I am going to start off with an answer to a common question: How is K2? The last update was from the Cornell Bird Lab on the 22nd. It takes time for test results to come in and it is hard to wait when you are worried. Many of you will have watched the adorable eaglets, E17 and E18, at the Fort Myers Nest of Harriet and M15. You will remember that they had conjunctivitis and were taken into care by CROW. Let me say it for the 1000th time – I am so grateful to the Pritchett Family and CROW for getting a permit and getting those two babies into care. They were in the clinic for five days. Still the test results were not back but the staff was so knowledgable that they treated them for conjunctivitis because that is what they believed was the issue. And they were right! E17 got feisty enough to have to go into its own ‘time out towel’. Those two were so cute and inseparable. So we have to wait and trust that K2 is getting the best of care. The minute I hear anything I will let you know!
Here is the video of K2s retrieval:
K1 and K3 are absolutely flat out pooped. Fledging is hard work. They have to solve problems – physical ones – that they are not used to. Seriously it is so nice to be on the nest and be taken care of by Big Red!!!!!! It is scary out there. They might even decide to stay with mom a whole lot longer!!!!! K3 and K1 have been on the nest together since around noon. I just checked on them at 18:38 and they were both still there. Love these kids. Glad they feel like staying home.
Earlier….While K1 hunkered down and slept, K3 is back in the trees over by the Fernow Building. He looks pretty cute there in that tree.
K1 sleeping on the nest. You can tell it is her because of the wide white terminal band on her tail and the clear black lines on her tail.
Now K3 is back and K1 is off the nest. K3 is listening and looking at K1 upstairs.
Big Red or Arthur left at least one chippie on the nest in case someone was hungry. Remember – Big Red’s kids never go hungry for long – if they ever do!
Resting in the sun.
Adorable K1.
There are so many who would love to see a photograph of Big Red when she was banded. The only thing I could find out was that she was banded on October 20 in 2003 in Brooktondale. Maybe someone reading this will know a student who had a project or the bander in the area at that time. I would love to know if they took a photo of Big Red. Many banders do take photographs of the juveniles they ring. OK. But that brings me back to the picture below of K1. To me she looks exactly like a juvenile Big Red would look. Isn’t she just adorable?
So the Ks are fine and the minute there is word on K2 I will let you know. K1 and K3 might just decide to stay on the nest all night.
Over in Wales, the two chicks of Idris and Telyn on the Dyfi Osprey Nest were banded and given their names today. Chick 1 is a male. He weighed 1600 grams and his ring number is 490. His name is Dysnni. It is pronounced Duh-suh-knee and is a river in mid-Wales at Gwynedd. Chick 2 who is four days younger than chick 1 is a female. She already weighs more than the male – she comes in at 1690 grams – and she is a full 4 days younger so they know she is going to be a big girl. Her ring number is 491. And goodness, her name is going to take some time. It is Ystwyth and it is also a river valley in Wales. I was told you take the ‘Aber’ out of Aberystwyth and that is how you pronounce her name. Wow.
Here is beautiful Ystwyth with her new bling! I might just call her Blue 491.
Well, here is the ‘Only’ Bob on the Clydewog Nest of Dylan with mum, Blue 35 Seren. Now this is one – can I use all caps – BIG – chick. Just look at her. This bird has to be a female. Oh, I do hope they get around to ringing her! These parents had lots of food and really took care of their only little Bob. The other two eggs which are still on the nest were nonviable.
Oh, I had to close my eyes when I went to check on Tiny Tot at the Achieva Osprey Nest. There had been a huge rain storm with big winds and Tiny was holding on for dear life on the edge of the nest. Of course my mind went back to the tornado that cut through the lakes in northern New York State with the Osprey nests. Hang on Tiny!
I have found it hard to check on the Cowlitz Nest. I thought the little one that was dying had died around noon on the 22nd. But it suffered through the afternoon and did not die until close to 6pm nest time. Some big fish came on that nest that day but it was too late for that little one. Yesterday I only saw one small fish – there could have been more- I didn’t see them and I do not see any significant growth in the remaining chick, sadly. Today the other chick had a fish this morning and must have had something to eat later as its crop was bigger. Electra has not moved the body of the other chick off the nest. She may not. The female at Port Lincoln left the little one there and it became part of the nest. If the chicks are bigger they need to be removed so they do not decompose in the nest. This takes a human and a permit.
This chick is so far behind for its age. But I hope that it survives and does well otherwise the death of the other one was just futile. I am still baffled by this Osprey Nest. This is not the first time that Electra has lost chicks. Is it really down to Wattsworth not bringing in fish? does he have another nest? or is it that there are just not enough fish? It reminds me too much of what Iris went through trying to raise chicks with Louis. [And note- Louis is good to Starr and their chicks. They have 2 this year.]. Is it the same situation? If you have any insights please write to me.
I just checked in on the Achieva Osprey Nest and the wind and rain have stopped. Tiny Tot is not on the nest. K1 and K3 are getting a little antsy. Big Red and Arthur like to do prey drops across Tower Road on the Rice Building. Maybe they are trying to lure them for a meal? Hard to say.
That’s a wrap for now. Tomorrow I hope to introduce you to a mother duck who has decided to use a person’s flowerbed for her nest! Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cam where I grab my screen shots: Achieva Osprey, Cowlitz DUP, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, Dyfi Osprey Project, and Carynx Wild. I also want to thank Suzanne Arnold Horning for posting the image of K3 in the tree on the Cornell Red Tail Hawks FB page. That reminds me – go to the Cornell Red Tail Hawks FB Page and sign on. You can see lots of wonderful images there!
Featured image is K3 on 24 June 2021.