Tag Archives: osprey deaths

Wednesday in Bird World

5 August 2026

Hello Everyone,

We are having another cool day. It is fantastic! We hope that you are as well.

Heidi is meticulous in keeping data records for all the osprey nests that she monitors and she has been doing this or the International Osprey Data Project (my long term study in osprey mortality) for the past three/four years. Heidi posted this detailed information about a few of the nests that she has observed and documented this year. You will learn a lot from reading this.

“Keep in mind, there is a great deal of older osprey educational material available in print and online. The older materials present a typical osprey family lifestyle as being similar to old TV shows like Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best, The Donna Reed Show, and Leave It To Beaver. The dads worked, and the moms stayed at home. I have watched dozens of osprey nest cams for a few years, and that has rarely been the case. An osprey nest where the female never fishes is uncommon, in my experience. If you do your research online, artificial intelligence will glean information from the out-dated articles as well as some newer information.

First, we shouldn’t assume that Miles has ‘succumbed’ to anything or became injured or died. That’s a bridge too far. Since we only know what we see on cams, it is important not to go too far in our ‘what if’ theories. We do know that there is a shortage of fish, primarily due to menhaden overfishing.

It is not unusual for both parents to fish. Many females do typically start to fish for the family to supplement the male’s contributions, when the chicks get older. That’s what Hennie did. The females are not necessarily supposed to provide most or all of the fish, but that is what I have been seeing at many nests. However, don’t forget that the males can also become preoccupied at times with defending the nest and surrounding area against intruders, and then they will spend less time fishing. When fishing becomes poor for our on-cam osprey families, it becomes poor for all of the fish-eating birds in the area, like other ospreys and eagles. This may result in a greater chance of one of ‘our’ osprey’s catch being stolen by other hungry birds. It stands to reason, that kleptoparasitism would increase in times of fish shortages. You can imagine for example, Miles spending a lot of time trying to catch a fish, he finally catches one and then it is stolen. He later catches another fish, and he eats it because he is expending a lot of energy and he is starving. Miles (and all the other males and fishing females) may have also had to travel further away to find better fishing than what they were finding at their usual local fishing spot. That would mean more energy expended just to get to the new fishing area, and then to fly home with the fish. The male can try to do this all day long, and the end result may be that the male has brought very few if any fish to the nest that day for his family.

Osprey nest ground monitors have been noticing that many females are abandoning nests earlier in their nesting season than in previous years, and that some males have been leaving early also. From what I have seen on cams, many of the males are leaving before the females. Leaving does not mean migrating. It could mean that they simply have reached their own maximum degree of malnutrition and exhaustion that they can tolerate, and they simply had to become self-focused to save their own lives.

What I have seen on nest cams this season:

For some nests, the ‘food stress’ for the ospreys presented itself early enough in the season that the eggs were abandoned. The male ospreys stopped coming to the nest with fish for the females, so the females had to leave to fish for themselves. This was not the first year we have seen this. We noticed this at the Severna Park, MD nest two years ago, last year the cam was down, and this year Oscar and Olivia abandoned their eggs again due to lack of fish.

Last season at the Forsythe, NJ nest, the male could not support the female by bringing her enough fish, so she abandoned their eggs. This season, the food stress presented itself much later, and two chicks hatched. The male, Oscar, stopped coming to the nest several days prior to the female finally giving up on the chicks. Opal had a long history of being a fishing osprey mom. But, unlike several years in the past, the she did not bring any fish to the nest for her chicks this season. She did however, spend many hours off cam and would return with a crop and empty talons. One would assume that she fished to save her own life, but probably also tried to fish for her family, and she simply wasn’t able to do so. How far did she have to fly to find fish? Opal finally abandoned the chicks and they perished. Both parents were seen at the nest a few times in the days after their chicks died.

Last year at the South Cape May nest, Hera abandoned her eggs when Zeus had been unable to provide enough fish to her. This season, Hera was last seen at the nest when Uno was only 38 days old. There had been a significant slowdown in fish deliveries to the nest. Hera had already been fishing for a couple weeks, and was providing 1/3 to 1/2 of the daily fish totals to the nest. After Hera’s departure, Zeus continued to support Uno for several days by delivering fish, mostly very small menhaden. July 26, was the last day that Zeus was seen at the nest. On 7/28 the cam was turned off and NCNJ began to place fish on the nest for Uno.

The Wetlands nest is a special case. Their only chick would not allow mom to feed it, repeatedly attacking her very severely, and attacking the dad as well. However, the male continued to make fish drops, and Rascal learned to self feed. But, fish counts were down significantly compared to earlier in the season. In the end, both parents abandoned the nest altogether, and Rascal passed away.

At Dewey Beach last year, both parents abandoned their only chick and it died at 50 days old. Dad left several days before Mom did. We did see the mom on the nest a few times after her chick passed. This season they had a new female, and she started fishing when Sassy was young. The last couple weeks of their season, Mom was catching most of the fish, and it was almost entirely small menhaden. Dewey Dad stopped coming to the nest when Sassy was 54 days old. Mom continued to provide for Sassy for four days after Sassy fledged. Mom was last seen on 7/17. We saw Dad again on 7/18 with a fish, Sassy flew in to take the fish, but Dad flew off with it. Mom has not been seen since 7/17, but I continue to see Dad at the nest, guarding against intruders. I last saw him on 7/30. Sassy has not been seen since 7/19.

The Cape Henlopen nest: Miles was last seen at the nest on 7/28 at 10:28 when he delivered a small menhaden. The fish count had been way down from a few days earlier. I believe that Miles had reached a breaking point where his body told him that he had to take care of himself. He was probably exhausted from trying to fish, fighting off kleptos trying to steal his fish, and trying to guard the area from intruders. In addition, Miles may have been flying further away to try to find fish, using up even more energy. He may have only been able to eat a couple tiny menhaden a day, or a dogfish, which wasn’t enough to support his energy requirements. I think it is possible that Miles may have left to find better fishing at a different location, so that he could regain his weight and strength. The adults also know that they have to migrate in a month or so. Starting from a depleted physical state, they know they have to begin to rest and fatten up before undertaking the immense challenges of migration.

Hennie had begun fishing fairly early in the season, and her contributions were very significant. There were no fish brought to the nest on 7/29 and 7/30. Hennie arrived in the evening on those days with a crop. The fact that she had eaten but not brought a fish to her youngster was quite shocking to some viewers. It was similar to what Opal had been doing at Forsythe, arriving with a crop but no fish. I believe that Hennie had tried to bring fish to her youngster, but it simply didn’t work out with the challenges of finding fish and surviving fish thieves. Hennie brought three fish to Chick1 on 7/31. On 8/1 Hennie brought a small menhaden to the nest for Chick1 at 11:14. It was approaching too late in the evening to expect another fish, so I knew Chick1 would not have another fish that day. The eagle took Chick1 that evening. We heard Hennie alarming from a nearby tree during the eagle attack. Hennie never abandoned her chick, and Chick1 was not dying. See the videos of the chick being active throughout the day on 8/1. I counted several very good ps’s by Chick1 on 8/1. But, Chick1 needed more fish, and if the eagle predation had not occurred, I don’t know if Hennie would have been able to catch enough fish for herself and her chick, so that Chick1 could fledge. We will never know. I do know the last few days that Hennie was seen on camera, she looked very thin, tired and depleted.

There are those that have said if Hennie or Miles had been at the nest the eagle attack would not have happened. That is not necessarily true. If Hennie had been on the perch, it may have deterred the eagle, or it might not have. In 2021 on an osprey live cam in Washington state, a bald eagle swooped down on an osprey nest and took two osplets at once. The osprey parents were both at the nest at the time.

Fish: I have monitored fish at many regional on-cam nests this season. The catch has overwhelmingly been small menhaden. Menhaden comprise the bulk of an osprey’s diet along the mid-Atlantic coast, and the northeast coast. Large adult menhaden have a very dense caloric content due to their high concentration of omega fatty acids. Small menhaden, while still food, lack the nutritional value of larger menhaden. They are not old enough to have accumulated and stored the high concentrations of omega oils. Other fish I have seen at the nests include lots of bluefish earlier in the season (very few later in the season), a lot of dogfish, a few croaker, scup, spot, mackerel, and even one black sea bass from Miles. Zeus at Cape May, brought several fresh water species to the nest this season (bass, sunfish varieties). We thought that would be a boon for that nest, since Zeus had an alternate location to fish. But, in reality, it pointed to the fact that their primary food source, menhaden, was missing. I have only seen a few large menhaden this season at Wetlands, Dewey Beach, Cape Henlopen, and South Cape May. Due to overfishing by an industrial reduction fishing fleet, the adult menhaden along the east coast have been almost entirely wiped out.

The photo is from June 13.”

In the Tweed Valley in the UK, one of the osplets was being attacked by its older sibling who had made sure the younger one did not eat. It was rescued so that it could survive. This is the latest update:

There is more news from Tweed:

In Australia, George and Hope are raising their three osplets alone this year – without their older sister helping!

People make a difference and this is a marvellous change to a very long standing tradition. This year Gannet chicks will not be clubbed to death.

Please remember that collectively we can make change – and I am hoping that one of those changes will be the absolute elimination of the industrial fishing for Menhaden that is causing an entire ecosystem to collapse and the death of our dear ospreys (amongst other wildlife).

People are helping ospreys in trouble. It warmsmy heart.

Geemeff Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 4th August 2026
Plenty of drama today – Dorcha saw off a persistent intruder Osprey who kept over-flying Nest Two, then intruded on Nest One herself, and was swiftly chased off by Aurora 536. Less than ten minutes after Aurora drove her away, she returned to Nest Two bringing a fish! Early in the season before Louis returned, Dorcha had brought two fish to the nest. She’s now doubled that total with her delivery of a trout yesterday and another today. The chicks were on and off the nest throughout the day competing for fish, and while attempting to keep her fish away from her sister, Amber accidentally achieved a milestone and flew with her fish for the first time. However, she still needs to perfect the other half of that skill, which is to keep hold of it, as on returning to the nest, she crashed through the branches at the side, and landed with empty talons. Garry brought one fish for Aurora, taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and ninety two, and the Nest Two tally rises to three hundred and seventy five with five fish from Louis and one fish from Dorcha today. As forecast, there were heavy rain showers and strong gusts of wind during the day and the wet weather is set to continue with light rain showers and a low of 14°C overnight, changing to thundery showers and a yellow warning for thunderstorms tomorrow, with a high of 17°C. 


Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/lqX0uWRACTo N2 Amber achieves another milestone and flies with fish 13.10.42 https://youtu.be/IkQf6Ot_E1g N2 Unringed intruder seen off by Dorcha 13.28.18 https://youtu.be/J7o7_cWLtnE N1 Dorcha intrudes on Nest One and is chased off by Aurora 14.15.43 https://youtu.be/PdoihiOsSic N2 Dorcha delivers fish number two and an almighty stramash breaks out 14.24.37 https://youtu.be/KFShvMNpdLM N2 Amber fends off Juniper and keeps fish three 14.40.28 https://youtu.be/lRqs6vluU6I N2 Dorcha gets fish four from Louis but feeds Amber when she begs 16.49.53 https://youtu.be/Vf-8L9oKHp4 N1 Garry stays to feak his beak after Aurora leaves with fish one 17.12.29 https://youtu.be/zUJcgT5sgWw N2 Juniper grabs fish five and moans at Dorcha’s presence 18.03.15 https://youtu.be/U46zajCBEXw N2 Three females on the nest calling loudly for fish six 19.27.30Bonus retail therapy – bag yourself a bargain and stand up for trees at the same time, Woodland Trust’s sale is now on:

https://shop.woodlandtrust.org.uk/sale

Everyone’s invited to join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and you’re all welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

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There was a fledge this morning at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest. Gosh what a good nest to watch this year with new adults!

Heidi reports “Oyster Bay is having a good day. Mom had not been seen for 2 days, but she’s back. Five fish so far (3 Dad, 2 Mom), both chicks have been eating.”

The update on Colonial Beach chick that was electrocuted and taken into care. It is able to stand up but did not eat well yesterday. Send your good wishes, please, to this baby.

At Hellgate Canyon, Wensi is really working his or her wings and well, there could be a fledge any time. Proud Mama Iris watches every move. Iris is looking a little rough. I sure hope she is able to spend the next month fattening up and getting into good condition for migration.

If you missed the hour discussion on the Hellgate Osprey Season 2026 here it is: https://www.youtube.com/live/T1-QR1RyDlc?

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. I will be back with you on Friday. Taking a day off tomorrow (Thursday).

Thank you to everyone who sent me information, to Heidi for that great synopsis of some of the nests she is watching, to Geemeff for her videos and summary, Cornell Bird Lab, all who post on FB and the streaming cam owners who allow us to watch these amazing birds.

Is it Jackie?…Late, late Sunday in Bird World

19 July 2026

Good Evening Everyone,

This will be an incredibly short posting with what I hope is some really great information.

I have avoided mentioning dear Jackie, our beloved Mum and mate of Shadow at Big Bear Valley, until I saw and heard some information that felt ‘transparent’. A message recording has been put out and here is the link:

https://recorder.google.com/c0a3385a-d53f-40fc-b01b-f66df7f392d6

Thank you, Pam Breci, for sending this to me. We are waiting for any confirmation. This is why Darvic Rings are important, but it would have been nearly impossible to have ringed Jackie, as she hatched in that gorgeous, very tall tree in 2012. She shared with Mr B, then with Shadow and their chicks.

SK Hideaways has sent their video listing for the week:

SK Hideaways Videos for the Week of 12 July 2026
While we may have seen the last sightings of the four siblings at the San
Jose peregrine falcon nest, we continue to enjoy Sandy and Luna at Big Bear,
as well as any and all happenings with the Channel Island eagles. My
Southern Hemisphere coverage will ramp up over next few weeks. That’s just
my little world of coverage for now.  Mary Ann covers much, much more and
we’re eternally grateful.

FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Jackie, Shadow; eaglets Sandy &
Luna (hatched 4-5 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
Live Recap & Observations:  https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz

Sub-Adult Breaches Nest ~ Shadow Attacks and Chases as Luna & Sandy Fly In
(2026 Jul 19)
One of the persistent sub-adult bald eagles followed Shadow to the nest.
Shadow made his displeasure known vocally, but when Luna arrived, Shadow
leapt over him and flushed the sub-adult from the nest, chasing them to the
lake and possibly beyond. Sandy arrived at the nest as the chase was
unfolding, and she and Luna looked on, squee-less. Not a minute later,
Shadow was perched on Twin Pines and 9 minutes later, Sandy and Luna perched
on the Cactus Snag. Shadow remains on Twin Pines, on guard as we publish. We
wish all Big Bear eagles well and continue to wait for definitive news of
Jackie’s whereabouts. 
Video: https://youtu.be/3OnNjmhclpo

Dramatic Tug-o-Fish Episode ~ Sandy & Luna Split the Difference (2026 Jul
18)
A dramatic nest entrance and tug-o-fish session ends with both Sandy and
Luna getting some fish. Then they perch together like nothing ever happened.
Video: https://youtu.be/Y1ibuAnekiI

Cross-Valley Eaglet Chortles ~ A.M. Tug-o-Fish ~ Three on Cactus Snag (2026
Jul 18)
Dawn at Big Bear brought another symphony of chatter with Sandy and Luna
squee’ing across the valley. Sunrise was magnificent as they continued their
conversation. When they left their night perches, Sandy and Luna met on the
Cactus Snag till Shadow flew past with the first fish of the day. They raced
to the nest to collect their snack ~ Luna beating Sandy to the grab. About
1/2 way through the fish, Sandy snuck in for the steal; at 3/4 gone, Luna
took it back. They digested on the front perch before returning to the
Cactus Snag, where Shadow ultimately joined them,  chortling to Jackie, who
remained off camera. In a spectacular finale, Shadow struck an horaltic pose
that mesmerized even Sandy and Luna. A glorious morning was had by all lucky
enough to see it. 
Video: https://youtu.be/ah5ksEbUODY

Shadow’s 7-Fish Day ~ Sandy & Luna Compete Fiercely ~ Score Evenly (2026
Jul 17)
Once again Shadow outdid himself in the fish delivery department. He
brought one fish early, which no one came to the nest to claim. But then
delivered 6 more in a 4-hour timespan.  Sandy and Luna competed quite
fiercely for 3 of the fish, as Shadow looked on with an expression we dare
not attempt to interpret. It could have been anything from pride to concern
to mild interest ~ we’ll never know. The other 3 fish were grabbed so
quickly that the “losing” eaglet had no chance of competing for it. Suffice
it to say, both Sandy and Luna both went to sleep with very full crops
tonight. 
Video: https://youtu.be/rTgvrWi6hWQ

Shadow’s Fish Fest ~ 2 for Sandy, 2 for Luna  ~ Food Comas Ensue (2026 Jul
15)
Shadow was on a mission this afternoon bringing FOUR FISH in just over an
hour. Sandy and Luna were in fish heaven ~ they got two each. Shadow left
them to their food comas, which they duly embraced, each on their favorite
perch.
Video: https://youtu.be/nh_hKzhHc1g

Sandy & Luna Get Their Own Fish ~ Preen Each Other and Nap (2026 Jul 13)
Master angler Shadow made sure both Sandy and Luna got their own fish this
morning. It was a flurry of feathers with each fish delivery after the
eaglets raced across the valley to claim their prize. Once they’d enjoyed
their snacks, they settled down together for some beaky kisses, tail biting,
and ~ as the food coma set in ~ naps. Cuteness overload ensued. 
Video: https://youtu.be/VTjElRgpchQ

FOBBVCAM Eagles JACKIE’S HOME! Whole Family Meets on Nest for Fish! (2026
Jul 12)
As we’ve learned since this video was released, Jackie is spending time
further out in the territory keeping an eye on sub-adult eagles who are
passing through the area. She and Shadow are making sure that Sandy and
Luna’s efforts to hone their skills in preparation to become independent are
not hampered. But she did make an appearance on the 12th. 

After Jackie and Shadow perched on Twin Pines together, Shadow departed to
get Jackie a welcome home fish. She was very grateful and enjoyed it mostly
to herself, even when Sandy and Luna came home expecting to get some. Life
lessons were taught. But ever the doting father, Shadow brought a second
fish, which Luna happily scarfed down. With this fish, Shadow had fed the
entire family today. Well, of course he had. What a gift to see the entire
family on the nest together. It was a good day in Big Bear Valley. 
Video: https://youtu.be/_Ilx0Vwopd0

Sandy & Luna End/Begin Days with Beaky Kisses ~ Stunning Sunset/Sunrise
(2026 Jul 11-12)
Sandy and Luna ended the day together on the nest, sharing beaky kisses and
allopreening with a lovely sunset as their backdrop. When Shadow delivered
supper, Sandy swooped in, mantling with her magnificent wings, but left Luna
a few bites in the end. The eaglets then shuffled some branches before Luna
departed for his overnight roost on the Simba Tree. 

As dawn broke, the eaglets remained on their respective night roosts. Then
Big Bear came aglow with a most stunning and long-lasting sunrise during
which Sandy traversed across the valley to join Luna on the Simba Tree.
Ultimately, they relocated to the Lookout Snag, where they finished watching
the sunrise together. It was a magical time and one which we won’t soon
forget. (2026 Jul 11-12)
Video: https://youtu.be/Ua-mAhCld3Q

San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcons ~ San Jose, CA ~ Hartley, Monty;
chicks Jet, Scout, Stewart, and Walton (hatched 21 April 2026)
Courtesy San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon Cam | Predatory Bird Research
Group
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBSxPjy5sow
Ledge Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pp9TisLmLU
Roof Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLhmV6bP6o

Walton Learns Territory Defense from Monty ~ Dive-bombing, Talons Up (2026
Jul 14)
As Hartley relaxed on the ledge, Walton zoomed in and bumped her off. But
in a twist of Walton’s prior experiences, Monty was right behind him. Monty
flew over, circled back, and swooped on Walton, causing Walton to go talons
up and tumble to the runway. Monty circled back around and flew over once
for good measure (secretly we think he was checking Walton was OK). Poor
Walton got a tough lesson in territorial defense, which he pondered for a
minute before departing. 

As devoted fans, we wonder if we’ll ever see the boys here again, but some
of the trackers seem to be working. Walton’s tracker pinged in San Francisco
and Oakland (~35-45 miles away as the crow flies). Scout’s has pinged
further away at Hellyer Park in south San Jose (~6 miles).  Jet’s has pinged
in the Fremont Hills (~18-19 miles). And, unfortunately, Stewart’s tracker
has stopped working. 75% is not bad, though. While we’ll miss them, we’re
grateful to know they are dispersing healthy and hearty. 
Video: https://youtu.be/RZ71UkrSYZU

Two Harbors Eagles ~ Catalina Island, CA ~ Cholyn & Chase
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles
Cam Ops
Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI

Cholyn Chills While a BIG Rattler, Lucy Franco, and Rowboater Visit (2026
Jul 16)
While Chase was off doing eagle things, Cholyn sat on their couch as a host
of visitors slithered and floated by. A VERY large Southern Pacific
rattlesnake visited the overlook nest in the pre-dawn hours, the Lucy Franco
tugged by a bit later with goods for a local port, and an intrepid rower
bobbed by. All the while, Cholyn remained on her couch watching the world
and visitors go by. How cool to see what was happening all around Cholyn and
Chase’s habitat. 
Video: https://youtu.be/9PVJot6LfqI

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 19th July 2026

Another day featuring intruders, this time Ospreys who divebombed and overflew Nest Two, including a ringed Osprey. The ringed Osprey didn’t fully appear in the camera view so the ring couldn’t be read, and Dorcha flew off the nest to get rid of it when it perched in the Scots Pine. When the chicks weren’t pancaked because of intruder alarms, they practised wingercising with enthusiasm, getting ready for the day when they find their wings and fly off into the world – not too long now. Louis stayed for minutes at a time after delivering his fish, despite Dorcha’s urging, and even did a little nest scraping, but he didn’t desert his duties, and delivered five fish today, the last of which was his three hundredth for the season – quite a milestone achievement! The Nest Two tally, including Dorcha’s two, now stands at three hundred and two. Over on Nest One, Garry LV0 delivered two fish for Aurora 536 taking the nest and his personal tally to one hundred and seventy four. The weather was settled and mild, and set to continue with light cloud and light winds overnight with a low of 12°C, and sunny intervals with a high of 21°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/H6r948rg6Zo N2 Neither chick seems interested in an early trout breakfast 04.39.33https://youtu.be/VSsTf6-iBNA N2 Fish two arrives and departs due to a divebombing intruder Osprey 05.02.07https://youtu.be/uNVCqaojMyM N2 Louis returns fish two and does a bit of housekeeping 05.19.57https://youtu.be/egFLzENxHnQ N2 Dorcha’s not there so Louis waits with fish three 06.14.10https://youtu.be/zDW0KXA0JqM N1 The nest’s empty when Garry brings the first fish 09.19.08

https://youtu.be/UMx3zPi7Bcg N2 Dorcha’s unusually quiet when Louis brings fish four 13.50.15https://youtu.be/bandf1qHQ1Y N1 This time Aurora’s waiting for Garry when he returns fish two, a whole flatfish

16.02.18

https://youtu.be/EBX6A_18VmM N2 Louis shows no sign of leaving after delivering fish five 17.37.32https://youtu.be/iX0_19-Se8I N2 Dorcha sees off a ringed intruder who overflies the nest 18.10.08

Everyone’s invited to join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and you’re all welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

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Today there were a record number of fledges in the UK – they are calling it Super Sunday. Ten chicks from streaming cams fledged, including – hang on to your seat – Aeron Z2 and Blue 014’s trio, all within a few hours from start to finish, with each returning to the nest. Remarkable. I do not recall that ever happening. Dads and Mums are busy delivering fish at all the nests with some fledges still to come.

Deaths continue in the US osprey world. Too many that need to be added to the Memorial Wall now.

My hero of the day is Viki who is desperately trying to keep the only two chicks on Indian Creek alive. Imagine watching twenty osprey nests for more than two decades to see a nest, now without its female who left a few days ago, struggling. Viki is providing frozen fish. The male is eating and has delivered to the nest and the eldest chick can self-feed but the younger one can only peck at the fish. Let’s hope it gets the hang of this quickly! But if one chick can be saved, it is a miracle considering that all other nests failed.

Females are leaving the nests. They must fatten up before migration, and it is clear they understand how difficult it is. They are leaving to find fish elsewhere. We see this behaviour later – the normal is that the females help supply fish after the chicks have fledged and then leave much earlier than the males, who continue to bring fish to the nest til the last chick has departed on its first migration. I remember that Aran at the Glaslyn nest had to wait until late September one year to leave. But in the US, these chicks have not fledged! Many have no parents to feed them. It is my fruitless hope that those individuals who have the authority (or not) will declare what Norway did and that the heat domes, the warming lakes, oceans, rivers, and ponds due to that heat, and the lack of fish are all human-caused. Help would then be provided – no bloody excuses!

When Viki wrote me today she said: “Also, I heard a very interesting thing from a local man who takes folks out fishing. He’s discovered that the little fish swimming on top of the water, always indicative of larger fish beneath them, have no larger fish beneath them. Weird.” ——- I guess those larger fish have all been scooped up by the nets of the industrial/commerical trawlers.

I never thought I would live to see an ecosystem as beautiful and alive as The Chesapeake Bay die, but it is dying. And our beautiful fish hawks are dying with it – ‘the canary in the mine’. The warning signal of the total collapse to come. It breaks my heart.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian osplet at Fru Rauer’s nest that was rescued because it was getting bashed and being held from getting sufficient food, is doing splendidly in care. Here is the update: https://youtu.be/2XeVWs9zgkU?

Thank you for being with us. Please do take care. Send good wishes to all the nests.

Thank you to Pam Breci for sending me all the latest on Jackie, to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their videos and daily summary. To Viki – my hero who is desperately trying to keep two babies alive and to the camera owners who allow us to watch these families as they struggle to survive in a changing world.

Remembering Iniko…Late Friday in Bird World

10 July 2026

Hello Everyone,

It is hot, but it is beautiful. We ate our breakfast in the conservatory instead of outside because the Starling family was having a good old bath. Now, according to Cornell, I should not have European Starlings in my garden this time of year. As a result, I made sure to take at least one image to post as proof! This year, we had two clutches. One family raised their young in the lilacs; they fledged (all six of them) and spent time in the garden before dispersing. Two days ago we thought we heard the ‘sound’ of Starling babies but couldn’t see them for the foliage. They came out today – there are three more. You have no idea how delighted I am to have had nine European Starlings fledge from my lilac bushes. Yes, I know that some people do not like them. They see them as invasive, but, according to Into the Red, they are globally threatened. So I am feeling good about providing them with a safe home to breed their young, a place to eat, and shelter and bathing. Into the Red says, “What monsters must we be, that we have reduced it to sit on the Red List.” (118)

I know individuals who dislike sparrows, Starlings, and any bird that is not ‘cute’. They refuse to feed or provide water for them. I wonder how they would feel if the birds were in charge and looked at them?

So it was a record year, promoted by plenty of food during the winter and spring, lots of water, and shelter – the three things that are required. Six baby Blue Jays as well with the one family. It is not clear to me how many baby crows there are, but there are at least three. They have trouble figuring out how to land on the lilac branches, often falling through the leaves till they decide something hard is safer. One had decided to hop and hop over the hot asphalt roof! Silly little one. Parents have them learn by doing! Dozens and dozens of sparrows!!!!!!

Despite the heat warning, Ann has taken Don to the park in the hope of finding some cool shade for them to have a walk. They won’t be gone long. Toby and I have made a Swedish sponge cake with whipped cream icing and fresh strawberries for their return.

More ringing in Finland and a joke!

Osprey Friends

Dirk Brichzi ·Soportsdenauift341hcha1i3h3i62t6ag86llu7ific101l209106glt3ac ·

Janakkala Nest, Finland

Oh my God! An old man has climbed up to an Osprey nest just to take photos of the chicks!!

Don’t worry, I’m only joking! 😉

The “old man” is Professor Pertti Saurola, one of the world’s leading ornithologists in the field of Tawny and Ural owls, but he seems to like Ospreys, too. He is now 87 years old, but he still insists on ringing Ospreys himself — even high up in the air.

This is the Janakkala nest. The male since 2025 is Aake, while the female is new and is called Ulpu. Together, they have raised three beautiful young Ospreys, which have already started practising their wings and will hopefully take their first flights very soon.

Aake likes to bring large bream to the nest — a very common fish species in Europe — which is probably why the chicks look so healthy and well-fed.

People in the chat are already discussing whether one of the chicks should be named “Pertti” in honour of the professor. Let’s see whether he will climb up to the nest again next year, at the age of 88, to ring the young ospreys…

I adore this ma – Professor Pertti. I have watched him ring these ospreys for years. Let’s hope that these three thrive!

Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe167Gv-1Nw—  feeling happy in Janakkala, Finland.

Please watch this video “Save Menhaden – Save the Bay” by Robert Kellam about the osprey crisis and Menhaden: https://youtu.be/SVLjuIp20PA?s

I want to thank Pam Breci and everyone else who telephoned PSEG about the fishing line choking one or more of the ospreys on the PSEG Oyster Park platform.

You may not think your calls and writing help, but they do. My City was destined to have voted to ditch the 1.2 million-tree budget for our City. Were they in denial as to the type of heat and how well trees help reduce heat in urban environments? A writing-and-phoning campaign ensued, and the mayor overturned the decision. You can make a difference.

In Memorial for Iniko – a most special bird in all the world. Orange 1031.

Ventana Wildlife Society

1h · 

In loving memory of Iniko (1031)

Iniko hatched in a Big Sur redwood nest on April 25, 2020, the daughter of two of the most storied condors in our program: Redwood Queen (190), matriarch of the central California flock, and Kingpin (167), the flock’s dominant male. She immediately captivated the hearts of viewers. Watching the endearing chick with her parents on our live Condor Nest Cam provided joy and hope for so many during the isolation and challenges we all faced that year.

Iniko’s name means “born during troubled times”, after all that she went through. At 4 months old, the Dolan Fire swept through Big Sur on the night of August 21, 2020, taking the life of her father and nine other free-flying condors. The flames surrounded Iniko’s cavernous nest, but she miraculously survived. As her mother rose to the task of being a single parent, a new challenge emerged. An unmated male condor, Ninja (729), entered the nest, possibly seeing an opportunity to claim a vacant territory left open by the passing of Kingpin. Redwood Queen rushed in to defend her chick, and Iniko was force-fledged, falling to the ground during the scuffle. Redwood Queen chased off the intruder, but Iniko’s prospects seemed dim huddled on the ground with only one parent. Our concern grew as time passed and the chick remained vulnerable and showed a limp. Our biologists came to the rescue and hiked her carefully out of the canyon and transported her to Los Angeles Zoo for treatment. She luckily recovered, was re-released back to the wild with two other condors in 2021, and thrived in the years following.

This year, at 6 years old, Iniko reached breeding age and found a mate in 9 year old male Tyrion (840). The two had a nest in a remote canyon in Big Sur and we were excited to watch her journey in this new stage of life. Sadly, the nest failed. Then we recently got the mortality signal from her transmitter. Losing Iniko is especially painful, so soon after the passing of her sister, Kodama (646). Her early life story—surviving fire, injury, and rescue, is a reminder of what California condors are capable of overcoming and the passion and determination of the people who work tirelessly to save them.

Iniko was a wonderful ambassador for her species and we are grateful for what she has meant to us. Thank you all for caring so deeply about her. Iniko’s legacy will live on in all of our hearts.

Photos 1-3: Tim Huntington

Watch Iniko’s incredible story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TDawpr5KPE

She survived so much to die of lead poisoning. Unbelievable the damage we have done as humans to our planet and thus to the wildlife that try and survive.

Tiny at Blackbush has a huge crop today – thanks, PB.

Two chicks dead at the Clinton Osprey nest in CT.

At Kielder Forest nest 2, chick three has died. Two larger siblings were ringed today. Chick 1 is 1K4 and weighed 1270 grams. He is Keenly. Chick 2 was 1K5 and weighed 1370 grams. Both are believed to be male.

The State of the Eagle from Wings of Whimsy:

The State of the Eagle 2026Download

Iris feeding her very lucky chick.

Her chicks are ringed. Fru Rauer is now helping dad feed the hungry mob as they fatten up for migration. https://youtu.be/MSf8Vx7Nmy8?

Fireworks cause death. Please work to eliminate them from celebrations.

I am going to sign off today and wish you a lovely end of the week. Take care. I will be back – at least on Monday. We are due to have extreme heat for the next few days. Will make all the efforts to keep the garden animals and my family cool and hydrated during this time. Hoping that the wildlife in the field will be alright.

Thank you to everyone for your posts on FB and images, for the comments you posted to me, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these magnificent creatures.

Gessner’s article on Menhaden and Ospreys – let’s hope it hits home and stops industrial fishing of Menhaden!

26 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

The Loch Arkaig streaming cam is up and running and everyone is fine.

At least a year ago, David Gessner had been made aware of the situation in The Chesapeake Bay and the ospreys dying off – ospreys, the canary in the coal mine for the environment.

That article has come out and Heidi had sent me the link before I even woke up this morning. She said, “Gessner did a great job, comprehensive and concise.”

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/ospreys-chesapeake-bay-are-starving-death-disastrous-rates-what-will-it-take-save-them?fbclid=IwY2xjawSquPtleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE4elpxb09zTHRTMnp5WndQc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsQ_L0KC83_QFg4JvXcBzK9KvBjH1D1w_7x-ZaWHkrsOSoDHhSwxVsd7kmcQ_aem_YO5iJONj9zJUwoHxAWXbvA

This is my only posting for today. It is that important. Please send this to everyone you know that is concerned and also send it to every politician you know including the Governor of Virginia! I don’t care if they get 100,000 copies. It will do them good to know people care!

Thank you to David Gessner, who has always loved Ospreys and whose books – Return of the Osprey and Soaring with Fidel – are amongst my favourites. Gessner must be shattered after writing his first book, The Return of the Osprey, twenty-five years ago.

Happiness…late, late Friday in Bird World

19 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

I should say that for some of you it will be good night and for others, good morning. My intention had been to take a break, but then something ‘magical and miraculous’ happened. After 29.5 hours without food, the female at the Dewey Beach nest flew off. The male has not been seen for a day and a half and I hope that no harm has come to him but that is a long time to be away. Perhaps he was unable to find food. I remember many being gone for several days especially if there had been a storm. Duke at Barneghat Light was one of those about three years ago. Or was it two?

At any rate around 1600 the female, utterly starving herself, flew off the nest. She returned with what I would call a large minnow. Baby Dewey was ravenous. Mum didn’t start there – she kept fishing. The last count I had was either 5 or 6 fish being delivered, once she flew in with two!

Heidi calls it at six.

A bird nest at Dewey Beach with an adult bird feeding its chick. The adult has a fish in its beak, while the chick stands nearby, appearing eager for food.
A close-up view of an osprey chick in a nest, with an adult osprey partially visible, on a sunny day by the water. In the background, a glimpse of a coastal area with buildings is visible.

Another female, Jill, at Achieva, has been fishing to feed her two osplets and that kept Little and Big alive to fledge. The male is being the way the male has always been – Jack is not reliable. I do not know why and it could honestly not be his fault. Gulls and eagles as well as other ospreys steal fish. He is not a youngster, etc.

Post detailing the capture of five spadefish by ospreys, with timestamps and observations about their feeding behavior.
Two ospreys standing on a nest made of sticks, with one osprey holding a fish in its claws.

The news is not so good for the female that incubated her eggs and hatched three chicks all on her own. The male has shown up but too little, too late. Let’s hope that Mum and one chick can survive. Have a read:

A Facebook post from Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch discussing the challenges faced by a female osprey raising her chicks after mating with a polygynous male, detailing the delivery of fish and the current survival status of the chicks.
A split image showing two bird nests. On the left, an osprey is standing over its chicks, holding nesting material against a blue sky. On the right, another osprey is perched on a nest with young chicks, set against a neutral background.

The first fledge for Irv and Stella at the US Steel nest. It was Sid! And, yes, he did return!

At Cornell, fledgling P1 made it back to the nest. Three gorgeous peachy breasts!!!!!

Two young red-tailed hawks nesting on a railing, with greenery and a street visible in the background.

At the Lesser Spotted Eagle nest of Milda and Madis, the two little eaglets seem to be doing alright. Remember – there could be obligate siblicide at this nest. That said, Madis is bringing in quite a bit of prey.

A majestic eagle standing over its fluffy chick in a natural nest, surrounded by greenery and trees.
A majestic bird of prey stands over its nest, which contains a small, fluffy chick. The nest is made of twigs and surrounded by greenery in a forested setting.

Iris is such a good Mum. She is so delicate feeding the baby. But she looks tired to me and thin – an I imagining this? I hope so. I think I am so used to her fishing for. herself and eating huge fish. Now she is focused on baby.

Close-up of an osprey on its nest, looking down at the ground among twigs and leaves.
An adult osprey interacts with a chick in a nest filled with twigs and dried grass.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 19th June 2026

Today was all about fish! Despite the wet and windy conditions, magnificent fisherbird Louis just kept delivering fish, eight in all, this season’s daily total record. With the first arriving at 04.12 and the last arriving at 23.04, Louis certainly put in quite a long shift. The Nest Two total now stands at one hundred and sixty one, with one hundred and fifty nine brought by Louis and two by Dorcha. By contrast, Garry LV0 brought only one fish for Aurora, taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and twenty three. However, there are no chicks to feed, and with the nest cam going down for approximately four hours every morning, it’s neither possible to say what his actual total is, nor fair to compare him to Louis. Despite the constant supply of fish and bulging crops, the two chicks on Nest Two had a really vicious fight, started unwisely by one who then suffered swift retaliation, being pecked to the point that the other had feathers in its beak. Dorcha took no notice but did stop the fight when she sat on them. They will just have to work it out – hopefully Louis will keep bringing a constant supply of fish and the chicks will grow out of this stage soon. The weather was much wetter and windier than the light rain showers and gentle breezes forecast for today, and while more rain and wind is expected overnight and tomorrow with a low of 11°C and a high of 17°C, there should be sunny intervals tomorrow.

Today’s videos

https://youtu.be/vDIEbm8kKt4 N2 Early breakfast fish number one 04.12.16

https://youtu.be/0z5bnTmcWRk N2 Fish number two 08.09.56

https://youtu.be/Ff49SMJD_HQ N2 Fish number three 08.57.07

https://youtu.be/YZZMHmye6Tg N1 Fish number one and only 10.01.42

https://youtu.be/UMBHxaaZ3kc N2 Vicious chick fight, one starts, the other finishes 10.24.13

https://youtu.be/ypWDRcs6WYk N2 Fish number four 11.34.04

https://youtu.be/Eyx45dhh514 N2 Fish number five 15.09.46

https://youtu.be/58l8kPe1d_k N2 Fish number six 21.04.04

https://youtu.be/TPfTPsQ43Vc N2 Fish number seven 21.18.24

https://youtu.be/QUAHpWFWw8k N2 Fish number eight! 23.04.03

Blast from the past, this day in 2020:

The legendary queen of the mountain gave us an unforgettable moment on this day in 2020: Aila has a brain fade and decides to move an awkwardly shaped stick from one side of the nest to the other, apparently oblivious to the presence of her chicks. They duck this way and that trying to keep out of her destructive path, and when Aila finally leaves the nest, one of them delivers a parting shot with perfect emphasis.

Everyone’s invited to join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

I don’t like to end with saddness but tonight I am. Forsythe. Opal and Oscar have had two of their three chicks die from starvation. There is one adorable feathered chick on the nest. From my vantage point, the adults have abandoned this chick and will let it die on the nest. No one is there with it tonight and food has not come. Every once in awhile you hear a little cheep, cheep – calling for fish. It breaks your heart and this is what the ospreys are up against. So much better if there are no eggs or if the eggs do not hatch. No food for them. In two years, no food for the returnees even if they survived. The entire eco system is dead or dying.

A close-up view of a bird's nest made of twigs, with two chicks resting inside, situated on a platform above a grassy landscape and a small water body, captured by a surveillance camera.
A dimly lit camera view of a bird's nest made of twigs and branches, positioned on a wooden platform in an open field, with a pole-mounted camera in the background.

Please take care. I am going to take a break and I will be back with you on Monday. Please feel free to send me any news. I will definitely begin to put my blog together late Sunday after my friend Ruth goes home – I am looking forward to having a friend over. The Girls and Toby have a bit of a surprise for Don.

Thank you to Geemeff for her daily summary and videos, to Heidi and PB for their reports on fish and nests, and to all those who post on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch the beauty and the horror of the life events of our bird families.

Fledge at Cornell?…Thursday in Bird World

18 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

It was a fantastic day to be outside. The garden is really ‘loud’ with birdsong – you can hear them more than half a block away! And the rain and heat have done the plants wonders.

Some images that we are enjoying.

Close-up of vibrant pink flowers with yellow centers, set against a rustic wooden background.
A colorful birdhouse surrounded by lush green foliage, with two small birds perched on top of the house. In the background, there is a wooden structure partially obscured by the plants.

A memory and a treasure. A Paolo Soleri bell. He died during the month when I met my friend Lynne in Phoenix for a mini-break, too many years ago now.

A vintage, weathered bell hung from a hook with green and rust colors, surrounded by lush green leaves against a background of wooden shingles.

The peonies will be blooming, but are off limits to Toby just like the hydrangeas as they are toxic to dogs.

A cluster of peony buds with green leaves, featuring some buds showing hints of pink coloration, set against a backdrop of light gray wooden siding.

We are sitting outside, and Mr Crow has come for a visit. I thought he was going to have a bath, but he jumped down onto the ground. I wonder what caught his eye.

The sparrows had a lot of fun in the bird bath today, but it meant that we had to clean it about four times! Oh, they make a mess.

A group of small sparrows bathing in a blue birdbath surrounded by lush green leaves.

You never have your camera when you truly need it. Mr Crow is balancing on one of the flower poles, waiting for the squirrel to finish at the table feeder. Oh, he is back at the bird bath and now off he goes. Lots of activity between 1900-2100.

Oh, how sad. It appears the eldest chick (they both hatched on 11 June) crawled out from under New Female at Charlo, Montana during the night when it was in the 50s and succumbed to hypothermia. The NF tried several times to get the chick back under her for warmth to no avail. What a tragic nest accident!

Mum trying to get her baby back.

A hawk sitting in its nest, with two eggs visible, while another bird is perched on a nearby post in low-light conditions.

The Eagle Dock Osprey Nest is located in Cold Spring Harbour, New York. It sits out in the distance across the mudflats, visible from the shoreline near the Eagle Dock Community Beach (on Shore Road) and the adjacent Shore Road Sanctuary. Their osprey cam has gone live and the two adults are present.

Here is the link to their camera – it is blowing a positive gale right now so things are really moving about. https://www.youtube.com/live/z17UbNy075o?

An osprey nest made of sticks with two ospreys perched on top, situated near a riverbank. In the background, a boat is seen on the water.

I think each of you had your eyes on that beautiful eaglet Snow at Traverse City, Michigan, when its nest slid, and it fell. All the while, we noted that the adults were the most incredible parents. Snow had no parasites or infections and was well fed and feathered on the initial examination. Snow was strong, and her two fractures are healing nicely, and she is receiving the best of care at Northern Sky Raptor Sanctuary. Today, they announced that Snow is a female! I will note that the parents continue to go to the nest. Yes, raptors have feelings and they are missing their Snow. What a lucky eaglet to have such good care. Many do not.

A Facebook post from North Sky Raptor Sanctuary detailing the progress of an injured bald eagle named Snow, mentioning physical therapy, medical treatments, and blood test results.
Announcement celebrating that Snow is a female eagle, with details on donations for her care and raptor rehabilitation efforts.
A close-up of a young eagle wrapped in a towel, looking directly at the camera with its beak slightly open. The eagle has a dark plumage and bright eyes.

I am confounded. We are used to seeing fishing line and baling twine on US osprey and eagle nests. It was not until this year that it seemed to be a common occurrence at UK osprey nests. Yesterday, the great folks at Glaslyn successfully removed the fishing line and hook that were wrapped around the youngest chick from the nest of Elen and Teifi. Thank you to everyone who notified them and those who helped quickly!

Update on an osprey nest regarding a Brown Trout with fishing line that entangled a chick, detailing the intervention to remove it and the monitoring of the chicks' health.
An osprey is feeding its chicks in a nest made of twigs and branches, surrounded by green grass and trees.

We love Luna and Sandy – Jackie and Shadow’s soon-to-fledge eaglets – at Big Bear. They are getting closer and closer. SK Hideaways caught Luna getting higher! https://youtu.be/If_H8omr7nk?

This is what our ospreys are up against. The industrial fishing (not the commercial fishing of the locals) needs to stop. Omega needs to be mothballed.

A message detailing the observations of spotter planes tracking fish schools in the Chesapeake Bay, noting the coverage area from a previous day and mentioning several ships and planes involved in the search.
A map showing flight paths from yesterday, marked in orange with highlighted circles, compared to today's flight paths in a different area, indicating a change in flight routes.

One of Canada’s leading authors, Margaret Atwood, is saving Pelee Island (along with her family) for migratory birds)

How Margaret Atwood and her family helped turn Pelee Island into a migratory bird research hub – TheDownload

Oh, there are chicks dying in Finland. The latest is at LS #5.

I had many questions about Steelscape’s camera. It is not streaming. Our ‘sleuth’, PB, had a contact and has discovered that the individual who wanted the streaming cam and who was in IT has been made redundant. These things happen. I continue to be thankful for the Achieva Osprey cam – especially this year, as it has been a stunner, but the individual who led the effort might no longer be with that branch. There was once an active FB group just for the nest.

There is one osplet at The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbour, New Jersey (south). Baby appears to waiting for fish. This is the first time I have checked on this nest. Does anyone have details?

A close-up view of a bird nest made of twigs and grass, with two hatchling birds visible, set against a backdrop of wetland greenery and a cloudy sky.
An osprey perched on its nest made of sticks and grass, with a green marshy landscape and water visible in the background.
An osprey stands on its nest made of sticks, with a chick partially visible in the nest, set against a backdrop of grassy marshland and blue sky.

Beautiful family portrait of White Stork family in Lubla Parish, Poland. Storklets are Eliasz & Gabriel.

Two adult storks standing beside three young storks in a nest, with houses and trees in the background.

Big Red doesn’t like her babies to fledge when it is raining. Of course, she is so smart – their feathers would be heavy and it is also windy. To keep them home, she often feeds them constantly!

A close-up view of a red-tailed hawk nest on a balcony, featuring several young hawks resting among twigs and branches, with a green landscape and street visible in the background.
View of a red-tailed hawk nest on a rainy day, with vegetation and blurred visibility due to raindrops on the camera lens.
A live cam view of a red-tailed hawk nest on a balcony, with one hawk in the nest and another flying nearby. The background shows trees and a street.
Two young red-tailed hawks perched in a nest made of twigs and leaves, overlooking a street with greenery and buildings in the background.
A red-tailed hawk perched on a railing near its nest, with another hawk visible in the foreground. The background shows a green landscape and a street.

So where are the other two? Are they at the end or down on the ledge? It appears that the first fledge might have been at 1825. I await official confirmation.

All is well at Hellgate Canyon with Iris, Clark, and Baby.

Two ospreys are perched on a nest made of twigs and branches, with a parking lot and greenery visible in the background.
An osprey is sitting in its nest, surrounded by twigs, leaves, and grass.

The oldest chick that died of hypothermia at Charlo, Montana overnight has not been removed from the nest. This is so sad. Let us hope that nothing happens to Only Bob.

An osprey perched on a nest with chicks and an egg, while another osprey stands on a nearby pole, surrounded by a green landscape and mountains in the background.

Three little ones at Osoyoos. Pray for this nest and the others that are struggling – perhaps, in reality, that is almost all of them in one way or another.

A pair of ospreys on their nest, with two chicks visible among the sticks and twigs. The scene is taken from above, showing the nest structure against a green background.

Dewey Beach is still good.

An osprey nest with two chicks and an adult osprey, set against a backdrop of a waterfront view featuring buildings and a dock.

SK Hideaways has news of Zuma! https://youtu.be/3YbwXv9AAQY?

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 18th June 2026

It was wet and windy today, and there was a moment which could have been nasty but fortunately wasn’t – a gust of wind caught Dorcha and flipped her over, taking a chick as well. But Dorcha righted herself and the chick quickly crawled back under her with no harm done. On the 6th anniversary of Legendary Louis and the Day of Nine Fish, it was a slow fish day, Louis only brought two fish and the second was such a tiddler it was gone in four minutes. Chick1 achieved a milestone by swallowing the small tail, while earlier Dorcha had struggled to swallow the much larger tail of the first fish. The Nest Two tally now rises to one hundred and fifty three, and Garry LV0’s single fish takes the Nest One tally to one hundred and twenty two. Aurora 536 spent most of the day incubating the unviable egg, how long she’ll keep doing that is a matter of speculation. Heavy rain and light winds with a low of 15°C is the overnight forecast, changing to light rain showers, a gentle breeze and a high of 17°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/ReJNNcKbvSI N2 Louis brings the first fish and stays while Dorcha feeds the chicks 13.38.11

https://youtu.be/MVfn-uLCvRk N2 Oh no! Wind flips Dorcha and nearly takes a chick 14.48.18

https://youtu.be/OQL2iuo5Poc N1 Garry gives Aurora a fish and they both depart 17.25.52

Osplet growth in the early stages (our chicks are 17 and 15 days old respectively):

https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/karis-mwt/feathers

You’re invited to join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and everyone’s welcome:   

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

Thank you so much for being with us. It is time to do a wee bit of weeding in the garden before getting the lads inside. We hope that you had a wonderful Thursday. Take care of yourself. Please get outside if you can. Nature is regenerating!

Thank you to ‘MP’ and ‘PB’ re the Steelscape streaming cam, to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their videos and for that incredible daily summary of happenings at Loch Arkaig. I am grateful to everyone who owns a streaming cam that stays on and lets us watch these incredible birds. Streaming cams cost money and human power – so thank you! And to everyone who posted information, put images and events on FB – we are so grateful.

Late Saturday in Bird World

13 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

First, Salmon Idaho is an osprey nest not a Bald Eagle which is what I inadvertently said in my last posting. Apologies. There is still issues with baling twine all over that region. It is endemic to farming where they should be looking at other methods than twine and cord. Most of our farmers put their hay and straw in a type of plastic wrap that does not do so much harm to the environment as lose pieces of twine.

It was the middle chick that got pulled off the nest and died. Dad is bringing in some nice fish but they can always use more and more as there are four to feed – dad, mum, #1 and #3.

An osprey feeding its chicks in a nest, surrounded by twigs and grass.
A pair of osprey adults feeding their chick in a nest, surrounded by twigs and grass, with a green landscape in the background.

Clark brought in a huge fish. Iris got some bites, baby was full and then more feedings. Looks like that fish was gone – with Iris taking what appears the tail later.

Two ospreys sitting in their nest with a view of a parking lot and trees in the background.
An osprey tending to its nest with visible chicks, surrounded by a natural environment and a parking lot in the background.
An osprey feeding a chick in a nest, surrounded by twigs and greenery.

At one point the baby got out from under the adults. It caused worry. They are seemingly obsessed with nest material and also intruders. Fingers crossed. It is chilly in Montana. 65 F.

An osprey sits in its nest made of sticks and twigs, with a background featuring a parking lot and trees.

Daddy Clark came in with another whopper – maybe even more than a whopper! So happy the fishing is good. He is taking excellent care of Iris and baby.

Two ospreys perched on their nest, with one bird eating a fish, surrounded by twigs and grass.
Two ospreys are seen in their nest, one is pecking at a fish while the other stands nearby. The nest is made of twigs and situated outdoors with greenery in the background.
Two ospreys are perched on a nest made of sticks and branches, with a view of a landscaped area and cars in the background.

Oh, look at that little morsel of fish for the baby. So tiny. It’s already getting a crop. Well, if there is only one, I am fine with that. Better to be spoiled rotten and have a fat bottom than be thin. (My vet wouldn’t agree with me – even Hugo Yugo is a little ‘plump’). I think all osprey chicks should be plump.

An osprey feeding a chick in a nest, surrounded by twigs and remnants of prey.

Big Red and Arthur’s oldest is now good at horking chipmunks whole! These three are doing so well. Two look just like Mum with their beautiful peachy chests.

I cannot possibly tell you how much I love that ‘old hag’ – as Laura Culley used to call Big Red in endearment.

A live cam view of a red-tailed hawk nest featuring several chicks among sticks and greenery, with a landscape of trees and a road in the background.
Four red-tailed hawk chicks nestled in a nest made of twigs and leaves, perched on a rooftop railing with a clear view of greenery and a road in the background.
Three young red-tailed hawks standing in a nest made of twigs and leaves, perched on a structure with greenery in the background.
A nest of Red-tailed Hawk chicks being fed on a balcony with greenery and a road in the background.
Three red-tailed hawk chicks resting in a nest on a tall structure, surrounded by twigs and overlooking a green landscape and street below.

I have heard from Sassa Bird and it has started to rain in Latvia. This promises frogs for all the very hungry storks that have chicks in the nest in that country! So happy.

Wow. This is fantastic news from Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Now, if more males would happily share these duties, we might not face the dire consequences we do when the female goes missing.

An osprey feeding its chicks in a nest with visible large fish catches, surrounded by a natural landscape.

We need to do better cleaning up. If you are going to fish – and yes, I know that lines break – lend a hand and clean up anything you do see and never leave anything behind, when possible. It can be deadly to wildlife.

A juvenile bald eagle at the NCTC nest with a treble hook fishing lure caught on its talon and another hook stuck on a nest stick, showing signs of struggling but successfully released after about 45 minutes.
Text about the dangers of human intervention on young eagles and the impact of trash on wildlife.
Close-up view of an orange object partially buried among twigs and bark.

Before I even get to the end. ‘The Girls’ are fine. The Calicos are keeping comfy in Don’s room guarding it in case Missey might want to go in there. Meanwhile, Toby is my ‘Velcro Dog’ and he is always with Hugo Yugo. They are my shadows. Missey is out here with me, too!

A fluffy tabby cat lying on its back on a table, looking at the camera with green eyes, surrounded by a window and greenery.

My new camera is not always so great. I wanted to get the babies being fed but it just wasn’t quick enough. Here are three of them wanting food – they can feed themselves, but like all babies, everything tastes better when Mum does it.

We are so happy. This is four fledglings for the European Starlings that trusted our lilacs to protect their eggs and chicks from predators. We no longer have the Grackles come but this is so great. Mr and Mrs Blue Jay as well as Mr and Mrs Crow have babies and soon their fledglings will be at the feeder.

Years ago, we vowed to care for the animals that came to our urban lot. So far, knock on wood, we have been able to keep that promise. When Tolu, the bathing lady, asked the other day, I told her it was a matter of priorities. We no longer travel around the world, spending the summers in wonderful exotic locations. We do not drink, smoke, go out to restaurants, or hardly drive anymore. The purchase of bird books has dwindled because there simply aren’t that many out there worthy of holding a space on the bookcase. Mind you, I am waiting for a delivery of of this book today. I hope it is good. I always donate a book to the last charity event for Loch Arkaig so this might be the one for this year!

Book cover of 'The Story of Birds' by Steve Brusatte, featuring illustrations of various birds including a cardinal, an eagle, and feathered dinosaurs.

Funds are simply to keep the house, provide help for Don and me, and feed the animals and us. What is incredible is that we really need very little. Yes, corporations and fast-fashion companies would like us to think that we do, but in reality, that simply is not the case. Besides, the happiness that these amazing creatures provide cannot be measured in financial terms – our hearts and souls are lifted and made lighter just watching them.

Three birds perched on a pile of peanuts, with one bird prominently facing the camera while another is slightly blurred in motion.
Two small birds perched on a mound of peanuts, with greenery in the background.

Intruders are causing sibling rivalry at Glaslyn as Teifi is unable to fish.

Text discussing sibling rivalry among Osprey chicks and its relation to food availability, with specific mention of dominance during feeding and intruder activity affecting fishing trips.
A pair of ospreys in a nest with several chicks, one adult holding a fish, surrounded by greenery.

I have good news coming from our good friend Sassa Bird in Latvia – first, it is raining, and the storks should now have frogs to eat and little fish. There are three baby osplets in the Latvian nest, but the camera went down in May, so we will not know the end result until banding time in July. Osprey parents are Selga and Svings. Great news: the Golden Eagle Mum at Kaljukotkas 2 in Estonia, who was missing, is now home and protecting her baby from the heavy rain. Sassa Bird also sent the forum link that has a discussion and images of the Black Stork nests, and they are doing grand. Please look: https://forums.dabasdati.lv/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=4453&start=480

The third hatch osplet at Field Farm has died of siblicide/starvation. Heidi gives us the details and an image of all three on a better day.

Port of Ridgefield. Two good fish deliveries as per chat with times: 6/13 nice headless breakfast fish at 5:32:44. Nice big headless fish delivered at 9:57:18. The third egg did not hatch.

An adult osprey standing near its nest, with two young chicks resting beside it, surrounded by twigs and nest material.
A close-up view of a bird's nest featuring a parent bird and several chicks, with an egg visible in the background.
Two chicks in a bird nest surrounded by twigs and straw, with an adult bird partially visible in the background.

Only one very ‘thin’ chick survives at the MNSA Osprey platform amidst all the human debris.

An osprey is standing on its nest, which is constructed of twigs and branches, with two chicks visible below it.
An osprey nest containing a parent osprey and two chicks, with a blue identification tag visible on one of the chicks. The nest is built from sticks and is situated near water.

Two tiny babies at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Two ospreys perched in a nest, surrounded by branches, with a view of green fields and a dirt path in the background.
An osprey sitting in a nest with three chicks, surrounded by twigs and branches, with green fields in the background.

Wildlife Haven is now the only wildlife rescue in my province and the strains of that are beginning to show. Here is their latest patient update – another turtle, a bat, and some surprises.

This Weeks Patient UpdatesDownload

Wild Heart Rehabilitation in Oklahoma has some advice if you think a fawn is in trouble.

Important info about what NOT to do about fawns, so might be worth a read. Thanks, ‘J’. The same might be said for a clump of bunnies – leave them alone. Observe to see if parent comes to feed.

https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartRanch

Rutland Water is celebrating 50 years of success at reintroducing the ospreys! You can take boat trips to see them including Blue 33 fishing for Maya and the kids!!!!!!!!

Two ospreys flying near a nesting platform with a nest in the foreground and a historic building in the background.
An osprey takes flight from a large nest with two chicks, located on a platform near a historic building in the background.

Thank you Geemeff for these great images.

We are already experiencing a decline in fish in some areas of the NE as Omega Protein has had six ships out sucking up the Menhaden and all the Bycatch this weekend. It is truly sad.

The birds are on the move to the delight of bird watchers in the UK.

Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/13/tropical-heron-spotted-first-time-uk-aoe?CMP=share_btn_url

It looks like another stormy Saturday in Winnipeg. The trees are whipping around and the sky is heavily overcast and dark. We even have the heat on! After last week that sounds so funny. Stll it is beautiful and green.

Some of the kids wish you a great rest of the weekend. They are napping.

Two cats cuddling together on a couch, one with orange fur and the other with a mix of gray and black fur, both nestled comfortably.

Poor Toby doesn’t fit anymore. He doesn’t understand why.

An orange tabby cat and a small black and white dog sleeping on separate levels of a pet tree near a window.

Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care of yourselves. We hope to have you with us again soon.

Thank you to everyone who sent me a note, including ‘PB’ who is loving those fish that Clark brings in, those who post on FB with images and information, groups, newsletters, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to stare at our screens, wondering what is going to happen today. We are grateful to all.

How Can I Actually Help?

10 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

Further to the posting of the industrial accident at the Longview Paper Mill in Washington State, USA, ‘MP’ has researched how you can help the most to get attention to the nests where the chicks are dying due to a lack of fish because of the explosion and release of toxins into the branches of and the Columbia River.

Please make the calls.

For anyone who is local or watching from afar, here are meaningful thing’s that can be done to help.

This is from Co-pilot AL on identifying which agency would be most responsive when contacted.

This is a situation where the right agencies will pay attention, but only if the impacts on raptors are reported through the correct channels. Osprey are a sentinel species, and what you’re seeing is ecologically significant.

Below is a ranked list of the agencies and wildlife groups most likely to respond to or investigate osprey impacts tied to the Columbia River fish kill.

🦅 Top Agencies & Groups to Contact About Osprey Impacts

1. Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) – Highest Priority

Why they matter:

They are the primary state agency responsible for raptors, fish populations, and ecological impacts. They do track osprey nest success in some regions and will take reports of nest failures, starvation, and abnormal behavior.

What they can act on:

  • Osprey nest failures
  • Prey scarcity affecting raptors
  • Fish kill impacts on wildlife
  • Habitat disruption

Where to report:

WDFW Wildlife Reporting Hotline (non-emergency)

WDFW Regional Office (Region 5 – Vancouver/Longview area)

2. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) – Migratory Birds Program

Why they matter:

Osprey are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and USFWS oversees large-scale ecological impacts, especially when industrial pollution affects protected species.

What they can act on:

  • Mortality events
  • Nest abandonment
  • Food-web disruptions
  • Potential violations of federal wildlife protections

They may coordinate with EPA if the spill caused ongoing harm to protected birds.

3. Washington Department of Ecology – Spill Response Program

Why they matter:

They are already leading the chemical spill investigation. They need wildlife impact data to assess the full scope of damage.

What they can act on:

  • Documenting secondary ecological impacts
  • Expanding monitoring zones
  • Triggering additional cleanup or enforcement actions

They often rely on citizen reports to identify downstream effects.

4. Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC)

Why they matter:

CRITFC monitors fish populations, river health, and ecological impacts across tribal territories. They have biologists who track fish availability and predator-prey dynamics.

What they can act on:

  • Fish population collapse
  • Impacts on culturally important species
  • Habitat degradation

They are highly responsive to ecological concerns.

5. Local Audubon Chapters (Portland Audubon, Vancouver Audubon)

Why they matter:

Audubon groups monitor raptor nests, conduct citizen science, and often escalate wildlife concerns to state and federal agencies.

What they can act on:

  • Osprey nest monitoring
  • Field verification
  • Public awareness
  • Coordinating volunteer observations

They are often the fastest to respond and can mobilize observers.

6. Osprey-Specific Research Groups

These groups track nest success and population trends:

  • Oregon State University Osprey Research Program
  • University of Montana Osprey Monitoring Project (they sometimes consult on regional events)

They may not be enforcement agencies, but they do document ecological disruptions and publish findings.

🧭 Who Will Actually Care the Most?

If you want the highest likelihood of action:

Start with WDFW + USFWS + Audubon.

Those three together create a triangle of:

  • regulatory authority
  • scientific oversight
  • on-the-ground monitoring

The observations of starving chicks and siblicide are exactly the kind of data they need.

Thank you MP for continuing to follow up on this story.

2nd egg pipping for Seren and Dylan…Late Wednesday in Bird World

20 May 2026

Oh, hello everyone,

It warmed up! Mike finished the railings and will begin the small deck extension shortly. Toby and I planted beans, tomatoes, red peppers, chives, various lettuces, and rosemary. We even managed to almost finish painting a wicker plant stand for one of the lovely chartreuse ferns. It was 17 C. Ann and Don went to the zoo, where to their delight, the peacocks were really putting on quite the show. It was what I call a ‘cracker’ of a day.

‘PB’ just sent a note about Achieva. Jill went out and caught a small fish for Big to eat alone. Then she went out again and came in with a big catfish for both her and Little. She is a brilliant dedicated Mum!

A bird standing on a fish in a nest made of twigs and branches.
A bird of prey, possibly an eagle, in flight carrying a fish in its claws, with a nest made of sticks visible below.

I love the fact that these two osprey are so bonded that they remain together despite having no eggs but protecting their territory and nest for next year! It’s called ‘hope’ and we all could use a good dose of it right now!

Two ospreys sitting in their nest surrounded by greenery.
An image of an osprey couple, FS2 and Eli, at their nest, appearing attentive and engaged in their relationship despite not producing eggs this season.

Sadly, Flora’s Harry has not been seen at the Alyth Substation osprey platform since Saturday. Flora had to go and find food, and when she left their eggs, the Corvids came and ate them. It is a blessing. There are no chicks to starve, and Flora can have a summer building up her strength. Harry was very special and is a huge loss.

Blue KL5 has not returned to the Loch Garten nest for many days. He is also presumed to be lost like Harry. It has been a rough year in the UK osprey world, much different than in previous years when couples were secure and chicks hatched and fledged in a normal calm manner.

Heidi reports on the saddness coming out of Mispillion Harbour osprey platform.

An osprey sitting in its nest, which is located in a wooden structure. The nest is made of straw and has several holes. In the background, there is a grassy area.

There is cuteness at the nest of Dylan and Seren – and what a bright spot these little osplets are that are hatching!

An osprey stands next to its nest, which contains a chick and an egg, surrounded by twigs and branches in a natural setting.
An osprey is standing beside a chick in a nest, with eggs visible in the background.

So cute – turn around you silly!!!!!!!! Manton Bay with Blue 33 and Maya.

Two adult ospreys standing near their nest, which contains several chicks and an unhatched egg, set against a backdrop of water.

Iris had a little visitor from one of the nests inside her nest!

An osprey sitting in a nest surrounded by twigs and grass, with a chick beside it.
Two young osprey chicks huddled together in a nest made of twigs and pine needles.

Have you been wonderfing about the female at the Glen-Hayes nest?

A post discussing the impact of consuming a deceased eagle's remains on a mother eagle already symptomatic with avian flu, detailing biological responses and immunity challenges.
A bald eagle with wings spread, situated in its nest among green leaves and trees.

We have a fledge/fludge at Johnson City ETSU.

A collage of images from a live nest cam showing a bald eagle nest with eaglets. One eaglet is visible in the nest, while another is perched nearby. The background features trees and foliage.

Have you noticed that Monty and Hartley raise the most energetic chicks?!!!!!!!! Always getting into mischief. SK Hideaways gives us some of their latest antics in this video: https://youtu.be/GhKpFR5-4Ao?

Two falcons perched on a ledge, with a camera and a building in the background. A text box explains how falcons bob their heads to enhance depth perception.

Lady and Dad have been regularly coming to the nest tree in the Sydney Olympic Park.

A nocturnal surveillance image of a bird perched on a tree branch, surrounded by foliage, captured in black and white.
A live stream image of a sea eagle perched on a branch near its nest, surrounded by trees at dusk.

Hatch watch for Richmond and Wendy.

Close-up of a mature osprey perched on a railing, with a sharp gaze, possibly considering fishing while monitoring a nearby nest.

Gracie Shepherd shows us the latest on the fires on Santa Rosa Island where there are eagle nests with babies!

Map showing Santa Rosa Island with highlighted areas indicating wildfire impact, alongside a coastal view of the island.

What a cutie that hatched for Dylan and Seren yesterday with another nice pip in the second egg!

A bird of prey, likely an eagle or hawk, is seen in a black and white image, tending to its nest that contains eggs and a newly hatched chick.

Prey becomes comfy pillows at Big Red and Arthur’s nest in New York.

A red-tailed hawk is nesting with several chicks in a nest made of twigs on a rooftop ledge, overlooking a city street.
A red-tailed hawk sitting on a nest with several fluffy chicks, surrounded by twigs and greenery.

Aerating the eggs at Pitkin County in Colorado.

An osprey resting on its nest made of twigs and branches, with green grass and shrubs in the background.

Ann loves peacocks and this article just popped up in The Guardian!

Peacock ‘invasion’ of Italian seaside town ruffles feathershttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/16/peacock-italy-punta-marina-tensions?CMP=share_btn_url

It’s raining. The sky is grey and it is cooling off. Hoping for warm weather tomorrow! Take care everyone. We will see you again soon.

Thank you to everyone for their contributions – videos, informative posts and messages with images, authors of FB posts and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us these screen captures and a view into the life of these families.

First egg for Loch Arkaig nest 1 since 2020…late Thursday in Bird World

30 April 2026

Good Morning Everyone,

There is always a reason to celebrate, even when there is sadness. My friend, Geemeff, says that getting weary over the recent deaths is ‘because we care”…and yes, that is right. We fall in love with these little ones, and we want to help them when they are ill – desires most of the time that simply have to be nothing more than that. Today’s sadness comes from Mooring Park. It appears that this nest that began with three will have only one to fledge this year.

Blinken, the second hatch at Moorings Park Osprey Platform in Florida, was showing signs of being ill several days ago. Eagle-eye ‘PB’ spotted it. Sadly, the little one passed this morning, but not before looking lovingly and saying goodbye to Mum.

A black and white image showing two adult osprey on a nest with chicks, and one chick lying down. The nest is made of twigs and there are eggs visible in the nest.

Do animals and birds have emotions? Have a listen to Marc Bekoff: https://youtu.be/oQDPyBNtojI?

The big hug for Jane: https://youtu.be/EJmxu4ENJ50?

A person embracing a chimpanzee while standing next to a red crate, surrounded by lush greenery.

The very last time chicks were dancing and fledging from Loch Arkaig nest 1 was in 2020, with Louis and Aila’s trio. Aila did not return in 2021, and Louis never went back to their nest. He made nest 2 his with Dorcha. Today, Geemeff writes that Aurora has laid her first egg! Congratulations. It is nice to see that both nests at the lach will have babies this year!

A close-up view of a bird's nest on a mountain, featuring two young birds and one adult bird against a backdrop of rolling hills and trees.

Here is the link to Loch Arkaig 1 camera: https://www.youtube.com/live/–l_qKzu2kE?

The other good news is that it appears that Big Red and Arthur not only have one pip but two!

A red-tailed hawk resting in its nest made of twigs and branches, displaying its brown and white plumage.

OR 6 and 7 are doing great at Syracuse University’s Red-tail Hawk nest. This is also great news.

A mother bird gently interacting with her two chicks in a nest made of twigs and straw.

Charlie and Lola fans will be glad that the injured female and her mate have reunited on a different nest, choosing to live in what we hope is peace. Let the intruders have their old nest. Let’s wish them luck.

Speaking of intruders, Lyn Brenig had one in the dark!

A black and white infrared image of a nest with two ospreys, one appearing to intrude while the other sits on eggs.

And then we have this post from Dyfi. Did Idris think his mate Telyn was an intruder?

https://www.dyfiospreyproject.com/blog/emyr-mwt/strange-osprey-behaviour?fbclid=IwY2xjawRgmStleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeAxT9cMKvxG7NSW4_ec01natMTP3oV8WAfMc7Oe0W8R8dbEmkLnTJIhq-g2U_aem_cUkZwEPGj0wi19ibZNlpMQ

Meanwhile, we still have a fortnight before we expect Blue 33 and Maya’s eggs to pip at Rutland Water.

A little longer in Cumbria as we waited for Blue 35 to return.

Two ospreys sitting in their nest with a scenic background of fields and hills during sunrise.

One of the stories in this month’s Birdlife International magazine is the challenges that the Emperor Penguin now faces.

Emperor Penguin now Endangered due to climate changeDownload

As Grasslands disappear, so does the song of the Bobolink. A story from Orion:

Grassland Rock Stars – Orion MagazineDownload

I am waiting for Geemeff to send her summary of today’s events at Loch Arkaig. I suspect that with the arrival of the first egg in six years at Loch Arkaig nest 1, there is much to do and lots to celebrate. I will post that summary, along with all their wonderful videos, separately when they arrive.

I know that I am missing many who should appear on the Memorial Page. If you can help me with names – storks, hawks, eagles, ospreys, etc, I would be grateful. They should be remembered. Thank you!

Thank you for being with us today. We will be back with you soon!

Thank you to ‘PB’ for alerting me first about Blinken’s condition, to Marc Bekoff for his studies in animal behaviour, to Dyfi for their newsletter, to all who post on FB and keep us up to date and to the owners of the streaming cams mentioned, thank you. We would not be able to share the lives of our favourite bird families without you.