Tag Archives: name the Collins Marsh chick

Oriental Storks survive fire

The number of wildfires burning during the summer of 2021 has boosted concern for the birds and wildlife being impacted. For the past three days there has been constant reporting in Europe on the state of migrating storks passing over Greece. They are dying or, if not dead, being taken into care for smoke inhalation. It is tragic. In Canada and the Pacific Northwest, nestlings died during the heat wave at the end of May that triggered a number of fires. Some Coopers hawks in that region began jumping out of their nests when temperatures reached almost 50 degrees C.

When an area begins to burn, most of the birds will fly away from the fire to a nearby safe spot. Not all birds can fly – nestlings will be killed. Smoke inhalation may cause long term damage to the lungs of the birds and, as we have seen in 2020 in the SW United States and now in Greece, fires impact birds that are migrating. The fires and smoke can kill them. Indeed, there have been so many fires in recent years that it is difficult not to remember specific birds that have been impacted. Anyone watching Iniko as the forest around his Redwood nest burned during the Dolan Fire will understand the problem as well as those who saw the koalas caught in the fires in Australia. Birds and animals get displaced during fires and while the forests will grow and again provide shelter and food, it is the immediate impact – loss of nests and nestlings, the heat, death or smoke damaging lungs that is so horrific. No one appears to know the long term impact of smoke inhalation on birds.

On the 13th of May 2019 a male Far Eastern Stork saved his five storklings in Siberia. It made news around the world. Humans started the fire. The lesson the video teachs us is that artificial bird nests should be made out of materials that will survive wildfires. I wonder how high they should be to afford the benefit that the nest below does to Father Stork and his five babies.

Each of you has seen the storks in Europe who love to be around humans. They roost and make their nest on the homes of humans and sometimes, even are cared for by humans. The Far Eastern or Oriental Stork, Ciconia boyciana) does not like to be around humans. It will make its nest as far away from us as it can. Sometimes on the outskirts of forest areas, near lakes and marshes so it can feed its young.

The Oriental Stork is larger than the European White stork. Normally weighing 2.8 to 5.9 kg (or 6.2 to 13 lbs). It has a wingspan of 2.2 metres (7.3 ft). You can immediately tell the difference between a European White Stork and an Oriental stork by the red skin around the eye of the Oriental Stork, the whitish iris and its black bill.

“Oriental Stork” by ltshears is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

The Far Eastern or Oriental stork is is extremely rare. It used to live in Russia, areas of China, and in Japan and Korea. Today, it is found only in the eastern areas of Russia where 95% breeds in the Amur-Heilong river area. It winters on Yangtze River in China. The other small percentage of birds breed in the Northeast of China. There is good reason for the stork not to trust humans. It was poached, it was shot, and it was killed by herbicide use.

“東方白鸛 (Ciconia boyciana#Oriental Stork)” by Lin Sun-Fong is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Here is a time lapse image of our hero’s nest from wee storklings to fledge. It is very short. Have a look at those babies fly off! They are gorgeous.

This morning was a great one. It looks like the little Osprey on the Collins Marsh nest in Wisconsin had a nice crop! Malin woke up and found an old fish tail and ate it – oh, this chick reminds me so much of Tiny Tot at the Achieva Nest. Then Dad flew in with either a small fish or ? . It appeared Malin ate it all and then Mom flew in and fed Malin some more fish. An hour of so later, Dad flew in with another fish for Malin to self-feed. Gosh. Malin with a crop! It is rare like the Far Eastern or Oriental Stork. So happy!

And then Dad flew in with another fish. Fantastic. What a great beginning of the day. It is not even noon yet on the nest. Dad looks like he has a good crop, too.

My friend ‘S’ from Hawaii gave me a gift last night. She didn’t realize how special it was. She sent me the link to a documentary on YouTube. It is the story of a young man who decades later returns in his 60s to document the Philippine Eagles. The scenery in the forests of the Philippines is gorgeous as are the other animals that live there. So instead of a Netflix moment next time, why not check this out? The Cornell Bird Lab helped with the production. Here is the link to the trailer:

To watch the full movie, go to “Birds of Prey Philippine Eagle full movie” on YouTube. They will not allow me to embed the link to the full length movie on this blog.

There is another 25 minute documentary on the Philippine Eagle here:

Check out those amazing birds!

All of the birds seem to be doing what they always do! Tiny Little is on the Foulshaw Moss Nest wanting prey. She is now the most dominant bird on that nest. Another great third hatch. So far our worries are only with the Storks leaving for their migration who are passing over Greece. Voting continues at the Collins Marsh nest for the chick that a group of us have been calling Malin meaning ‘little warrior’. There is still time to vote. Head over to the Neustadter Nature Centre FB page and the second posting. You will see the names. Add your choice of a name in the comments. Don’t like, write the name in. So far, Malin is leading the pack of votes but, not by much. The sea eagles are fine and Dad’s injuries are looking good.

Thank you for joining me this morning. Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the Collins Marsh Osprey Cam where I took my screen shots and to ‘S’ who sent me the link to Birds of Prey.

Featured image is the Philippine Eagle. Here is the credit to the person who took this beautiful image: “Philippine Eagle” by billydl is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Oh, Malin!

The Collins Marsh Osprey chick is due to get an official name. Suggested names have been turned in and voting should begin tomorrow for the name. Please go to the Neustadter Nature Center FB page and cast your vote. Here is the link to that FB page. Be patient if the names are not up on Tuesday. However, check back often because the voting will be open for only a short time.

https://www.facebook.com/Neustadter-Nature-Center-at-Collins-Marsh-140052786074932

Since ‘S’ came up with the name Malin meaning “little warrior”, everyone from the Achieva Osprey chat group has called this little one ‘Malin.’ It is difficult to let a name go once it imprints itself in one’s mind. My children could not say ‘Granny’ when they were talking about my grandmother, they said ‘Candy.’ And so, in her 80s, that is what she was called for the rest of her life – not only by my children but, by everyone. And so, it might well be the same for Malin.

Malin’s parents are Collins and Marsha – named after Collins Marsh. Malin hatched on approximately 16 June making him 55 days old today.* That means Malin is one day shy of his 8-week hatch birthday.

Sometimes fish deliveries are good and some times they are abysmal. Malin had no food from early evening Saturday until Monday morning. There were two deliveries Monday morning. It was the third delivery that roused my interest. I have taped several short segments of that feeding. It is better if you watch the one-minute clips than my trying to describe them. Pay close attention to Malin’s behaviour. The fish arrived around 6:43 pm (there is no time on the streaming cam).

Act 1: Fish Delivery

Act 2. Malin is ravenous.

Act 3. Malin wants every morsel of fish!

Act 4: Malin and Mom finish off the fish.

After Malin finishes eating, s/he is so energized. She begins flapping her wings. Watch out Mom!

According to Alan Poole, the female Osprey loses between 10-15% of their body weight during the nestling period. Only when a piece of food is too large or when the chick/s stop food calling will she take bites for herself. He says, “It seems likely that the female parents are hungry much of the time they are raising young, especially as the young get older and take more food.” Certainly that is what we are seeing on the Collins Marsh nest today.

In terms of growth, Osprey chicks triple their body weight during their first 8 days after hatching. They will double this, on average, in the next four days. From 15 to 30 days after hatch, the Osprey nestlings “gain an average of forty grams or .09 lbs, about 2-3% of their body weight, every day,” says Poole. At the end of the 30 days, Osprey chicks will be 70-80% of their adult weight. On average, the Osprey nestling will take its first flight between 50 and 60 days. There are two exceptions to that timing: if the bird hatched on a non-migratory nest or if the chick had less food.

Malin is definitely in a migratory nest but, Malin is behind in development because of a lack of food. Precisely how far behind is unclear. Still, growth is clearly evident. Today there were four distinct dark bands on the tail with a 5th peeking through. The feathers are coming in nicely but they are not fully formed. Roy Dennis says that the full set of juvenile feathers should have grown in at 6 weeks. Malin, at 8 weeks, is still working on his.

Malin is clearly not ready to take his first flight. He is beginning to exercise his wings. Fledglings normally remain on the nest for at least a month after their first flight. This time helps them hone their flying skills. During this period, the male parent provides the fish. Fledglings do not normally catch their first fish until they begin migration – that said there are always exceptions to the rule. Migration for the Wisconsin Ospreys normally begins around the end of August or the beginning of September. Let us all wish that Malin is fed and afforded the time to perfect his flying before he has to leave the nest for his journey south.

There is really positive news coming out of Hawaii that I want to share with you. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is installing glow-in-the-dark diverters on electricity lines to try and stop seabirds that fly at night from crashing into the lines. By the end of 2021, the utility company expects to have installed 773 power line spans to help protect the Hawaiian Petrel, Newell’s Shearwater, and the Band-rumped Storm Petrel. Already Hawaii has banned the release of helium balloons.

“Hawaiian petrel chick in its burrow. Photo credit: Andre Raine/Kaua’i Endangered Seabird Recovery Project” by USFWS Pacific is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
“Band-rumped Storm-Petrel” by JulioM. is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

It has been a good day. Thunder woke me up early on Monday and we had some nice downpours. Then the heavy rain changed to showers. Now the thunder and the pouring rain have started again. Every blade of grass has turned emerald green, the bushes and trees have all perked up, and the birds sang as loud as they could at dusk. It is simply wonderful!

Thank you so much for joining me. Everyone take care. See you soon.

Thanks go out to the Collins Marsh Nature Centre for their Osprey streaming cam where I took my video clips. A big thank you to ‘S’ who alerted me to the actions of the utility company on Kauai to divert night flying sea birds away from their power lines.

Streaming cams need emergency contact information!

Live-Streaming Wildlife cams need to post emergency contact information. That is the minimum that should be on their site and it should appear clearly at the top so when an incident occurs, help can be summoned quickly. Saving minutes can be crucial to saving the bird or animal.

This past July the need for quick action happened when the second Osprey to be re-nested on the Patuxent Osprey Cam 2 fell off the nest into the water. Immediately people on the chat, who heard the splash, set about trying to get in touch with someone to help. The problem was the “time” of the event. The office for Patuxent River Park had just closed for the weekend. Individuals from as far away as Hawaii began calling the various wildlife agencies in Maryland to get help for the chick. Luckily someone knew to contact Katherine Dami who rushed out and with her significant other were able to get the chick back in the nest. The chick was saved and Katherine said they were lucky that the tide had not come in! The Park has since posted an e-mail contact which Katherine told me is monitored by staff.

Since this incident, several others have come to my attention. One of the most touching is of a White-tailed Eaglet at its nest in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia. ‘R’ who was so kind to send me the detailed information said that this rescue, despite being three years ago, remains clear in her mind.

Here is a video of the eaglet falling out of the nest at 6:37 am 22 June 2018. The eaglet’s name was Knips and its parents are Cilla, the female, and Osis, the male. The sibling in the nest with Knips is Bossa.

As you watch, I want you to imagine that this could be any other nest. Would you want an emergency number at the very top so you can see it to call immediately?

Bossa comes near to Knips. Perhaps Bossa is wanting a bone or a piece of prey. Knips slips over the edge of the nest. This is witnessed on a live streaming cam. You see this. What do you do? What can you do if there is no urgent contact information? no active chat? a chat but no moderator?

It is very fortunate that the chat for the nests cared for by the Latvian Fund for Nature are monitored. This is very important. Many chat rooms are not monitored and there is no emergency information for the nest if something happens. The local vet, Janis Kuze, was contacted immediately. Lucky for Knips, he contacted and drove Ugis Bergmanis, Senior Latvian Environmental Expert and a renowned European eagle expert, to the nest site. Within two hours, Knips was in care at Bergmanis’s rehabilitation centre which is located near to this nest site. Just as heart warming was the response to the call for fish to feed Knips – more than 20 kilos arrived immediately. How generous.

My contact, ‘R’, says: “It helps that there are in fact two forums (the Estonian Looduskalender and the Latvian Dabasdati) associated to the Baltic nests
and there are active chats and via the forum every member can contact someone who knows how to contact a responsible. And the helpful people are numerous and dedicated.”

Here is the image of Knips being released. What a joyful day for everyone this must have been. It certainly brings little tears to my eyes.

Knips and ‘Silo Chick’ are not the only birds ever to fall out of a nest. Each of you reading this might have a story or two, maybe more. It is horrifying watching something unfold like this. One gets quite anxious if they want to help and do not know how.

As you can also see from above, the active chats at both Putaxent and the White Tail Eagle Cam in Latvia are the front line of what I will call “immediate nest knowledge.” Chatters love the birds. They care for them as if they were their own family. It is essential for the health of the birds and animals on these live streaming cams that an easy-to-locate emergency number be provided if there is no moderator or responsible party on the chat 24/7. That number can be the local wildlife rehabilitation officer if they have a 24 hour emergency line – but that number needs to be the individual who will be responsible for getting help for the birds or animals.

There are other aspects of wildlife streaming cams that make the experience of watching more pleasurable. Information about the birds and their history help people care – and some, like me, love data. I want to know the history of the couple, the dates the eggs were laid, and the hatch dates. I would like a link to a full biography of the birds and a full history. Active FB groups help with individuals contacting one another if something happens on the nest. A reader noticed something not right in a nest and realized that an individual on the FB group lived nearby. They were contacted and able to assist the event to a happy ending. Every connection counts! The community of animal and bird watchers and lovers is about sharing information and observations, discovering new birds or animals – knowledge and educational sharing – as well as helping the animals and birds that need our help. As ‘S’ said to me, “letting our voices be known to change the world of birds and other animals for the better.”

So if you know a steaming cam or a FB group get involved. Help them make their streaming cam site “user friendly” in case of an emergency while, at the same time, adding current and historical information for educational purposes. Thanks!

In other news, the Collins Marsh chick that we have been calling ‘Malin’ will be getting an official name. To add a name suggestion please go to the Neustadter Nature Centre at Collins Marsh FB page (you don’t have to be a member of their group) and add your suggestion in the comments. Scroll down a little to get to the topic. You do not have to support ‘Malin’ but if you do – it means ‘little warrior’ and he certainly is going to have to be one.

Malin went without food all day Sunday. This morning a small fish was delivered and he practically sucked it up he was so hungry. I hope that Collins and Marsha will get out fishing and bring some more on to the nest for Malin. Thanks, ‘S’ for digging deep to find the names of these parents!

Do any of my readers live in this area of Wisconsin? I notice that there is a trend of little food during the weekend. Is there a reason for this? Are the rivers and lakes full of people and boats?

This was the first feeding today for Malin.

A second fish came in just a few minutes ago – around 3:05pm nest time. Malin could hardly contain herself.

This is great behaviour – the mantling. Since Malin is the only chick on the nest she has to learn to protect her fish!

On another topic, please look at how well these feathers are developing on this little one. There is an angel watching over this wee osprey.

Mom is getting the message – Malin is hungry!

According to ‘S’, Malin sucked that fish up in 8 minutes!

Our “Not so Tiny Little” on the Foulshaw Moss Osprey nest was waiting for White YW to deliver one of his whopper’s this afternoon.

Tiny Tot on the Achieva Nest became one of the most elegant Ospreys that I had ever seen. Tiny Little is becoming more gorgeous as each day passes. My heart still skips a beat when I think of these two – they thrived! Against the odds. It is a good lesson for all of us to never give up.

Thank you so much for joining on a day when it poured rain and is now lightly raining on the Canadian prairies. It is so wonderful – I don’t care if every joint in my body aches. Take care all, see you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Collins Marsh Osprey Cam, Cumbrian Wildlife Trust and the Foulshaw Moss Osprey Nest, and the Latvian Fund for Nature. I want to thank ‘R’ for the information about the rescue of Knips, for the links to the videos, and the images – what a wonderful rescue of that little white tail eaglet by the community. I also want to thank ‘S’ for her fabulous sleuthing.

Pair Bonding

The term ‘Pair bonding’ was first used in the 1940s. In terms of birds, it refers to a long-lasting relationship that results in breeding, care of one another, the nestlings and fledglings.

Pair bonding is “reinforced by ritual behaviour.” That is a very simple definition. A good example of on going pair bonding, is the ‘Morning Duet’ of Lady and Dad on the White Bellied Sea Eagle nest in Sydney, Australia. In fact, the rituals associated with pair bonding often occur at various intervals as a means of reinforcing the relationship not just before breeding.

This is Lady and Dad doing their duet together.

Pair bonding rituals also take place as many ‘bird couples’ prepare to begin their long migration. Working on nests is also happening, preening one another is on the rise. It reminds me of certain war movies where the couples seal their relationship as the male heads off to the field of battle – that sealing often consisting of an engagement ring or a promise to wait for the other. It is precisely the same with our birds. In this instance, both will migrate and each will hope that the other returns to the nest in the spring to renew their bond.

Aran has undertaken any number of sky dances with fish deliveries for Mrs G this week at their nest in the Glaslyn Valley.

Blue 022 and CJ7 continue to work on a nest in the midst of sky diving, fish deliveries, and mating. Sadly, they have chosen one of the Poole Harbour nests that doesn’t have a camera! Still, it is wonderful that they have remained together since spring and that brings promise to everyone that osprey chicks will hatch in Poole Harbour once again.

This evening, my friend, ‘R’ sent me the links to the two short videos below. It seems that Bukacek, the single father White Stork, in Mlade Buky and his new love, are sealing ‘the deal’. You can see some of the community coming out to watch – what a happy ending to such a tragic season for Bukacek.

Xavier and Diamond, the resident bonded pair of Peregrine Falcons whose scrape box is on top of the water tower of Charles Sturt University, are not migrating. Indeed, they are just beginning their breeding season. They continue to pair bond in the scrape. Here is a short video clip I made today so you can see this ritual:

According to the Falcon Cam Project of Dr Cilla Kinross, the average date for the first egg is 27 August. Here is the historical information for Diamond:

  • 2015 with Bula. 31 August, 2 September, 6 September
  • 2016 with Bula. 31 August, 2 September, 6 September
  • 2017 with Xavier. 26 August, 28 August, 31 August
  • 2018 with Xavier. 20 August, 22 August, 24 August
  • 2019 with Xavier. 28 August, 31 August, 2 September
  • 2020 with Xavier. 27 August, 29 August, 1 September

It is going to be so exciting when the little white balls of fur hatch. Can’t wait!

Other Nest News:

Some of us watching Malin on the Collins Marsh Osprey Cam are simply left shaking our heads. The female has been absent from the nest the last three Saturday nights in a row. There is no perch to the nest (they seriously need one). In addition, fish delivery just goes ‘off’ at the weekend. Malin slept alone through a thunder storm with lighting and rain last night and did not receive a single fish today – Sunday. Oh, I can hear you thinking that Ospreys do not need to eat every day and you are absolutely right. In fact, Tiny Tot on the Achieva Nest had 12 full 24-hour days that she did not get food. Often the parents teach the chicks that food does not always come every day. Still, the weekend pattern with this pair of adults mystifies me. Both came to the nest for short spurts without fish today. Malin was food calling (finally) late in the day. She is such a sweet little Osprey – and everyone is delighted that her droopy wing and feathers seem to be filling in and correcting themselves. So, once again, let’s put the optimist’s hat on and hope that there will be 5 fish deliveries tomorrow for Malin! Come on Mom and Dad prove me wrong and bring 6 big ones.

Malin’s beautiful feathers quickly dried out.

At one point, Malin was so excited when Mom arrived that she began to flap her wings and so some little hops. It is reassuring to see those feathers improve every day. We are all hoping for some big fish for your tomorrow, Malin!

A few of us have been calling the Collins Marsh chick, Malin which means ‘mighty little warrior’. That is because it had neither a number or a name. The Neustadter Nature Center at Collins Marsh is having an official naming contest. My friend ‘S’ just told me about this. I am so sorry it is such short notice but please go to their FB site and enter a name in the comments. Put in your favourite name – it doesn’t have to be Malin! I want the Nature Centre to see that there are many people, from around the world, interested in these Ospreys! But be fast. The names must be in by closing time tomorrow, Monday, 10 August. Here is the link where you can go and simply add a name in the thread:

https://www.facebook.com/Neustadter-Nature-Center-at-Collins-Marsh-140052786074932

After Monday, the names will be short listed. Please go back to this FB site and vote for your favourite. Thank you!

There are now three eggs in the Port Lincoln Osprey Nest. They were laid on 3, 6, and 9 August. That means that there is already six days between the first and the last. This nest always makes me nervous because of its history of siblicide. But, I am going to strike an optimistic note this year and take a wait and see attitude.

The White Rock Fire that was threatening Dr Christian Sasse’s property where he live streams his programmes on Ospreys and Bald Eagles is no longer out of control. Rain and the gallant efforts of the firefighter’s seem to have stifled this wildfire. This is great news for all the people and the wildlife. Let us hope that rain pours down on all the wildfires.

Thank you for joining me. It is so nice to have you here. Please go on line and put in a name for the little chick. Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots and video clips: Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Collins Marsh Nature Centre, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Sea Eagles, Birdlife Australia and the Discovery Centre, Falcon Cam Project at Charles Sturt University and Dr C Kinross.