We hope this finds each of you well and that you got outside, enjoyed the fresh air, and heard some birdsong! The Bald Eagles are gathering in areas north of me in Manitoba. It is another reminder that spring is just around the corner!
Last year Ping Shen shared his incredible photographs of a Seattle osprey family, Harry and Sally. The couple had three osplets. Sadly, one died, but two flourished. It was a real treat. Thank you, Ping! We are looking forward to Harry and Sally’s 2026 breeding season and all your images and stories.
Ping’s article is inspirational for me, and I think that it will touch each of you. We have all sought refuge in the lives of the raptors for various reasons. We need to cherish our wildlife, recognising how much our ‘souls’ are sustained by nature and how much we have in common.
“With noise and sooty exhaust constant backdrops, with a nest built on top of a 1.5 million-gallon storage tank for sewage runoff, these osprey — Harry and Sally, as I came to call them — engaged and persisted in the fraught, delicate dance of raising young. Engaged in my own delicate dance of raising my own young, I found some of the parallels quite humorous — more than once I would return home after watching the young birds demand food, maws agape, and see my own 4-year-old daughter open her mouth in silent command upon seeing me eat something interesting. Beyond humor lay the fortifying recognition of just how much we — human and bird — shared as parents. That parenting is perhaps the most hopeful act of all, that amid and against calamity and tall odds we dance, nurturing and sending forth a little bit of ourselves into an unknown future. A care package of love and hope tucked under a wing is all we leave them.”
‘LE’ sends us news that the first eaglet was born at the Fort Worth Zoo in 117 years! And no, it is not a Bald Eagle but an African Fish eagle! Here is the information:
I am so glad that the NZ DOC and the Kakapo Recovery are keeping us up to date on the 2026 breeding season. These remarkable flightgless green parrots breed only once every four years and 2026 is their year!
Mrs O is at the Tweed Valley nest waiting for a mate. Last year began in a remarkable way and ended in tragedy when two females share the same nest. Once the osplets hatched, the females could not sort out who would provide fish, if they would share duties or what – the male was simply not fit for purpose – and the cute little osplets starved to death.
What a very sad situation.
We are waiting for the first egg for Big Red and Arthur. Poor thing. She now lives in a construction zone.
Heidi writes that the second chick has hatched at the Venice Beach and Golf course osprey platform.
Owls bothered Beau and Gabby’s Kia and Eve Friday night with Eve getting hit.
The triplets at Moorings Park osprey platform are well fed – with beautiful fat little bottoms.
Waiting for White YW and Blue 35. They have raised some incredible chicks at Foulshaw Moss in Cumbria.
The cameras are getting better and better. Thanks, Jeff!
Elen is still waiting at Glaslyn.
A great video of Kai and Eve at the nest of Gabby and Beau in Palm Court, Florida – before the kids depart. It has been a wonderful season for this family! Beau proved all the naysayers wrong and is a good strong mate for Gabby just like she knew. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/CeUxQWwidwY?
There is still time for Maya or Blue 33 to arrive today at Rutland. Birds are arriving.
I would also like to draw your attention to the manner in which the side rails of this nest have been secured. To my knowledge, much of the osprey platforms in the UK are checked, secured, and refurbished before the arrival of the ospreys in the UK. I love what they do at Glaslyn. Why couldn’t someone care this much about the ospreys in the US – such as the nest at Achieva in St Petersburg? How would the owners of that streaming cam like ‘their kids’ to slide through a hole and die? Oh, don’t get me started.
Gentle snow is coming down this morning. The Starlings are waiting for me to put out their kibble while a lone Blue Jay was glad to have the peanuts to itself. Mr Crow is not patiently waiting to get Toby’s leftover meat.
Take care everyone. Check out the wonder that is nature around you, just like Ping Shen you might discover a bird family that you can watch from egg to fledge! I will see you again soon.
Thank you to Ping Shen for sharing their wonderful article with us, to ‘LE’ for letting me know about that African Eagle, to the owners of the streaming cams we are always grateful to be able to watch the lives of our favourite bird families, to SK Hideaways I am always indebted to you for your fantastic videos, and to Jeff Kerr and UK Osprey – thanks. And to all the others who post on FB and take images – bless you!
We are in the midst of an unexpected blizzard, while thousands of miles to our southeast, it is green, and geese are enjoying the grass on a golf course. Thank you, ‘L’, for letting me share this lovely image of spring! We love our geese, but there is no place for them here, and yet, many arrived several weeks ago! The ponds have frozen, but there remains some open water in the two rivers that wind their way through our City. It is supposed to warm up beginning tomorrow, but I will believe it when I see it. We were not expecting this much snow today!
It doesn’t look like much, but the snow is blowing and accumulating so quickly! The lad who shovels or us thought snow was finished – he is going to get a real surprise! It is more than 30 cm deep on the walkway he cleared a few days ago, and is within 45 cm of covering the large bird table feeder. Unbelievable.
Toby loves it. He bounces through the snow if there is even a whiff of a ‘cat’ in the garden. My plan is to have a tall wooden fence built to match the one constructed a few years ago. I had not planned to put a fence on that part of the property, but the theft of dogs in our City has become quite troubling. Of course, ‘the cats’ – distinguished from ‘The Girls’ – come in from that back corner, so it is important to close it in. Toby loves his sisters, ‘The Girls’. He plays with them, but those that make their way into his outdoor territory will be ousted unless they are Brock (who now still spends 99% of his time at the neighbour down the street)!!!!!!!!!
I hope, after all these years, that each of you knows that I love all animals, but there is a special place in my heart for Big Red and Arthur, the late Annie at The Campanile, and ospreys. I have posted this song before, but I want you to get in the mood. Osprey season is starting in the UK – and has already begun in the US. Here are those wonderful school children with the Osprey Song (2011): https://youtu.be/KoOQK6ejuXY?
At the Lake Murray Osprey platform, Lucy has laid her second egg with a new mate. Please, please put up the owl defences for this family Lake Murray!
Company for Brutus. Storms are tearing down eagle and osprey nests around the US including an osprey nest that Penny Albright monitored near Sanibel that lost two chicks when the nest collapsed. These eaglets made it through…
Blue 25 has made another visit to Blue 33 and Maya’s nest at Manton Bay – Blue 33 normally arrives a few days prior to Maya, and Blue 25 enjoys his company! Geemeff caught her time on the nest: https://youtu.be/HU_XGU3NTro?
We have an osprey at the MNSA Osprey nest in Oceanside’s Jay Cool platform.
“WYL greets his chick upon returning to the nest in New Zealand. The adult male arrives from a foraging trip over the Pacific to feed his growing chick at the Plateau nest site. As the chick gets bigger, the parents will take longer foraging trips to collect enough food for both themselves and their chick.” (Cornell Bird Lab)
Peanut defended the Winter Park Florida nest against a RTH! Nestflix Memories (Gracie Shepherd) caught it on video: https://youtu.be/cQksMDubVEc?
Tonight, Wink is taking now chances. She is right in the nest with Peanut if that GHO returns – and, of course, it will – they never give up! Wink is an incredible mother – I am truly amazed and thankful for her diligence.
Gabby with her babies, Kai and Eve, at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest in Florida. Best keep a close eye on these two – they could fledge before you blink.
At the Johnson City nest of Boone and Jolene in Tennessee, snow arrived. Jolene kept those two babies warm and tried to feed them at the same time. Like Wink, she is an experiened and an exceptional Mum.
Huge crop on JBS 24. Mum and Dad are delivering food and leaving it for self-feeding on occasion.
Harry and Sally are up there in my list of osprey parents. Three babies, three little fat bottoms. Large fish coming in and Harry on guard as it appeared there could have been an intruder around today during a fish delivery. If you haven’t been watching Moorings Park, then check out this osprey family. It is a success story – and believe me when I tell you that there will be few such stories in the NE USA this season unless a miracle happens.
Rutlands Lagoon 4 nest is trying to keep the Egyptian Geese from laying eggs while everyone waits for the ospreys to arrive. This is a second nest with a camera amongst several nests at Rutland Water. AI says: “Based on 2025/2026 sightings, the Lagoon 4 nest at Rutland Water is often occupied by male 359 (a 2021 Rutland-born osprey) and female 3H9 (a 2023 Rutland-born osprey). They have been observed investigating the nest and strengthening bonds. Note: 359 and 3H9 are a distinct pair from the main Manton Bay pair, Maya and 33(11).”
I am getting impatient – and it is a tad early – for Maya and Blue 33 to arrive at Manton Bay.
At the Whitley Crane nest known as the Golden Gate Audubon Osprey nest, Richmond has worked and worked. There is a new female at the nest with him. I do not believe Rosie will make an appearance. Why do I say this? Well, when Aila did not return, Louis moved his nest to another location when he bonded with Dorcha. We often think animals and birds are not intelligent. If I have said it once, I will say it again million times, my teacher about raptor behaviour, the late Laura Culley, taught me that they are smarter and use higher levels of intelligence and communication that humans have lost.
I noticed in one of the chats – it was the Winter Park Florida chat – that someone noted that ‘animals have feelings’. Dr Mark Beckoff and Dr Jane Goodall taught us this. There are several good books out there. I urge you or anyone who is interested in the behaviour of non-humans to read any or all of the following.
Saddness at the Two Harbours as Chase & Cholyn lose their last egg. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/8vmMpnkNsh4?
Big Red and Arthur have snow on their nest at Cornell University.
Suzanne Arnold Horning caught Big Red relaxing on the lights!
Cameras are now live at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022.
We have an osprey at Threave. Is it Black 80?
At Achieva the third egg was laid on the 25th of January. Can someone who is watching this nest tell me if Jack is delivering enough fish to his mate? I did not see deliveries today, but I might have missed something.
In fact, start checking out all your favourite UK and European nests as the cameras are being turned on faster than I can keep a list.
The Pitkin County Osprey nest in Colorado is live.
I have such a soft spot for this White-tail eagle in Durbe County Latvia. Milda. Her current mate is Zorro. There was sorrow and now Zorro has proved to be a good mate and provider.
April 7. Hellgate Canyon. Iris’s favourite day to return to her nest in Missoula, Montana. Count the days – 20. Less than three weeks! The snow has melted.
There is evil in the world. I cannot imagine how anyone could harm an animal and yet, every day I find myself telling people not to give their kittens away to anyone. Russell Mason beat a Goshawk to death – how in the world can someone do this?
Large estates, with no eyes around in Scotland (and elsewhere), allow many horrific things to happen to our beautiful feathered friends. What can be done to stop this?
The Cornell Bird Lab gives us hope that people around the world are increasingly engaging with nature and birds. Yes, there are incredibly vicious people anywhere in the world that will harm birds and other animals, but there are more, I hope, that love and help them.
Thank you so much for being with me today and for your patience, as my posting is often irregular. I had hoped to keep to Fridays and Mondays til the UK osprey season began, but every day there is something new and exciting! I will continue to post at the oddest of times, sometimes two or three times a day as news comes in. As you can imagine, my life is anything but routine. We do have a schedule, but it all depends on my husband’s mood, which can vary. I am impatiently waiting for spring to arrive. What I miss most is reading. Yes, we have story time, but it isn’t the same as sitting quietly on a park bench with squirrels dashing around, the wind gently blowing, with a good book in my hand, reading in silence. So, no promises other than there will always be a Monday blog, often coming out late Sunday, until we have osprey chicks on the nests in the UK and Europe.
Thank you to everyone who created videos, wrote informative FB posts, to Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us informed, and to the Cornell Bird Lab for continuing to support education. I remain forever grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to venture into the challenging lives of our feathered friends. To all my readers who are now long-time friends, I appreciate your support. Your letters and comments mean the world to me.
It is actually Sunday evening when I am sending this out. Ellen is coming early to take Toby for his walk on Monday morning, and we are busy with projects. Hopefully, nothing will happen in the next 12 hours!
I am delighted to tell you that we had a really wonderful week. Despite the temperatures plummeting, the early part of the week was marvellous, and we had some of the best walks of the entire winter. The garden is full of chickadees at dusk, with the European Starlings arriving several times a day to feed on cat or dog kibble. Brock is doing well. He was here Sunday evening and then found his way to my neighbour Jane’s, where he ate a feast and rested again. The pizza delivery driver came and, instead of bolting, he went to the other end of the porch and waited til the all clear. I hope he stays at Jane’s. It would make all of us have better blood pressure readings!
The Girls and Toby are also marvellous. Toby’s fur is as soft as a cloud. It is because of the dehydrated sardines. They helped us clean out the bookcases of all books and move the cases to the conservatory. They will be primed, painted, and reloaded. The plan is to move my desk and desktop computer out into the library area right in the middle of all the action within the house. Then I can keep an eye on everyone. At the same time, the books are out in the conservatory, ready for us to grab a new one at any time for story time.
So, wish us luck with all this painting! Missey’s tail seems to be the only problem – she always gets into mischief when it comes to paint, and we would think it would be Hugo Yugo.
Always nipping at one another!
These are the moments that get birders excited – a very rare bird in the Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto – a King Eider. Here is the news report with some really good information on Eider migration and ‘why’ it might have stopped over in Toronto: https://youtu.be/l4VPXXuXaOM?
I couldn’t stand it and had to check on Mum and the hatchling at Duke Farms. It is always a worry when a new hatch opens, and a storm hits. Sleet is starting to accumulate in New Jersey, around 1500. You can hear it hitting the camera lens. Send good wishes!
SK Hideaways outdid themselves on videos this week. Please check them out – this is a lot of hard work and incredible effort!
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 15 February 2026
Channel Island California Eagles Livestreamed nests: ~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor ~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak ~ Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase ~ West End ~ Catalina Island ~Resident in flux
Cruz Welcomes 1st Egg ~ Andor Snoozes in Waiting Room (2026 Feb 19) Cruz laid her first egg of the season after a day spent mostly in or near the nest bowl. Andor was perched nearby and will be ready to meet their egg first thing in the morning. Video: https://youtu.be/UlT9pQ_J9c8
Kestrel Brings Mouse to Snag ~ Dining Balance Act No eagles today, but Mr. Kestrel was quite entertaining. The neighborhood kestrel enjoyed his mouse breakfast while balancing on the tip of a snag. Feaking (cleaning beak) was a slippery proposition. (2026 Feb 21) Video: https://youtu.be/gkMOPrtpRz0
Chase Catches Fish 1 that Ate Fish 2 that Ate Fish 3 (2026 Feb 20) Chase brought Cholyn a massive fish gift that turned out to be a three-for-one deal. According to our resident fish expert, Chase caught a big Kelp Fish that had eaten the Topsmelt (whole, mind you), that had eaten a Sardine (also whole). Needless to say, both Cholyn and (finally) Chase filled their crops. Chase once again showed his excellence as a great provider and mate. Video: https://youtu.be/O7Spi_nane4
Chase Calls Cholyn for Fish 2x ~ Stunning Close-Ups (2026 Feb 15) At the height of nesting season, Chase is collecting lots of brownie points by delivering many fish gifts to Cholyn. Oh, Cholyn does love her fish! We were then gifted with some stunning close-ups of beautiful Cholyn, thanks to the stellar Two Harbors cam ops team. Video: https://youtu.be/PBj80qZsZdg
FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Jackie & Shadow Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley Resident Bald Eagle male: Shadow (unbanded) since May 2018. Estimated hatch year: 2014 Resident Bald Eagle female: Jackie (unbanded) since September 2016. Estimated hatch year: 2012 Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz
Jackie Nibbles Shadow’s Neck on Frisky Friday Date Night (2026 Feb 20) After evening nestorations, Jackie was quite demonstrative about being ready for romance, which included her loud declarations and neck nibbles. Shadow was not quite ready and continued with his branch management. They made up for it later behind closed branches. Video: https://youtu.be/hwiTHNebbx0
Juvenile Eagle Interrupts Shadow’s Lunch ~ Jackie Comes Home to Mate (2026 Feb 18) As with Jackie’s fish a few days before, a juvenile bald eagle followed Shadow back to the nest hoping to share some of his lunch. Shadow, of course, wouldn’t hear of it, complaining until the youngster flew off. A bit later, Jackie arrived for nestorations and mating, the latter fairly rare on the nest. They departed together and were seen together later on the Lookout Snag for more mating. Fingers still crossed for a second clutch. Video: https://youtu.be/ctSrnTXP7wY
Jackie & Shadow Enjoy Snow Day Feesh & Sticks (2026 Feb 17) A snow-covered valley and nest did not keep Shadow from delivering a fish gift to Jackie nor did it keep her from happily collecting it. Shadow also delivered a stick, which required some placement negotiations. As a bonus, there were snowy beaky kisses. A brief but eventful visit. Video: https://youtu.be/2PqA-NX63FY
Juvie Spoils Jackie’s Peaceful Feesh ~ In Warmest Memory of Sandy Steers 💙(2026 Feb 15) As we remember Sandy Steers, the heart and soul of Big Bear Valley wildlife conservation, we are grateful for the opportunity to watch the lives of Jackie and Shadow. We think Sandy would have enjoyed today’s happenings.
Shadow brought one fish to the nest, which he peacefully enjoyed all to himself. But when Jackie brought her fish, a wily juvenile followed her in hopes of getting a few bites. Well, of course, Jackie was not about to share her fish and let the juvenile know in no uncertain terms. Jackie managed to finish her feesh with, the juvie keeping close watch, and then shooed it off. Much to our delight, the juvenile soared around the valley, gifting us a wonderful airshow. Even Jackie may have enjoyed the show, now that her belly was full. Video: https://youtu.be/WZqLPjTDxyU
John Bunker Sands Eagles ~ Combine, TX ~ Mom, Dad, and JBS24 JBS24’s Bottomless Buffet (and Belly) (2026 Feb 16) JBS24 is 3 weeks and 1 day old. The eaglet is spoiled for choice at mealtimes with Mom and Dad both often in the nest offering a variety of prey. JBS24 is growing up fast, now sporting grey thermal down and almost always a full crop. Video: https://youtu.be/h_Nks375XLg Courtesy John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Eagle Cam Eagle Tower Camera 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wdo7BzUU_g Eagle Tower Camera 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDb2KqvvyQ
When I checked, both Jazz and Nola were in food comas in the Kisatchie National Forest E3 Bald Eagle nest of Alex and Andria II? III?
Gracie Shepherd catches E26 at the SW Florida Eagle nest of M15 and F23 trying out their wings in the wind. That eagle can really hover! Are we ready for this beauty to fledge? https://youtu.be/vEAmBdxHWlQ?
Suzanne Kay reveals the banding results from Dade County:
Quinn late Sunday nightwas hunkered down in the nest as a storm was rocking the nest at Captiva.
Beau and Gabby sure make beautiful babies – Kai and Eve, fully feathered and gorgeous. (I am a little soft on this nest!)
There is some amazing news coming out of Rutland’s Osprey Project.
Calico has a special video for everyone today. They have wings but are not raptors. Dani Connor Wild is in Mexico, and she went up to the top of the mountain on horseback and found thousands of Monarch butterflies.
It is so wonderful to have you with us. I always welcome your comments and your e-mails. I think I am almost caught up in answering – please accept my apologies for any delay. Take care. It is going to be a busy week, and I really hope that it is completely uneventful, no drama, nothing! We will see you again on Friday.
I am so grateful to SK Hideaways who so generously arranges their weekly videos for us – for all the others who contribute videos on YouTube, post information on FaceBook, and write articles that eduate each and every one of us. There is always something to learn! To the owners of the streaming cams, everyone is grateful to you. We would not know about the lives of our most wonderful raptor families without those cameras. I want to thank you, my readers, for caring for our wildlife, for writing those letters, and for being there and trying to help when it is needed. You are amazing and I am so grateful to have you as part of the Bird World family.
Oh, we hope that you had a lovely weekend – and were able to get outside and hear some birdsong! It is much warmer here. That is fantastic but it has meant that the walkways are icy, something that is difficult to deal with when Toby is so enthusiastic about being outside. He wears his boots with a skid pad on the bottom and they help him not to slip and slide. We have our boots with the big grips. Still, one worries a bit about falling so the walks have not been that long.
The skies are a cold, light grey. The leafless trees set against the sky like those Victorian shadow images we used to cut out of paper remind us, however, that it is still winter even if the European Starlings are getting their breeding plumage. I will be glad this year when the cold is all over. There is something that brings the spirit up when you can open the windows and walk down the street, not dressed like you are going on a Polar Bear expedition! But, I am not really complaining. The furnace is no longer churning out heat and there is the huge promise that the UK ospreys will be home in 5 weeks and on top of that Big Red will be thinking about laying her first egg. The days will speed by.
The Girls and Toby are fine, and so far, all of the regulars have made it through the winter that comes to the garden. We had thought that perhaps one of the Blue Jays was missing, but no, it appeared. What joy we had that morning. Brock makes his rounds and he was here at 0900. No doubt he will head down the street to have some food at Jane’s and sleep on her cushion. He showed up at her door when she got home from the symphony last night. I think he was watching and waiting for her to get home! You must be able to feel my excitement that he has another place to go for food and safety.
There are still 33 or more European Starlings coming to eat cat and dog kibble. As I noted earlier, their plumage is changing and some are now in breeding plumage. I hope that their nest in our lilacs and the back trees are successful this year. I adore them. Many people reject the Starlings and the Sparrows…I cannot imagine a day without their different songs. It is time to be equal in our treatment of the birds as most species, including these two, are in decline in various locations. Guardians of Nature just posted this image on FB as a reminder to us:
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 1 February 2026
Channel Island California Eagles Livestreamed nests: ~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor ~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak ~ Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase ~ West End ~ Catalina Island ~Resident in flux Sauces Canyon Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Sauces Canyon Eagles Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnTsOesC6hE
Audacity Lays Egg #3 ~ Back to 2 Eggs After One Broke ~ Then Back to 1 Again (2026 Feb 6) Pretty much on schedule, Audacity laid her third egg with little fanfare or labor. After accidentally breaking one two days before, she and Jak once again had two precious eggs to tend. Best wishes for a fruitful outcome. Sadly, that egg broke just two hours after it was laid.
Audacity Accidentally Pierces Egg ~ Cleans Up Before Jak Arrives (2026 Feb 3) Audacity accidentally pierced one egg in the middle of the night. She simply stayed present, cleaned up the egg ~ taking in vital nutrients in the process ~ and appeared to revert to delayed incubation of the remaining egg. Keeping good thoughts for a replacement egg in a couple days. Video: https://youtu.be/b2cBALaGn08
Cholyn & Chase Share Sunset Rendezvous (2026 Feb 5) Cholyn and Chase are getting a lot of egg-making practice lately. Will she late earlier than her typical late February-early March timeframe? Only Cholyn knows for sure. Video: https://youtu.be/uZ9JOIGjHxQ
Cholyn & Chase Have a Frisky Morning ~ Twice (2026 Feb 2) With nesting season in full swing, Cholyn and Chase have frequent early morning rendezvous. Despite their 28 years of age and 23 years of “marriage”, they remain quite frisky at this time of year. So much so that they mated twice on the nest in less than 40 minutes. Will Cholyn surprise us with early eggs? Video: https://youtu.be/wMs45lc_3XA
West End Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | West End Eagles Cam Ops Nest Low Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfuqjSNXZ14 Other Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmmAzrAkKqI Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kad6O4nF6bg Aerial Food Fight ~ Aerobatics ~ Nest Misses ~ SEDs Together 🤗 The current West End couple had an active day, starting with a spectacular aerial food fight (shown here at regular speed and slo-mo). The wind made for some fancy flying, including swooping nest approaches. At day’s end, the couple met on the night perch. Video: https://youtu.be/7b1wjDO5EWYFOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear, CA Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear ValleyNest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz Jackie and Shadow Defend Nest and Territory from Multiple Intruders 2026 Feb 7 The past few days have brought a number of unwelcome visitors to Jackie and Shadow’s habitat, which is not unusual at this time of year. They fiercely defended their nest and surrounding area from both adult eagles and ravens. Wishing them all peace and safety as they sort themselves out. Video: https://youtu.be/HMSdUZnPKM8
Tandem Feeding for Fluffballs JBS24 & JBS25 (2026 Feb 4) 10-day-old JBS24 and 9-day-old JBS25 are lucky little fluffballs. Mom and Dad have been filling them to the brim all day every day. Tandem feedings are common here and a joy to watch. Here, Mom and Dad feed both eaglets and even each other a little. Video: https://youtu.be/ge017VDe7mo
Thank you so much, SK Hideaways.
The eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest Bald Eagle nests have been named. Tonya Irwin posted the results:
Gabby and Beau’s babies have been named!
While these two are exploring what is outside the rails, E26 at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest of M15 and F23 is now standing on the rails!!!!!!
In Wales, there is an osprey platform near the one at Glaslyn. It is known as Pont Cresor. The male is Z2, Aeron, one of Monty’s sons. His mate is Blue 014. They have successfully raised chicks. Friends of Osprey installs osprey platforms on private property within Wales. They often will not reveal the location for good reason. They are now adding a camera to the Pont Cresor nest. This is fantastic.
Mary Cheadle announces this:
Here’s the other notice with more information.
Z2 Aeron’s brother, Z1 Tegid of the White Egg, is also breeding in Wales. Monty’s legacy lives long and strong in others as well.
Oh, I am getting itchy osprey talons. How lucky it is that Penny Albright gets to spend her winter watching osprey! She is posting some great images on FB, too. Thanks, Penny!
Jack and Jill have been at Achieva in St Petersburg, Florida. No eggs yet.
It won’t hatch – the single egg at Frenchman’s Creek. Mum continues to come to incubte during the day but stays away at night so as not to be killed by the GHO. In fact, she was pulled off the nest the other evening and survived. Poor thing. I wish that egg would break.
Heidi reported on that owl strike:
So far all is well with Sally and Harry at Mooring’s Park. There are three eggs. Hatch watch begins on March 1.
Beth Lorenzo posted that the Pink Shell osprey nest in Florida has three eggs: Congratulations on three eggs! This is the first time I’ve seen three (2/5): does anyone happen to know when the third was laid? No big deal; I just want to write a date in my records.
Eggs are normally laid at 3 day intervals but we have seen some at 2 days and some at 4 or 5.
There is no shortage of food in the nest of Owlvira and Hoots!
The eaglets on the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest are doing very well. The chat says: “Mom and Dad’s eggs were laid on Dec. 18 and 21. JBS 24 hatched on Jan. 25, while JBS 25 hatched on Jan. 26.”
Positive wishes for Jak and Audacity who still have a single egg to incubate. Two of the three eggs laid have broken accidentially. And hum that tune ‘All We Need is Love’ but say ‘All We Need is One!’. That got us Betty Lou. One egg is manageable. One egg is easier to cope with when there could be issues of a thinner shell. Keep sending this couple love.
Thank you so much for being with us today! Please take care of yourself. Go outside. Smell the fresh air (I hope it’s fresh), pause. Listen to the birds and read a good book. Bake some scones. We did today – SK Hideaways recipe. They were delicious. Draw, write an old friend. Think of something lovely. We will be back by the end of the week and we hope you are able to join us.
Delicious. If you would like the recipe, let me know.
A tired Toby.
Thank you to all those individuals who voted on the names for the eaglets at the Kistachie National Forest and the NE Bald Eagle nest of Gabby and Beau. Thank you to SK Hideaways for being so kind to send me their weekly list of videos, and to all those who posted information on FB and the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to watch the lives of these amazing birds.
It is warming up. -15 C wasn’t bad today but it is still cold. Not having any wind really helped on our morning excursion. The last Thursday of the month is ‘old people’s day’ at pet food stores, with 10-20% discounts. Toby loves going to the pet store. He is spoiled. Well, is there a word that means ‘more than spoiled’. He is always on the ‘lookout’ for a new toy when we go shopping, and today it was a fishing wand with some Valentine feathery bobbles. He would not stop whining til it went in the cart!!!!!!! Now, pet stores often do things on purpose just like grocery stores – put the toys down low in line of the pet’s sight. Remember having a toddler at the checkout line with candy???
Well, the fishing wand toy was a big hit with everyone – including all The Girls. So, thank you, Toby!
We managed to get The Girls two extra-large bags of their kibble and six large 24-tin boxes of wet food, and then there was Brock. He got his huge bag of dry kibble and some wet, and I got a big box of wet food for my neighbour, who also feeds Brock. Toby got his dry food and a handful of Lamb Chop toys. On the way home we stopped to pick up a box that had been delivered earlier in the week when we weren’t home. It is an aviator jacket – faux leather with shearling. Toby is a WWII fly boy!!!!!!
Does he look tired of trying on coats? He isn’t actually. Apparently, the tri-colours look ‘grumpy’ because of their colour patterns. I think he is rather handsome and reminds me of the character Andrew in the Foley’s War series.
Toby now has more jackets than Don and me combined. I guess it is time for a doggie closet. It is a good thing that not one of the The Girls likes to be ‘dressed’.
We have finished one book and begun another for Calico’s story time at night. The book was an ‘accident’. Yesterday was the day you don’t want to wake up to. I woke up unwell, but did manage to get the last appointment with my doctor on Friday. Then, when I went to do errands while Ann was here, the front passenger tyre was cooked. The book was a purchase so I could relax and read while the chaps worked on getting a new tyre for my car. The Kamogawa Food Detectives Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai. If you have ever travelled or lived in Japan, I recommend this book. When I visited Japan, which I often did, starting in the 1980s, I always stayed several blocks from the JR Station on Gojo-dari. I could walk to the Kamo River. The book somehow brought back all the flavours and aromas of the streets that I loved so much, like a tsunami rushing over me. Calico approves. The other book, The Friendship Book, arrived in the post – I had not ordered it. Who blessed me with a book of daily readings??? Eventually, the mystery revealed itself, and we are very grateful to ‘MC’ for the volume that we read at the start of story time each evening.
There is a lot going on in Bird World.
‘N’ writes about the Kansas City Bald Eagles, “Ellie laid her first egg this evening! Woohoo so excited. I have included the Facebook post of the announcement. I felt like I was reading Elfuler’s section on behavior in oviposition (egg laying) as I am watching. Amazing. Never gets old does it…
The Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) is a small, mottled brown-and-gray nightjar found in open, arid habitats throughout the Americas. Known for its buoyant, butterfly-like flight, it feeds on flying insects at dusk and dawn. It is often distinguished from the similar Common Nighthawk by its lower, more erratic flight and a white or buffy bar located closer to the wingtips.
Our Melbourne correspondent is in love with the Royal cam albatross: “Just look at that beautiful little creature. Isn’t it just exquisite beyond words? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeHJsX84JAI. And how wonderful is Mum BOK? They are so serene, gentle, and patient. Beautiful, stately birds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeHJsX84JAI“
‘A’ continues, “The partying juveniles are keeping our baby awake. (Probably, they’re providing some form of entertainment for BOK as she sits there for days on end.) Seriously, aren’t these ‘adolescents’ just too funny? Mind you, after this period of partying, they can spend literally decades as part of a bonded pair, devoting themselves to raising a chick every second season, so perhaps this is the only real chance they get in a very long lifetime to ‘live it up’.
Aren’t their sky calls just wonderful? One of those adolescents has the most startling screeching noise. They do seem to have highly individual voices at that age.
Plateau Chick is progressing well, although it is still fairly small (and lost weight the first two days after hatching, which is not unusual). Mum regurgitated a squid beak during yesterday morning’s feeding, which the chick spat out and the ranger later retrieved from the nest. The twice-daily weighings and health checks will become daily at one week of age I believe, but so far, there have been no concerns with the wee one. It is absolutely precious, is it not? That perfect little bill and those sweet little feet are totally adorable.”
SK Hideaways caught two of the cutest little eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest! https://youtu.be/GPwd5POXfuM?
At the Moorings Park Osprey platform, Harry and Sally now have three eggs. They are an incredible couple. Food is normally not scarce but, honestly, I hope one of these eggs does not hatch!
All those Hen Harrier killings in the UK??? Well, one man, Racster Dingwall pleaded guilty to the offences in some of the killings.
In part it reads, “MAN SENTENCED FOR BIRD OF PREY PERSECUTION OFFENCES ON GRASSINGTON MOOR
A man has been sentenced for trying to kill a legally-protected bird, following an investigation by North Yorkshire Police.
The case against Racster Dingwall for encouraging or assisting bird of prey persecution, using the Serious Crime Act 2007, is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.
In October 2024, a covert camera placed by the RSPB captured footage of three men on Grassington Moor, using radios and speaking in code to discuss shooting towards and killing wild birds, including hen harriers.
The recording was passed to North Yorkshire Police, and an investigation was launched by the force’s Rural Taskforce.
The footage was processed by technicians at the Regional Scientific Support Services, and an expert from the National Wildlife Crime Unit was called in to interpret it.
This analysis showed that one of the men – later identified as gamekeeper Racster Dingwall – was in possession of a semi-automatic shotgun for the sole purpose of killing a hen harrier.
Dingwall, 35, from Ellingstring, was interviewed by Rural Taskforce officers, and subsequently charged with encouraging or assisting the killing of a Schedule 1 wild bird (contrary to Sections 45 and 58 of the Serious Crime Act 2007); and possessing a shotgun for the purpose of killing a Schedule 1 wild bird (contrary to Section 18 (2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).
All wild birds are protected by law, and ‘Schedule 1’ birds, including hen harriers, have additional protection.
It is thought to be the first time a charge of encouraging or assisting an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007 has been used in relation to bird of prey persecution. “
There are still more people to find, as a substantial number of satellite-tagged Hen Harriers have been shot over the past couple of years.
At the Fort Myers nest o M15 (who delivered three meals in record time on Thursday), E26 has not only been incubating the egg, covering it with moss, and is now working on building the rails. Quite the eaglet!
Gabby and Beau’s NE32 and 33 are growing like wild weeds in a picture-perfect garden. Both had huge crops on Thursday afternoons, and the adults even managed to get some nice fish.
There is a lot of prey on the Winter Park Bald Eagle nest. There was a tandem feeding. Both have been fed. The oldest is simply big in comparison, so you can probably guess that she is a fierce first-hatch female and a second-hatch little boy. Things have turned around. Fingers crossed that it continues.
Cuties at the E1 nest of Anna and Louis II in the Kisatchie National Park.
It will not be long til those little bobbleheads of Anna and Louis will be the gorgeous feathered juveniles like those on Ron and Rose’s nest at Dade County.
C14 or Quinn at the Captiva nest of Clive and Connie is catching up with those juvenile feathers quickly. So sweet this Only.
Thank you so very, very much for being with us today and for all your wonderful comments, e-mails, and snail mail letters. I do so appreciate them! Take care of yourself. We look forward to having you with us again at the end of the weekend!
Thank you so much to the individuals who have created some incredible video captures of our raptor families, to those who post information on the various social media sites, and to Raptor Persecution UK, OpenVerse, and to ‘N’ and ‘R’ for sending me great information along with ‘A’ and her commentary on the Australian birds. My life is so much better – as is my blog – with each of you in it!
Toby relaxing in the conservatory.
Calico tempted to eat Toby’s chicken for her lunch!
It is at least +1 °C on the Canadian Prairies today, if not warmer. Everything is melting. Ellen reported that the walkways were very icy this morning – not so good for a late evening walk, perhaps.
Toby and I woke up near midnight to find a blizzard occurring. Everything was so beautiful and white this morning! We had worked hard to get the ice off the paths – so much for that! Anthony will be here later to clear up.
We are looking at the calendar. It is Robbie Burns Day on the 25th. Many of you might have Scottish ancestors. My father was named after the Clyde River, and the family was distant, originating in Angus and Perthshire. The name originates from the Dalriadan Celtic Scotii (Scots) from Ireland, who colonised the south-west of Scotland from about the 4th century AD. Dunchad (Duncan) mac Conaing co-ruled Dalriada with Conall II (c.650 – 654).” Many contemporary DNA labs indicate that some of my father’s family is from Donegal, Ireland. It is all very interesting.
So who is Robbie Burns you ask? AI Overview says, “AI Overview
Robert Burns (Robbie Burns) is celebrated as Scotland’s national poet for his enduring poems and songs that captured Scottish life, love, and the human condition, making him a cultural icon and pioneer of the Romantic movement, with his birthday, Burns Night(Jan 25th), becoming a global tradition honoring Scottish heritage through suppers, poetry, and toasts, notes Wikipedia and Scotland.org. His work, often in Scots dialect, remains relevant, with his lyrics influencing literature and his song “Auld Lang Syne” sung worldwide at New Year, says Wikipedia and BBC.
Cultural Icon: His humble farmer’s background and poignant, witty words resonated deeply, making him a beloved figure and inspiration for liberalism and socialism, according to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Burns and BBC.
Burns Night: Held annually on January 25th, it involves formal dinners (“Burns Suppers”) featuring Scottish traditions like haggis, bagpipes, and recitations, say Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Burns and BBC.
Toast to the Immortal Memory: A key part of the supper involves speeches honoring Burns’ life and work, with toasts to women (Toast to the Lassies) and witty replies, note BBC and Scotch Whisky Association.
Haven’t quite decided what we will do this year for Burns night but will keep you posted!
There is a second hatch at Winter Park, Florida’s Bald Eagle nest. It might be five days younger but our experienced Mum keeps both of her little ones well fed.
The Glen Hazel (Hays) Bald Eagle Cam Is Live Again The Glen Hazel (formerly Hays) Bald Eagle Cam is officially back online. After the original Hays nest fell last year, the same iconic eagle pair rebuilt nearby, and the live camera returned yesterday with a clear new view of their Glen Hazel nest along the Monongahela River near Pittsburgh. Viewers can once again watch these local bald eagles in real time as a new chapter begins at their updated nesting site.Check it out:https://sportsmansparadiseonline.com/bald-eagle-cams/hays-bald-eagle-camera/
I can’t even write what I think about this fine – and the act that this person beat a Buzzard to death. Isn’t there something about how a person treasts animals that indicates how they might treat people? Raptor Persecution UK adds commentary:
Liberty and Guardian are checking out their nest and the egg cup. Thanks, SK Hideaways. https://youtu.be/gP7Yj1vtEH8?
Winter Park babies re nothing short of adorable. Mum has this all under control.
Gabby is such a gifted Mum just like the Winter Park female. To stop the bonking, feed them to the brim as equally as possible and sit on them if necessary.
Smile. Girri continues to fly and be seen on the tower cam at Orange Australia. Fantastic.
Canadian Penny Albright is down in Captiva and she is going to be reporting on several osprey nests near to where she is staying. Thanks, Penny!
The snow has stopped bu the wind hasn’t. It is blowing cold. Ann took the lads out for a walk. Tomorrow Toby goes for a thorough grooming. He has not been able to be trimmed since he was so ill. While at the vet, his tummy got matted so the little darling is going to have a bit of a shave. His long curls on top of his head and his ears are going to be cut. He should look like a new boy tomorrow.
Have a good weekend. Take care of yourselves. We will see you on Monday.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for their videos, to the owners of the streaming cams for allowing us into the lives of our raptors, to the authors of the FB posts, The Guardian for their avian reporting, and Openverse for their images. Cheers to Raptor Persecution UK for bringing the atrocities that happen to our feathered friends to life for us.
Gosh, it is going to warm up to 0 C. The ice build up that was causing so many people issues, including myself despite heating tape, etc., is melting! The sun is shining and the sky is a light baby blue. Toby is off on his walk with Ellen and right now our world feels calm. Cardamon buns are rising in the kitchen in preparation for a visit from Don’s cousin.
In Bird World, there is no news of Akecheta. I never give up on him. I like to think he is off looking for Thunder and didn’t take too much to Haku, preferring to keep his life and limbs intact rather than fighting all out.
The baby eaglets are growing like bad weeds – most of them do not have to share food, which is only a plus. Only Ron, Rose, Gabby, and Beau have to contend with the bonking sessions. I do love Gabby. When she gets fed up with the pair of them, she just sits on them. Mind you, they are pretty evenly matched, and from watching the cats in the house, it is good to get some ‘play fighting’ in before one gets lost in the world without the safety of the nest.
NE32 hatched at 1:00 am on December 31st 2025, NE33 hatched at 7:54am on January 1, 2026 according to the bot on chat.
Girri is doing just fine -. I don’t know about you but this is the happiest I have felt about the fledglings at the Orange scrape in years. Girri is going to triumph.
Well, the news coming out of the UK on the illegal sale of peregrine falcons to the Middle East should get everyone in an uproar.
He is panting heavily when he brings this monstrous catch up to the tower scrape. Darling Gimbir. He is such a sweetie. Look at those eyes. Diamond really does seem to attract some special males, doesn’t she? I do miss our precious Xavier a great deal, but I am very happy that Diamond has a devoted and very young mate. It shows that somewhere relatively nearby (presumably within 50km), there is a scrape successfully fledging young peregrines. Now that is a lovely thought, is it not?
Meanwhile, that pair at NEFL are outrageous. Lots of exercise at least. Poor Gabby and Beau – getting bonked by their own offspring. Feisty is the appropriate word at this age I suppose. But I really do hope they cut it out pretty soon and settle down.
At Chez A in Melbourne, it is 39C today and the temperature still climbing at 2.30pm (the forecast is for 42C) and it’s as much as anyone can manage. I do worry about the garden birds on days like this. I tell everyone that the best thing they can do for the birds (apart from growing trees and also nectar-producing shrubs for all our honeyeaters and parrots and so on) is provide them with fresh water in summer. When days are above 40C, everything in the garden needs water, including all the pollinators and other insects. It’s not just the birds and the cats. We’re all praying that no-one throws a cigarette butt out of a car window anywhere rural today – the fire danger is rated extreme. We lost over 100 people in a single day on the last really bad bushfire day.”
Big Red spotted. It is always a good day. She hatched in 2003 seven miles from her nest at Ithaca. She was ringed in October of 2003. She will be 23 years old this year.
A good news story.
The Royal Albatross are partying like it’s no tomorrow at Taiaroa Head in New Zealand! They are looking for future mates, dancing, and sky calling. It is fantastic. https://youtu.be/P5SyyM-f6rs?
All other eaglets that have hatched are doing well. No problems that I am aware.
Thank you for being with us today. We are doing exceptionally well. The sunshine brings both happiness and hope! Take care of yourself. I will be back with you probably on Saturday.
Thank you to those individuals who created videos or took photos and posted them online so that I might share them with you on my blog. Thanks, ‘A’, for your comments – stay cool! Thank you Raptor Persecution UK for bringing us the news uncensored when it concerns our raptors.
Yes, did you notice? Two Mondays in Bird World. Alas, it has been a tiring week!
Don is home from the hospital, missing his brand new SuperPuff long coat, glasses, and runners. What does one say and do? You file a form and hope that they turn up! In the meantime, you carry on and try to find replacements! Don was safe, but no tests were conducted in eleven days, just assumptions made. Please don’t hesitate to ask me if I am happy. I am decidedly not. I need an ultrasound to determine if this is a prostate issue or something else. If it is a prostate problem, then what is it? Thankfully, they won’t be sending me a bill!!!!!!! And I won’t have to mortgage my house to pay for his care.
Toby was relieved that Don was home.
I will be calmer when the issue at hand is resolved as you can imagine.
Beau Meets Super Bobblehead NE33 and Feeds Super Snacker NE32 (2026 Jan 1) Gabby made Beau wait a while before letting him meet NE33, but when she finally did, it was a sight to behold. Beau was immediately smitten with his third offspring (his first being Bodie in 2025) and settled in to brood both NE32 and NE33. A short while later, NE32 let Beau know it was snack time and dad was happy to oblige. While NE33 was still tuckered out from hatching, the smell of fish did cause the little one to stir. The stirring too the form of much wobbling and falling from side-to-side ~ seeing as that big head isn’t quite yet cooperating. We’re sure they’ll both be super snackers by tomorrow. Video: https://youtu.be/DZBMVvi5tp8 NE32 HATCHES!12-Hour Lead-Up ~ Congrats Gabby & Beau! (2025 Dec 31) NE32 arrived after working to escape its shell for about 36 hours. We summarized the 12 hours that led up to NE32’s arrival. Congratulations to Gabby and Beau, and welcome to the world NE32! Video: https://youtu.be/i4lIg-u3yIc
TWO HARBORS EAGLES: Nest of Cholyn & Chase Cholyn & Chase at 27-years ~ Morning Check-in, Brunch on Nest (2025 Dec 30) At 27 ~ almost 28 ~ years old, Cholyn and Chase are still the lovebirds they were when they first paired up 22 years ago. They checked on their nest this morning, which is already in good shape for eggs, should they grace us with them next year. Later, Cholyn returned with a nice fish, which she took her time to enjoy. Every moment with this special pair is a precious gift. Video: https://youtu.be/GOApBZhGIb8 Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
There is sad news coming out of FOLFAN. The ten-year-old nest tree collapsed during a storm. Oh, if only there were the resources to help support these old nests!
Incubation continues at the new Window to Wildlife Winter Park, Florida Bald Eagle nest and cam. The female is blind in one eye. Link in post.
The two surviving eaglets at Superbeaks are doing very well indeed and now have their fluffy white down Mohawks.
Gabby and Beau continue to do a magnificent job at NE Florida.
I wanted to get those videos of SK Hideaways off to you before the end of Monday. Please take care. My posts will be short – I have to be caregiver and nurse and we are still monitoring Toby for any issues. Send us good energy as we move forward.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, those who post on FB, particularly Bald Eagles 101, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to participate virtually in the lives of our beloved eagles.
As one of you recently told me, it has been one heck of a week. Ten days, actually. It seems like forever. Thank you for all your letters of support, the virtual tea and scones, and just being there.
Little Toby is really on the mend. He got to go out for a nice walk today to do his ‘business’ and then get a treat! Here is he is in his little red jumpsuit! On Monday, Toby is going to grace the 5th floor Ward North of the Victoria Hospital. I hope he brings a lot of joy to everyone including his ‘Daddy’.
Toby is just so much better. The hospital is ‘working’ on Donald.
This morning, someone posted an image of a tuxedo cat being hit by a car just a block away. Was it Brock? Toby and I looked and called on our walk. Then, Brock showed up at the feeder. He has a slight limp in his front left leg, but being so very independent and strong, he would not allow me to hold him or get him help. So send him good wishes.
I constantly worry about our eagle families, especially when a bird or waterfowl is brought to the nest as prey for the babies. ‘AR’ sent some news about Avian Flu: “I found some new research on bird flu and I am sending the link :
Here in Florida, we are still losing birds. In Lakeland Florida, the resident swans are dying, we have lost 12 so far 🙁 Lakeland is closer to NEFL than it is to SWFL, so I have been checking in daily that the babies are alright. “
There is good news out of the Redding nest of Liberty and Guardian. Oh, don’t we love good news?!
Arthur was spotted Saturday on Ferris Akel’s tour and today Suzanne Arnold Horning got a photo of Big Red – so all is well at the Cornell Campus.
Oh, I am so tired. Ann and I decided that visiting at the hospital makes you more tired than running a marathon. I hope all of you are well and that 2026 will straighten itself out if it is wrecking havoc with you as well.
My reports will continue to be short for awhile til things settle down. Please take care. See you tomorrow.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our favourite raptor families, to SK Hideaways for their videos, to ‘AR’ for sending me the article on Avian Flu and reporting on what is happening near the NE Florida nest of Gabby and Beau, to Suzanne Arnold Horning and Woody for chasing down our favourite Red-tail Hawks.
Thank you again for your wonderful letters and voice notes of support. It has, indeed, been – as the nurse at the VGH said to me today – a really ‘bad’ week for me. Yes, it has, but I am not going to dwell on that. It has been a devastating week for many others. A person whom I care about tremendously held her husband’s hand this morning as he died. She has had a challenging week and she is strong. My body aches for her.
Keeping that in mind, I am fortunate! Yes, I am tired, but right now Toby is playing with his favourite Little Lamb Chop toy next to me, and he is not bleeding anywhere! He is eating and taking his pills, and I am hopeful that he will make a full recovery. Don is safe in the hospital. He had a bit of a backward moment today, and they are working diligently to find out what is causing his urinary problems. But, once again, I am lucky. The high taxes I paid during my working life mean that I will never see a medical bill. Don has a nurse right outside his private room door. He actually likes the food, and he has a team of specialists working to solve his health problems. Will he come home? Well, I do not know the answer to that question. The environment must be safe for the animals and me. It also has to be a place where he receives the care he needs. Only time will answer those questions, but no matter how many spanners got thrown at us this week, we weathered them as best we could, and we are fine.
This morning, I woke up to the most beautiful, fluffy white snow that had fallen overnight. Everything was so clean, and the birds were so happy. I wish I had taken some photographs, but alas, I didn’t think about it until Anthony came to shovel, and then that lovely landscape was altered, and it wasn’t such a good picture!
There is an article in The Guardian today that I want to share with you but first, if you missed it, I really want to alert you to two problems – health ones.
Water: You really need to drink water every day. If you don’t like the taste put in a slice of lemon, lime, or orange or even cucumber as my friend Lily Liu always did. Keep a bottle with you. I was told that 3 litres (or think 3-4 quarts) is good. My mother had this ‘odd’ notion. She was prescribed diuretics to pull the water off her body. (Her mother and her both died of congestive heart failure). She believed she shouldn’t drink water since she was taking pills to take the water off! It is, of course, the opposite. You must drink lots of water to flush those toxins out! If you don’t, you can appear to have Alzheimer’s or dementia when you are dehydrated.
Toileting: If you or I know someone who has the least problem with urinating, get them to the doctor and make that doctor listen. As we know from Don’s sudden and bizarre change of behaviour, he has some blockage and that caused toxins to build up in the system, which made him behave and act like he was delirious.
While we are not things about birds, I always want to pass along anything I can that will help you and your families.
Do you have a friend or family member who makes lists? Who values themself only if they accomplish what is on that list? An individual who has trouble relaxing? Many people make resolutions for the new year on how they will better their lives. I found this article today in The Guardian and I hope that it might have a few threads of truth that will help each of us in the new year.
In Eagle World, a serious issue is brewing. Where is Akecheta?
For those who do not know, our beloved bald eagle, Akecheta (A-61), is from the Catalina Island West End nest in California. His name means ‘Warrior’, and he hatched in 2016. Akecheta is known for his dramatic return after injuries and for forming a bond with the female eagle Haku in 2025, becoming a local celebrity among eagle enthusiasts. His previous mate was Thunder. He’s part of the island’s eagle repopulation effort, often seen with his distinctive blue wing tag, and has captivated viewers with his territorial battles and interactions with mates and rivals.
Akecheta has not been seen at the West End nest since 30 December. That is now an entire four days. I am not worried because we did see Akecheta on the mainland after his last disappearance. However, there is a young male eagle at Tor and it is not clear if it is Haku with him or not.
Katrina Salyards posted this on the Channel Islands Eagle Lovers (CIEL) FaceBook group:
“West End: Eagles Present: A fiesty juvie, VE1 (full white headed eagle with a white feather making a wing tip), and a new visitor seen the other day – VE2 (could be Haku….could be a second visiting eagle).
Eagles not seen today: Haku (thought to be seen 1/1) and Akecheta (last seen 12/30)
Bonding of our eagles: Awkward: 12/17, Haku was nippy: 12/18
Camera Visits on 1/2:
VE2 soaring up the tors: 6:39 am
VE2 soaring: 6:40 am
VE2 rouse: 6:50 am
VE2 FA TOR: 6:40 – 8:53 am
VE1 FA TOR: 6:40 – 6:42 am
VE2 RouseL 6:50 am
Juvie soaring around TOR: 7:08 am
Juvie Historical Nest: 8:17 –
VE2 flaps as they turn around: 8:31 am
VE1 joins VE1: 8:42 – 8:53 am
VE2 chortles at the sight of the VE2: 8:42 (visual only. No mic on FA TOR)
VE1 moves to join VE2: 8:43 – 8:53 am
Excited eagle vocals: 8:53 am
VE1 Soaring: 8:54 am
Eagle soaring: 8:58 am
Juvie FA TOR: 9:16 – 9:20 am
VE2 Eagle FA TOR: 9:20 – 9:21 am
Contact on far tor: 9:20 am
Juvie leaves FA TOR: 9:21 am
VE2 chases Juvie: 9:22 – 9:23 am
Juvie FA TOR: 9:23 am
Contact again: 9:28 am (with VE1 seen white mark on left wing)
They tumble over the back of the tors: 9:28 am
Eagle vocals off cam: 9:37 am
Two Eagles soaring: 10:03 – 10:04 am
Eagle flies off from Antenna Rock (Wray’s rock)” 9:58 – 10:13 am (unsure who this is as two eagles were soaring)
VE1 Camera Rock(wing white spot showing): 11:03 am
VE1 Soars: 11:05 – 11:06 am
VE1 FA TOR: 11:06 – 11:15 am
Second eagle flies up FA TOR B Hillside: 11:15 am
VE2 follows the second eagle: 11:15 am
VE1 with another eagle soaring: 11:15 – 11:17 am
Eagle Hillside of FA TOR: 13:44 pm
Eagle soaring: 13:44 – 13:45 pm
Sea Lions:14:39 +
Juvie Antenna Rock: 14:47 – 14:59 pm
Beautiful soaring: 15:17 pm
Disclaimer: Right now I’m in nest telling mode. As much as I have fallen in love with the eagles at this nest of the past year, we might be looking at a new couple this season. So I’m telling the story of who is currently here. Even if it’s not our beloved Haku and Akecheta, I will continue to tell the story of West End until I cannot anymore.
Ok new facts:
Fact #1: the nest cam will no longer be used as anything but a nest cam. Dr. Sharpe has asked specifically that it never move. It is too noisy and will scare away any eagle on the nest so it will no longer be able to be used as anything other than a nest cam. So we will have to depend on the other cameras handling the area. I asked and was told with the wind, they keep zoomed out so that people do not complain of being sick to their stomach watching. Tim is right, they do do this. I’ve seen it. This camera also has the wiper unfortunately so we won’t have a wiper anymore to be used for now unless Dr. Sharpe purchases another camera with a wiper.
Fact #2: Well bad news is, Haku was not confirmed today and Akecheta were not seen today. I’m unsure what to make of that I just usually roll with who is here hoping it all works out for the nest. Eagle cams are apparently (unlike what I thought when I showed up here just as Akecheta as battling last year) are full of anything goes.
Fact #3: It’s tough when the camera isn’t zoomed to see who is out there so I’m doing the best I can.
Fact #4: There was a juvie in the area who VE1 does not tolerate.
Fact #5: No one is interested in the nest or nighttime area…so not sure what that means.
Fact #6: I’m not sure and who to add to things so I’m just letting things roll until we get a solid bonded pair and for now I’m going with Akecheta and Haku as the current eagles until we see otherwise IE two bonded eagles other than them, building in the nest. Until then I’m going with these are all visitors and passing by. I’m not really sure how else to handle this. I had no idea this even happens at nests lol.
None of our eagles were seen today or confirmed. Instead the current stars are a VE1 with the white feather tipped left wing and a new visiting eagle which appears to be male…I’ll go with VE2 for now. No idea. The chat isn’t nicknaming as they are burned out from the questioning and the visitors and the changes. So I’ll just go with VE1 and VE2 as if I touch the nickname MV which is tempting. I’ll run into the questions about TNG being back.
Nighttime Perch = lower perch below the nest, TOR = top of the rock. There are Three: Antenna Rock, Middle Rock and Far away Rock. Antenna Rock AKA Antenna TOR AKA Turtle Rock: is the closest. It has the antenna and sound from the overlook cam on. It is shown on Overlook cam. Near it is Wray’s Rock (Rock below the TOR towards the back) and Eagle Rock(rock below the Antenna Rock TOR). Middle Rock AKA MID TOR: is above the nest. It has a small shelf AKA MID TOR Shelf, on the side where the hawk and eagles sit. It is shown on the WELC and WEC cams Far away rock AKA FA TOR: is the furthest away rock top. Popular spot for eagles and ravens. WELC means the west end low cam. This is now the nest cam. WEW was WEC and stands for West End Wide view, Attic Perch – perch between the nest and nighttime perch, Historical Nest = HN, BMID = back middle (there’s a hillside since Akecheta has returned that Haku and Akecheta use that is on the middle TOR just out of sight), BFA = back far away (there’s a hillside since Akecheta has returned that the duo has been using behind the far away TOR just out of sight), Camera Rock AKA CAM Rock: is the rocks the Overlook cam sits on.
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Daily Log:
Before the IR Light went up, an eagle was soaring up the rocks. This eagle matches Haku’s visual and is the same one we saw yesterday that we were confident it was her. We really need a nest/nighttime visit or a camera rock visit. What I will say is this eagle has the same neckline. We couldn’t see the tail today or anything on the head. That far away rock is horrible for iding…I miss tags and bands. As much as I hate to do this, I’m going to call it for now VE2. If we get a confirmation again, I will change it to Haku’s name. (Now I’m pretty confident it’s Haku but I’m basing it on scientists including Dr. Sharpe who claims bonded eagles do not arrive on a nest and take it over. Instead eagles singly travel to nests and remove the existing eagle and take over the female or male there. But…these two eagles seem really into each other so the whole thing just seems off that it could happen that quickly. So I just don’t know…One thing for sure when they are together on the rock, one is bigger than the other but a good bit and it’s noticable).
So VE2 comes up the rock and soars around off cam. When they return, they bring back a second eagle with them and they soar happily through the air before landing on the far away rock together really close almost on top of each other. Together they stand close and VE1 soars off but VE2 (this is another reason I think it’s Haku as she loves her rocks). VE2 roused and got a close up. They showed their lack of a white feather when they turned around in a circle to face the other way. The head looked with no markings but when we could see it outside the light from the front, there were slight markings of a mask. VE1 returned and we could see the happy chortles even if we couldn’t hear it. VE2 moved closer to VE1 and after a bit, they flew off to take to the skies. They soared down the rock and we could hear excited chortles a minute later.
Just a few minutes later, we saw an eagle soaring through the air then it was quiet.
Next we see a juvie fly towards the far away rock and land there on the side on a rock. (same rock as yesterday that the VE1 used and that the juvie used. I guess eagles like rocks). VE1 soared in and made contact with the juvie who then flew off. The juvie soared around the top of the rocks and VE1 flew off to chase the juvie around off cam. Then the Juvie returned to the rock. Again VE1 flies in and makes contact showing off her white feather then landed. The juvie didn’t leave this time so another contact was made and with this it looked like a miss on the talon lock then a talon lock as they tumbled. The juvie was seen flying off to the right after a minute or so.
As VE1 fly off, we could hear chortles off cam unseen.
All was quiet for an hour then two eagles appeared and soared through the air beautifully for two minutes.
The weird thing is, an eagle not the ones soaring, flew off Wray’s rock and flew around twice. It was weird to see a third eagle. It was too far away to see anything on it.
Then it’s quiet for another hour as fog rolls in and out. Next we see VE1 land on the camera rock showing off her white feather. It doesn’t stay long and flies off within a few seconds and soars over to the far way rock. A second eagle (unsure who) flies up to join the first eagle and VE! Flies off following the other eagle.
Then we see both eagles soaring in the air happily for quite a while then it’s quiet for hours. Fog and rain roll in…
Two hours later and a bit ore, we see an eagle fly up the hillside of the far away rock then land for just a second before soaring off screen.
We got to see some lions then we saw an eagle on the antenna rock. It was not recognizable. Then we saw some beautiful soaring before the night ends.
Night Haku and Akecheta wherever you are. Stay safe…it’s crazy out there. Night current visiting eagle;/s. Feel free to go visit elsewhere just don’t dive bomb anyone. Sweet dreams! We miss you on the nighttime perch! Akecheta try to make an appearance on that nest please.
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West End Weather 59F H-64F Humidity 84% Wind 8+mph E H-King tide 07:29 L-tide 14:58 Seas S 2-3’@ 5seconds Sea temp 62F Sunset 16:57 happy/safe Friday
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CURRENT EAGLES:
Haku: Haku is the female who appeared in West End territory 2 days after Thunder left (minutes after Thunder and Makaio’s last egg was consumed by a raven on 3/2/2025). She made herself right at home on the nest refusing to leave. Makaio seemed to know her and greeted her loudly as she flew into the area. Dr. Sharpe thinks she is 4 years old so plenty old to be a laying eagle. She got her name from a donator (SweetEagleDreams) who adopted their nest. Her name is Haku. Haku Haku means ‘welcoming hello to you’ in Chumash. The donor said, “when she suddenly appeared she looked at Makaio and said hello and we are welcoming her into our family.” It fits her perfectly! She is now mated to Akecheta as of 12/172025.
Akecheta: Akecheta AKA A-61 was banded back on April 29, 2016 and also tagged with blue tags labeled A-61. He was laid on Los Pinos Nest in 2016. His parents were A-45 and A-51. After travelling, he arrived in 2019 replacing Superman who had been Thunder’s previous mate. His first greeting from Thunder was to be chased off her nest. Then in 2020, Thunder and Akecheta mated and had their first eggs which were taken by ravens. He was displaced by intruders on January 19, 2025 when the camera went down. When the camera returned, he had been replaced by Makaio. He was seen in May at Lake Casitas. He has now returned to West End and is attempting to reclaim his territory displacing the current eagles. He has bands on each talon and has bright blue tags on each wing that are labeled A-61. He was named during the adopt-a-nest challenge and his name was chosen because in Sioux language it means “fighter” which seems to fit his personality beautifully. He left the first time on 1/19 and returned 9/22 night only to disappear again 9/25 in the morning. Then he was seen on the morning of 10/3 soaring with Haku! Akecheta was returned and has taken over the West End area. Welcome back Akecheta.
Eagles Status Unknown: Makaio last seen 6/3, Thunder last seen 2/28, and Bob last seen 10/9
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Basic Nest History:
The historical nest (pile of sticks on the top of the rock where the nest is below) was the original nest here at the West End area. It was used by Wray and Shenandoah who were together between 1991 and 2005. Diana mixed in with them for two years to make it a three eagle nest. Then between 2006 to 2013, Wray was with Superman until Thunder arrived. Thunder and Superman were together between 2014 and 2019.
In 2020, Akecheta replaced Superman. Thunder and Akecheta had 4 eggs (2 clutches), all taken by ravens. In 2021, Thunder and Akecheta had 3 eggs. All were taken by ravens. In 2022, Akecheta and Thunder had three eggs. All hatched. One banded D-23 AKA Sky, D-24 AKA Ahote, and D-25 AKA Kana’kini. In 2023, Thunder and Akecheta had two eggs. All hatched. One banded D-39 Starlight and E-40 AKA Scout. In 2024, Thunder and Akecheta had three eggs. They were not banded but were named Koa, Treasure and Sterling. In January 2025, Akecheta and Thunder were in the middle of nestorations when Akecheta was involved with an allocation with an intruder. He was injured and left the area while the cameras were down. No eggs resulted. In February 2025, Thunder and Makaio had two eggs but both were taken by Ravens. Haku and Makaio mated but no eggs were laid.”
Gracie Shepherd posted this image of the new pair, neither tagged, today:
Highlights are running on the IWS web page. I will be watching for more news and will pass it along as I hear.
The good news is that NE32 and NE33 are doing very well. Gabby is a seasoned pro when it comes to mothering.
I am tired and I am taking Sunday off. I will be back with SK Hideaway’s videos on Monday and any new news on Akecheta or the eaglets in the nests.
Please take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to The Guardian for their news and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us view the lives of our beautiful raptors. Thank you to ‘J’ who alerted me to Akecheta MIA and to the IWS, and those who posted information on FB about Akecheta, so that many who do not know his history can learn about his beautiful eagle. Please send Akecheta your best wishes.
