Tag Archives: necroscopy

Update on the Captiva Osprey Nest

Tuesday, 15 March 2022

Some of the information in this posting might be a repeat for some of you. There might be something else that you learn, too!

It is often difficult to process deaths on nests. This is so true for now when we turn to the birds and other wildlife as a place of solace. Sadly, we have no control over what happens on the nests but, we can certainly mourn with the family when there are issues. Wildlife face repeated challenges day in and day out. While we cannot always make their lives better, it is up to each of us to try in any small or large way that we can.

Early this morning, around 08:39ish, the oldest osplet, Big, on the Captiva Osprey nest in Florida died. There was nothing leading up to the death that would have alerted to anyone watching the streaming cam that there was anything at all wrong with any of the chicks never mind one of them dying at the feet of its Mum while she fed the others breakfast. There were no visible tremors of any sort, no choking, nothing. The only thing that was noticed was that Big was less aggressive towards the other two chicks at meal time yesterday. There could be any number of reasons for Big to stop beaking its younger siblings. Big might have felt more food secure after Andy brought in 11 fish the day prior. Often raptors who are getting ready to pass a pellet are not that much interested in food. We could speculate forever but we will never know the answer to that question. All we know is that an apparently healthy osplet, 27 days old, died.

The owner of the property, Lori Covert, immediately sought permission from state and federal authorities to have a necropsy done on the chick to find out the cause. CROW, one of the best wildlife rehab clinics in the US, was also alerted. Permissions were quickly granted and CROW came quickly to remove the body of the chick. That took place at 15:21.

Lena immediately began alerting as she flew over the water and the property making circles around the nest. She returned immediately once the technician and the ladder were no longer present.

Both Middle and Little (Little and Mini on chat) went flat. You could tell they were afraid by their eyes but they did not move. Instead they stayed pancaked panting from the heat. Lena is hot too. It is that time of year in Florida.

Because CROW does not have the equipment to do complicated toxicology screening, Big’s body was sent to UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in Athens, Georgia.

Some causes of death such as a pellet that could not be passed or a fish hook can be established with a physical exam. Those results are pretty immediate. My understanding is that it will be a few days, perhaps the end of the week, until the results from the tests are known. They will be posted on the Captiva Osprey streaming cam site.

Some of my readers were concerned because one of the chicks appeared to be choking early this morning and they thought it was the one who died. It was Little (or Mini) that was casting the pellet at the time.

There was a Q & A session with Window on Wildlife staffer Connor this afternoon. It has been posted on YouTube so that you can watch it. Connor took questions off the chat so you might find some of this very interesting and educational.

After everyone has left the area, Andy arrives with a fish for Lena and the two surviving osplets at 15:38. If you look at the eyes of Andy and Lena they are very alert and probably none too happy with the events of the last few minutes.

Lena feeds the two remaining chicks, Middle and Little.

They will both be full. There was nothing wrong with their appetites.

Middle and Little (or Little and Mini) are hot but they are both eating well and were anxious for the arrival of a fish. That fish will provide them not only with nourishment but also their water or, hydration! There is no reason to believe from looking at the two of them or the adults that there is anything ‘wrong’ at this nest. They were hot and did sleep but that is normal on a day with high temperatures and being in the hot sun. Ospreys really like their nests to be out in the open so that they can see predators coming from 360 degrees.

To answer the question of a reader: Yes, of course, Andy and Lena and the two remaining chicks know that Big is no longer with them. The entire atmosphere of the nest has changed. They understand that he has died. They have not had any experience with adults taking a deceased chick off their nest so it is understandable that Andy and Lena have no knowledge of ladders and technicians. There is really no time for mourning. The couple have been battling predators and the two other chicks require care. The parents cannot simply take a day or two ‘off’. Andy did bring in Spanish Moss to cover Big. You might recall that happening on other nests. I believe (but will happily be corrected) that Clive and/or Connie covered up the body of one or both of the chicks, Peace and Hope, that died on the Captiva Bald Eagle nest from secondary rodenticide poisoning last breeding season. I have seen it done at other nests and on others, nothing.

Lori Covert loves the birds that live on her land on Captiva. If you get a chance and you are on chat, please send her, the chat moderators, and everyone associated with the Captiva Ospreys your condolences. They really would appreciate it.

Before I close, I want to mention something and that is ‘donations’. Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinics exist solely on donations. They receive no federal or state funding. Their benefactors range from the person who can afford to donate $5 a year to those who are able to give them more. CROW is one of the best wildlife rehab clinics. If you feel so inclined, they would appreciate any size of donation. Here is the link to their website:

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Please send your most positive energy to this wonderful Osprey nest in Florida. Andy, Lena, and the two surviving chicks need all the good wishes they can get. I so hope to sit and have some tea Wednesday afternoon watching Middle and Little (Little and Mini) ferociously eating fish and hearing Lena call Andy for yet another fish.

Thank you so much for joining me today. There is lots of news in Bird World. Take care!

Thank you to the Captiva Ospreys and Window on Wildlife for their streaming cam where I took my screen captures.

Late Tuesday in Bird World

15 March 2022

It has been a very sad morning in Bird World with the death of what appears to be, now, the oldest chick on the Captiva Osprey nest in Florida. Lori Covert the landowner has contacted CROW, that wonderful wildlife rehabber on Santibel. Permission was given to remove the body of the osplet for testing. CROW arrived and removed Big beginning at 15:21:15-15:21:26. You can see how quick they were to come once they had the OK and how they did not disturb the nest.

Big was 27 days old. He or she would have been 28 days tomorrow.

They do not want to cause any undue stress or frighten the other two on Did Big choke on a pellet? He had been gagging several times this morning. Casting pellets is a natural part of a raptor’s life. What cannot be processed in the crop is compacted into something not unlike a small charcoal pellet. The birds then regurgitate these. Researchers like the pellets because they can study what the birds have been eating. But a pellet or the H5N1 highly pathogenic Avian Flu is on speculation. It appears that Big died after moving up to eat but couldn’t. That was approximately 08:33. I sincerely hope that this is not a case of H5N1 and look forward to the announcement. The other two osplets both ate at 15:40.

Little Bob (Mini on chat) and Middle Bob appear to be fine. They are interested and can eat and that is a great sign!

It used to not unsettle me when an adult or a chick died. Perhaps it is just everything that has happened for so many years catching up with me but I was particularly upset at the loss at Captiva this morning. Thankfully the garden critters were robustly going after the two new seed cylinders that were put out yesterday. Dyson could not decide where to settle. He wanted the oil seeds that had fallen out of a bag on the snow but he also wanted to eat off the cylinder and he was intrigued by the peanuts in the square tray feeder.

Despite his altercation with the cat, Dyson remains pleasantly plump after the harsh winter and the back half of his tail is growing back. Horrah!

The Blue Jay family – OK. One member of the Blue Jay family has returned from their migration today. I could not get the camera quick enough for a photo but I hope to attract it with a cob of corn on the deck. i wonder if it is Junior? Mr? or Mrs? And where do they go?

It was a good day for a walk in the woods. Our temperature is a balmy +2 C. The snow is definitely melting and there is an open water area now at the Fort Whyte Nature Centre. There were three Canada Geese there today!

There were a number of Black-capped chickadees at the feeder and when I arrived the little Downy Woodpecker with the broken beak was just flying away. Too quick for me to catch him but for those of you who asked, it is still alive and eating well out of the cylinder feeder! That is certainly good news.

What I needed was a walk in the woods where it was absolutely quiet. The snow is now wet enough that it did not crunch. All you could hear on occasion was the songs of the birds.

Walking in nature is good therapy.

I am happy to report that all of the eaglets on the Dale Hollow nest have eaten. Little Bit was sure enjoying a fish that had been brought to the nest.

The middle on moved up and got some food, too, after Little Bit. You can see the huge difference in size now between all three chicks. Big just looks enormous!

This was Little Bit sleeping before the feeding over on the rim of the nest. It looks bigger stretched out and was clenching its talons and letting go and clenching them again. Was it catching a fish in its eaglet dreams?

Sweet baby sleeping in the shade. For those of you that do not know, the black dot behind the eye and corner of the beak is the ear. It will get covered with feathers. You might also notice that Little Bit is getting some of its darker thermal down and losing its baby fluff. Looks like a few little feathers poking about perhaps.

I just checked and Little Bit was fed at 16:20. So all is well at Dale Hollow as evening approaches.

Big Red gave Arthur some incubation time today. That is fantastic. She doesn’t allow him much but it is nice to see him so alert taking his turn with their first egg.

Arthur is very handsome.

I don’t think you could find a more gorgeous female Red tail Hawk than Big Red anywhere! She is so stunning with her really dark morph.

Big Red took a dinner break at 17:29 nest time.

Do not worry. This egg is fine. We learned that due to Milda leaving her eggs in almost freezing weather for 5-6 hours. They both hatched. Everything is good. Big Red has been having chicks for 17 years. She is an expert. I certainly am not. LOL. Remember. I wanted to give Rosie and Richmond sticks!

There was a very sweet posting by the SF Ospreys today on their FB page:

I really wanted to dump a lot of sticks for these two down in the parking lot! As many of you know, I look for ways to make the lives of our birds better. Part of that has to do with the elimination of lead in all fishing and hunting equipment. The other has to do with rat and mice poison. Well, look what a Place Called Hope just posted!

At the West End Bald eagle nest, Akecheta brought in a Cormorant to the nest. This came after there was something that looked like an Armadillo. Both were road kill. Thunder decided to feed the three eaglets the fresh fish! The West End nest is doing well.

Shadow and Jackie at the Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle nest are also doing just fine. The little one is growing like a very bad weed.

I checked on Kincaid, too, at the Kistachie National Forest nest in Louisiana. He is wing flapping and showing his preference for some prey and not others but I do not believe that he has branched yet.

That is it for me today. I am still recovering from the loss of Big. Looking forward to the test results. If it was a pellet then we should know that very fast. If it was something else, we will have to wait for test results that can take days.

From all the critters in the garden, thank you for joining us today. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or their FB pages where I took my screen captures: A Place called Hope, Captiva Ospreys and Window on Wildlife, Friends of Big Bear Valley, West End Eagles and the Institute for Wildlife Studies, KNF Bald Eagles, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, Dale Hollow Lake Eagles, and SF Bay Ospreys.