Tag Archives: MN Landscape Arboretum

Oyster Bay female hindered by a green rope..late Thursday in Bird World

28 May 2026

Good Day everyone,

It is hot, hot on the Canadian Prairies. We now have a yellow heat warning. This means that we had our breakfast on the deck and watered all the plants before the heat around 1100 set in. We also walked Toby, cleaned all the bird baths and left cool water and dreamed of a fountain for the birds! We are expecting 32 C – direct sun but still cooler than it was in London the other day. Today we are both 28 C.

For the first time in years, the very old crabapple tree in the front of our house is covered in blooms from the top to the bottom, back to front!

We plant trees to remember people and animals. The apple tree was here when we bought the house and we were told that along with the single peony plant and the wild roses, it was from 1902. The tall Blue Spruce to the left was planted in 1999 in memory of our son William. It was only about 2.7 metres high at the time. It is now about 16 metres tall. The Scotch pine to the left of it was planted for Don’s mother when she died. There are three other trees you cannot see – all in memory of cats (Tootie, Melvin, and Honey).

A blooming pink tree surrounded by evergreen trees and a house under a clear blue sky.
Close-up of delicate pink blossoms and buds with green leaves, set against a blurred background of more flowers.
Close-up of pink flowering branches with green leaves and delicate blossoms against a bright background.
A close-up of pink flowering blossoms on a tree, featuring delicate petals and green leaves.

This tree is amazing and it makes me so hopeful even in this heat. There are little birds, Red-eyed Vireos that have their nest in this apple tree. By the middle of June, I am expecting that 3/4 of my property will be a canopy of cool for all the birds and animals that come to us – and for us, too.

Please plant trees if you can.

I am going to start with a nest that needs your help. Oyster Bay. You will see another post that there were people at the nest cleaning up. Go to the live stream, and you will see that the green rope appears to be wrapped around the female. The nest is owned by PSEG, the electric company on Long Island. The same company that ran the camera on the Patchogue osprey nest. Thank you.

Call PSEG: Customer Service1-800-490-0025. They are open until 2000 local time.

There is a baby on that nest – at least one. Here are the images of that green twine.

An osprey sitting in its nest made of twigs, overlooking Oyster Bay with boats visible in the background. A weather widget shows the current conditions.
Two ospreys in a nest made of twigs overlooking a bay with boats in the background, captured from a webcam.
An osprey perched on its nest made of sticks, overlooking a calm body of water with boats in the background. The scene is captured from a webcam located in Oyster Bay, NY, showing a partly cloudy sky.

Rescue and Rehabilitation in the area: If you encounter an injured or distressed raptor (such as an osprey, owl, or hawk) in the Oyster Bay area, immediately contact the Wildlife Centre of Long Island via their Wildlife Hotline at (516) 674-0982 or email info@wildlifecenterli.org. 

I did not know last night but the smallest peregrine falcon fludged and flew at the San Jose City Hall nest. Everyone was worried. No sightings. This is the latest news.

Facebook post from The San Jose City Hall Falcons updating on Walton, mentioning the rainy weather and observing Walton with Hartley's assistance.
Screenshot of a Facebook comment discussing the challenges faced by a juvenile peregrine falcon learning to fly from a high nest, with insights from The San Jose City Hall Falcons.

Send this little one your most positive wishes. I am going to be saying this a lot today as we need to continue to ‘support’ Snow’s nest and hope that the heat on Dewey Beach doesn’t kill the only osplet….so just, please, keep our raptors in your hearts and minds as they go through various challenges.

‘MP’ sent me a note. Do you know this nest? I do but I have not been following it so I appreciate the update. This is disturbing.

“There is a nest on Long Island that needs some hope. She laid three eggs and is now brooding one chick. An intruder startled the female during the nighttime hours when the camera is off, causing her to kick the chick and one egg out of the nest bowl killing the chick. The third egg hatched and she is brooding her now.

This nest is always dirty with trash the two adults obviously find precious. They do need support. The quote below is from the conservation biologist, Michael Farina, at the site.

“The incident happened during the nighttime hours when the camera is shut down to conserve battery life. We hypothesise that the female sleeping during the night after the first chick hatched (5/8/26) was violently startled, causing her to kick the chick and an egg out of the nest, leaving only one egg left. Possibly by a Great Horned Owl or another osprey in the area.  The 3rd egg hatched on 5/12/26.” Michael Farina wrote.”

The surviving chick is 16 days old today. They need to do something about that owl – just like every other streaming cam needs to protect their ospreys from owls because we have the red strobe technology that can help.

An osprey standing near its nest with two chicks, surrounded by sticks and grass, against a backdrop of water.

Eggs being incubated at Landscape Arboretum in Minnesota. Dad stays close.

Two ospreys perched in their nest atop a wooden platform, surrounded by greenery and distant farmland.

A nest clean up has taken place. If you see ospreys in dire straits due to human garbage, flood the owners of the streaming cams and local rescue. You can just Goggle the location of the nest and ask for contact information on local raptor rescues.

A close-up of an osprey nest containing an osprey with green rope and white tape wrapped around its body, along with various nesting materials.

After cleaning:

An osprey standing on its nest made of twigs and branches near water.

RSPB Loch Garten have now declared that Blue KL5, mate to Myrtle, and osprey who kicked out three eggs, has met his demise. He has been missing for too long during a critical period of the breeding season.

Update on Ospreys at RSPB Loch Garten, Abernethy, discussing the situation of Myrtle and a new male Osprey that has taken over the nest.

KL5 kicking out the eggs.

An osprey in a nest made of twigs and branches, overlooking a forested landscape with mountains in the background and cloudy skies.

The Traverse City nest seems to be holding at about a 45 degree angle. Adult was in the nest feeding Snow earlier today! Please, please, keep sending positive energy. Snow is only 47 days old and we need a good 2-3 weeks for this eagle to get its wing strength and coordination to fly and then it needs to return to the nest for a good month to be fed by the parents while it perfects its flying.

A bald eagle tending to its nest, surrounded by branches and trees, with a view of water in the background. The image shows a sunny scene and includes weather information.
A close-up view of a bird's nest made of twigs and branches, with a young bird resting inside, surrounded by a lush green environment near a body of water.

DH3 is older than Snow and is making itself comortable higher and higher on the branches of the nest tree.

Decorah Eagles: DH3 Climbs Higher as the Nest Suddenly Feels SmallerDownload

Clogwyn and Syfaddan have their first chick as of 28 May 2026 in the Usk Valley. You can’t see it but there is a tiny baby there!

An osprey perched in its nest made of twigs, surrounded by lush greenery and fields in the background.

It is Teifi’s birthday today – and he is now a dad to at least two wiggly little osplets with Elen at Glaslyn.

Close-up of an osprey bird with striking yellow eyes and a white and brown plumage, set against a blurred natural background.

Reports of first hatch at Esthwaite.

A great article on Iris in Birds & Blooms. https://www.birdsandblooms.com/birding/bird-species/birds-of-prey/iris-osprey/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSFbfJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeOoNW1tWIFKyZuQRftVzdZute4OgAk0nVjxIqkdwWxMaUifDCQh9AjPg5a4A_aem_N8w5fT_YKH21WV2jF4YEZw

First hatch at Carova Beach for Frederick and Betsy.

An osprey on its nest, feeding its chick with fish remnants, surrounded by twigs and branches near a water body.

Oh, my heart skips a beat every time I see a little osplet being fed fish. Here is Poole Harbour – looks like egg 4 could be a Dudley.

Four fluffy owlets huddled together in a nest made of twigs and straw, with one unhatched egg visible among them.
An aerial view of an osprey nest featuring two fluffy chick ospreys being fed by an adult osprey. The nest is surrounded by twigs and natural debris.

Pitkin County has two osplets. Here is the info below the cam, but it doesn’t include the second hatch. Do you know?

🥚Osplet #1 Laid: 12.4.26, Hatched around 3.36 am 21.5.26
🥚Osplet #2 Laid: 15.4.26
🥚Osplet #3 Laid: 18.4.26

Two chicks at PSEG’s Oyster Bay nest.

An Osprey nest situated in Oyster Bay, NY, featuring one adult Osprey perched on the edge and another Osprey on the nest, surrounded by a view of the water and boats in the distance.

I want to draw everyone’s attention to Gayle Gordon’s FB page. Many of you might have read her posts. I am including some of her recent posts because they are hugely important. I respect the research she does and the corrections she makes to false information circulating on social media. I have written to her and have received permission to cut and paste her posts. Instead, she is sending me links to them. Please read and get involved in the conversation. We need to save our wildlife – and we definitely do not need false information stirring the pot. Chaos makes us tired. We need our energy, instead, to help.

Thank you, Gayle, for allowing me to share your work with my readers.

Here is the link to Gayle Gordon’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=gayle%20gordon

Everything you need to know about the Cyanide Bombs written by Gayle Gordon -this is such a huge thread to the entire food chain that I am shocked anyone would even consider using cyanide bombs in 2026.

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=gayle%20gordon

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JKzCR63pc/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ESB93orcA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Big and Little enjoying a fish snack mid-afternoon at the Achieva Credit Union nest in St Petersburg, Florida.

A live view from the Achieva Osprey Cam showing an osprey nest with two young chicks and an adult osprey, surrounded by trees and a residential area in the background.

Audubon Florida is very disappointed in the state’s budget cuts towards protecting wildlife.

(FL) May Monthly Newsletter – 2026Download

We have talked about how people in various European countries care for storks. The retired man in Croatia, who for years cared for a White Stork around the clock and then fished so she and her mate, who still migrated, has continued to warm my heart years after she died and Klepatan stopped coming. ‘LC’ sent me this today – it is a historic reminder of that decade and a half of devotion. There are some remarkable human beings.

Two storks interacting, one male and one female, in a natural setting.

The historyofcoolkids included this history on the chat:

“In 1993, retired Croatian school janitor Stjepan Vokić found a wounded female stork named Malena after she had been injured by hunters and left unable to migrate.

He rescued her and cared for her at his home in the village of Brodski Varoš, where she spent winters indoors because she could no longer survive the long journey south.

In 2001, a male stork named Klepetan began visiting her nest. Every spring, Klepetan migrated nearly 13,000 kilometers from South Africa back to Croatia to reunite with Malena, always returning to the same rooftop nest. Because Malena could not hunt or fly long distances, Vokić helped feed the pair and care for their young. Over the years, they raised 66 chicks together.

In 2021, Malena passed away of old age after 28 years under Vokić’s care, reportedly with Klepetan beside her.

Klepetan still visits Malena’s grave beneath an apple tree whenever he returns to the village, something considered highly unusual behavior for a stork.

Why didn’t he stay with her? When she could survive in that location alone, then he also could have had! He just migrated each time to avoid the hardships of the harsh season and went back during the mating season.”

If you are interested, search for Malena and Klepetan on YouTube. There is also a book about their love story. It is a great insight into avian behaviour.

I will post Geemeff’s daily report on Loch Arkaig tomorrow. I am hoping that some of you will call the Wildlife Centre on Long Island to try and get help to Oyster Bay. PSEG owns the platform, and as a utility company, they have the equipment. It is a human-made problem, so permits should not be an issue. Thank you for caring.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please check out Gayle Gordon’s FB page and sign up to join the conversation. Here is the information again:

Here is the link to Gayle Gordon’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=gayle%20gordon

Thank you to those who sent me notes today including ‘PB, SP, LC’, to the authors of FB posts that are both educational and informative, the authors of newsletters, and the owners of streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of these extraordinary creatures. Thank you also to Gayle Gordon for letting me share her posts today.

Mini fledges! Cowlitz fledge? …Sunday in Bird World

23 June 2023

Hello Everyone!

Oh, tears….The big event begins on Saturday when ‘M’ alerts me to Mini’s amazing hover and ends with all of us rejoicing. Mini flew!

On Saturday, Mini did a great hover…a great hover…has been on the nest and has observed her siblings. She is going to do so great!

The tail on the ascent.

Landing after about 5 seconds of good hovering.

And PB wrote, “Mini at Patchogue branched on the perch 7:23am and fledged 8:26am….sooo happy and crying at same time. She did the impossible from being the runt and getting bullied and made it to fledge. So wish she was banded so when she ever returns we know it’s mini!” –Those banding sentiments are with so many of us…We want to know how she does. One way to tell one osprey from another is their head markings and Mini’s are distinctive. Take screen shots of her head from all angles, keep them. It is the only part of her that will not change!

Mini got her fish at 0856. What a fantastic reward – although it is unclear that Dad knows his little girl flew! Congratulations Mini. Stay safe out there. I think we all must have cried. Bittersweet moment.

The news is sad but the eagle that is being honoured was one of the first to be banded during the re-introduction of Bald Eagles into the US after the terrible decimation of our raptors from DDT.

An-Elegy-for-Americas-Oldest-Bald-Eagle-AudubonDownload

There has been a rare bird sighting – a Switchable Black Kite – in Norfolk.

Speaking of kites and all other raptors in the UK – the Hen Harriers, the eagles…one utility company has said that it will not renew the licenses for grouse hunting on its land. As a colleague and friend pointed out, what is not known is how long those licenses can be used. When is the deadline? I hope that it is soon and that other utilities will follow suit. If the legal system cannot stop the grouse hunters from killing off all the raptors then preventing them from using the land is a brilliant alternative. Of course, the 21st century thing to do would be to stop this medieval tradition in its entirety!

Water-utility-company-United-Utilities-not-renewing-grouse-shoot-leases-across-northern-England-–-Ra-1Download

There is sad news coming from OWL in British Columbia about Tyr, the eaglet on the Hancock Wildlife nest. Early concerns showed a possible issue with its leg.

If you are fans of Thunder and Akecheta at the West End Channel Islands nest, the 2023 fledglings often show up at the old nest site along with one or more of the parents.

Anthony is often on the Two Harbours nest along with parents Chase and Cholyn.

Now for some nest news:

MN Landscape Arboretum: Gosh, that little chick is getting its feathers and Mum is attentive. A real change from a month ago!

Boulder County: What a loving family. The five of them just make my heart beat. It is so interesting this year that the Ospreys living on nests in places other than in Florida and in the NE US are doing so very well. It is good to have their population growing and sadly, as hard as it is to say, to have some of the pressure off of the over saturated areas (like Florida and Chesapeake Bay).

These three at Boulder are real beauties. Mum does everything she can for them including being a huge umbrella when it is hot even if they are as big as her!

Charlo Montana: ‘L’ alerted me to the streaming cam being back on at Charlo Montana. The two chicks hatched in mid-June. They are 5 weeks old and doing well. And then the cam went down again! It is extremely hot in Montana. Mum is doing a fantastic job keeping the two cool. Bless her heart.

Loch of the Lowes: The Woodland Trust is more positive than I am that Blue NC0 will return. Laddie has his hands full and the chicks are hungry like those at Forsythe. Blue NC0 has been MIA for a week and this is really more than a spa break. She is a devoted mother and it has been a difficult year with little fish ——–how about stocking that loch like they do at Clywedog in Wales? That would solve this issue! Come on Woodland Trust – not just trees, fish! Here is the most recent report.

At the same time, I would like to call for a few more platform nests to be built for the growing population of ospreys.

Osprey-Diary-at-Loch-of-the-Lowes-Weeks-17-18-Scottish-Wildlife-TrustDownload

Steelscape, Inc.: This Washington in Kalama had fallen off my radar until ‘PB’ wrote to me this evening about a real problem with fish deliveries for the three osplets. It is entirely possible that the third hatchling could be lost. Let us hope not. They have the same problem as Cowlitz it would appear – Eagles taking the fish from the Osprey, the heat, etc. But unlike Cowlitz, which has only one osplet to feed, this nest has three. Thank goodness the fourth egg did not hatch. Oh, goodness. Send it your very best wishes….and look. It is baking hot there, and these babies are feathered. We don’t want to lose another one – so many are starving this year.

Cowlitz: We now know that the wire mesh grids that Cowlitz PUD constructed to protect the osprey nest from Eagle predation have not hindered the ospreys. The only osplet has flapped and jumped and today, that sweet baby fledged (?) or did it branch to the top of the mesh? I think it is on top of the mesh but, if it did not fly – this one soon will!

Seaside: The two osplets, Kawok, the first hatch, and Naika, the second, are beautiful juveniles who are starting to feel their independence. They remind me a bit of Ervie and his brothers once they had fledged. Everyone was civil until then and then it was everyone lad for itself. There is a bit of an aggression showing up just like it is at other nests towards the adults especially if they do not show up with fish! No one is hungry, as far as I can tell, on this nest!

Alyth: The fledglings return to the nest for fish and rest. Flying is hard work. They did not sleep on the nest last night.

Poole Harbour: Oh, it was wet in Pool Harbour on Saturday! Miserable. Windy. The trio were busy preening and trying to dry off Sunday morning.

Glaslyn: OH2 has walked to the perch to with OH1 and Mum, Elen. Will he fly today? He sure is flapping those wings and looks strong and ready.

Dyfi: A bit of a lonely nest at times. One of the fledglings showed up Sunday morning. It looks a bit dreary and damp. Idris and Telyn will be doing a great job feeding their fledglings. Cennen has been flying for a week!

Time for ‘H’s reports:

Fortis Exshaw – Louise had some minor intruder issues, and she flushed an intruder off the tall perch and out of the area twice.  She also delivered five fish to feed her chicks.  The two 35-day-old osplets are thriving.  Mr. O was not seen on camera Saturday.

Forsythe – There were four fish delivered to the nest, including one by Opal.  The fledglings each had two fish.  Even though the food had increased slightly on Saturday, there was still significant aggression, and the siblings were literally at each other’s throats.  After a few days of very little food, the youngest sibling, Ollie, was the primary aggressor.  The battle at 1438 was quite serious.  I’m hoping the fish deliveries continue to increase so that these two juvies can relax.

Osoyoos – Dad continues to be a great provider for his family.  The 26 and 27-day-old chicks are progressing normally.

Severna Park – Olivia and Oscar continue to deliver fish to the nest for their two fledglings.  I have not seen anyone sleeping at the nest for the last two nights.

Barnegat Light – Oh my goodness, at 53 days of age, ‘Dorsett’ looks so grown up!   Dorsett has been wingercising and practicing self feeding. 

Patuxent Nest 1 – Foster and Sib-B are still hanging out and eating fish at the nest, but are sleeping elsewhere.

Patuxent Nest 2 – The livestream was down for 28 days, and finally returned full time on 7/20.  By that time, all three of the chicks had already fledged.  On 7/22 two of the fledglings were seen in the nest at the same time.  

Thank you so much, ‘H’.

The FB posts in Manitoba are full of individuals finding baby birds in their yards. This is happening everywhere, not just near me. So what do you do? Review the chart below and make certain that you have your nearest wildlife rehab clinics on speed dial on the contact list of your cell phone, please.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Continue to send all that positive energy of yours to the nests including those that are struggling with starvation and nest aggression this season. Take care of yourself. I hope to see you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, their comments, postings, tweets, websites, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ‘Geemeff, H, L, M, PB, PSEG, Audubon, Birdguides.com, Raptor Persecution UK, Deb Stecyk and Bald Eagles 101, IWS, MN Landscape Arboretum, Boulder County Fair Grounds Ospreys, Forsythe Ospreys, Charlo Montana and Owl Research Project, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Steelscape Inc, Cowlitz PUD, Seaside Ospreys, Alyth, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Osprey Project, Fortis Exshaw, Forsythe, Osoyoos, Severna Park, Wildlife Conserve Foundation of NJ, Patuxent River Park, and Chirp Nature Centre.