The only news for today is a tribute coming in the coming days.
Heartbroken, but our girl flies free with no more pain.
Patient Update: Bald Eagle 26-519
It is with profound sadness that we share that Patient 26-519 passed away in the early hours of this morning, following more than three weeks of intensive medical care.
Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists. She remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring in our intensive care unit.
Throughout her time at Ojai Raptor Center, every decision was guided by the available medical evidence, her welfare, and our responsibility to do what was in her best interest.
Her remains have been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her.
Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.
We ask for patience and kindness as our staff process this loss. We are working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and will provide a more comprehensive statement including additional information on her treatments and test results.
To protect our staff and community during this difficult time, comments on this post have been turned off.
To everyone who cared about Patient 26-519, thank you. Thank you for your messages, your prayers, your encouragement, and for standing beside our team throughout these past weeks. We are deeply grateful for the way Patient 26-519 brought people together through a shared love of wildlife.
Please take time to heal.
Thank you to everyone who donated for Jackie’s medical expenses and to all those, from the very beginning, who aided in her transportation to Ojai Raptor Centre. My biggest gratitude to those who cared for our dear Jackie and who sought to find out what was causing her illness. This has been a very difficult time for them.
Friday was a busy day. The plumbers have almost finished making our main bath ‘accessible’ in case Don needs mobility aids. They were working hard today, and it was often loud, so Don went with Ann to our Zoo, and he got to see Lumi, the little lynx that was rehabilitated by Wildlife Haven. It was exciting, as they had missed seeing Lumi on three previous occasions. This evening, Don’s second cousin, a budding Vancouver photographer, was here visiting her Mum, and Susan agreed to do some photos for us at King’s Park. It was ideal, and there was more – we had some photos taken near a waterfall and pool where Toby had his first swim!!!!!!! I am going to get him a kiddie pool. You would have thought that he went swimming every day – Toby is a real duck.
Susan will edit the images but she did send us one.
As you are aware, Jackie’s latest red blood count has dropped below 10%. She has returned to the critical care unit and has to have oxygen. I feel for this beloved eagle. Without asking you, I am pretty certain that each of us would love to see her fly back to the nest to be with Shadow. The truth is – she is hanging on to life. I have seen the craziest comments – like let her fly up to Shadow, give her another transfusion. First of all, she can’t fly. Secondly, a second blood transfusion is very dangerous. I believe that, at this point, we have to trust the highly qualified vet team and Jackie to know whether she has the strength to continue fighting. Some of you will recall that at the end of June, Jackie’s behaviour was a bit off. She had a fight with Shadow over a fish. She had to have been sick then. The team are desperately seeking answers and getting more clues daily but our girl is more than extremely sick.
No matter what happens, I will be forever grateful that Jackie used all the energy she had to bring two beautiful eaglets into the world, Sandy and Luna, with Shadow this year. I suspect she was ill at the time, and that must have really taken its toll on her body. Poor thing. If it is to be, then I hope she soars into the ether with Sandy Speers, who loved Jackie so much, and that Shadow, like M15, finds another very good mate. Until then, I continue to hope for Jackie’s full recovery.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 7th August 2026
Today was heavy with fish deliveries but light on key players – neither Dorcha nor Garry LV0 turned up today. Aurora spent a little time on Nest One but on her last appearance this evening just perched silently before flying away, clearly Garry wasn’t in the neighbourhood. The Nest One fish total remains at one hundred and ninety four. Louis however was very much in evidence, delivering eight fish to his two chicks who were stuffed so full, neither turned up for the eighth fish and he took it away again. The Nest Two total now stands at three hundred and eighty nine, four of which were brought by Dorcha. Has she left on migration? It would be an early departure for her, she usually waits until the chicks are around seventy five days old, and today Juniper and Amber are sixty seven and sixty five days old respectively. She has been known to stay away from the nest for a day or two before leaving, popping in occasionally, so perhaps we’ll see her tomorrow. It was very wet today with heavy rain showers throughout the day, and the rain will continue lightly overnight with a low of 13°C, then heavy again tomorrow with a high of 17°C.
I love Blue 33 – everyone knows that – and his mate Maya. A lovely image of two of the fledglings from this year.
I am so proud of the individuals who are stepping up to stop the gill net fishing of Menhaden. There will be a survey that can be sent in to a meeting in November. I will send that link, but please educate yourself on the impact of this vacuuming of fish and the use of spotter planes has had on the entire ecosystem, including our dear ospreys dying before our eyes. Many have lost their businesses as well to save 196 jobs at Reedsville, Virginia.
Viki is still feeding three ospreys including that fledgling! She writes, “Indeed, your language is nothing compared to my anger language. ONE flipping living chick in 3 flipping years. Fed this morning. On the search for another box of bait to keep it up. Good to know that they learn to fish at migration.”
Viki was worried that the chick would not be taught to fish so I sent her a couple of articles. There are no fish for the ospreys – the nests were in sight of her porch. She is distraught but determined – like those fighting against a 0- 50% reduction because no one knows how many fish Omega are taking. It is the most frustrated I have been in years. So when the time comes to step up and speak, I hope you will join me.
George and Hope are at the Osprey House Environmental Centre in Griffins, Australia. They have three lovely osplets this year. All very healthy!
The West Midlands (no streaming cams) had a very good year for ospreys. Congratulations. Here is the total for the 2026 class:
Good news out of Rutland – chick wasn’t lost, just looking over the territory!
C22 slept on the nest at Charlo and has been flying around Saturday morning with Chloe – always heading back to the nest in hope of fish! Doing well.
The fledglings are all eating at Blackbush Beach Resort in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
I was very distressed this morning to see that there are proposals for an upgrade at the park near where I live. Our mayor doesn’t like geese, apparently. So this year they culled the eggs and greased others to get rid of the population. I think they don’t know much about geese or ducks. People bring their families to see the wildlife. Why not hire a few high school students during the season to power-spray the sidewalks? It would allow the families to continue to enjoy the ducks and geese; paths would be cleaner, and the wildlife would have the right to their nesting spots they have used for aeons. 3.4 million is the cost. We have lots of crime now, lots of people who are homeless with drug issues…our City is rapidly becoming not a great place to live. Many blame it on the current group of suits that are at City Hall, not just the mayor.
I agree. We need to be outside more and not on our screens. One artist is hand-drawing 1,000 birds to try and get us to do just that. But how would an app keep us off our phones? Please read.
“Hansen, a renowned ornithological illustrator and author, has a monumental task – a hand-painted compendium of every one of the roughly 1,000 bird species ever recorded from the US and Canada, including those found in waters up to 200 miles from shore, Hawaiian birds not included. When finished, it will complete the visual backbone of an app called Flock, whose mission, compared with that of most apps, is quietly subversive.
For rather than seeking to monopolize and monetize its users’ attention, it deftly employs elements of computer gaming and social networking to draw people outward, into the world of birding, with the broader aim of cultivating a community of conservationists.”
The ornithological artist drawing 1,000 birds by hand – all for an app that wants you off your phone
am signing off. We are going outside today. Rain is predicted for the beginning of the week and today the temperatures will go up to a wonderful 23 C. Take care all. I hope you are well.
Thank you to Geemeff for their wonderful summary and videos from Loch Arkaig, the UK Osprey Info with Jeff Kear, to all those who post on FB, to Susan Thompson for the great photos at King’s Park yesterday, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our bird families. We are so very grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you as always to The Guardian for including interesting wildlife stories every day.
Simply one note today. The staff and volunteers at the Ojai Raptor Centre who are caring for our beloved Jackie would appreciate cards and letters of encouragement as they strive to get our beloved Big Bear Bald Eagle Matriarch back home.
Here are the details:
Want to Send a Note to Patient 26-519 or Our Team?
Over the past few days, several people have asked if they can mail a card or note of encouragement for Patient 26-519 or for the team caring for her. The answer is absolutely! We would be honoured to receive your cards and messages, and we’ll display them at the Centre for our team to see. Your words of encouragement have meant more to us during these past few weeks than you may realise. If you’d like to send something, please mail it to: Ojai Raptor Centre Attn: Patient 26-519 P.O. Box 182 Oak View, CA 93022
Thank you for caring so deeply about wildlife and about the people working every day to give these animals the very best care possible.
What a week it has been! My fear is that we are still seeing the perils our dear osprey will have to deal with as wildfires, drought, and extreme rain are impacting all parts of our planet. That weather is impacting us as well – the heat and what will be food shortages, particularly items made of wheat or cereal crops, that have been impacted. It truly is a difficult time for all.
Thank you to everyone who posted good wishes to Heidi. The loss of CH1 is truly devastating, as there were so few ospreys left in that region and, of course, it is the nest she loved.
There is some good news.
0E5, the first hatched male, at Dunrovin Ranch fledged this morning and returned to the nest!
The chick that was removed from the Fru Rauer nest in Norway has been rehomed in a nest with adults that had one chick about the same size. Sol is being fed and monitored by a team as there is no camera. Here is the YouTube announcement: https://youtu.be/zcYWlWscCMc?
The second hatch at Tweed Valley was removed with the hope that it will thrive away from a nest where there was a very aggressive older chick that would not allow it to eat.
The younger chick at Oyster Bay is staying near the nest and getting the fish being delivered.
Fish is being provided to all four fledglings at Poole Harbour. Blue 022 and CJ7 are exceptional parents. The fledglings seem to be always eating.
I love this image of Blue 33 almost getting his talons pulled off as he delivers two fish at once to the Rutland Manton Bay nest in the UK. Plenty of fish for the ospreys! Amazing Dad.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 1st August 2026
Today was a repeat of yesterday, the chicks slept elsewhere overnight and are really unlikely to sleep on the nest again, preferring to perch in trees which better suits the shape of their feet. They hopped on and off the nest, called very noisily for fish, competed with their mum to get fish from Louis and mantled over their prize, loudly warning the others away. Dorcha might have to go fishing for herself soon as she’s not getting much of Louis’ deliveries but she doesn’t try too hard to get the fish ahead of the chicks. There were a few alarms today, Ravens were heard cronking in the distance but nothing came near enough to be caught on camera. Louis delivered four fish, taking the Nest Two tally to three hundred and sixty one, and nearly lost a toe to Amber in her eagerness to get to the fish. Garry brought one fish for Aurora and stayed to do a little nest tidying – the Nest One tally now stands at one hundred and eight nine. It should be mainly dry overnight and tomorrow with a low of 11°C and a high of 19°C.
This is the last article that University of Florida-Gainsville Intern at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Centre has written before returning to classes. ‘R’ sent it to me to share with you, and it gives us some hope for a species and maybe for all species. I keep thinking we need young people like Wes taking care of the environment!
FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA 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 Sandy hatched 4 April 2026, Luna hatched 5 April 2026 Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41eq4VzCYc4
Shadow Checks In Morning and Night ~ Sub-Adult Stays Close~Critters Clean Up (2026 Jul 30) Shadow continues to spend the night in his usual roost tree, stopping briefly on a favorite perch in the morning. The sub-adult (I think the same one) seems to be in the area whenever Shadow is there. The sub-adult has taken the hint to perch a respectable distance from Shadow, as he’s shown no interest in interacting directly. While the eagles are away during the day, a whole host of critters visit the nest ~ I call them the cleaning crew. Sandy and Luna have not been seen on camera since July 23rd. Enjoy this day in Jackie and Shadow’s habitat. Video: https://youtu.be/wzV_Uf40fP4 Shadow’s Comings and GoingsWhile Awaiting Jackie’s Return (2026 Jul 24) Shadow’s routine has changed since Jackie was taken into care. Sometimes we see him morning and night, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes with a sub-adult bald eagle, sometimes alone. Here’s a day when we saw him both morning and night. This was also the last day faint squees were heard from juvenile eagles, which we hope were Sandy and Luna. It’s a time of wonder, discovery, and hope as we observe this habitat in a different light. Video: https://youtu.be/qfP_F-PEN9k
Jackie is on everyone’s mind! She is improving and was feeding herself. She is in the best care, and this is a reminder not to be sucked into those who keep spreading horrible rumours. No wildlife facility, let alone Ojai Raptor Centre, would keep a raptor in care longer than is needed for donations! Unbelievable.
Arthur has been spotted on campus with the Ps who continue to thrive with him and Big Red providing prey.
This is another tragedy. Every White-tail Eagle that has died in Dorset, England has died of rodenticide poisoning.
The two osplets at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum are thriving despite the heat that is covering our region. [Please note this nest never had three chicks – the third did not die, and any information related to that on the Memorial Page has been removed. There was confusion about the name of the nest when an individual sent me information for the Memorial Page].
Mum and Dad on the barge nest at Port Lincoln as they prepare for the 2026 breeding season – mating is certainly on the agenda!
Friends of Osprey Sth Australia have been checking the other platforms in the area as they work to reintroduce the species to the region. They are hopeful for a good year! I will keep you posted.
All four juveniles, including the fledglings, home for fish at Blackbush.
Fish arrived at Cowlitz.
I have no idea what has happened at Osoyoos but the heat has been incredible.
Fish at Sandpoint for only osplet.
Fledglings return to the Salmon, Idaho nest for fish. On occasion you can see the wildfire smoke on the streaming cam that is near.
Lucky osplet at the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho nest just got a huge whole fish from Dad!
These two osprey nests are right in the middle of humans – just look at Sandy Hook!
We hope that each of you are doing well. Please do check the Memorial Page and help me fill in the gaps and send good wishes to all those osplets on nests for a successful fledge and migration – and to the adults who are trying to fatten up for their journey to their winter homes. I can tell you that Seren Blue 5F has made it to her winter home in The Gambia. She has been photographed. I hope that next year is a better season for her and Dylan at Llyn Clywedog.
Hugo Yugo clowning around on the chair. You can see the poor dear has no teeth in front to hold her tongue. She is a real character.
Hope loving Missey.
Toby had his flea and tick treatment and wears his little jacket so none of the liquid will get on the cats.
It has been busy at the bird baths. The raccoon comes at night and even took a bath and a good old drink. Please remember to leave out life-saving water for the birds and other wildlife. It does make a difference.
See you soon!
Thank you to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their dedication, their videos, and nest summaries. Thank you to everyone who wrote to me this week. I am grateful to everyone wo posted on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to view these families. A big shout out to those who rescued osplets in need and who have tried to make their lives better – Fru Rauer and Tweed Valley this week.
This is going to be a very, very short hello to everyone and a wish that each of you has a lovely weekend – and if it is a long one like it is in Canada, then please get out and enjoy some birdsong in the shade, if possible. It remains very hot here. Ann has taken Don out, and I plan on having a cuddling nap with Toby! The Girls are all sound asleep. Calico and Missey have not been happy with one another, so I am trying another one of those calming diffusers from the vet. I really do feel gutted when they are not getting along.
There is relief. ‘PB’ writes: “Hennie brought CH1 a dogfish (which was to tough to eat) and 2 menhaden which baby devoured. Hennie looks thin this morning but took off after 3rd fish delivery hopefully to get her own fish or eat some of it and bring back a partial.”
There was no help coming for CH1 like at South Cape May Meadows and those who care dearly for the adults and chicks at this nest – namely our Heidi – were devastated that CH1 would wither and die on that nest. Why not feed them? The answer was that the chick might fledge early. My response is – they can’t fledge if they are starving to death. Let us hope that more fish arrives for the adults, too.
There is other good news. Jackie is continuing to improve.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 30th July 2026
The chicks spent today flying around making constant short flights, landing on the nearby Scots Pine, returning to the nest for fish, competing for fish with each other and with Dorcha, and generally enjoying their new found freedom. For the first time since the season began in April, the nest is empty as both chicks are spending their first night elsewhere. This is another side of nest cam watching – we’re willing the chicks on to fledge, and then suddenly have to cope with empty nest syndrome! But we will have the pleasure of the chicks’ company for a few weeks longer as they fatten up and prepare for migration, historically Dorcha doesn’t stay too long after her chicks fledge but Louis will stick around bringing fish until the chicks leave. From now on every sighting is to be treasured. This time last year Aurora had already left but both she and Garry are still here, Garry brought her one fish today taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and eighty seven, while Louis brought five fish, taking the Nest Two tally to three hundred and fifty one. After a damp start the weather was settled although the ‘moderate breezes’ sounded very loud on nest cam, and it’s forecast to be dry overnight with a low of 9 °C, changing to thundery showers tomorrow with gentle breezes and a high of 15 °C.
It has been confirmed that little Sol will not be returned to the Fru Rauer nest in Norway but will be placed with a more experienced pair of adults where there is plenty of fish.
It seems that many places are suffering this year from a lack of fish. The wildfires and heat across the UK and Europe have had an impact as well as in North America.
Sadly there are a lot of condors dying from lead poisoning.
I cannot get enough of Iris and Wensi!
Nearing fledge in Minnesota. Two beautiful osplets.
Smile. There are still four feathered chicks at Blackbush!
Take care, all. I will be back on Monday. I am going to take a few days off. We are having some plumbing renovations done, and the plumbers are not here, so if the weather allows, I hope to get Don and Toby out for some walks and to visit with some friends and family this weekend.
Remember – please leave a dish of water out and food if you can!
Thank you to Geemeff, to PB, and to everyone who posted on FB, to the Ventana Wildlife Society and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to view the lives of these magnificent creatures.
My life has always been made richer by the people who are part of it, and that includes all of you. I appreciate your notes, your quiet recommendations on the best stain cleaner, thunder jacket, vaccinations – what a caring community. You let me know about any news I might have missed and your wishes for me when I am sick and very tired are so appreciated. I am blessed. I am also fortunate to have readers/followers/Bird World friends who either volunteer or work at many of the rehabilitation centres where our raptors wind up staying and getting help.
I know that everyone is anxiously watching for updates on Jackie. I have also been annoyed by those who are impatient and rude. I am sure you have seen their comments. I know that our local wildlife rehabilitation centre is now taking in twice as many patients as it did before the other facility in our province closed. So what I am asking you to do is simply sit back and wait. Imagine a few people trying to create miracles with new patients coming in and the world watching them. Can you imagine if that patient was our dear Jackie, the most famous bald eagle female in the world, perhaps?
Most wildlife rehabilitation centres work on a shoe string. They do incredible things with very little, to the astonishment of everyone. I still recall E17 and the flight area at Humane Indiana. They didn’t need a fancy enclosure to get that eaglet back into shape – they just needed dedicated staff and volunteers who refused to give up. E17 was returned near the nest in South Bend. It was remarkable.
Jackie is in the best place she can be. I know that the Ojai Raptor Centre has received numerous donations to help with her care. But let us not forget that every test for an exotic toxin, every IV bag, every transfusion – it all comes at a great cost. Just the testing for lead is so expensive, never mind everything else. So if you are still considering donating, please do and label it for Jackie’s care.
The Ojai Raptor Center has very humble beginnings. The Founder, Kim Stroud, who retired in January, started taking care of sick/hurt birds in her backyard and in a wood shop behind her place of business in 2000. In 2010, Kim was able to move her operations to the Ojai Honor Farm; four acres on a former minimum security honor farm facility. With the help of generous donations, they were able to transform some buildings into a medical hospital and added a number of flight cages.
In 2023, ORC brought on board Dr Kat (as she is called), who brought her own specialised training to the centre, including infectious disease management. With a small full-time staff and a host of volunteers, they focus on the care and treatment of all winged birds.
Like all non-profits, ORC struggles with the costs of running a full-scale wildlife hospital and depends on local support to maintain operations. In 2024, ORC was in deficit because they needed to replace flight netting and repair water lines. And today, more and more patients are coming into care as rivers and lakes dry up, habitats are lost, or accidents occur.
So please help, if you can. [I know that everyone and every organisation is struggling, but I mention this because Ojai is an exceptional centre. It is where Dr Sharpe took Victor!
But please wait for updates. Limited staff and volunteers are needed to help clients/patients and are not answering phones. We know that Jackie had a blood transfusion and that she improved and then had a setback. They are working tirelessly to determine the cause of her anaemia, but she is beginning to eat independently, which is a big plus. Send Jackie all the best wishes that you can.
Louis and Dorcha’s second hatch, Amber, Blue 8P6, fledged today. It was a magnificent flight. Amber stood on the edge of the nest looking towards the loch and began flapping her wings. She flew like a pro to a nearby pine tree – seen in the distance in the video. The landing appeared to be perfect as well.
Amber returned to the nest just like a pro – what a strong chick! Geemeff has that landing: https://youtu.be/9BQRF4ykYeI?
At the Pont Cresor nest, Aeron Z2 is proving that he is quite the fisher. He once again brought in two fish at a time! There is clearly not a problem with food in Wales for the ospreys.
It is quite a different story in the US, where females abandon their chicks in the nest before fledging to find food to build up their bodies for migration, before they starve. At South Cape Meadows, Hera was last seen more than two weeks ago. Zeus was delivering fish to the single surviving osplet, Uno, but has not been seen in two days. The situation is dire, as the organs of the osplet are already beginning to shut down. If the food isn’t delivered today, this chick will starve in place. I cannot tell you how much that breaks my heart.
I am afraid that if I lived there, I would load a backpack with ice and fish and deliver it to the nest. Then I would argue in court that the human cause of this great disaster besetting this region of the US and its ospreys.
They have turned the camera off on Uno at the nest of Zeus and Hera. The chick will starve without any help. Why not feed it? They know the cause. The fault lies with the State of Virginia, which takes political donations and a handful of jobs over the entire region’s ecosystem and its other employment – ospreys die. The whales and dolphins have left. This is simply more than tragic.
Despite the high temperatures, the two osplets at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum are doing well because the amount of fish is keeping them hydrated.
A fish for the only surviving osplet at Cowlitz PUD.
All of the osplets have fledged at Clark PUD in Washington State.
An adult arrives to help with the fish and another fledgling shows up at Clark.
The surviving two have fledged at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, also. Well done!
Mum came and took the leftover fish.
All is well at Blackbush and I believe that is Tiny 4 flapping its wings.
At Oyster Bay, there is a lot of fish calling while one fledgling enjoys a fish.
I wonder if the fishing is hard near Charlo. Charlie really needs to get a fish on the nest for Winnie and C22.
There was a bit of a fish fight over a small one at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022.
I love the look of Dad in the background. It looks like 6T7 has it for sure but…wait..
6T9 ultimately keeps the fish.
At Upper Newport Bay, Ripple arrives and Dad delivers a breakfast fish.
At Salmon, Idaho, Dad delivered a nice fish and everyone was able to get a share.
At the Usk Valley in Wales, the second chick that had often been aggressively treated by its older sibling took flight today at 53 days! Congratulations 0U1. The older sibling, 0U0, fledged on the 19th of July at 53 days.
I want to close with some more happiness. At the Osprey House Environmental Centre in Griffin, Australia, two little osplets hatched to George and Hope. I understand that big sister, Maria, who helped last year, has dispersed.
And, last, Geemeff brings us the exciting news from Loch Arkaig today!
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 28th July 2026
Amber did it – she fledged today! With a quick check of her wings, Loch Arkaig Osprey chick 8P6, AKA Amber, opened her wings fully and launched off into the big wide world. She made a perfect landing on the Scots Pine tree, stayed there for a few minutes, then took off again and didn’t return for five hours. Her return was as elegant as her departure, she landed smoothly from a hover over the nest and then walked forward and cuddled up to her sister Juniper 8P7. Louis brought three fish today, taking the Nest Two tally to three hundred and forty two, and Dorcha and Juniper shared two of those while Amber was away enjoying her new found freedom but she’d had a good meal from the first fish. Aurora 536 on the other hand got no fish at all from Garry LV0 despite calling loud and long, but each time he turned up, his talons were empty and she eventually departed. A year ago today was her last appearance on nest cam in Season Nine – it will be interesting to see if she turns up tomorrow. Garry’s total remains at one hundred and eighty four. It started raining this evening before night cam came on, and the forecast is for heavy rain and a gentle breeze with a low of 13°C overnight, changing to light rain with a high of 17°C tomorrow.
Thank you for being with us today! Take care – and remember, please put out water for wildlife. See our little visitor looking for food who had a drink from the birdbath last night!
Thank you to Geemeff, the wonderful folks at Ojai Raptor Centre, everyone who posted on FB with information and images, and the owners of the streaming cams.
I just wish everyone was as brave as Viki and a few others who are out there providing fish because they understand that the lack of food is human-caused.
We had a wonderful birthday party for my daughter. Toby was so good… ours is a family of cat lovers, and being the first dog there has been some scepticism amongst the others. Of course, anyone reading this knows how I feel about my little man. He found some mulch, which he knew he was not supposed to have, and look at this silly character!
The weather cooperated – it was cool and sunny without any mosquitoes and no rain! It was so nice to have all the family (almost) together.
There has been some news about Jackie and I want to pass it along to you if you have not already seen it. Jackie is critically ill. She is in the best place she can be to receive care. It appears that she has some kind of toxicity. You might recall that Victor had zinc toxicity. He was a young eaglet, not yet fledged, and he survived to be released. What a glorious day that was.
I believe the date on the posting below is a typo and should read 21 July. So this is the latest information. Thanks, Sharon Pollock.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 21st July 2026
More intruders today but nothing like the dramatic scenes of yesterday when 2024 Loch Fleet chick Blue 9A6 actually locked talons with Dorcha. None of today’s appeared on nest cam but Dorcha certainly saw them and reacted to them, and her day ended with her using her crow voice to warn off a Tawny Owl calling very near by. The RAF also intruded with several aircraft disturbing the peace including a trio of Typhoon jets caught on both nest cams. Louis brought three fish taking the Nest Two tally to three hundred and nine, and causing the two chicks to tussle over a flatfish which was eventually won by Amber 8P6 but not before Juniper 8P7 had had a good go at it. In between fish deliveries and intruder alarms they practised wingercising and both chicks managed a little lift off, only a few inches off the ground but helicoptering and then fledging is on the horizon. Over on Nest One, Garry LV0 brought two fish for Aurora 536, taking his tally to one hundred and seventy seven. He made another mating attempt then did some housekeeping, they’re both now ignoring the rotten but still intact egg, and it’s good to see them reaffirming their pair bond. The weather was settled and sunny but not too hot, and will remain so tomorrow with an overnight low of 12°C and a high tomorrow of 19°C.
Bonus update – Following the return of 2024 Loch Arkaig chick 1JW to Spain, here’s news of this year’s cohort of Scottish translocatees just arrived in Valencia:
There is excellent news – David Gessner is getting involved and giving a real voice to fight over the industrial/commercial fishing of Menhaden that has caused a collapse of the ecosystem and the deaths of the ospreys.
One of the ‘groups’ that I support that work hard and punch beyond their numbers is Ventana Wildlife and the California Condors. Here is some great news from Kelly Sorenson, the Director of VWS:
July 21, 2026
Dear Mary,After the heartbreak we shared recently, we are overjoyed to bring you some wonderful news. Condor (340) and Condor (868) have made full recoveries from lead poisoning and are back in central California!
Thanks to the incredible, life-saving care of our partners at the Oakland Zoo and Los Angeles Zoo, both birds are now resting and recharging in our Big Sur pen. Over the next few weeks they’ll build up strength and reintegrate into the flock before their return to the wild in mid-August. And thanks to explore.organd the Live Cams, you can help us keep watch. Once Condor (340) and Condor (868) arrive later today, they should be the center of attention, both for the rest of the flock and for the hundreds of viewers like you tuning in!
(These Pinnacles-released condors would normally return to the Pinnacles pen, but with that pen closed for its annual maintenance, Big Sur welcomed them home. It is a wonderful example of our close partnership with Pinnacles National Park.)
Condor (340), “Kun-Wac-Shun” This 22-year-old male, named by Chief Nelson Wallulutum of the Wasco Tribe, is a true legend. He is the most dominant male in the Pinnacles flock and famously raised the first wild condor chick to fledge at Pinnacles in over 100 years. After showing severe signs of lead poisoning on April 2, the Oakland Zoo’s around-the-clock care pulled him through a critical situation.
Condor (868) A resilient 9-year-old male and proud father of two, Condor (868) was captured on April 30 with clinical signs of lead poisoning and rushed to the Los Angeles Zoo, where the veterinary team brought him back to full health.
A reminder of why this matters: lead poisoning remains the number one threat to wild condors. It is also preventable. By choosing non-lead ammunition, hunters and ranchers become vital partners in keeping these birds safe.Watch Condor (340) and Condor (868) on the Live Cam →Learn about our free Non-Lead Ammunition Program →Read Condor (340) and Condor 868’s full bios →Recoveries like these are only possible because of you. Thank you for standing with this flock through the hard days and celebrating with us on the good ones.
With gratitude,
Kelly Sorenson Executive Director
…and the Condor Crew Ventana Wildlife Society
While we might not think that there is any silver lining to Jackie being rescued after a fight with a large sub-adult, she is getting treatment for an illness that she had that had nothing to do with that other eagle. My grandmother always told me to believe hard that everything happens for a reason. I am glad that Jackie is in care. Thrilled that she was able to have two chicks this season with Shadow to fledge – Sandy and Luna. Imagine if she had young chicks in the nest and got ill without treatment. So, I want to go to bed tonight sending all the positive energy that I can to Jackie for healing. I hope you will do the same.
At our local wildlife rehab, there are two orphan hawks that are in care.
Fledge at Ranworth in the UK:
Beautiful chick at Charlo Montana!
Beautiful chick at Hellgate Canyon:
Two gorgeous osplets at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! There was a third beautiful healthy chick that tragically died during a very horrific storm that hit the area in late June.
The new couple at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum are terrific. Just look at those two healthy fully feathered osplets.
Mum sheltering her baby in the heat at Osoyoos.
CJ7 and three of her four babies at the Poole Harbour nest in the UK.
Two fledglings wishing for fish at Poole Harbour.
Elen and Teifi’s trio at Glslyn.
Thank you so much for being with us. I really needed you to know how Jackie is doing if you didn’t know. Take care.
Thank you also to everyone who has written to me. My son returns to the Caribbean on Saturday and I hope to have time to answer those letters by late Sunday.
Thank you to Geemeff for her summary and videos and the link to the information about Gessner, to Kelly Sorenson for the great news, to the Ojai Raptor Centre who are trying so hard to heal Jackie, to Pam Breci for keeping me posted, and to everyone else who posted information on FB along with images and the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to follow the lives of these bird families.
Today is my daughter’s birthday so there is a party which hasn’t turned out to be a surprise like I thought it was – but we will have a great time celebrating her special day.
It is also cool at 18 C and Toby and Don will get to have a wonderful walk with Ann as long as the rain stays away!
Ojai Raptor Centre is the BEST place for Jackie. They have treated Victor, Andor and Cruz’s chick, which had zinc toxicity. He fell off the nest in 2022. Only after 36-48 hours, Ojai Raptor Centre had raised $250,000 towards Jackie’s care. That is brilliant. I will also remind you of the other wildlife centre, San Dimas, that transported and cared for Jackie the distance to get to Ojai. They are San Dimas.
The world’s most famous eagle is getting a lot of attention and I hope that some of that generates the remaining funds necessary to purchase the land so that it cannot be developed. That would be tragic. CBS LA carries the battle by the water: https://youtu.be/0WX9ayTQiUs?si=_NzC92LEVBWMjshG
Update on Jackie:
We also have an update about Sol in Norway – the smaller osprey rescued so that it could survive with the understanding that lack of fish, heated streams, and heat domes are human caused. Bless them. https://youtu.be/2XeVWs9zgkU?si=EHqysyTCKDGfHH3R
All appears alright at the nest of Iris, baby, and Clark at Hellgate this morning.
We still have one chick surviving at Osoyoos.
The only surviving chick of three at Field Farm fledged this morning. Congratulations! They beat the odds and have one to fly.
The only surviving chick on the nest (one is in rehab but we do not know the status) fledged at Great Bay this morning. Again, congratulations. One fledge at a nest is great in a time when so many have their entire clutch perish.
One chick flapped and fell into the river at Blackwater and died – two remain. We hope they fledge successfully.
Great news from Viki:
LB leaves his perch before I toss the fish now so he’s sure to get to it first …. It’s not quite throwing popcorn to gulls, but I think the local ospreys are paying attention. And when I flubbed a throw LB chased a heron away from the shore., presumably on its way to grab the fish.
Once this morning LB was full enough to not bother with one of my offerings himself but to drop the still frozen fish in the nest and Big Girl took a while but she managed well. I can’t tell the difference between the two chicks now, although one seems very submissive, but if I can’t pick them apart as big and little I figure Little is doing as well as can be hoped.
Jack is working w/ a local fish house to get frozen bait fish (alewives) but I’m not sure LB will go for the mangled ones – maybe as time goes on, but as for now I think he needs a face and tail to believe it is worth going after.
Nevertheless, I feel we humans are making a small mark for good each time LB grabs one I throw!!!”
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 20th July 2026 Quite a dramatic day today, with two serious intruder Osprey encounters, both involving Dorcha. The first took place in the morning when a ringed intruder kept divebombing Dorcha on the nest until she flew off and chased it away. It was a Scottish female with a left leg blue Darvic ring which unfortunately couldn’t be read, and was possibly the same Osprey who attacked Dorcha in the afternoon. That time the ring was read, Blue 9A6, a 2024 female from Loch Fleet, the same area where Aurora 536 fledged in 2022, so potentially siblings. The attack was fierce – 9A6 flew onto the nest and locked talons with Dorcha for a moment then Dorcha went for her and both went tumbling over the side and crashed down through the branches of the nest tree in dramatic scenes. However both were seen flying in the distance, and Dorcha returned unharmed to the nest where the chicks were still safely pancaked. When Louis arrived with a third fish an hour and a half later, the family were ready for a meal and tucked in eagerly. He brought a fourth fish later but Dorcha got most of that one as the chicks appeared to be still satisfied from the previous one. His four deliveries take the Nest Two tally to three hundred and six. Over on Nest One, Garry LV0 brought one fish for Aurora 536 taking his tally to one hundred and seventy five – she thought she was getting a second, but when Garry answered her calls, he arrived fishless and attempted mating instead. In other news, the chicks were intrigued by a dragonfly and made lazy attempts to catch it in their beaks as it flew around the nest. The weather was settled again, and not too warm, and the forecast is pretty much the same – light winds, partly cloudy with a low of 12
°C overnight and sunny intervals with a high of 20
Thank you for being with us today. We are off to a birthday celebration. Take care. We hope to have you with us soon.
Thank you to everyone. Thank to Geemeff for her videos and daily summary, to PB for news on Jackie, to dear Viki for being my heroine – who else is feeding osprey to keep them alive? To those who posted on FB and the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to watch these incredible birds.
Our thoughts go out to all that are being lashed about by tropical storm systems and hurricanes.
It is a quiet drizzly grey Saturday morning in the garden. Little Red has been eating at the solid suet cylinder and the Blue Jays are pecking away at the cob of corn left for them. The sparrows have not really been around much. I hope to have some photos of Little Red cleaned up for tomorrow. But, so far, the gang is all here – Junior and the 3 fledgling Blue Jays and the 3 fledgling Crows plus Little Red, Dyson, and Scraggles. Dyson’s two from the summer come and go as well. There has been no sightings of Little Hedwig and the neighbours and I are beginning to fear the worst about those cats. Fingers crossed we see a bunny shortly.
The temperatures are dropping at night. All of the Grape tomatoes have been picked and will turn green in the lovely Birch basket. All of the plants to come inside are here but one which means a trip to the garden centre today for soil. Even so, we have not had a hard frost in the garden and this is absolutely remarkable considering it is now the 24th of September.
In the Mailbox:
The other day I was asked if non-parental male peregrine falcons could harm the eyases in the scrape. I told a story of an Osprey that had kicked the eggs out of the nest when he suspected they belonged to another male. Today, a cartoon that Chloe Baker did of Odin and EJ showed up on FB.
It was Loch Garten, 2013, and here is the video of that egg being kicked out of the nest. Odin waited til EJ went for a break! (not HD) I wish some of these great old videos could be cleaned up. They are fantastic. Of course, Odin was not the only male. Some of us waited to see if Aran would go after Mrs G’s eggs this season but, he didn’t. Presumably they were his and not the Pont Cresor Aeron Z2.
This also happened at Dunrovin a couple of years ago – much clearer image.
And here is another a couple of years ago. There are many examples. We do not know what will happen if the young male totally ousts the old male at Melbourne. Indeed, we do not even know if that will happen this year. My fingers are crossed that he goes and sits and waits til this breeding season is over! But, we also have to prepare ourselves for the worst. It is much better when the males get rid of the eggs.
Making News:
Some additional images were released of Victor taking his flight to freedom. He sure must have been so excited to be back in the wild. Victor is a magnificent eagle! Thanks to Paul K for cleaning these up!
Nest News:
It is all about life lessons at the Sydney Sea Eagles nest. The parents are deliberately branching, demonstrating how to ward off the Currawong, and then how to eat a fish. It is really a privilege to be able to watch the daily lives of these amazing raptors.
Xavier looking at the eggs. Hatch watch is 1-3 October! Xavier is one of the most devoted male Peregrine Falcons that I know. This is an incredible nest to watch and there are several cameras and a chat.
Xavier has been doing some of that enfluffing in the scrape.
I wonder how many of you are counting the number of fish flakes that Little Bob is getting at Port Lincoln. Big Bob is bigger and will need more and Mum is smartly feeding it several nice helpings before moving on to Middle and Little Bob. Dad, for his part, brought in a whomping size fish that will last the day.
Oh, Little Bob you are going to have to push and figure out how to get to the front with Big Bob in the front line!
Little Bob got himself in the right position for the next feeding at 10:50. Big Bob has a super crop and Middle is laying down. Little is going to get some really nice bites.
The camera operator gave us some fabulous close ups of the three after the 1415 feeding so we could see that each had a nice crop. Little Bob is holding its own. You can really see the egg tooth of each of the osplets – that hard piece of white beak used like a pick axe to get out of the shell. Enjoy this soft fluffy down. We will not realize it but time passes quickly and soon they will be in their reptilian phase.
Incubation continues at the 367 Collins Street scrape box. It is now the 25th in Melbourne and we are on hatch watch for the 27th.
For everyone who cannot wait for the Bald Eagle nests to be full of little eaglets, the first on streaming cam mating of the year occurred at the Northwest Florida nest of Samson and Gabby!
Migration News:
Do you know about EuroBirdPortal.org? It tracks all of the European Ospreys movements during the migration period.
I will be checking on Karl II and his family for tomorrow.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Little Bob is doing well. He isn’t our Ervie – no one could ever be Ervie but, I hope he holds his own against Big Bob and thrives. Mum and Dad are doing a great job. I fear that when Dad is late with fish it is either the wind or the gulls. Let’s blow those gulls away! Take care of yourselves. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their posts and streaming cams that form my screen captures: Chloe Baker, Loch Garden RSPB, Dunrovin, Castnet, Bald Eagles 101 and the Ojai Raptor Centre, The Wonderful World FB, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, Charles Sturt Falcons, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Port Lincoln Ospreys, EuroBirdPortal, and NWFL-AEF.
It is early (for me). The garden birds are very quiet. It is starting out to be a beautiful day as I work on getting to know this computer but, rain is to start today and be with us again on Friday and Saturday. It is always good to get the trees that have grown so much over the summer with all the torrential downpours a good soaking before frost.
One of the things that was lost were the images that I took yesterday at one of the ponds. So I want all of you to use your imagination. I could not believe my eyes. There before me were seven young ducklings just like the singular one at the nature centre. No feathers just fuzz on their bodies. They were all cuddled up together keeping warm. Today it is 10 degrees C. We are at the time of migration. All of the nature centres are opening up for special events as the birds from the north make their way to the wetlands and the big ponds enroute to their winter homes far south of us. Will the arrival of winter be late? What will happen to these wee ones? I have never seen small ducklings like this at this time of year. The spring floods and destruction of eggs has certainly caused issues. There are ducks that overwinter on our Assiniboine River near to where my daughter lives but…what about these little gaffers?
Making News:
Victor at his release. 19 September 2022.
For all of those wondering, the site where Victor was released is at the coast right across from the Channel Islands. Great choice! Let us all hope to see Victor near Fraser’s Point in a couple of years! Wouldn’t that be grand. It appears it was the best site for release like the Channel Islands but the closest point to his nest without breaking any regulations. Isn’t Dr Sharpe the best?
It seems that once we get a good population of birds established we then want to take their habitat away. This is what is happening in Albania wit the pelicans!
So far, there are still only two osplets at Port Lincoln. The third egg is 37 days old and there is still time for it. Some chatters are wondering if there is any movement inside. We will have to keep our eyes opened! The other two and Mum seem to be doing splendidly.
The streaming camers (3) at the SWFlorida Bald Eagle nest of Harriet and M15 will be going live during the first week of October.
Xavier brought an Eastern Rosella, well prepared, for Diamond who was excited and got off the nest. Xavier is a lovely! Hatch not expected til the first week in October but we are getting there…2 weeks?
Beautiful Diamond.
Xavier gets some ‘eggie time’. Yes! Can you tell how much I love this cute little falcon who is no longer in his prime but gosh, he is a fantastic mate and he loves his chicks. I sure hope this season turns out well for these two.
So many of you are marveling at the plumage colours of the little sea eaglets. They are gorgeous. A friend laughed at me for loving the feathering of the Red-tail Hawks. “Just wait til you see the Sea Eagles!” Oh, she was so right. It is hard to see the colours when the sun is at a certain angle but have a good look at them.
Our eagles are approaching their 10th week. They are still growing some feathers under their wings. Their wing flapping and jumping around is going to continue to get every more vigorous. Just breathe. They can scare the wit’s out of you when they start jumping on and off the rim of the nest and the branches . In week 11 you will see them gain some real height in their hovering. They will begin to sleep more and more with their head tucked into their wings rather than duckling style although fledglings also prefer duckling style on occasion. It must be much more comfortable! Self-feeding is getting better.
We do not want to talk about fledging but, after 70 days it is possible. And we are at that point. So spend your time watching these two and the hatches at Port Lincoln. SE29 and 30 will be gone in a blink and the osplets will be growing and changing so fast it will be hard to recognize these sweet fuzzy babies in a week!
Victor Hurley is going to post a pre-recorded session where he answers your questions about what is going on at Melbourne on Thursday, Australia time. That will be in a few hours. If you have questions, you can submit them on the 367 Collins Falcon Watchers FB page. Dr Hurley asks that you read the PDF that he posted on the top of the FB site before submitting questions.
We are all very curious to see what will be happening. The second male does some quick on and off mating which – well, we are now nearing hatch which should be 5 days away. Mum’s hormones will not be in breeding but incubation and caring for young. It appears that the old male continues to provide food for Mum. Oh, I hope that this clutch makes it but we are going to just have to wait and see.
Migration News:
Checking on the Black Stork family from the Karula National Forest in Estonia. There has been no transmission for Karl II since the 4th of September. Bonus and Kaia were still in their respective areas with their last report coming in on the 20th of September. Hopefully this evening there will be some new news.
Birdmap is showing tremendous progress for the Ospreys and, one, in particular, flew across Europe to Spain instead of going directly South. Brilliant! The Ospreys are already heading into central Africa! You can go to BirdMap and get the animated version of their journeys.
Thank you so much for being with me today. We are looking forward to the third hatch in Port Lincoln but, for now, in the night, Mum is getting some much needed rest! Take care of yourself and I will look forward to seeing you again real soon.
If you are sending me e-mails (which I love), please use this new address: maryasteggles@outlook.com Thanks so much!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Ojai Raptor Centre, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam, and BirdMap.
