warming up and tomorrow Don and Ann will be out exploring and over the weekend, we should see temperatures around 10 C.
In terms of ‘escape proofing’ the house and property, the hardware is ready for installation next Thursday. The goal was to find a convenient time for them to come. The other day, I might have said that the locksmiths, the bathing lady, and her supervisor hit the front porch at precisely the same time. I don’t like ‘chaos’ anymore. One event per day is what Don’s doctor recommends, and I agree – it keeps my mind calm. The last things to do are to install a tall gate that can be locked at the front and a proper lock on the rear gate. So, I am getting there.
With spring arriving, all of us are starting to think about the garden. A young man has been hired to come and deal with all the birdseed remnants! It looks like there is about a ton of shells! I am serious. Some of it will be used to level off the back area – it would be grand if it all could be raked over. It does make the best compost. The plan is to toss in a lot of wildflower seeds. There will be a few plants specifically for the birds and the bees, including Don’s beloved hummingbirds. I have four trellis pyramids (not sure of their proper name) that will be devoted to climbing beans and tomatoes. Peony supports have been ordered – enough for the six plants put in last year. There are other plans – staining the old deck and building a bit of solid fence to meet up with the fence that was built a few years ago. That is to keep Toby’s eyes in the garden and passersby eyes on what they are doing.
Today, ‘pyjama day’ was very quiet, just as I planned for Thursdays (except or next week when PJ day becomes Monday). Few e-mails exchanged, no housework, etc. What we did do was put together a small indoor garden box with lights to grow salad fixings and herbs. At the current price in the shops, it will not take long to pay for it, and I don’t have to worry about running out of cilantro. So far, only Hugo Yugo has taken an interest. I hope she stays out of it! That little ginger cat can cause more trouble than a dozen other cats.
Now to the birds…
I am happy to say that the fortunes at both Brevard County and Achieva changed somewhat on Thursday with the arrival of several fish. I was afraid that if the poor weather at Brevard continued, all the chicks would be lost. As it was, Mum was just as starving. The little second hath at Achieva finally had a crop! I was happy to receive the following note from ‘MP’ who watches this nest with ‘eagle eyes’. “I’ve watched the Achieva nest continually, and I can say everyone needs more food in the raptor world. Jack has started to show the female how to feed the chicks as he has started feeding them with smaller bites than she gives. The female watched him intently. Jack did try to get her to letting him feed her, but she wouldn’t go for it. She just walked over and grabbed the fish he had. The younger osplet appears to be aggressive toward the older one. Just sayin.
I believe the female is a new mom. She appears to be more interested in her hunger pains. With Jack being a bird who likes stashing fish around whether he does it for safety or a penchant, he does bring in fish. It may be old and decomposing fish, but it does fill their stomachs. I would prefer fresh, since it has more moisture giving the osplets fluids.
I think Jack could do better, but maybe he can’t. I only hope the chicks aren’t knocked down through the drain holes. You know better than I how quickly a nest can turn around. “
The other good news is that there is a male that has landed on Iris’s nest.
A series of images. At once when I saw the ‘snake eyes’ I really thought this male was Louis but I am told it is not. So we will see.
More hopeful signs early this morning. Now please bring Iris a nice big fish and treat her like the Queen she is!
There is a young male at the Charlo Montana nest. Lola is calling for fish and he is just leisurely munching away on the pole. I don’t think this behaviour is going to win any hearts and minds.
The first egg has been laid at the Bassenthwaite nest.
Herr Rauer returned to his nest in Norway on Thursday. Fru Rauer is on her way home, according to her satellite tracking.
Both ospreys are home at the Emma Osprey platform in the Pitkin County Trails, Colorado. They have been back for a little more than a fortnight. Wonder if we will have eggs soon?
There are reports that we also have a first egg at Port of Ridgefield yesterday! The first egg in 2025 was laid on the 26th of April – gosh, seventeen days early. I wonder if these ospreys are trying to beat the heat that might be coming.
Teifi is the male in charge of the Glaslyn nest. Aran appears to have retired to his patch that he enjoyed last summer after relinquishing his nest to Teifi and Elen (no chicks – it was chaotic). Elen has not been seen and her fate is unknown. It has been six days since she flew off the nest. I hope she found another one! She was a good Mum.
Geemeff reminds me that Louis lands in the evening. I sure hope to see him tonight or tomorrow.
Everyone has Louis on their mind. That is because he is much loved.
Latest news from Knepp Farm and its rewilding project. Will they finally be bringing bison back to the UK?
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 9th April 2026
Things were more settled on the nests today as the three key players, Dorcha, Garry LV0 and Aurora 536, stayed on their own nests, although Dorcha did mantle at an intruder Osprey who flew too close to her nest, but not close enough to see who it was. Dorcha caught her own fish and attempted to eat it on Nest Two while the intruder was nearby, and Garry brought two fish to Nest One for Aurora which clearly convinced her he is mate material as she not only allowed him to mount her on several occasions, but also lifted her tail. Although early stages, it’s looking good for chicks on Nest One this season, which is ironic as Dorcha is still waiting for Louis, spending time on the nest looking around constantly, even arriving in darkness this morning and perching quietly for hours – will we have chicks on Nest Two this year? There is still time for Louis to return, he is 13 or 14 this year, having first turned up ten years ago in 2017 as a 3- or 4-year old, which makes him a mature but not an old Osprey.
Thank you so much for being with us. I will, of course, send out a note if Louis arrives! Take care. Get outside. That is where I am headed with Toby. Don is at the zoo with Ann. It is a beautiful +5 C day on the Canadian prairies – blue sky, sunshine and all.
Thank you to absolutely everyone for their articles, their posts, and their letters. I am grateful to ‘MP’ for their comment on Achieva. Heidi is monitoring that nest, and I peek in once in a while, but not as often as I should. Thank you to Geemeff and everyone else for their summaries, and to the owners of the streaming cams, we are always ever so grateful. Without you, we would have little idea of what is happening in Bird World.
Let’s get on with the great news. No confirmation yet but first thing I checked was Iris’s nest and look what I found.
There was sad news coming out of Florida late Sunday. The little third hatch, Nod, that had captured so many hearts died from starvation caused by siblicide.
Earlier in the day.
It is difficult raising three – it is extraordinary to fledge four but there have been osprey families that have done it repeatedly. Maya and Blue 33 and, as of late, CJ7 and Blue 022 seem to be setting some kind of record.
When a little one dies, I always think of two nests where the tiny one did not die. The first that comes to mind is Tiny Tot Tumbles (2021) at Achieva. We held our breath—79 hours without food. That little babe searched the nest and ate bones. It learned to ride the rails to sneak a bite and attacked the older sibling because it had nothing to lose. Diane noticed this chick wanted to live. When the older ones were asleep, and it was dark, she flew in with one of her catfish. Tiny Tot Tumbles, who was on the verge of death in March and April, survived and thrived. She defended the nest with Jack against an intruder during the third week of June after Diane had left the area. Tiny Tot was still on the nest later in the summer. She was extraordinary. I have always wondered what happened to her, and that is the problem with the US lack of ringing. The chicks on the streaming cam nests need to be ringed – and, yes, that goes for Big Red’s hawklets on the Cornell campus. Surely the folks at Cornell Bird Lab understand that knowing the dispersal area of Big Red’s babies could be important!
The second nest was Foulshaw Moss. White YW is an extraordinary male, and Blue 35 is a great Mum. The two older siblings in 2021 were much, much larger compared to the tiny third hatch. Blue 35 was clever! She managed to fill up the older ones, and once she flew off with the fish, they fell asleep. She returned with the fish and fed the tiny, tiny one. It was a brilliant strategy. I wish I could find my notes. I believe that, once ringed, the osplet was Blue 465. I really hope that Blue 35 returns this year. I am watching and waiting and so is her mate, White YW, who has been home for some days.
At the Glaslyn nest, Aran had a visitor, Blue 019. She is from the Fron nest. Elen was no where to be seen.
Geemeff reports that Dorcha spent an hour on the Loch Arkaig nest 1, an unusual event. She has stopped in over the previous years, but never stayed this long. Geemeff believes that Dorcha flew in right before Storm Dave hit, while the other migrating ospreys are going to wait til the storm leaves. We are all looking forward to Louis’s arrival.
Geemeff sends us the daily summary:
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 5th April 2026
The weather continued to be poor with snow and ice, and Louis hasn’t yet returned. Dorcha however turned up not only on her own nest, but paid a visit of over an hour to Nest One. She has visited Nest One before but only a couple of fleeting visits. Looking forward to the return of Louis and the Nest One residents, probably when Storm Dave passes and the weather settles – in previous years, Louis has arrived as late as 11th April.
At Loch of the Lowes, there are ospreys but not Blue NC0. It is rumoured that she has been seen at another nest. Wherever she winds up, I hope she has a good mate and raises some healthy osplets. We all loved Laddie LM12, her late mate, and feel sorry for these ‘singles’ that are left and have to leave their former homes.
Take care…chek those cutie pie eaglets out at Big Bear and the babies at Achieva.
See you soon!
Thank you to ‘PB’ for her messages and to the streaming cams that let us see these wonderful birds in all their glory and saddness.
First. A reminder if you haven’t already marked it on your calendar. Iris’s favourite day to return to Missoula is 7 April. We are less than 48 hours away.
They are returning from migration but the osprey season officially kicked off today (IMHO) with the arrival of the first egg.
It was Maya (unringed) and Blue 33’s first egg of 2026 and it happened around 1805.
Blue 33 flies in to have a good look.
There are two cameras. The rails are so high on the nest this year we might only see little heads for some time.
On the Canadian prairies, it was raining and then it started snowing a bit and everything is brown and grey. No beautiful sunshine. Toby was so filthy from our walk that he had another bath – he is so good in the tub. Tomorrow he will have a mobile nail trimmer arrive to shorten those claws. In the meantime, it is damp to the bone weather here in Winnipeg. I hope it is much nicer where you are.
Check out the darling bobble heads at Big Bear and Achieva. Wink has brought in a huge fish to share with Peanut, who has repeatedly defended itself and the nest against that persistent owl. Storks are returning to Europe. One was on the nest at Mlady Buky the last time I checked. Remember, Milda is on eggs, and by the end of the month, I hope to see the cutest little white-tailed eaglets on that nest in Latvia. Fort St Vrain has a second hatch happening with pip watch on the third and only egg remaining (first two broke) going on for the ND-LEEF eagles in South Bend, Indiana.
FSV56 looking at Mum. What a beautiful sight.
Take care everyone. See you soon!
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams – without them we would not be able to look into the lives of these birds and witness these little bobblehead miracles!
Heidi reports that a GHO is taking interest in the Farm Field nest. This is not good.
Beau and Gabby’s second hatch, Kai, fledged yesterday and returned to the nest. Remember males often fledge earlier than females!
If I failed to mention it, Louis’s mate, Starr, returned to the Baseball Park osprey platform in Missoula, Montana. She is a good Mum – and well, we know about Louis.
Our daughter and grandson are coming today so I will not be checking in on the birds again until either late or Friday morning. Some of our regular contributors are travelling to see birds – enjoy those of you that are! And for the rest of us, take care. I will see you soon.
Thank you to Geemeff for the video of Blue 022 and CJ7, to Heidi for her report as well as Erick Greene. Always grateful for osprey news!
