Tag Archives: Montana ospreys

Cowlitz chick dies…late Saturday in Bird World

11 July 2026

Greetings Everyone,

The end for the second hatch at Cowlitz PUD came Friday afternoon. The poor thing had suffered from lack of food all its life. I have to admit that this is not a nest that I enjoy watching – never have. I even phoned the Cowlitz PUD and spoke to them about fish availability one year. I was told there were a lot of eagles in the area. We learned this later when an eagle took three healthy chicks off the nest, one after another. The company put up an ingenious mechanism made out of fish grates to keep the eagles away from the nest. I do not know why those that have osprey nests with known GHO or Eagle strikes do not get in touch for the plans. According to the receptionist, they are easy – just weld fish grates to the sides of the nest opposite at an angle. Ospreys can come and go but eagles and owls cannot get the correct angle to fly in, grab the chick, and get out! Look at the nest and how these grills are attached on the live feed.

The only surviving chick at Loch of the Lowes was ringed and deemed to be a male.

Two chicks died at the Clinton, CT osprey nest, leaving one. Storms in the CT area contributed to additional deaths due to a lack of fish deliveries. These two died of starvation.

More news from Kielder Forest:

Nests 5A and 10 update

In the vast arguments over Menhaden, some have said that Bald Eagles take all the fish that the osprey need. Some people didn’t have a count on what fish and how many were being delivered. Heidi has been meticulous in the fish counts for the nests she is monitoring (and others!). She has learned to identify species so fast my head spins. What a great asset she is to all of us.

Loch Arkaig has put out Louis’s breaking record fish count and compared it to other years. An Osprey taking 36-44 fish per week for a family of four will not break The Bay! Do not let the arguments confuse you. The problem is industrial overfishing! The second problem is weather.

This fish count comes from Mary Cheadle and the Friends of Loch Arkaig FB group:

Following on from the information I shared yesterday re the fish counts, Steve reported today on the Woodland Trust chat that Louis smashed his week 12 record 🏆😊

Here Steve gives a more comprehensive season update.

Thanks Steve 👍😊

Nest 2 fish summary to week 12 (where does one start!)

Firstly a huge thank you to all the fish counting team and our ever faithful forum contributors, you miss nothing, citizen science at its absolute best👏👏

Nature never ceases to amaze, just a few months ago this old osprey of ours had us all convinced he had been taken by the osprey gods, now in this week 12 he has rewritten the records for weekly fish deliveries, not to mention raising yet another 2 healthy young that will hopefully fledge.

Friday (10/7/26) brought week 12 to a close since the first fish was delivered by Louis.

Louis delivered a record 44 fish to the nest taking his total to 262 (excl 2 from Dorcha).

This gives a 2026 YTD weekly average of 22 fish (c28 post hatch)

Previous week 12 totals (average to 2025 is 30 fish):

2020 – 36

2022 – 34

2023 – 26

2024 – 30

2025 – 25

2026 – 44

As we go into week 13 the average is 28 fish.

Previous YTD week 12 totals (average to 2025 is 238 fish):

2020 (2 male, 1 female) – 256

2022 (2 female) – 261

2023 (1 male) – 218

2024 (1 male) – 231

2025 (2 male) – 226

2026 (2 female) – 262

The range of daily deliveries was 4 to 8 fish per day

The most popular delivery hour is:

5 to 5.59 am – 25 Fish

Louis has had such a successful week I am not going to dwell on this seasons records, but that of all time records:

Most deliveries in a week solo – 44 Fish, Louis previous best was 39 fish in week 13 of 2020! The highest ever joint weekly total was 41 (6 by Aila) fish in week 18 of 2020. He surpasses that total also, solo.

Fastest time between same day fish deliveries (2026 season), 9 mins 21 secs on 10/7/26 between fish 2 and 3, on the same day he brought 4 fish in 44 minutes, not a stat I measure, but worthy of a mention.

As this season is looking good for 2 fledglings, it allows us to compare to 2022 and 2025 when there was also 2 fledglings.

From this data we are seeing accurate data showing the difference between males and females, we know most female raptors are are around 20% larger than males, so they need more food to get to fledging (as an average).

2022 (2 female) – 261

2025 (2 male) – 226

2026 (2 female) – 262

Quite an extraordinary week, last weeks report stated week 12 was as on average the highest yielding week across our 5 previous fish counting seasons, but this I did not expect.

Remarkable consistency that the week 12 totals for 2022 and 2026 are now just 1 fish apart, these 2 years having 2 females, it will be interesting to see how these totals compare come season end.

We know fish weight is more important than quantity, but I believe the weight roughly balances out over the season.

Just amazing to watch this master of the skies and water continue to provide for his family.

Well done Louis🐟

Jill was at the Achieva nest looking for any sign of her babies! She and Jack continue to bring in fish once in a while, but no one is showing up. Congratulations on a great year, Jill. Wishing Big and Little long lives and big crops.

At the Ferguson Museum Mum is bringing in the fish and today the only remaining osplet had a nice meal.

There are three, seemingly healthy osplets – fully feathered – at the Blackwater Osprey platform in Maryland. These are a few relevant dates.

June 20, 2026: The 3 chicks are still visible in the nest, so glad to report all 3 are doing well.

June 1, 2026: We see three little chick heads bobbing in the nest cup. You can see a video clip on our YouTube channel.

May 27, 2026: The female has been feeding at least one chick in the nest.

April 17, 2026: The female is sitting down in the nest and appears to be incubating at least one egg. We hope to see hatching around the week of May 20.

The heat that we are having is going to hit all of the osprey nests in the region of the Prairies of Canada and the upper Mid-West of the US (I hope I said that correctly). I am thinking of the family at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum where likely they will have 45 C with the humidex as well.

There was an early fish and wingers and a beautiful apple bough that Mum brought to the nest.

Loon hatch in progress:

Hatch in Progress on Loon Cam 2Download

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 10th July 2026

Both fish and name suggestions flooded in today –  Louis brought seven fish for his family, delivering the first four in under forty five minutes! The Nest Two total now stands at two hundred and sixty four. Since George WTS opened the Name Game yesterday, dozens if not hundreds of names have been proposed and there’s still plenty of time for more suggestions before it closes at noon on Monday. Submit your suggestions via Woodland Trust social media Facebook and Bluesky, or here in the comments section, and remember to use the hashtag #2026NAME if you want your names to be included for the judging panel’s review. The chicks are looking very strong, vocalising loudly, rearranging the nest furnishings, and exercising their suddenly big full-size wings – we will be on fledge-watch soon. Garry LV0 brought one fish to Aurora 536, taking the on-cam nest tally to one hundred and fifty.nine which figure holds little meaning as many fish will have been delivered during the daily cam downtime, and the pair are spending more and more time away from the nest. In fact, neither of the pair returned to the nest after Garry delivered that fish around 6pm, and at the time of filing this report, half past midnight, the nest is still empty and it appears Aurora might be spending her first night away from the nest since laying her single, and unviable, egg on 30th April. The weather was settled and dry, the forecasted drizzle and light rain didn’t materialise, and tonight’s forecast for Inver Mallie is light rain, light winds and a low of 15°C overnight, changing to light rain showers with sunny spells and a high of 21°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/AWdoR7BTsho N2 The family are ready when Louis brings an early breakfast 04.21.05https://youtu.be/zvksU4rGUNI N2 second breakfast is very colourful 04.40.06https://youtu.be/0o_36MDlbSY N2 Lively fish three flaps unnoticed as Dorcha’s busy with fish two 04.49.27https://youtu.be/De89VBV39OI N2 No one wants fish four so Louis drops and goes 05.05.20https://youtu.be/6B7ZeWp3UEg N2 Despite four earlier fish, the family tuck in to fish five  07.22.56https://youtu.be/qbdk_5taqyc N2 Fish six is a fine looking fish but Dorcha keeps yelling at Louis 15.49.05https://youtu.be/4RTfcc6lMfU N1 Garry gives a fish to Aurora then both depart 17.50.04https://youtu.be/mG4c0fxd7o4 N2 Louis leaves after bringing fish seven, encouraged by Dorcha 21.43.40
Bonus – list of Scottish Gaelic names if you’re stuck for suggestions:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_Gaelic_given_names

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

Osoyoos: Both parents at nest. Chick has crop and looks alert.

Cowlitz PUD: So hungry they are eating some of the body of the chick that just died. Electra is going to have to go fishing.

Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho: No rewind but the three osplets look great.

There have been some good feedings. This screen capture provided by Carol.

If you missed it, ringing at Seilli Island and a big celebration. First chicks hatched on this platform in ten years!

RINGING 9 July
Seili: male, red KJA, Wing 329mm, Weight 1,500g
Nauvo: female, yellow R5S, Wing 326mm, Weight 1,690g
Utu: female, red KHX, Wing 283 mm, Weight 1,660g

Hildur arrived on 14 April and Stefu (TFS) on 15 April
Eggs were laid on 25 April, 28 April and 1 May
Chicks hatched 1 June, 3 June and 5 June

Beautiful feathered golden eaglet at Estonia 2. Parents have brought in prey, and it is set-feeding, but it needed some help when they came in with a Raccoon Dog. A raccoon dog (or tanuki) is not a raccoon; it is a wild canid native to East Asia, most closely related to true foxes. Named for its mask-like facial markings, it is an opportunistic omnivore and is the only dog-like animal known to hibernate

Loki and Caitir have been seen at the White-tail eagle nest in the Outer Hebrides restoring their bond after the loss of their second hatch, Loki.

Blackbush: Little 4 is still alive and up at the beak for what will be a very good feeding. As each day passes I become more hopeful that this little one will survive if we can keep the fish coming.

Dewey Beach: There is sure a lot of wing flapping going on.

Do Ospreys in Nova Scotia eat Menhaden? Yes, they do. They also find some trout in the small lakes. Did Ethel and Oscar not breed this year at Russell Lake? Was it because Ethel was very late? Or is there another reason? Osprey deaths in Connecticut (where there have been storm- and weather-related deaths due to adults being unable to fish) are prompting questions in other areas where there appears to be no impact from industrial fishing in the Bay in the US. Those chasing the big ships out of Reedsville will say they are taking all of the menhaden, including the small babies that could fuel the future (and then they get dumped, dead) and moving up along the coast. The Menhaden in Maine are said to be going out to deep water. Thoughts?

Charlo: Charlie, Chloe, and C22 doing well.

Golden Gate: Wendy and Richmond together at the nest on 8 July. https://youtu.be/VNn6oTZA3f0?

It is raining in Estonia. Will this provide the much needed little frogs and fish that this Black Stork nest requires? Is there a fish basket for them as well from Urmas?

From Looduskalendar: This beautiful black stork nest is located in Jõgeva County in Estonia.
It is a neighbouring nest to the former Jan & Janika Black Stork nest.
The nest was found in 2024 by Renno Nellis and he installed a trail camera.

Feeding by the male today:

Later the male brings food:

The ps from the storklets are small indicating much more food and hydration is needed.

It seems that wildlife is suffering everywhere, whether it is from storms that cause the rivers to rush and flood, becoming muddy so they cannot be fished, or drought, or human-caused overfishing by industry. Habitat loss – toxic spills…they have seen it all this year!

It appears that the egg on the nest of Bety and Bukacek at Mlade Buky is not going to hatch.

Calico’s Tip for the Day: What might be simple fun for humans can be deadly for birds and other wildlife. Let’s clean up after ourselves and please put away sports equipment.

Death trap: what to do about the everyday items catching and killing Australian wildlife

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/11/everyday-items-catching-killing-native-animals-how-to-help-tangled-wildlife?CMP=share_btn_url

Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care if you are in an area of special heat concern, like we are. Keep hydrated and stay inside. Close the blinds to conserve energy. Do not be a hero! But please provide water sources for the animals outside and food if you can. Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who I have quoted in my blog today – to Geeemeff for their daily summary for Loch Arkaig, to all who posted on FB, to the owners of the streaming cams, to Lookduskalender and their great team who keep up with the Eastern European wildlife.

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.

First bites of fish

11 June 2026

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.

An osprey feeding a chick in a nest, surrounded by twigs and grass.
An adult osprey peering at its chick in a nest, surrounded by twigs and grass.

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.

Two ospreys are nesting on a platform, surrounded by sticks and grass. One osprey is holding a stick while the other looks on. A parking lot is visible in the background.

Happy Mum! The oldest breeding osprey in the world – at least thirty years. Imagine.

An osprey sitting on a nest made of twigs and branches, with a parking lot and green landscaping visible in the background.

Oh, another fish. 1747.

Two ospreys on their nest with twigs and green grass, in a parking lot setting.

Iris plays with her stick while Clark prepares to brood his baby and incubate the other two eggs.

Two ospreys sitting on their nest, with visible chicks and greenery around them, set against a background of a parking lot.

It sure sounded like Iris was ordering more fish when they exchanged places and Clark flew off.

Osprey sitting in its nest made of twigs and branches, with a parking lot and trees in the background.

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:

Chicks first PS

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:

A close-up of a young bird in a nest, with fluffy gray feathers and an open beak, surrounded by twigs and branches.

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.

A dog resting on a cat tree with a scratching post, while a cat peeks out from a small hiding space below.

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.

First hatch for Winnie and Swoop and Sasha fledges…Late Tuesday in Bird World

9 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

We are in the direct path of a series of supercells forming south of us and moving slowly north, so this post is going to be short and sweet. We are under a severe tornado watch and have had ping-pong-ball-sized hail. Toby has been very upset by the storm and the heavy, heavy downpours. We are fine. I grew up in Oklahoma, so I am familiar with those big F4S tornadoes, and we know what to do.

Image on FB by Katie Powell in St Anne Manitoba:

A dark, ominous sky with a large, swirling funnel cloud forming above a building, indicating a severe storm or tornado.

Sasha has fledged at the Fraser Point Bald Eagle nest of Andor and Cruz. Congratulations! SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/TGfNgOd13wg?

Clark brought in two fish yesterday. Some of the local fisherpeople believe that he had to go to the Rattlesnake River to get them – one came late at night also. That was incredible. It is difficult enough for ospreys to see in rushing muddy water, but at night?

A pair of ospreys perched on a nest made of branches and twigs, with one osprey sitting while the other stands nearby. The background shows a parking lot and trees.
Close-up image of an osprey sitting in its nest, showcasing its distinct brown and white plumage and sharp beak.
A close-up of an osprey nest, showcasing a young osprey interacting with three eggs on a bed of twigs and grass.
Close-up view of an osprey's talons resting near two eggs on a nest, surrounded by pine needles and greenery.

It is just past 1500 on the Canadian Prairies. It is one hour earlier at Iris’s nest. I have seen no fish deliveries today, but it has been raining periodically. I wish we could find out more about the status of the river near the nest. This issue with getting fish is going to seriously impact these chicks!

Clark came in with a small fish that Iris quickly snatched.

Two ospreys near their nest, one holding a fish while the other stands nearby, with a blurred parking lot in the background.

‘PB’ alerted me to Jill’s big fish for the kids. This nest is doing so well and those fledglings are getting big and strong so they can survive on their own. She has been an outstanding mother.

A close-up of a dog holding a fish in its mouth while standing on a pile of sticks and debris.

Geemeff – thank you for following what is happening with that natural material or twine or whatever it is that Dorcha worked hard to try and get off that chick! We will appreciate any updates.

Geemeff Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 9th June 2026

It rained on and off today but more concerning than the weather was something wrapped tightly around the leg of one of the chicks, Chick2, it seems, but a closer look is needed to confirm. It appears to be organic rather than man made but it will be a relief when it’s off, Dorcha tried and failed to remove it today. Another, minor, concern is the attitude of the chicks – not yet in the reptilian phase, but their aggressive instinct to dominate and ensure priority on the feeding line has kicked in early. Chick3 does its best to keep out of the way of its older siblings but doesn’t always succeed. However, this is all perfectly natural and seen every season in varying degrees. Even a season with a solo chick had aggression – lacking siblings, the chick constantly attacked Dorcha! Louis ensures there’s a steady supply of food and each chick got fed from every fish so this season is proceeding along the usual lines, including the inevitable arrival of unsuitable sticks which cause mayhem, it was Dorcha’s turn today. Louis brought two fish, taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and twenty one, and Garry’s single fish for Aurora takes the Nest One tally to one hundred and seven. Day forty for Aurora’s egg ended with no sign of a pip yet, but there are still a couple more days in the hatching time frame, perhaps we’ll have a surprise in the morning – fingers and talons firmly crossed for Garry and Aurora. Light rain forecast for overnight with a low of 7°C, changing to thundery showers with a high of 13°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/1ZJd_MubgFo N2 Two eldest chicks prefer fighting to fish! 07.44.17
https://youtu.be/jbhaZwjRscs N2 Not good! One of the chicks has something tight around its leg 14.23.01 (zoom)https://youtu.be/xD5vP8wcEUI N1 Garry arrives covered in fish blood, Aurora grabs the fish and goes 18.01.11

https://youtu.be/spH0oa8uJRI N2 Youngest chick doesn’t get much of fish two 19.15.39

You’re invited to 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

At Dunrovin, the first hatch for Swoop and Winnie! That is one strong-necked chick.

An adult bird feeding a chick in a nest surrounded by eggs and natural debris.

It appears that the Little Tiny Bob at Steelscape did not survive the sibling rivalry.

Dewey Beach, on the other hand, is doing well. Love Baby Dewey. There are issues with fish deliveries at many of the nests that sadly might continue. Send good wishes. So far, Dewey isn’t one of them. Look at that chubby osplet chick. That is what they should all look like – fat.

An osprey standing on a nest with a chick and two eggs, overlooking a waterfront area with buildings in the background.

I am going to say good night. It looks like the storms are now east of the City of Winnipeg, so I am going to relax. We still have some lightning, but I hope no more hail or wind, but oh, there is thunder again. So far, only one tree fell on a car on our street (not mine).

Take care everyone.

Thank you to Geemeff for their daily summary and for keeping an eye on that material on nest 2, to SK Hideaways thank you for the videos, and to all who posted information and images on FB, I am very grateful.

Iris gets lots of fish…Late Monday in Bird World

19 May 2026

Hello Everyone,

‘PB’ just sent these great images of Iris leaving with a huge headless fish – the third or fourth NG2 has brought today!

A hawk flying over a parking lot, holding a fish in its talons, with another hawk perched nearby.
Two ospreys are in a nest made of branches, with one osprey appearing to take off. In the background, there is a parking lot with several cars and trees.

It remains damp and cold on the Canadian Prairies. Poor Toby has to have his feet washed every time he comes inside from running about. We have a small pond in progress, and he is drawn to the mud there!!!!!!!!! Spaniels love water. I am thinking of getting him a kiddie pool for the summer. He might not like it because he can’t swim but we will see. There are enough neighbourhood children that would enjoy the pool if Toby rejects it!

Like so many of you, I have lived a long life, one that allowed me to enjoy a time when nature was not under threat every second. Of course, we did not know then what we do now about how our behaviour was impacting the environment. What would we have done differently had we known?

There are things that I miss. We had the most magnificent Magnolia tree in our back garden and several Mimosa trees in our front garden. At the very back was a wall of bamboo at one time, later replaced by my father’s rose garden. He learned how to grow roses from his grandmother and mother – she had a huge stroll garden lined with hundreds and hundreds of rose bushes. There were Cardinals and Bluebirds that lived in those trees. I also miss the duck pond at the University of Oklahoma. I cannot tell you how many hours I spent there, joined later by my children. Whether or not it was our garden or the ponds and parks near to where I lived, there were always some kind of birds. Some were in drawers with old yellowed cardboard labels in the Sutton collection at the University. They fascinated me! It is nice when everything seems to be falling apart to sit back and recall the magic of our childhoods and how the opportunities we had impacted our lives today.

Like all of you, I have been distressed by the level of Avian Flu spreading across North America. I do not want to add to this, which means disinfecting the bird feeders and tables every 2-3 days. My plan, when the last half-bag of birdseed is finished, is to put out peanuts and those solid seed cylinders to try to avoid contamination. The bird baths and bowls of water have to be cleaned and disinfected, too. The rule is 1 part bleach to 9 parts water.

How to Clean and Disinfect

  1. Empty & Rinse: Dump out the old water and thoroughly rinse the basin.
  2. Scrub First: If there is stubborn grime or algae, scrub the bowl with hot water and a stiff brush before applying bleach.
  3. Disinfect: Pour in your 10% bleach solution. Let it sit in the basin for 10 to 15 minutes to fully kill any germs.
  4. Rinse Thoroughly: Dump out the bleach and rinse the entire bird bath completely with clean water until there are no traces of a bleach odor.
  5. Air Dry: Allow the bird bath to completely dry in the sun before refilling it with fresh water. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Important Tips

  • Frequency: Disinfect the bath once a week to keep it safe for your backyard birds.
  • Alternative: If you prefer not to use harsh chemicals, you can achieve the same cleaning power by using a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 9 parts water.
  • Daily Maintenance: Change the water every day or two to prevent mosquitoes and bacteria from building up between deeper cleans.

NOTE: Do not use the brush used to clean the bird bath and water sources for any other purpose. Put it somewhere safe where no one can get to it and use it. I have been known to put these brushes in the dishwasher when I am running a cycle without any dishes to clean the machine.

I was so happy to see that Irv is serving up fish at the US Steel nest – a nest that shares the same river as the Glen-Hayes nest.

https://sportsmansparadiseonline.com/2026/05/18/maz-takes-over-stellas-fish-us-steel-nest

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 18th May 2026

Another quiet day, a bit damp as rain fell in spells throughout the day, but otherwise peaceful with no alarms or intruders. Garry LV0 brought one fish for Aurora 536, taking his tally to sixty eight. Aurora stashed the remains of that fish on the nest and at the time of this report, near midnight, she is cuddled up beside it. Louis brought three fish for Dorcha and his tally is now level with Garry’s at sixty eight, with the Nest Two tally at seventy due to the two fish brought by Dorcha before his return. Louis loves spending time on incubation duty, and was moaned at by Dorcha for a good few minutes before reluctantly handing over when she returned after polishing off her second fish. Light rain is forecast all through tonight and tomorrow, with a low of 8°C and a high of 15°C.Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/b07a-dMixso N2 Louis brings a whole tiddler trout 10.02.10https://youtu.be/tQL5oriH2dQ N2 Dorcha’s second fish is a decent size 14.45.58https://youtu.be/aJ9dTcnY-nI N2 Dorcha chirrups at Louis but he won’t move 15.59.30https://youtu.be/2Vul7RV667I N1 Aurora calls and Garry brings fish 16.19.14https://youtu.be/GPQqVzFJ2bI N2 Louis happily exchanges fish for time on the eggs 18.36.52

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/at5go-cg9A8  N1 Louis’ turn to dump a stick on Aila 2019

https://youtu.be/9_X4DMti3Gk  N1 I’ve got your back: Louis, Aila, and a stick 2020

https://youtu.be/W04J7cJyYss  N1 Aila screams until Louis brings fish 2020

https://youtu.be/Z6UfoL5Hb7c  N1 Time to go – Aila head-butts Louis 2020

https://youtu.be/0vfmJaN8vG4  N2 Little bird perches next to Dorcha 2023

https://youtu.be/Epa8-yc2CKU  N1 Louis warns away a distant intruder on his old nest 2023

https://youtu.be/M2Fz6H4TedA  N2 Unringed intruder on the nest! 2023 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/vHH0SsHb-Ls  N2 Dorcha practises her ballet moves 2024

https://youtu.be/oG-WC3EAf5E N2 Air on a Sunset: glorious sunset in quicktime 2024 (Classic Ospreys: JS Bach)

https://youtu.be/3hMF9N6hYbs N1 The second fish arrives and departs in 13 seconds as Aurora watches! 2025 

https://youtu.be/EXW79QoaRtU N2 Having declined the first, Dorcha grabs the second fish 2025

I really respect Ruth, the author of Raptor Persecution UK. Gamekeepers can be rather threatening/frightening people. She is a very brave woman.

For those who love the James Herriot series set in the Yorkshire Dales, they are not all nice and cheerful just like some of the big estates in Scotland do the most horrific things to our raptors.

“Vindictive evil woman” and “Poisoned witch” to deliver free webinar on illegal raptor persecution fDownload

The loon cams are live!

2026 Loon Cams are LiveDownload

Donations are down to every wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre – including all of the dog and cat rescues. The Ventana Wildlife Society is having their major on line auction which might net you a tour of the Big Sur Condor area!

I want to add something. We praise those groups that are proactive and the Ventana Wildlife Society is no exception. 20 Condors died in Arizona from Avian Flu. The VWS set about getting permissions to vaccinate their condo. (Yes, a group of condors is called a condo!). The Ventana Wildlife Society, in partnership with the Oakland Zoo and Pinnacles National Park, vaccinated 98 wild condors (not those in zoos) from the Central California flock. 81 condors received at least the first dose, while 45 received the full two-dose series to protect against HPAI.

It was no easy feat with container cages needing to be built in a rather remote area! The determination of this small but dedicated group of individuals is admirable. It made me wonder why those who have access to chicks on streaming cams do not set about to not only band the birds but also to vaccinate them. A single dose vaccine has worked on mice and monkeys and would be ideal as it would be difficult to give the two-dose vaccine as eaglets and eyases are on the nest such a short time.

vaccines-13-00074Download

This e-mail contains all kinds of news related to what the Ventana Wildlife Society is doing.

The FULL Crop Flight of the CondorDownload

We are approaching fledge for Big at the Achieva Osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida.

Juvenile osprey practicing hovering and wing exercises in their nest during rain.

I love Big Red and Arthur. It is so exciting to see Big Red let Arthur fully participate in family life – he has certainly earned the right. Arthur is so devoted to Big Red and their babies – the pantry is rarely empty – unless it is on purpose near fledge. I am sad that they lost one of their babies but we don’t seem to need to worry about P3 who is small but mighty.

A red-tailed hawk feeding its chicks in a nest, with another hawk nearby. The scene captures the family dynamic during dinner time.

New Guy 2 has now brought Iris three fish (so far) today! I am so glad that the rushing river calmed itself in time. Cornell Bird Lab caught one of those deliveries on video: https://youtu.be/RkGQmYEkZro?

My goodness Iris is loud when she sees NG2 arriving with a fish!

An osprey chick standing on its nest, surrounded by sticks and twigs, with a parking lot and trees in the background.
Two ospreys are seen on their nest made of sticks, with visible eggs in the nest, on a sunny day. A parking lot and trees are in the background.
An osprey delivering a fish to its nest at the Hellgate Osprey Cam, with a parking lot and greenery in the background.

I am so glad that fish did not break those precious eggs.

There are three osplets at Patuxent. Oh, my goodness. I worry about those nests.

A collage of photos showing an osprey nest with three chicks being fed. One adult osprey is seen feeding the chicks while another adult watches nearby. The nest is made of sticks and is surrounded by greenery.

The latest statement that I have found about the Glen-Hayes eaglets and whether or not the eaglet bodies will be retrieved:

“May 18, 2026 – GLEN HAZEL NEST STATUS

Status Update: Carol Holmgren, Executive Director, Tamarack Wildlife Center

Our hearts go out to all who love these eagles and are grieving. We have been blessed with 100% survivorship of eaglets from the Hays/Glen Hazel eagle nests over the past 14 years, while it is typical for 30% of eaglets to not survive until fledging age.

Kudos to the Glen Hazel moderator team for promptly noticing signs of illness in the chicks and notifying Tamarack Wildlife Center’s Executive Director and Licensed Rehabilitator Carol Holmgren on Friday morning, May 15. Carol immediately reached out to Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) colleagues, to loop them in that day, and has been in conversation since then. A few updates:

  • It is FWS policy to let nature take its course at eagle’s nests and only approve intervention when there is a threat to the eagles that has a clear human cause such as fishing line entanglement or swallowing a fish hook. In this instance, the eaglets were ill, but not with a clear human cause where FWS and PGC would approve intervention. Much as that is difficult for us to witness, it is part of the natural history that eagles live with daily.
  • The eaglets likely passed from Avian Influenza. Their symptoms and the progression of the illness is consistent with Avian Influenza, and they could have contracted it from ingesting goslings and geese that had been brought to the nest as food. We cannot know for certain without testing, but this is the most likely cause based on the evidence.
  • The adults may also have been exposed to the virus. They typically have a stronger immune system than the young birds, and may be able to fight off the virus. Time will tell. We will be monitoring them. There is no treatment that can be given while they are free-flying. If one is on the ground due to illness, it may be able to be treated by a rehabilitator.
  • Our hope is that their immune systems are strong and they can remain healthy.
  • Our highest concerns at this point are 1. supporting the health of the remaining adult eagles and 2. caring for the moderators and community who love these eagles.
  • Now that the two eaglets have passed, PGC has had extensive discussions about the risks vs benefits of accessing the nest to retrieve the now two deceased eaglets. They have decided not to pursue retrieval, in part to not stress the adult eagles through human presence at the nest.
  • There is no practical benefit to confirming that the eaglets succumbed to Avian Influenza, beyond the human desire to know. The disease is known to be endemic in Pennsylvania now and there are no management actions that would be taken with that information.
  • Due to the regulations and Acts protecting eagles and their nests, any access to the nest would also require both PGC and FWS support.
  • PGC will be continuing to monitor the situation. If an eaglet should fall to the ground, they may pursue retrieval and testing since stress on the adult birds would be less, and FWS approval would not be needed.

Below is the full statement shared by our colleagues in PGC today. We appreciate the thoughtfulness with which they have considered this situation, and their continued collaboration.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) appreciates the concerns of the public regarding the eagles in the Glen Hazel Eagle Nest Cam, located in Allegheny County.

Wildlife watching opportunities, especially ones that can occur from anywhere thanks to wildlife cameras and digital technology, are a popular way for the public to learn and love wildlife.

Unfortunately, nature can be hard to watch at times. When situations occur on live wildlife webcams, including this eagle’s nest, human intervention is not always recommended or possible.

PGC evaluated the situation carefully and considered many factors including human safety and exposure to potential pathogens. Additionally, human intervention could further stress the adult eagles. Any actions must also comply with federal regulations related to the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. At this time, we have chosen to not intervene. If a safer opportunity presents itself in the future, we may pursue disease testing to hopefully determine what caused the death of these eaglets.”

I ‘love’ Blue 33 and Maya and I am so glad that the three little bobbleheads are doing so well. Those blue eyes and that light soft taupe down with their lovely back stripe and that black eye-liner. They are so precious….all babies are so cute but I do love the tiny little osplets before they hit the reptile stage!

An osprey nest with three chicks and two adult ospreys, one feeding the chicks. The nest is made of twigs and contains some greenery. The background features water.
Close-up of an osprey nest with four chicks and two eggs, surrounded by twigs and overlooking water.
A close-up of two adult ospreys attending to three chicks in their nest, with a body of water in the background.
An osprey stands near its nest, looking at two fluffy, gray chicks nestled on a bed of twigs and leaves. The background features water, hinting at the location's natural habitat.

The Girls got their favourite crunchy treats while Toby needed a new Little Lamb. These little squeaky toys were his first and to this day, some 15 months later, they remain favourites. This one is getting ready to celebrate Canada Day on 1 July.

A dog playing with a plush sheep toy, featuring red-checked mittens, on a soft blanket.

Thank you so much for being with us. We wish you peace and calm.

A close-up view of a decorative statue of a seated figure adorned with colorful beads and necklaces, featuring a small bird figurine beside it. The statue has intricate details, and there is a ceramic vase in the foreground.

Thank you to Geemeff for her extensive report on all things Loch Arkaig, to ‘PB’ for her great images and notes, to all those who posted information and videos on FB or YouTube keeping us informed of the latest happenings at the nests, and to the owners of the streaming cams, we are so very grateful to be able to share the lives of these amazing Avian families.

Pip at Manton Bay for Blue 33 and Maya…late Monday in Bird World

11 May 2026

Greetings Everyone,

It was a very sad day in the garden today.

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!!!!!!!!!

A close-up of a large bird's nest made of twigs and branches, set against a river landscape with trees and a cloudy sky above.

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.

A red-tailed hawk perched on a nest with several fluffy chicks. The nest is made of twigs and is situated on a balcony or ledge, with greenery and a street visible in the background.

Cornell Bird Lab has one of Monday’s feedings on video! https://youtu.be/tveeiZRM8r4?

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.

Sparrowhawk euthanised in Scottish Highlands after illegal trap caused ‘catastrophic’ leg injury – RDownload

Border Ospreys is live and you can watch Samson and Augusta!

WE ARE LIVEDownload

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.

Facebook post from Dyfi Osprey Project discussing the Osprey 6M9, the youngest member of the 2024 Glaslyn brood, and its recent behavior.
Close-up of a bird perched on a green pipe, with another bird in the background on a wooden branch.

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.

Social media post discussing fishing experiences by Pam Breci, detailing the catches by Jack and Jill, including ladyfish and catfish.
A collage of images showing an osprey nest with two chicks and an adult bird. One adult is seen flying near the nest, while the chicks are perched inside, surrounded by twigs and foliage.

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.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/OZXF99LjQ3Y N2 Breakfast arrives, headless trout 07.11.55

https://youtu.be/IzUaE12sGWA N1 Fresh flapping fish for Aurora 13.53.35

https://youtu.be/WVa1ZepkIzE N2 Dorcha’s very happy to see a second fish arriving 14.51.02

https://youtu.be/Ddut0wN0hRQ N1 Aurora demolishes fish two and returns to egg-sit 16.23.02

https://youtu.be/9aExCQ6TCjc N1 Aurora tugs the third fish away from Garry 18.41.13

https://youtu.be/rE6rVOwW4XU N2 Dorcha nibbles the tiny third fish before leaving with it 21.00.33

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/IhjvqpMq1S4   N1 Intruder Osprey flies right over the nest 2020 (slo-mo)

https://youtu.be/WW7IBGOOjLU  N1 Preparing the nest ready for the first hatch 2020

https://youtu.be/-v6-w-_3oDM   N1 Aila does a mid air transfer 2020 (slo-mo)

https://youtu.be/BsF44kBqGG0  N1 A close shave for Louis – Aila nearly takes his head off! 2020

https://youtu.be/wqUvCjMwwio  N1 Mumbrella: Aila protects her eggs during snow flurries 2020

https://youtu.be/yZkcVaa9o-A   N1 Affric (Blue 152) and The Stranger return 2021

https://youtu.be/UiJihpt7uEs  N2 Dorcha ignores the second fish and leaves without it 2023

https://youtu.be/fwGRG7NNI4o  N1 A Jay visits 2024

https://youtu.be/_xdZMQaEYA4  N2 Very late breakfast – fish number one 2024

https://youtu.be/L7wUZ2nkFqk  N1 Dawn tryst – successful mating for Garry and Aurora 2025

https://youtu.be/XEuoQfpCuVM N2 Dorcha leaves with fish number two in a beak-hold 2025

Everyone’s welcome at the Woodland Trust Osprey forum, whatever your level of Osprey knowledge – come and join our lively community:

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

Virus-free.www.avast.com

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!

Two ospreys perched on a large nest made of sticks, overlooking a parking lot and landscaped area in the background.
An osprey sitting in its nest made of twigs, overlooking a parking lot with trees and a train passing in the background.

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.

A sleeping orange tabby cat curled up on a cat tree, next to a black and white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel wearing an orange harness, both resting indoors.

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.

Rescue at Dale Hollow successful…late, late Friday in Bird World

8 May 2026

Hello Everyone,

First up – Happy Birthday to David Attenborough who is 100 today. What an incredible individual.

Second, remember that Saturday is Migratory Bird Day. Please take part in one of the counts, including the Cornell Bird Labs count. Check out their website.

It was 15 C with a gentle, albeit sometimes coolish breeze in Winnipeg today. The sky was blue with a few of those big cottonball clouds. Ring-billed Gulls were heard overhead flying between the two rivers in our City. In the garden, a host of White-crowned Sparrows were foraging and bathing. We have three bird baths up now, with notes to clean them every other day if not daily. Half a dozen Starlings were here along with the single Robin that visited the other day, a few Dark-eyed Juncos, flocks of sparrows, the Blue Jays and Crows. I am not good at identifying individual species of sparrows, so we just say ‘House Sparrows’!

Toby had his walk with us, and Ann arrived determined to make Don very tired with a solid two-and-a-half-hour walk at the zoo today. It worked!

One of the most troubling local news items is that the City and the Parks Department are culling goose eggs. There are ‘too many’ geese! I have criticised New Zealand for doing this, and now it is here, right at my favourite park. Didn’t someone tell them that Avian Flu took the lives of no fewer than 100,000 Canada Geese last fall in Manitoba’s north? We actually don’t know the full number of geese and other waterfowl that died, as many lakes in the north are quite remote. I was seething. I am not quite sure what the priority is for our City. New houses are going up on agricultural land. They are close together, identical, built quickly with few, if any, trees. The City is closing local wading pools in areas where the children need a free summer pastime. Crime rates are up, property theft is rampant, and drugs and weapons are always in the news. Winnipeg used to be relatively ‘sleepy’. Population growth, poverty, a lack of parenting for many reasons, including economic ones, where both parents have to work 2 or 3 jobs just to barely pay the bills, are contributors. I want to emphasise that I am referring to the ‘City’ government. In general, I am pretty happy with our provincial government. But enough…I do not have a television, and any news that I watch comes from YouTube live events. Watching birds and just sitting with my eyes closed, even for ten minutes, on the deck, listening to birdsong, is so nice. The violence that does make the news is hard to take and yet, I am reminded every day of the goodness of people.

The Lily Society is naming a Day Lily after our neighbour who died in a house fire. He was, as I understand it, one of the founding members and experimented with hybridising lilies. He had a lovely garden full of them. Today, they were removed and will become part of a memorial garden. Very thoughtful. Kindness also comes in the form of my neighbours working on my deck to make it safer and, of course, Jane feeding Brock and loving him. I am so grateful for this single block of individuals who could brighten anyone’s day.

Before we shift to Bird World news, I wanted to send a photo of our little herb and salad garden. It is doing very well. In a couple of weeks, we will be planting outside, but we will keep this one going constantly. From left to right, there is basil, dill, and then two different types of lettuce. I had to exchange the short dowels for the longer 45 cm ones yesterday. The dill is intense and very delicious.

A small indoor garden featuring various young herbs and leafy greens under LED grow lights.

I have had so much information backed up that I want to share with you. So there are a lot of files today – I hope that there is something of value for you.

Please mark Saturday in your calendars. It is World Migratory Bird Day.

Celebrating the World Migratory Bird Day in the East Asian Flyway. – K. Lisa Yang Center for ConservDownload

So what is World Migratory Bird Day?

AI answers: World Migratory Bird Day 2026 focuses on the theme “Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter!”, highlighting community science and citizen observations for bird conservation. The main peak days are Saturday, May 9, 2026 (Northern Hemisphere) and Saturday, October 10, 2026 (Southern Hemisphere), featuring global events and bird counting efforts like on eBird.

Key Aspects of 2026 Campaign:

  • Theme: The theme highlights the importance of individual contributions through citizen science to track and protect migratory birds.
  • Key Dates: May 9 and October 10, 2026, align with peak bird migration periods.
  • Activities: Participation includes monitoring, bird counting, and educational events.
  • Featured Events: A special 2026 event will take place on May 9th at Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada, including the “Wings of Survival” talk.
  • Global Participation: Coordinated by groups like Environment for the Americas, the campaign encourages recording sightings on eBird. World Migratory Bird Day +6

World Migratory Bird Day is a global effort to raise awareness about the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats.

If you live in or near NYC, here are some events on Saturday but do check out your local birding groups.

This Saturday is World Migratory Bird Day, a global migration celebration. Each spring and fall, birds travel anywhere from a few hundred miles to tens of thousands! You can see these amazing journeys on display right now as birds stop in our parks and green spaces to rest and refuel. 

Join our FREE outings throughout the boroughs to spot stunning spring migrants:

  • Manhattan: Drop-in Ecology Session at Jefferson Market Garden
  • Staten Island: Spring Birding at Conference House Park 
  • The Bronx: Birding at Soundview Park with The Bronx is Blooming 
  • Brooklyn: Spanish-English Birding at Sunset Park 
  • Queens: Exploring the QueensWay

It isn’t just the birds that need our help. Geemeff sent me the following to share with all of you.

This poor 46 year old Orangutan is alone in a concrete enclosure and has been that way most of her life. Opal has been offered a more suitable home but her owners have refused. It’s a truly dreadful situation for a sentient being, and completely unnecessary. 

https://www.change.org/p/free-opal-the-orangutan-from-natal-zoological-gardens-and-relocate-her-to-a-sanctuary

https://www.goodthingsguy.com/opal-is-trending-again-but-this-time-theres-hope

Thank you

With all that was happening on Thursday, there are so many other nests that simply didn’t get checked.

SK Hideaways captured the most incredible images of Monty and Hartley’s foursome! Take a peek. You will not be sorry. https://youtu.be/reg9uBNq8Dg?

We are so missing Annie and her families.

So not only check out Monty and Hartley’s amazing family but also the Wakefield Falcons in the UK. https://youtu.be/G9En47Jdiy4?

One of our independent environmental zines has staff that love birds. ‘Birds Just Wanna Have Fun’.

Birds just wanna have funDownload

What should you do if you find a baby bird?

What to do if you find a young bird in NYC | NYC Bird AllianceDownload

If you live near Hawk Mountain in PA, they have a fun day for meeting their raptors. Here is the information:

Memorial Day Raptors Up Close!

Mon, May 25 Programs at 10 AM & 2 PM

FREE

Hawk Mountain’s signature live raptor program, Raptors Up Close! offers the chance to see live hawks and owls, and to learn what puts these winged predators at the top of nature’s food chain. This program guarantees that you will see a live raptor during your visit and is appropriate for visitors of all ages.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 8th May 2026Another calm day on both nests today, with fish delivered, eaten, and in one case lost! Garry LV0 delivered two fish to Aurora 536 but unhappily she dropped the biggest one and sensibly ate most of the small second one on the nest before departing, leaving Garry to incubate their single egg. His tally now stands at fifty one fish. Louis delivered three fish to Dorcha, taking the nest total to forty seven and his own tally to forty five. Due to some stick 

manoeuvring, the three eggs on Nest Two are now visible but given the birds’ quest to make the perfect nest, future adjustments might well block the view again. Today’s bonus item is in honour of 

Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday: a documentary about Ospreys narrated by him and featuring Roy Dennis.Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/FE_fGP965Uo  N2 Louis doesn’t notice a tiny visitor after Dorcha left with fish one 08.01.09https://youtu.be/Ogyo5DjA4sM N2 A second fish arrives for Dorcha 16.14.44 

https://youtu.be/D59CzIY-hZU N1 Oh no! Aurora drops her fish then begs for more 16.24.25

https://youtu.be/M2I-QvKHSxE N1 Garry brings a second fish and Aurora holds on to it 18.32.31https://youtu.be/oNfoYP5BO1M N2 The three eggs are clearly visible as Dorcha gets fish three 20.59.01 

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/fv2-S7IAT7g  N1 Aila employs a tried and tested Louis-removal technique 2020

https://youtu.be/RydYvBR0m5I  N1 Aila invents a new Louis-removal technique 2020

https://youtu.be/Ys65Fgfu9sM  N1 Unusual visitor – a Twite (Linaria flavirostris) visits 2021

https://youtu.be/oMCTfmauWKA N2 First Owl-strike on Dorcha 2022

https://youtu.be/meJb_ovW0V8  N2 Second Owl-strike on Dorcha 2022

https://youtu.be/ea0yqDp1ups  N2 Third Owl-strike on Dorcha 2022

https://youtu.be/uecjKN_3VQI  N2 Late night fish supper arrives for Dorcha 2023 

https://youtu.be/WD9vJ3lVeMk N1 Garry LV0 & Aida pay a flying visit 2024  

https://youtu.be/ZrKyT_jo5DI  N2 Dorcha headbutts Louis to get him off the eggs 2024 (slo-mo repeat with zoom)https://youtu.be/Rq6jzQKsGi0 N2 Louis settles down to egg duty after delivering the first fish 2025 (zoom)https://youtu.be/tS6l2Py6V74 N1 Yet again Garry makes Aurora wait to get the fish 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

There is some concern at the Dale Hollow Nest that the adults have not returned to feed the three eaglets since the AEF removed the fishing line yesterday. I have not been able to watch that nest closely today to see whether any deliveries have been made. Maybe you know?

But for now a big thank you to the AEF who took over the Dale Hollow Nest after the two fiasco years of 2022 and 2023.

Facebook post announcing the successful removal of a fishing line from a bald eagle nest by the American Eagle Foundation and partners, highlighting teamwork and no injuries to the eagles.
Informational graphic about the dangers of discarded fishing line to wildlife, emphasizing the collaborative efforts of various organizations to protect birds and the importance of proper disposal.
Four young eagles in a nest among green leaves in a tree.

At the nest of Big Red and Arthur, there are two hatches that have survived a very soggy nest with damp. Big Red loves to give them ‘big’ bites. The first chick died trying to hatch, and I fear that this might well be the case with the last. We have to wait and see. There are, however, two fine little bobbleheads at present and a nest full of every kind of soggy prey.

A red-tailed hawk feeding its chicks in a nest made of twigs, with several small, fluffy hawklets visible among remnants of prey.

If you missed it, we do have two eggs at Iris’s nest!

Close-up of an osprey nest with two eggs, showcasing the unique coloration of the second egg.

Last, but never least, SK Hideaways gives us a smile from the nest of Jackie, Shadow, Sandy, and Luna: https://youtu.be/U-hHp0IQR4o?

Good night, everyone! Take care of yourselves. Remember the bird count on Saturday, but most importantly, go outside, look, listen, and smell the spring air. See you soon.

My guardian angel waiting for me to finish this so we can have a game of fetch before bed.

A black and white dog sleeping on a light gray couch with a textured blue pillow.

Thank you to all the contributors tonight – Geemeff, SK Hideaways, those who post on FB, the authors of all the amazing articles, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us into the lives of our beloved birds.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our Raptor females

7 May 2026

Hello Everyone,

Latest Update from Cornell: “The final Red-tailed Hawk egg began to show signs of hatching early on the morning on May 7 on day 36 of incubation. Watching closely, movement can be seen from the “pip,” or small hole in the egg, throughout the video. The hatching process can take 12–24 hours to complete, or longer in some cases.”

There is a rescue underway at Dale Hollow Eagle nest (see below).

I have to say that I have never been a ‘Hallmark Person’ – someone who sends cards and celebrates special days just because some company came up with an idea for making more and more money from us. This especially goes to Mother’s and Father’s Days because so many were raised by their Grandmothers who really were their Mums (like me, so mine could work), others had parents who died or abandoned them…sometimes when a day is happy for someone, it is a total sadness day for someone else.

That said, this year we are really going to give a shout out to the most incredible raptor Mum that I have seen in years. If I could send her a bouquet of fish and a card with fish that popped up, I would. They are all heroes who have overcome more challenges than we witness, but this year, a few stand out, and one, in particular.

The top Raptor Mum Award has to go to Jill at the Achieva Osprey Platform. I would love to know if anyone has witnessed a female leave their babies at such a young age when she realised that the little one was doing to die if more fish didn’t get on the nest.

So, let’s look back for a minute. Big hatched on 27 March, with Little following five days later, on 2 April. Yes, look at that spread. There were three eggs – Heidi and I have decided that Big was egg 1 and Little was egg 3.

The first time that Jill left the nest to catch a catfish was on the 15th of April. At the beginning, she only left the chicks around 1700-1800. She would leave and return in 25-30 minutes with a large catfish. As Jack’s deliveries diminished and the chicks’ need for more fish grew, Jill began going out twice a day. She would often wait to see if Jack would bring a morning fish, and if he hadn’t by 1030 or 1100, she would go fishing. Those trips to bring fish to the nest have now increased to three as she often now goes out after 1900.

Jill took a real risk leaving her tiny babies vulnerable. Jack was not there protecting them. He was not bringing food. Jill was starving. What choice did she have? Stay on the nest and watch her babies die? Abandon the chicks? She did neither. With bold determination, both babies appear to be growing and healthy. I wonder how many other osplets would have survived if their Mums would leave the nest and go and fish for them?

‘MP’ took this screen capture commenting what a beautiful wing pattern that it is —- and it is precisely perfect. Not a feather out of place!

An eagle stands in a nest made of twigs and branches, with its wings partially spread, surrounded by green trees in the background.

‘PB’ keeps a good eye on what Jill is doing – and how Little is growing bigger and bolder.

Two young owls sitting on a nest made of sticks and debris, with a view of the surrounding habitat.
A parent osprey with three chicks in a nest made of twigs and branches, surrounded by greenery.
A bird resting in a nest made of twigs and branches, surrounded by greenery and visible rooftops in the background.

My runner-up is Mrs T at the Trempealeau Bald Eagle nest, who, seeing her mate feed his chicks and another mate across the lake, was able to keep one of her eaglets alive by going out hunting and fishing.

A bald eagle, referred to as Mrs. T, is tucking a chick into a nest made of twigs and feathers while surrounded by greenery.

There are two notable senior females that we could not miss on this Mother’s Day – Iris and Big Red.

Iris is at least thirty years old.

An osprey perched on its nest made of twigs and branches, with a view of a parking lot and trees in the background during dawn.
A close-up view of an osprey sitting in its nest made of sticks, with a parking lot and trees in the background.

AI overview:

“Iris, the renowned 28-plus-year-old osprey at Hellgate Canyon, is estimated to have successfully fledged over 30 to 40 chicks in her lifetime. As of the 2024 season, she was still actively breeding, and she returned for the 2026 season to her nest at Missoula.

  • Total Lifetime Estimated Chicks: 30–40+
  • Recent Activity: In 2024, she successfully raised two chicks with her mate, Finnegan: Sum-eh and Antali.
  • Status: She is considered one of the oldest known living ospreys, nesting at the Hellgate Canyon site since at least the early 2000s. 

Iris has had several mates over her long residency in Montana, including Stanley, Louis, and her more recent mates, consistently returning to the same area to nest”.

There is a published book that I have that show the move from the utility pole to Iris’s current nest that had a good history and images. (I need to find it!)

The other is Big Red, the Red-tailed Hawk whose nest is on the Cornell Campus at Ithaca, New York. She hatched in 2003 and was banded in October of that same year at Brooktondale, New York. Her natal nest is 7 miles from her breeding nest. Her first mate is believed to be Ezra (he was on camera when it began in 2012) but, no one knows for sure. Big Red probably started breeding by 2006.

A red-tailed hawk sitting in its nest surrounded by twigs and remnants of food.
A red-tailed hawk is seen in a nest with three fluffy chicks and remains of prey.
A Red-tailed Hawk tending to its chicks in a nest, surrounded by twigs and remnants of prey.

Two separate AI entries, the first for Ezra and then Arthur:

AI:

“Big Red and her mate Ezra successfully raised 15 chicks together over the five years (2012–2016) they were followed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Cams. 

Key Details on Big Red and Ezra’s Offspring:

  • Timeframe: They nested together on the Cornell campus from 2012 until Ezra’s death in March 2017.
  • Consistency: The pair typically raised 3 chicks per year, with successful breeding seasons recorded on camera each year from 2012–2016.
  • Legacy: Ezra was known for his dedication to his family, often feeding the chicks and protecting them during harsh weather. 

After Ezra’s passing in 2017, Big Red paired with a new mate, Arthur, in 2018.”

“As of the end of the 2024 season, Big Red and her mate, Arthur, have successfully raised 20 chicks to fledging at Cornell University since pairing up in 2018. Known for regularly laying 3 eggs in many seasons, she has produced a high volume of chicks, often laying 4 eggs in 2022 and 2024. 

Key Details on Big Red’s Broods:

  • Total Fledged (approx. 2018–2024): 20 chicks.
  • Recent Seasons (2025–2026): In 2025, she laid 3 eggs. As of early May 2026, she is actively raising a new brood.
  • High-Volume Years: Big Red laid 4 eggs in 2022 and 2024.

Big Red is a highly successful Red-tailed Hawk monitored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Cams, and her nesting, egg-laying, and chick-rearing are tracked yearly. 

We know that Big Red also laid a clutch of 4 eggs in 2026 as we are watching that nest now. The first hatch died during hatch. It is unclear as of 7 May if the remaining egg is viable. There are two chicks on the nest, cute little bobble heads.

In my memory, only one chick failed to fledge til this year, and that was K3, who had an issue with their jaw. K3 was rescued but did not survive. E3 is an ambassador for Cornell. Several died from window collisions on campus and one from West Nile Virus, last year. They are not ringed so we do not know the dispersal area.

Other brief news:

Johnson City’s eaglets are almost ready to fledge.

Two young birds in a nest surrounded by greenery, taken from a camera at Johnson City.

Ruth and Oren’s little hawklets at Syracuse University are doing fine.

A mother hawk watches over her two fluffy chicks in a nest made of twigs and branches.

Rescue Underway!

Announcement of a planned intervention operation by the American Eagle Foundation to assist a bald eaglet entangled in fishing line at a nest in the Dale Hollow area.
Information about the American Eagle Foundation's efforts in wildlife rescue and the dangers posed to eagles by discarded fishing line.
A close-up image of a young bird with fluffy feathers resting in a nest made of twigs and leaves, surrounded by greenery.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 6th May 2026

Another calm routine day where not a lot happened, just fish deliveries and changeovers of egg-sitters. Garry LV0 brought Aurora 536 two fish, taking his tally to forty eight, and Louis brought one fish for Dorcha, taking the nest total to forty three. The weather was settled but is forecast to change to light rain showers with light winds overnight and through to tomorrow afternoon. Both nests fall under the Inver Mallie weather forecast area:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2646094.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/QO1-pGX75Lg N2 Dorcha’s fish does a flyby before Louis lands with it 13.41.35

https://youtu.be/XOC7oeyszfI N1 Garry finally brings the first fish 15.11.57

https://youtu.be/0WArpnJT-sM N1 Aurora gets an evening snack 20.39.17

Bonus action – local elections take place tomorrow in England, Scotland and Wales. When the results are in, please consider emailing the successful candidates to remind them of their campaign promises around trees and wildlife:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/protecting-trees-and-woods/campaign-with-us/elections/

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/rDDH4Z8zHEc  N1 Health and safety first, says Louis 2020

https://youtu.be/2ULJmAe1b5E  N1 Louis bashes Aila with a big stick 2020

https://youtu.be/hOnID1xMcys  N2 Coronation Day –  breakfast fit for a queen arrives 2023

https://youtu.be/usB2iBz2BQM  N2 Ringed Osprey visits 2023 (super slo-mo, zoom)

https://youtu.be/Dfmo_U46rCY  N2 Dorcha has a stretch and a squirt  2024

https://youtu.be/oI3R7TrjVHA  N1 A little Passerine visits 2024

https://youtu.be/sa-_Txps92s  N2 Throwing shapes – Louis and Dorcha are winging it 2024 

https://youtu.be/xG3Lh8YLrE8 N1 breakfast for Aurora and a bark surprise for Garry 2025

https://youtu.be/oLDAq_ILX7Y N2 Dorcha’s calls finally quieten as fish number two arrives 2025

https://youtu.be/gvIrP6Pu5Q4 N1 Garry brings a second fish and watches a jet go by 2025

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

Wish everyone well, that is going to help the near-to-fledge eaglet at Dale Hollow and send positive energy to Big Red’s nest for a successful last hatch! There is lots of food for three!!!!!! Arthur is keeping that nest well stocked, no matter the weather.

Take care everyone…remember to think of those who cared and raised you no matter their gender this coming weekend. See you soon.

Thank you to ‘MP and PB’ for allowing me to use their screen captures of Jill at Achieva and for keeping me in touch with her remarkable journey of motherhood. I am grateful to all the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of these birds and to the AEF for their determination to help eagles when possible. I am always grateful to Geemeff for their summaries and videos of the day’s happening at the two Loch Arkaig nests!

Iris lays her first egg of the 2026 season!!!!!!!

4 May 2026

The news is too good. Queen Iris has laid her first egg with her new mate. Oh, start counting the days til hatch!!!!!!

Oh, geez. I am over the moon.

A pair of ospreys perched on their nest, with a parking lot and greenery visible in the background.
Two ospreys perched on a nest made of twigs, with a parking lot and trees in the background.
An osprey resting in its nest, surrounded by twigs and pine needles.
An osprey is seen interacting with its egg in a nest, surrounded by twigs and greenery.
Close-up view of an osprey nest with a large, speckled egg and the legs of an osprey parent nearby.

Thank you to the Cornell Bird Lab and Montana Osprey Project for their streaming cam allowing us to witness this historic event.