It’s raining – again. We had 114 mm of rain, and some large commercial and apartment buildings near where I live had more than 60 cm of water in their basement. My daughter still does not have power after the storm hit last night. I was lucky. I have power and no water or sewer in my basement (I finally checked). Toby and I went out for a last walk. Toby just amazes me. He is smarter than many humans that I know.
He wanted to be in bed with his ‘daddy’ today. Don is doing well, but he will have to do a lot of physiotherapy to get him strong enough to walk again. Please take a page out of the phrase, ‘If you don’t use it, you will lose it’. Besides nature being good for our mental health, walking is essential to keep us moving!
Thank you for all your good wishes. They keep me going.
There is concern growing for the male mate of the female incubating four eggs at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne. This is the message from Victor Hurley:
C22 is still at Charlo! Then Charlie must still be home, too.
Iris is still home, too! One of the individuals saw her and posted it on the website so we would know she was still around.
Idris continues to deliver to the girls at the nest. I was only able to catch Elsi on the nest today for two fish (flat – flounder?).
Fish are still being delivered to 0U0 by Dad at the Usk Valley nest in Wales.
Frankie and Angel are on migration and a pine marten visits the nest.
Viki sends news on Junior. “After calling and calling last Friday and watching Dad retrieve a fish (two times in the course of the day) to eat himself, but NOT retrieving any fish I threw for him to take to his chick, Junior finally left the nest, and no one has been in it since.
Dad tried with every unretrieved fish I threw to show Junior how to fly over the fish – but Junior wouldn’t get off that nest. Until finally we all gave up and left. Then he did too.
Junior never tried to retrieve a fish that I threw for himself, so I’m not so sure that the live fish I saw him with a couple times didn’t actually come from Mom or Dad. I don’t know.
Dad was still flying about this morning – Monday – and also the male of the nest next door (Mr. Perfect) is still guarding his territory which is being completely disrupted on shore by new home construction – but no Junior or food calling since Friday.
So, I am assuming the best !!!”
I think this is good news from Tweed. I worried about Christopher, but both juveniles (his sister is Kirsti) seem to be doing well and fighting like siblings! Both have protected the nest from intruders who want their fish.
Thank you so much for being with us. Toby and I are going to watch a movie and relax. Take care.
Thank you to everyone who posted information and images on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us glimpse into the challenging lives of our raptors. I also want to thank Viki for her great reporting and for keeping an osprey family alive so that their one surviving chick could live and migrate. She is my hero.I am always grateful to SK Hideaways for their great videos.
This posting will be short. It has been an eventful morning. It looks like we might have another storm and rain coming, too. Last evening, in less than an hour, we got 114 mm of rain. It flooded so many streets, underpasses, and basements. The sky is growing darker. It is quite warm and humid and the garden looks like a tropical rainforest instead of a normal prairie urban lot.
The good news. I spoke with Don’s new medical doctor at the hospital. After observing him with me and Ann and our family and friends, the hospital team has determined that the absolute best place in the world for Don is at home. We have done everything right, enriching his life well beyond most could ever dream of in a care facility. They are beginning physiotherapy to get him mobile and I will have a portable ultrasound machine to determine if his bladder is full and his brain can’t talk to his bladder. I will have access to a nurse to come and rectify that situation until such time as his prostrate can be removed. What a relief – and what help. We are elated. This also means that my cleaning out goes into high gear! I will not be posting tomorrow but I wanted to let you know as my heart has skipped so many happy beats with your love and support.
Second, Diamond has laid her second egg of the season. I believe that SPO has the best content so here it is in full and you should consider signing up for their newsletter if you do not receive it already.
The good news keeps coming from Orange, New South Wales. Diamond has laid her second egg of the 2026 peregrine falcon breeding season, just two days after producing her first at the Charles Sturt University FalconCam nest.
Diamond laid egg #1 at 7:25 a.m. on September 5. Egg #2 followed on September 7, growing the clutch to two and keeping her remarkably close to the roughly 60-hour interval that is typical at this nest.
The second egg adds another happy turn to a weekend that had already delivered plenty of action. After Diamond laid her first egg, Gimbir arrived, inspected the newest addition and then took off after one of the sulphur-crested cockatoos that had followed him toward the nest.
Gimbir Meets His First Egg
Gimbir arrived at the nest about an hour after Diamond laid the egg, apparently with sulphur-crested cockatoos helping hurry him along. Once inside, he had his first opportunity to see what had changed.
There it was in the gravel: the pair’s first egg of 2026.
For Gimbir, this breeding season has already involved courtship, food deliveries and plenty of time around the nest with Diamond. Now all that preparation had produced something very real. Diamond’s first egg had arrived. The quiet introduction didn’t last long. Those cockatoos were still around.
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Cockatoos Turn the Celebration Into a Chase
Sulphur-crested cockatoos are a familiar part of the skies around Orange, and they certainly weren’t giving the new father much peace that morning.
After his visit with Diamond and the egg, Gimbir left the nest and went after one of the cockatoos.
Suddenly, the morning had everything. Diamond had laid the first egg. Gimbir had come in to inspect the newest addition to the nest. And moments later, the peregrine tiercel was back in the air on the tail of a cockatoo. It was a wonderfully fitting start to the next stage of the Orange falcons’ season.
A Long Wait Ends for Diamond and Gimbir
The first egg had been building toward this moment for some time. Gimbir has been bringing Diamond food and spending increasing amounts of time around the nest. Diamond, meanwhile, has repeatedly worked the gravel scrape where the pair’s eggs are laid.
Those little signs have now become an egg. For Diamond, laying it was no small task. Egg laying requires considerable physical effort from a female peregrine, and the close confines of the nest make that effort easy to see. Once it was over, Diamond finally had the first member of her 2026 clutch resting in the scrape. And she was not be finished.
Diamond Lays Her Second Egg
Diamond didn’t keep Orange waiting for long. Her second egg arrived on September 7, two days after the first. Eggs at the Orange nest average about 60 hours apart, with recorded intervals ranging from roughly 46 to 75 hours.
With two eggs now resting in the scrape, attention turns to whether Diamond will produce a third. The FalconCam Project had expected another egg or two after her first, so the 2026 clutch may still grow. If Diamond follows the same general rhythm, another egg could arrive within the next few days. For now, though, Diamond and Gimbir have two.
Two Eggs Change the Picture in Orange
Only a few days ago, the signs were subtle: Gimbir bringing food, Diamond spending time in the scrape and the pair strengthening their bond. Now there are two eggs in the gravel.
Diamond’s first egg officially began the next stage of the season. Her second has made the possibility of another Orange peregrine family feel much more tangible. There may still be another egg to come. After Diamond completes the clutch, the long incubation watch begins, followed by the hope of hatching later in the season.
And Gimbir? The new father has already brought food, checked on the first egg and chased a cockatoo away from the neighbourhood. His 2026 parenting résumé is getting colourful very quickly.
I hope each of us has found time to relax and enjoy the weekend. These past weeks I have made some ‘resolutions’. The last time that Don was in the hospital at the end of December, I wore myself out going every day because the nurse said that I was the only ‘thing’ that calmed him down. He was quite mobile at the time and would walk up and down the hall with his little bag wanting to come home. It broke my heart so I was there twice a day. This time, things are different. And this is something I want to explore. He is not mobile. So what happened? I learned that wearing yourself out is not helpful either to you or the person you are caring for. Remember to always following the airline directions: put on your oxygen mask first! So, this episode, I have tried to make certain that there is someone to visit and help every other day – I am there on the other days. His visit went well with his friend today and everyone is taking fruit and Ginger Ale – hydration and soething familiar. He drank so much liquids at home and was never dehydrated so this is to help combat that at the hospital!
Toby needed a new stroller. He grew out of the little one. I really do hope he is finished growing. He turned 17 months old yesterday. I think we can even go to the market!
Hope has discovered it is a ‘safe’ place. Hugo Yugo (darn that orange cat) woke everyone up, attacking her around 0300. Toby took great exception to what was going on and probably woke all the neighbours up with his barking. (Toby rarely barks, but when he hears a cat howling in pain or someone is at the door – or always he will bark at the door when we are leaving for a walk).
There are so many tributes to Jackie – some are good, and some aren’t. I am really looking forward to SK Hideaways video highlighting Jackie’s life. I am encouraging a tribute to the Channel Islands eagles, especially Chase & Cholyn. These eagles often get overlooked and we have to remember they have been together for more than two decades!
SK Hideaways Videos, Week of August 30, 2026 367 Collins Street Falcons ~ Melbourne ~ F24 & M24 Courtesy Victorian Peregrine Project South Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibsohQ14cY North Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKk0ivuWe4 Mum Gives Camera “The Look” as She Lays 4th Egg PLUS Dad’s 1st Peek ~ 2026 Aug 30 Mum welcomed egg #4 with occasional glances at the camera. We apologized for the intrusion, but extended heartfelt congratulations. Dad arrived in the pre-dawn hour to give mum a break. This should complete their clutch and begin the countdown to hatch, which is typically 30-35 days. Video: https://youtu.be/3lP6i-JjETw
Shadow & Kaydee’s Evening Nest Meet-Up & Tug-o-Stick Before Roost Time ~ 2026 Sep 3 Shadow and Kaydee met up for some stick shuffling, a little bumping and beaking, plus tug-o-stick shenanigans. They once again retired to the Roost Tree for the night. Video: https://youtu.be/QYcg4SWqlBM
Kaydee Returns to Nest for 2nd Night, Shadow Follows ~ Flirty Antics Ensue ~ 2026 Sep 1 Kaydee returned to the nest for the second night in row, but unlike last night, tonight she had company. Shadow joined Kaydee on the nest, where they shuffled sticks, bumped beaks, and chortled. Kaydee was more flirty than Shadow, but he wasn’t too resistant to her attention. We cannot know what will happen when nesting season begins toward the end of the year, but watching Shadow and Kaydee during this transitional time in both their lives is a gift and fascinating. Video: https://youtu.be/zrLbwsGKqDs
Kaydee Shuffles Nest SticksMeets Shadow on Roost Tree ~ 2026 Aug31 Kaydee spent some time exploring the nest tree canopy and bowl before meeting up with Shadow on the Roost Tree. They shared a perch briefly, before Kaydee retired to a lower perch overnight.
Sydney WB Sea Eagles ~ Australia ~ Lady, Dad, SE37 (hatched 13 August), and SE38 (hatched 14 August) Courtesy Sea-EagleCAM@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park (https://www.sea-eaglecam.org/video.html) Nest cam also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw4pdgy3-U0 SE38’s MASSIVE Crop3 Days in a Row PLUS A Dual Feeding by Lady & Dad ~2026 Sep 4-6 Over the course of 3 days and an increase in food brought to the nest, SE37 grew less aggressive and SE38 grew more confident. There was a marked difference in SE38’s appearance and behavior in this time, not to mention a bulging crop. Cautiously optimistic SE38 has turned the corner. Video: https://youtu.be/j4u9wW6l8og
Lady’s Persistence Gets SE38 a BIG Meal ~ Finally ~ 2026 Aug 31 It has been a rough few days for sea eaglet SE38. At 17 days old, the subordinate eaglet has struggled to get food due to sibling SE37’s dominance. But on this evening, SE37 was very full and mum Lady was very persistent. The result was that SE38 got a very good feeding and went to bed with a full crop. Here’s to more days like this one. Video: https://youtu.be/gjJ01khy2fA
Two Harbors Eagles ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Cholyn & Chase (28 years old; mated pair for 23 years) Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Cholyn & Chase Chortle& Chillby the Seaside ~ 2026 Sep 3 While Cholyn and Chase have been on summer vacation, we’ve missed seeing them regularly, so today’s sightings were a special treat. In the morning Chase met up with Cholyn on her seaside perch. Later cam ops found her on the cactus perch. Every sighting a gift. Video: https://youtu.be/pIqjY1b2vDk
I am so pleased that there are videos of the Australian raptor families. SE 38 has had huge crops for the last three days! No worries there.
The last of the chicks at Glaslyn migrated. Teifi got to eat a fish – finally – in peace and quiet.
Beau and Gabby are really finishing off their nest, and it is only the beginning of September! I wonder when the first egg will be laid. Will it be November or earlier, with this being a year of high heat on the planet? Bald Eagle Live Nest Cams has them working hard on video: https://youtu.be/2FM-2ZToL3E?
Idris is still delivering fish at Dyfi. The girls are now 101 days old – the first time that two fledglings have remained at the nest past 100 days before migrating.
At Poole Harbour, Blue 6T8 had really kept her dad, Blue 022 busy with fish. She was last seen early this morning and then poof – gone?
Alan Stewart’s book on a killing of a man walking his dog:
I’m going to say good bye. It is nearly 1700 and we are expecting rain and storms this evening. Toby and I have recycling duty to get finished.
Take care everyone. Have a good start to the week. See you soon.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for those great videos, to the owners of the streaming cams we are always grateful as you allow us to get upset stomachs, buy too many tissues, and jump for joy at the events in the lives of our bird families. Thank you to Raptor Persecution UK for their meticulous reporting on raptor persecution in the UK. I just wrote to Alan Stewart and ordered his book, Prelude to Murder. While it involves a murder of a human, the individual in prison is possibly responsible for the poisoning of raptors on that estate in Scotland.
Toby and I are relaxing after an excellent two-hour visit with ‘his daddy’ at the hospital. I am happy to report that his psychiatrist was chatting with me at nearly 10 pm last evening, concerned about his hydration and electrolyte balance, and giving me tips on how best to care for him in the hospital. What an amazing doctor. Toby and I took fresh fruit, a Ginger Ale (great for the salt and sugar needed), and some chocolate Tim Bits (doughnut holes). Don and I showed them how he works with me, and he was not agitated when I left. I believe the antibiotics are working, but they now understand that he was not an invalid at home, and that I am more than capable of looking after him and keeping him calm. They are going to get a physiotherapist to work with him – and, well, I am feeling so much better. Thank you again for all your letters, your concern, and your support.
Many of you will recognise the name ‘Pam Breci’. She reports on many Osprey nests and loves our fish eaters so much. Please send her warm wishes and virtual hugs. She lost her father today.
The good people trying to defend the cessation of industrial fishing in and around the Chesapeake by a Canadian company are saying this is not a drill. It is time to step up. Read about the plight of the Ospreys from Connecticut to Long Island and step up to help as if their lives depended on it – because that is precisely what is at stake.
A heartwarming story I found online this morning. It aligns with stories of resilience in wildlife. This time, with the helping hand of some compassionate humans.
“A captive-bred peregrine falcon released at Point Loma in 1986 could not catch a pigeon. She flew into a wire. Sea gulls attacked her. A falconer named Dan Brimm spent months driving to the coast and feeding her by hand because she recognized his car and came whistling in from over the ocean every time he showed up. She was one of 12 peregrines released at Point Loma between 1982 and 1988 as part of a program to restore the species to Southern California. The other 11 left. She stayed because she could not feed herself.
The female had been released in June 1986 by the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group as part of a joint restoration program with the Peregrine Fund. Five months later she was found injured on Pacific Beach, where gulls were attacking her. According to Brimm, she had flown into a wire badly enough to sever a muscle, and the gull attack left a permanent scar around her right eye. After rehabilitation she was released again in June 1987.
Around that time Brimm and his wife had seen Cats. The battered falcon reminded them of Grizabella, the worn-out character who returns after years away. “We named her Grizabella and resurrected her,” Brimm later told the Los Angeles Times. Keeping her alive after release remained a problem. Brimm said she never managed to catch a pigeon, so he and others continued feeding her for months. When they appeared, she recognized them and sometimes came whistling in from over the ocean.
Brimm began tossing quail for Grizabella to catch. This she learned extremely well. “She’d never miss,” he recalled. The humans then began leaving longer gaps between meals, sometimes withholding food for as long as three days to encourage her to hunt independently. Eventually Grizabella disappeared. Her last known sighting was in September 1987. Nobody reported seeing her again for more than a year and a half.
On April 14, 1989, biologist Mark Pavelka found a peregrine nest beneath the eastern end of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. Four days later he could see four nestlings. San Diego County had gone 39 years without a documented breeding peregrine, after DDT and other organochlorine pesticides had helped drive California’s population down by more than 95 percent. By 1970, only two known nesting pairs remained in the entire state.
Photographs of the bridge female showed three details Pavelka could use to identify her: a federal aluminum band, a dead radio transmitter still attached to her leg, and the scar around her right eye.
Grizabella had made it.
Her mate was an unbanded, unusually pale male. Their nest was not much of a nest at all. It sat about 90 feet above the ground on a bridge support tower, on a ledge only 12 to 14 inches wide. Grizabella had scraped a depression into roughly an inch of pigeon droppings and accumulated dust. After Pavelka brought Brimm to meet with California Department of Transportation officials, the portion of the maintenance catwalk nearest the nest was closed.
All four chicks reached fledging age, although their first attempts at flight were rough. Two males fledged successfully on May 14. The only female collided with a San Diego trolley but suffered only superficial injuries and was returned beneath the bridge. Two days later another young male missed a landing on the tower, slid down its concrete face and broke a wing. He was sent for rehabilitation. The fourth chick, another male, fledged on May 20. The three youngsters remaining at the bridge were fed by their parents for several weeks and appeared to reach independence.
Source: Mark A. Pavelka, Western Birds, 1990, “Peregrine Falcons Nesting in San Diego, California” / Rich Roberts, Los Angeles Times, December 22, 1990 / Linda Roach Monroe, Los Angeles Times, April 1989.
Our lovely couple at the scrape in Orange:
Great news is coming out of Orange. Diamond laid her first egg of the season at the Charles Sturt falcon cam on Friday! Congratulations, Gimbir and Diamond.
Did you know that 2025 was the first time Jackie and Shadow fledged two chicks? Her first known chick was in 2018. Jackie and Shadow were again successful in 2026, her last year.
Juveniles appear to be heading for migration at Kielder:
These portable barbecues should be banned everywhere. We have certainly had firefighters trying to save entire communities in Canada that were victims of wildfires that were started by humans.
Idris is still delivering fish at Dyfi!
Wensi is at the nest – apparently she is very loud when fish calling, according to the neighbours who live near the river!
Loch Arkaig 2 appears to have gone quiet – Dorcha, Amber (not seen for some time), Jupiter and now Louis are on migration (or so it appears).
It’s a gorgeous day, and Toby and I are going to spend some much-needed time working in the garden. We’ve neglected many things over the last two weeks. The rain and the humidity have added to a ‘tropical growth spurt’ in both shrubs and weeds!
Please take care. We hope to be with you again soon.
Thank you to everyone who contributed images and information to the various FB groups that I have shared with you today. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams, SK Hideaways, The Guardian, and I especially want to thank everyone working so hard to stop the industrial fishing of Menhaden. We need to be diligent everywhere, not just in the NE of the US. Companies are scooping up fish and contributing to the depletion around the world.
Toby and I are just back from the hospital – it is late on Thursday. In some ways, Don has improved, but he is still fighting infections, and they have changed his antibiotics. We are all hoping that he responds to the new antibiotic.
Toby was good, and everyone noticed. He sat in the chair by Don’s bed and licked his ‘daddy’s’ hand. If I asked Don to put his hand out for Toby, he responded positively, and he knew that Jaine had visited him yesterday. He said she made ‘good cookies’.
One of the most positive things that happened is that Ann and I were able to communicate with Don’s brother about how wrong the hospital was to assume Don was an ‘invalid’ when he was home! That was the assumption. They now know that he walked no less than 3 km a day. That is the total for Toby’s walks, but there are additional walks at the nature centre and parks. There was also an issue with his normal medications not being given. That is now fixed. Some steps forward. One thing I have learned over the past week is that we have to advocate for our loved ones. Don’t assume doctors and nurses know everything about them; they need to, to provide the best possible care! They have many patients, and there are long-held beliefs about people with Alzheimer’s and dementia that are not always true. I am so fortunate that Don is in a very caring hospital and they listen, think, and advise.
Your continued prayers and good energy are so welcome.
Geemeff is having a marvellous adventure. Still, they are finding things for me to share with you. The former vet at Wildlife Haven was a strong advocate against euthanising animals. She believed, based on her observations, that wildlife can overcome many challenges and live normal lives. Think of a three-legged deer (or dog or cat). Here is a wonderful story about a raptor with a broken wing that has survived for three years in the wild.
I also received a wonderful article from Connie Dennis, founder of the Nova Scotia Osprey FB group (along with her husband, Dennis) and author of the adorable book, Pickles. This is about the plight of the two osprey nests at the Eastern Passage where construction crews are dismantling old fuel containers (think toxic).
Thanks, Connie. Everyone needs to step up in our quickly changing environment to help the ospreys (and all wildlife). They are often targets at the whim of people who are in too much of a hurry to do something.
At the Osprey Environment Centre, Hope has already lost two of her three chicks this year because of her mate, George. George takes the fish that Hope catches for the surviving chick, and Hope is struggling to feed herself and the chick. I have not seen this in the time I have been researching ospreys. Has anyone else?
In stark contrast to what is happening to Hope, Iris has had a magnificent year with her new mate, Clark. Their only hatch, Wensi, is big and strong! But, the question on everyone’s mind is: when will Iris depart for her migration? Lucille Powell posted the dates supplied by the Montana Osprey Project’s files:
She is still in Missoula. Because it is early September, she is nearing the time when she typically departs for her annual southward migration to warmer winter climates. You can watch live updates and check her current status on the Cornell Lab Hellgate Ospreys page.
Clark is delivering fish to a screaming Wensi! The cam operator is giving us some great images of this miracle chick.
There is an excellent update on Snow, the Traverse City eaglet, whose nest slipped and it fell.
Ospreys are now fishing in the ocean at the Outer Banks. With the Super El Niño coming for 2027 and droughts in areas that they migrate to (Central and South America), let us hope that they adapt quickly.
Dads still hanging with their kids in Wales.
At Glacier Gardens, eaglet Compassion has fledged.
Smile. Lady kept feeding 38 til it had a crop so big observors wondered if it would pop! Wonderful.
News coming out of Cornell: Suzanne Arnold Horning writes:
“Last nite we had a very strong line of storms pass through NY state. We did spot one of the Ps on the antenna at Barton Hall but I forgot to share last nite.
Tonite we were quite relieved to find both Ps on campus. One was on the hillside on a pole beyond the smoke stacks. The other P was perched on top of Sage, calling away and giving us a Big Red stare.
I love that the Ps are still on campus and have not left the parental territory!
It’s a hot and humid day on the Canadian prairies. I wonder what is in store for us with the Super El-Nino coming. I am having to fill all of the water sources for the birds (and change and clean them) several times a day.
Now that a toxic spray is approved for use on US peanut plants, I wonder what I will wind up feeding the squirrels and the Corvids??? Currently the Corvids are enjoying some juicy cheesy dogs that Ann sent home with me for them!
Thank you to Geemeff and Connie Dennis for sharing great links to stories that should mean a lot to all of us. Thank you to Bald Eagles Live Web Cams & News for the tribute to Jackie, and to all who posted stories and images on FB, and to the owners of the cams that allow us to see these incredible birds.
You can tell the ‘air’ is different. The beautiful emerald colour at the top of the trees is quickly fading into gold, red, and copper. Summer is ending, and fall is here despite the fact that the temperature is 24 C.
Thank you again for all your amazing letters and your support. I can tell you that I really need all that positive energy. Each of you has asked for an update, so this is a snapshot of the past two days. Don was moved into a private room with a window. The doctors felt that he was not progressing because of the overstimulation of the brain in the emergency room. I fed him his lunch yesterday – he was ravenous. Today Jaine and Carter (daughter and oldest grandson) went at lunch to feed him and give him some homemade cookies. His appetite is good. Unfortunately, after they left, he fell. (He was not in his bed but in a wheelchair in the hall – a nice change from staring at the walls. I was told I could not get him a telly because it clamps to the rails on the bed and he could injure himself). Then he got agitated and was up again. This time it took five people to get him back, and they had to sedate him. All the nurse kept saying when she called was ‘he is big and strong’. He has a security guard with him now! I keep wondering what else in the world is going to happen? Something is certainly wrong, and as far as I can tell, it is one of the percolating infections he is trying to fight.
There are so many things, but if you have loved ones who are dehydrated, it can appear they have memory issues when they don’t. Infections cause sudden changes in behaviour and great agitation, sometimes violence. Please remember these two things because not everything is as it seems.
Bird World is pretty quiet.
The Royal Cam chick is 222 days old today. In about two weeks, Awoheh will be at the average for flight. The albatrosses return to Tairora Head when they are approximately five or six years old after foraging off the coast of Chile.
Blue 33 was still at Rutland but everyone else appears to be gone.
Beautiful fish for Wensi at Hellgate Canyon.
Idris is delivering some big ones to the Dyfi nest in Wales!
Teifi remains busy at Glaslyn.
Blue 8P7 is screaming for fish and Louis does not disappoint at Loch Arkaig.
No activity at Blackbush that I could see.
Fish still coming into the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest for the two juveniles that have not left.
No prey for 37 and 38 at the Olympic Park WBSE nest so far today. Adults have arrived twice empty taloned.
Incubation continues at 367 Collins Street. Four beautiful peregrine falcon eggs!
Gorgeous Mum at Port Lincoln Osprey barge hoping for a breakfast fish from Dad soon!
More osprey nest news from South Australia:
Maria Marika gives us news of the black storks.
Lin Lawson brings us news from Charlo, Montana.
Remember to get your purple out to honour Jackie on the 4th! That is this Friday.
Thank you for being with us today. I hope to be back with you tomorrow but it could be Friday or Saturday depending on what is happening at the hospital. In the meantime, please take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to all the owners of the streaming cams who let us watch these amazing birds, and to those who posted information and images on FB. I am terribly grateful.
The Purpose: The special day honours Jackie’s global impact, highlights the importance of wildlife conservation, and ties into America’s 250th anniversary.
Legal Status: It is a single-day legislative proclamation and does not create a permanent annual state holiday, official time off, or mandatory closures.
Background: Jackie was a beloved 14-year-old bald eagle in the San Bernardino National Forest whose life was broadcast globally via a 24/7 livestream run by the Friends of Big Bear Valley. She passed away in August 2026.
Those who support this bill and want to show their love and honour Jackie will wear purple on the 4th! I am telling you this early so you can find something purple!!!!!!!
I would like to thank ‘B’ for alerting me to this wonderful tribute to Jackie.
So get out your purple. What a wonderful way to honour wildlife and our dear Jackie! Each of us needs to support wildlife so let us all join in with California no matter where we live!
Thank you for being with me this evening. Please take care.
Thank you to ‘B’, to KTLA, and to the State of California!
Thank you so much for your prayers, for keeping us in your thoughts and your love. As MicPark said in the comments, Toby and I will survive this. We will, but I do not know how I would have survived this time without him and ‘The Girls’. We have been through challenging times like all families, especially when our youngest son was killed in a road accident. I can do this! There are millions of families dealing with someone who has dementia or Alzheimer’s. It is a horrible, horrible disease that truly robs that person of their identity.
I am trying to focus on the positive and the fun things that we did. One of those was making a snack late at night – tonight, Toby and I made a little pizza in honour of all those thousands of pizzas over the years made at midnight. It was delicious and brought back such fond times. I saved half and will take it to the hospital tomorrow.
Did I tell you that we don’t use pizza dough anymore? We used to make it from scratch. I use flour tortilla shells. They make the best thin crust pizza – if that is what you like. We would take a large one and put it in an 8 or 9 inch cake pan. It curls the edges up so you can have a deep dish style if you want. Put on the sauce and toppings and bake for 13 minutes at 410 F. Easy for kids to make – young and old. Make sure you get good pizza cheese, at least 25 % MF.
As osprey season really winds down, the Bald Eagles are returning to our delight. I did jump up and down with joy when I saw Gabby – she looks in terrific shape. Ron and Rose, as reported on Monday, have returned and I am sure looking forward to see if anyone will take up residence in the West End nest in the Channel Islands.
Recently, the clubbing of gannets was outlawed (at least for this year) on one of the Scottish islands (reported in a former blog). Here is a hopeful article on these seabirds.
The Port Lincoln osprey barge. Wind and rain hitting Mum as she covers her precious eggs. It looks like the weather is keeping Dad from getting any fish to the nest. As I keep thinking and saying, fish fairies, get ready. If you’ve donated to the fish fund before, start saving those pennies so these babies have a chance of survival.
Nicer weather for 37 and 38 in Sydney.
37 ate first and then there was fish left for 38. Lady did a good job feeding both.
Look at that crop on Diamond! Incredible.
With four eggs, the 367 Collins Street falcons are into full incubation mode.
Wensi got a late night snack, too – 20:27!
It was a big fish. Still eating in the dark – more than an hour after the delivery. Wensi will sleep with a full crop.
Thank you so much for being such a supportive community. Please keep an eye on Wensi. It will not be long before they fly to their winter homes, and then we’ll anxiously await seeing who returns next year. Let us hope they’re all in good health.
I will see you again in a few days.
Thank you to The Guardian for the article on the Gannets and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us look at these incredible raptor families. What would we do without them?
It is windy, and you would think, by looking at the low dark clouds, that we were going to have a storm. It rained solidly last night – the proof I have is that there were puddles everywhere. Toby and I went to bed early and slept through it all, from 9-9. Yes, I was exhausted. On our walk this afternoon, we saw the first golden copper leaves scattered about the boulevard. Fall is really here and it is just the end of August. Temperatures remain in the mid-twenties despite the ‘autumn feel’.
I did not go to the hospital today. Last Christmas, I went every day and wore myself out. I said I would go every other day, making sure someone is there on my days off. Today, Ann was there to feed Don his lunch, and his oldest friend, Andrew, went up at 3. Despite eating his lunch, something is a ‘bit off’. He talked with his eyes closed and knew his friend, but he also went in and out of a very deep sleep. I know that in late stage Lewy Body Dementia, the person sleeps much of the time. Again, it is a day at a time. Thank you for your kind notes and all your good wishes.
Geemeff has arrived at their adventure destination safely. I hope they have a fantastic adventure!
SK Hideaways has sent their complete video listing, but I am adding one- SE38 finally gets a big meal. Lady persisted. Thank goodness. Everyone is worried, and many have stopped watching the nest because they fear 38 won’t make it. So here is this video by SK Hideaways: https://youtu.be/gjJ01khy2fA?
SK Hideaways Videos, Week of 23 August 2026
367 Collins Street Falcons ~ Melbourne ~ F24, M24 (maybe) Courtesy Victorian Peregrine Project South Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibsohQ14cY North Facing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNKk0ivuWe4 Mum Lays Egg #3 in a Hurry ~ Dad Works Out the Incubation Fit ~ 2026 Aug 28 Congrats to mum and dad on egg #3. The delivery seemed almost effortless for mum. But dad puzzled a bit to get himself on top of all 3 eggs. He got there in the end and has plenty of time to practice. Video: https://youtu.be/INETWMjvFjo Mum Delivers Egg #2 ~ The Pushes & Proof 367 Collins St. Falcons 🪽 Melbourne, Australia ~ 2026 Aug 25Mum laid egg 2 in just a few minutes in the evening, bringing this one in what seems quick succession to the first. Dad will be excited come morning. Video: https://youtu.be/kRjyyXG3krA
Welcome Egg #1 ~ A Tidied Nest with Mom and Dad 367 Collins St. Falcons 🪽 Melbourne, Australia ~ 2026 Aug 25 As 367 Collins Street begins the 2026 season, we see mom and dad with egg #1, which apparently was laid yesterday (24 August). Let the gutter stomping countdown begin! Video: https://youtu.be/1m7TM399Xc0
FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Shadow, Jackie (dec. 9 August 2026), Sandy, and Luna (last seen on camera 23 July 2023) Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41eq4VzCYc4 Live Recap & Observations: https://bit.ly/4wGjwVg Shadow & Kaydee’s Rock-Star Quality Morning Duets ~ Introduced by Fiona ~ 2026 Aug 26 Shadow and Kaydee woke the valley in the wee hours of the morning with stunning duets before heading out from the roost tree for the day. They made a quick stop on the Lookout Snag along the way. Video: https://youtu.be/YULMHzwlwJk Shadow’s Stunning Close-Ups on NestAfter Brief Meetup with Kaydee ~ 2026 Aug 25 Shadow and Kaydee gave us a great fly-by as they headed to the Lookout Snag for a brief chortle-snortle. They then spent the rest of the afternoon doing their own thing. Shadow gifted us with a long visit to the nest. FOBBVCAM double-gifted us with some stunning close-ups of gorgeous Shadow. Beyond grateful. Video: https://youtu.be/doOEAyr4Jzo
Shadow OK with Stick Shuffling on Nest ~ Not Ready for Kaydee’s Beaky Kisses ~ 2026 Aug 23 Shadow and Kaydee met on the nest before dusk. Kaydee practiced branch management while Shadow mostly watched. He joined her for awhile, but when she extended beaky kisses, Shadow was not receptive. His hormones are not in a bonding phase, so his withdrawal from Kaydee is not surprising. I’m trying to leave it there (ignoring every human impulse to describe it otherwise). At evening’s end, Shadow and Kaydee once again roosted together in the Roost Tree. Video: https://youtu.be/6BVc4os6MOU
Sydney WB Sea Eagles ~ Australia ~ Lady, Dad, SE37 (hatched 13 August), and SE38 (hatched 14 August) Courtesy Sea-EagleCAM@BirdLife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park (https://www.sea-eaglecam.org/video.html) Nest cam also at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw4pdgy3-U0 Sydney WB Sea Eagles SE38 Struggles to Find Courage to Eat ~ Lady’s Encouragement Helps ~ 2026 Aug 26With SE37 firmly established as the alpha sea eaglet, SE38 has become fearful of any beaks coming their way, including a parent offering food. This video is a fascinating display of the behaviors resulting from the hierarchy of these eaglets. I am pleased to report that due to Lady’s persistence and gentle encouragement, SE38 ultimately got a good meal during this feeding. We watch and learn ~ always. Video: https://youtu.be/ugAnJczXunw
Wensi says her parents are still home so where are the fish?????
Blue 33 and Maya still home at Rutland.
C22 was at Roger’s Place but no sign of Charlie.
Juvenile still at Dyfi. When will Idris get to fish for himself?
Teifi is still delivering at Glaslyn! Beautiful fish. Elen was also seen today.
Juveniles still fish calling at Lyn Brenig.
And Louis is still fishing at Loch Arkaig!
Blue 6T9 got the prize at Poole Harbour…fish still being delivered.
The garden is just bursting with birds wanting seed and water!
Hugo Yugo watching the crows.
Beautiful Hope.
The three baby Crows this year.
Thanks so much for being with us today! Please take care. I won’t promise to send out a blog on Tuesday as I intend to spend most of my time at the hospital but definitely Wednesday.
Thank you, SK Hideaways, for the great video list! Thank you to Wings of Whimsy, everyone who posted on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams where I peeked at our juvenile ospreys and eagles. We are so very grateful to all of you.
Wow. It got up to 28 C today. There are supposed to be thunderstorms tonight but, there was a breeze and it was a nice day for some walks with Toby. Autumn is definitely feeling a long way away but, from the leaves on the trees, it is coming!
This is the story of the day – and it is about a raptor!
A single male hen harrier successfully reared a chick to fledgling status in Germany’s Zülpicher Börde region for the first time in 135 years, performing parenting duties previously undocumented for the species.
The Historic Event
Location: The Zülpicher Börde, an agricultural plain southwest of Cologne and Bonn in the Rhineland, Germany.
Timeline: The milestone occurred in mid-summer 2026, marking the first successful hen harrier fledging in the region since 1891.
The Situation: Shortly after two chicks hatched in a local wheat field, the mother mysteriously vanished.
Unusual Single-Father Behavior
Normal Behavior: Male harriers typically only hunt and drop off food, leaving brooding and direct feeding strictly to the females.
The Exception: Captured on nest camera, the single father took over full-time parenting out of pure instinct. He protected the surviving chick from extreme summer heat and cold nights while directly feeding it.
Human Support: Officers from the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) assisted by dropping extra mice near the nest, while local farmers cordoned off the area during the wheat harvest to keep the site safe
That is fantastic!
The RSPB describes the Hen Harrier thus:
“The Hen Harrier is the most intensely persecuted of all the UK’s birds of prey. It once preyed on free-range fowl, which gave it its present name. But, in recent times, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot has lead to conflict and a threat to its survival in some parts of the UK. It’s most at risk on the driven grouse moors of England and Scotland. While males are a pale grey colour, females and young birds are brown with a white rump and a striped tail which give them the name ‘ringtail’. They fly with wings held in a shallow ‘V’, gliding low in search of food, which mainly consists of Meadow Pipits and voles. The Orkney population is famous for being polygynous, with males sometimes mating with multiple females on the island. They are listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act.”
It has been an unusual year because many of the female ospreys have had to provide the fish for the osplets. This is what is happening at the Osprey Environment Centre in Australia and it is challenging for the chick to get fed. What is going on?
Teifi is still feeding a fledgling at Glaslyn.
Juveniles still at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. A nice hawk would like to share their dinner, maybe.
SK Hideaways captures Mum at 367 Collins Street laying the 4th egg! Good thing there are lots of pigeons in the CBD in Melbourne! https://youtu.be/3lP6i-JjETw?
This is very short but I really wanted to let you know about that miracle in Germany.
Two updates. Don was alert today, and his appetite is back. He asked for a sandwich before I arrived at the hospital, then ate his lunch (I fed him) while I read to him. I do not know what the future holds – it is one day at a time. His brain scans show that he did not have a stroke; he has no swelling, no fracture, and no tumour. His infections are improving with antibiotics.
Toby has proven just ‘why’ he is such a good therapy dog.
My daughter and grandson, Carter, came to visit and had curry dinner. While they were here, my neighbours showed up with gifts from the entire street – wonderful sourdough bread, soups, and big confetti cookies. I always say that I live on the most amazing street in my city! Their kindness warmed my soul and tummy!
Take care everyone. We hope to have you with us again soon.
Thank you to OpenVerse, UK Osprey Information, those who posted on FB and posted information, and SK Hideaways for their video about the Collins Street Falcons. I am grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to glimpse into the lives of these amazing birds.
