Just a quick spin around a few nests. It seems we cannot take our eyes off the screens for a second!
Iris has laid her second egg just minutes ago at the Hellgate Canyon nest in Missoula, Montana.
At 65 days of age, Winken at the Moorings Park nest has fledged and returned to the nest. The take off was graceful but the landing will require more practice!
It appears that the AEF’s Dale Hollow rescue was a success. Cameras were off, and by my count, all three eaglets are in the nest, and there is no fishing line. Thanks, AEF, and all involved.
We have a hatch underway at the nest of Big Red and Arthur. Thankfully that nest is starting to dry out after torrential rains the other day.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 7th May 2026
Another routine day for both nests – just the odd alarm call but no intruders seen, reasonable weather, and both Louis and Garry LV0 brought one fish each for their respective partners Dorcha and Aurora 536. The Nest One tally rises to forty nine, and the Nest Two tally to forty four. Dorcha had to wait until tea time before her fish arrived, and gave Louis a telling off. Later when he didn’t give up the eggs on her return to the nest, he got a thorough dusting from her tail feathers! Light rain started falling around 9pm and is set to continue through the night and well into tomorrow, with occasional sunny spells.
It was a beautiful day today, and we got out for a walk. It was so nice. Toby and I even managed to sit out in the garden and listen to the birds. We were surprised by the list that Merlin could hear that we could not see! Don’s medication has changed. He is less and less engaged in daily life and that is so sad. He did join us for the walk and I anticipate that Ann will take him to the nature centre tomorrow. Being outside is good for everyone – including those with dementia.
Thanks so much for being with us. Take care!
Thank you to ‘PB’ for alerting me to Iris’s egg as I was checking on Dale Hollow! Thank you to Geemeff for her Loch Arkaig summary, Heidi for her post about Winken, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow all of this to happen. We are so very grateful.
Latest Update from Cornell: “The final Red-tailed Hawk egg began to show signs of hatching early on the morning on May 7 on day 36 of incubation. Watching closely, movement can be seen from the “pip,” or small hole in the egg, throughout the video. The hatching process can take 12–24 hours to complete, or longer in some cases.”
There is a rescue underway at Dale Hollow Eagle nest (see below).
I have to say that I have never been a ‘Hallmark Person’ – someone who sends cards and celebrates special days just because some company came up with an idea for making more and more money from us. This especially goes to Mother’s and Father’s Days because so many were raised by their Grandmothers who really were their Mums (like me, so mine could work), others had parents who died or abandoned them…sometimes when a day is happy for someone, it is a total sadness day for someone else.
That said, this year we are really going to give a shout out to the most incredible raptor Mum that I have seen in years. If I could send her a bouquet of fish and a card with fish that popped up, I would. They are all heroes who have overcome more challenges than we witness, but this year, a few stand out, and one, in particular.
The top Raptor Mum Award has to go to Jill at the Achieva Osprey Platform. I would love to know if anyone has witnessed a female leave their babies at such a young age when she realised that the little one was doing to die if more fish didn’t get on the nest.
So, let’s look back for a minute. Big hatched on 27 March, with Little following five days later, on 2 April. Yes, look at that spread. There were three eggs – Heidi and I have decided that Big was egg 1 and Little was egg 3.
The first time that Jill left the nest to catch a catfish was on the 15th of April. At the beginning, she only left the chicks around 1700-1800. She would leave and return in 25-30 minutes with a large catfish. As Jack’s deliveries diminished and the chicks’ need for more fish grew, Jill began going out twice a day. She would often wait to see if Jack would bring a morning fish, and if he hadn’t by 1030 or 1100, she would go fishing. Those trips to bring fish to the nest have now increased to three as she often now goes out after 1900.
Jill took a real risk leaving her tiny babies vulnerable. Jack was not there protecting them. He was not bringing food. Jill was starving. What choice did she have? Stay on the nest and watch her babies die? Abandon the chicks? She did neither. With bold determination, both babies appear to be growing and healthy. I wonder how many other osplets would have survived if their Mums would leave the nest and go and fish for them?
‘MP’ took this screen capture commenting what a beautiful wing pattern that it is —- and it is precisely perfect. Not a feather out of place!
‘PB’ keeps a good eye on what Jill is doing – and how Little is growing bigger and bolder.
My runner-up is Mrs T at the Trempealeau Bald Eagle nest, who, seeing her mate feed his chicks and another mate across the lake, was able to keep one of her eaglets alive by going out hunting and fishing.
There are two notable senior females that we could not miss on this Mother’s Day – Iris and Big Red.
Iris is at least thirty years old.
AI overview:
“Iris, the renowned 28-plus-year-old osprey at Hellgate Canyon, is estimated to have successfully fledged over 30 to 40 chicks in her lifetime. As of the 2024 season, she was still actively breeding, and she returned for the 2026 season to her nest at Missoula.
Total Lifetime Estimated Chicks: 30–40+
Recent Activity: In 2024, she successfully raised two chicks with her mate, Finnegan: Sum-eh and Antali.
Status: She is considered one of the oldest known living ospreys, nesting at the Hellgate Canyon site since at least the early 2000s.
Iris has had several mates over her long residency in Montana, including Stanley, Louis, and her more recent mates, consistently returning to the same area to nest”.
There is a published book that I have that show the move from the utility pole to Iris’s current nest that had a good history and images. (I need to find it!)
The other is Big Red, the Red-tailed Hawk whose nest is on the Cornell Campus at Ithaca, New York. She hatched in 2003 and was banded in October of that same year at Brooktondale, New York. Her natal nest is 7 miles from her breeding nest. Her first mate is believed to be Ezra (he was on camera when it began in 2012) but, no one knows for sure. Big Red probably started breeding by 2006.
Two separate AI entries, the first for Ezra and then Arthur:
AI:
“Big Red and her mate Ezra successfully raised 15 chicks together over the five years (2012–2016) they were followed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Cams.
Key Details on Big Red and Ezra’s Offspring:
Timeframe: They nested together on the Cornell campus from 2012 until Ezra’s death in March 2017.
Consistency: The pair typically raised 3 chicks per year, with successful breeding seasons recorded on camera each year from 2012–2016.
Legacy: Ezra was known for his dedication to his family, often feeding the chicks and protecting them during harsh weather.
After Ezra’s passing in 2017, Big Red paired with a new mate, Arthur, in 2018.”
“As of the end of the 2024 season, Big Red and her mate, Arthur, have successfully raised 20 chicks to fledging at Cornell University since pairing up in 2018. Known for regularly laying 3 eggs in many seasons, she has produced a high volume of chicks, often laying 4 eggs in 2022 and 2024.
Key Details on Big Red’s Broods:
Total Fledged (approx. 2018–2024): 20 chicks.
Recent Seasons (2025–2026): In 2025, she laid 3 eggs. As of early May 2026, she is actively raising a new brood.
High-Volume Years: Big Red laid 4 eggs in 2022 and 2024.
Big Red is a highly successful Red-tailed Hawk monitored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Bird Cams, and her nesting, egg-laying, and chick-rearing are tracked yearly.
We know that Big Red also laid a clutch of 4 eggs in 2026 as we are watching that nest now. The first hatch died during hatch. It is unclear as of 7 May if the remaining egg is viable. There are two chicks on the nest, cute little bobble heads.
In my memory, only one chick failed to fledge til this year, and that was K3, who had an issue with their jaw. K3 was rescued but did not survive. E3 is an ambassador for Cornell. Several died from window collisions on campus and one from West Nile Virus, last year. They are not ringed so we do not know the dispersal area.
Other brief news:
Johnson City’s eaglets are almost ready to fledge.
Ruth and Oren’s little hawklets at Syracuse University are doing fine.
Rescue Underway!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 6th May 2026
Another calm routine day where not a lot happened, just fish deliveries and changeovers of egg-sitters. Garry LV0 brought Aurora 536 two fish, taking his tally to forty eight, and Louis brought one fish for Dorcha, taking the nest total to forty three. The weather was settled but is forecast to change to light rain showers with light winds overnight and through to tomorrow afternoon. Both nests fall under the Inver Mallie weather forecast area: https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2646094.
Wish everyone well, that is going to help the near-to-fledge eaglet at Dale Hollow and send positive energy to Big Red’s nest for a successful last hatch! There is lots of food for three!!!!!! Arthur is keeping that nest well stocked, no matter the weather.
Take care everyone…remember to think of those who cared and raised you no matter their gender this coming weekend. See you soon.
Thank you to ‘MP and PB’ for allowing me to use their screen captures of Jill at Achieva and for keeping me in touch with her remarkable journey of motherhood. I am grateful to all the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of these birds and to the AEF for their determination to help eagles when possible. I am always grateful to Geemeff for their summaries and videos of the day’s happening at the two Loch Arkaig nests!
Oh, goodness. We woke up to a bit of snow yesterday and the temperatures have remained on the chilly side. In Ithaca, New York, it is really raining on Big Red and Arthur and their nestlings. Big Red is a very experienced Mum. She has been through season after season of rain, wind, snow, and being buried in ice. Still, I worry about the little ones getting cold and damp and having difficulties. Two have hatched, one died trying to hatch, and it appears to me that we have a beak sticking out of the last egg.
Arthur is providing food – and he will continue to line the nest – no matter the weather.
Please send them and all the nests your most positive wishes.
Jill at Achieva is going to be the Mother’s Day Mum of this season. She continues to defy everything we know and is out fishing, sometimes past 2000, to get fish to her growing babies. Little is now so strong that it is, as ‘PB’ notes, ‘wanting to rule the nest’.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 5th May 2026
Another reassuringly boring day where nothing out of the ordinary happened. The odd stick or bit of bark was brought to a nest when fish was expected, but fish were delivered too. Garry LV0 delivered one trout to Aurora 536 on Nest One, taking his tally to forty six, and Louis delivered two to Dorcha, taking the Nest Two tally to forty two. No intruders, no drama, just two females incubating their eggs – Aurora with a few absences – and males delivering fish then taking their turn on egg duty. Fingers crossed tranquility reigns until hatching and beyond.
Monty and Hartley’s babies hatched on the 21st of April – yes, all on the same day. They are now 15 days old. Rumours had them being ringed today at 0800, but they are not old enough yet. I suspect we will have another 10 days to go or thereabouts.
Sally and Winken enjoying a Tilapia at Moorings Park.
That is it for today! Please take care. I am off to get Don to the doctor in a few hours. It should all go well. Toby gets to spend the afternoon with Ann and her Australian Shepherd, Lucy. He is going to have so much fun!
Keep your eye on Iris’s nest!!!!!!!
Thank you to Geemeff for the Woodland Trust summary, to ‘PB’ for cheering on Jill at Achieva, and to the writer Ruth of Raptor Persecution UK. We need investigative reporting in the world of raptors. Too much human harm gets covered up! To the others who have posted on FB and other platforms and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these incredible birds.
I did say I was going to take a break, didn’t I? Well, reports will be short, but Iris laying her first egg and Big Red’s nestlings are keeping me on the edge of the sofa. Besides, the nice warm weather we had disappeared. Melissa kept looking out the conservatory windows as she was cleaning them, asking, ‘Is that a snowflake?’ And yes, of ourselves, her eyes were not deceiving her. It is freezing. Tomorrow will be 0 C. Not much fun. Toby and I worked on the bookcases. We now need a 154 cm long piece of moulding and some finishing nails. The whole needs to be painted in the same shade as the walls only glossy so it is slightly different (thanks, Geemeff, for the idea). I had battled between just matching the walls which are the same colour as the rice straw tea huts in Japan, going for something bold like the Bloomsbury Group would have done, or painting them in Tar (a deep grey/black). My mind needs calm. So, some time in the future, David will return to paint them and the French doors all the same. It is a picky job, not for someone like me who wouldn’t have the patience.
As of Monday evening, this is the state of the third chick releasing itself from the shell at Big Red and Arthur’s nest. Arthur is already lining the nest cup with chippies and squirrels.
I am so glad this little one didn’t get exhausted trying to get out.
At the Achieva Osprey Platform, Jill went out late and caught another catfish for her and the kids. That is three today. I do not believe she has ever left the nest to fish after 2000. She did tonight. As the kids get older they need more food and she needs to keep herself healthy for them! Jack is simply not delivering enough – two today. Jill had three and one was a whopper.
Thanks ‘PB’ for the screen capture of Jill and her whale.
For those wanting to keep a file to recognise Jill, here you have the perfect underwing patterns to go with the top of the head! These two locations are the only patterns that do not ever change from the time the ospreys fledge.
Iris and NewGuy2 (I do agree with everyone that he needs a name – I am certain that Dr Green is working on this) are settling in to incubation. I just hope he knows that he has to provide fish for Iris and the babies…
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 4th May 2026
Another peaceful and uneventful day, although one event was missing – Aurora 536 has not laid a second egg, it is overdue by more than 24 hours so chances are she will only have the single egg laid on 30th April at 19.18.37. There is concern that she is leaving the egg unprotected for several hours at a time, and as she and Garry LV0 have not been seen mating on a sufficiently regular basis, perhaps this egg will not hatch. As always, it’s wait and see – Osprey eggs are quite hardy. Although Garry only brought one fish to the nest for Aurora, it’s possible fish are being delivered early during the nest cam down time. His on-cam tally now stands at forty five. Over on Nest Two, normal service was resumed and Louis delivered three fish to Dorcha, taking the nest total to forty. Dorcha was very pleased to see the first fish arriving after a gap of thirty five hours and demolished it in no time. The weather was mainly settled with a little light rain around 11pm.
The four chicks of Monty and Hartley will be ringed at 0800 Wednesday nest time! Tune in on YouTube!
Thank you so much for being with us! Take care, everyone. Keep watching Iris for that next egg…See you soon.
Thank you to Geemeff for the Woodland Trust summary, to ‘PB’ for the great image of Jill and her monster fish, and to all those who post information on FB and the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch this amazing wildlife. I am very grateful for the investigative reporting of Raptor Persecution UK.
Well, I couldn’t stay away from watching Big Red and Arthur.
P1 is a cutie. We will know by today if either of the two remaining eggs are viable. I don’t care. One healthy eyas to survive to fledge and then survive Cornell’s windows would please me greatly. Arthur is preparing for lots of meals as he gets the chippies and the snakes to the nest.
Big Red always encourages the hiks to eat just a little more.
It looks to me as if we have a beak peeking out of one of the other eggs and a small crack in the last.
Big Red has been keeping P1 nicely fed.
It is just a little fluff ball.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 3rd May 2026
Another day of low activity and nothing out of the ordinary. Dorcha and Louis continue to take turns incubating the three eggs, Dorcha gets a break to eat, bathe, and stretch her wings when Louis brings fish or sticks and takes over egg-sitting, and Louis does whatever male Ospreys do when they’re not fishing, egg-sitting, or patrolling their territory. Which he must have been doing today as he brought no fish at all, so the nest tally remains at thirty seven. Over on Nest One, Garry brought one fish for Aurora, taking his tally to forty four. At the time of filing this report – midnight – she does not appear to have laid her second egg. Will Aurora lay her egg in the early hours before the camera goes off-line? Will Louis swoop in early with a dried up old fish he actually caught today but doesn’t deliver until tomorrow? Answers on a postcard please.*
Sadly one of the four chicks of Big Red and Arthur’s did not survive hatching. I am going to presume that it was, as it appears, the crushed egg. The other one appears to be fine. Two more eggs to go.
Big Red tried several times to feed P1. There was even a live snake on offer! Eventually the little one was ready.
Meet Socialite Sandy & Laid-Back Luna ~ Figuring Out Who’s Who (2026 May 1)The votes are in and the 3rd graders selected the names Sandy and Luna for Jackie and Shadow’s chicks. I’ve pointed out some of the differences in the video to help you discern which is which.
Here’s the FOBBV announcement: ****** Chick 1’s name is Sandy with 30 student votes. Chick 2’s name is Luna with 25 student votes.
The remaining top 5 votes are as follows: Star with 22 votes. Chip with 22 votes. Phoenix with 18 votes.
Sandy was the most popular name entered with 3706 of the 63,915 names submitted. Please know that although Sandy would not have wanted us to outright name one of the eaglets Sandy, she would have been honored that you and the students went through the process and named one of the 2026 eaglets after her. Thank you for your participation and your generous support of Friends of Big Bear Valley from the entire team. You are much appreciated! ***** Video: https://youtu.be/lTEiU33HYgo
One chick gets chatty with neighbors ~ Birdwatcher in training (2026 Apr 29) Video: https://youtu.be/k1noEq1qAoE
Jackie & Shadow protected the eaglets through storm ~ Daylight brought sunshine (2026 Apr 26) Video: https://youtu.be/ckmcHQL6WFw
Fraser Point Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha, Zuma, and Ryder Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s
8-Day Old Chicks Place Rush Order for Lunch ~ Plus One Leg Down the Hatch (2026 Apr 28) There was an eating milestone during lunch ~ one chick downed a leg. (If you want to skip that celebration, it happens from 2:44-3:44 in the video.) Video: https://youtu.be/YQmkKceqN3k Redding Eagles ~ Redding, CA~ Liberty and Guardian Courtesy of Friends of the Redding Eagles, Redding, California Livestream page: https://www.youtube.com/@FriendsoftheReddingEagles/streams
Guardian romanced Liberty with a fish dinner and a bath in the river (2026 Apr 26) Video: https://youtu.be/K7ZhwXpLRq4
Check out Ruth and Oren’s two hawklets, too! And, of course, check out Monty and Hartley’s kids in SK Hideaways video.
Dual feeding with Milda and Zorro and the two White-tail Eaglets at the Durbe County nest in Latvia. They are getting pin feathers!
Ohk they are so cute.
Thank you for being with us today. It is a lovely 20 degrees and we are going to spend it outside. It is supposed to rain and get cooler. Tomorrow the cleaning lady comes and I am working on the moulding for the door. I will be watching some of the nests on my big screen but I might not be publishing a post until mid-week. So take care of yourselves. Enjoy the week, get outside, listen to birdsong. Be happy.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for their video links and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch the lives of our birds (the good and the not so good).
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 2nd May 2026
In the early hours of this morning, Dorcha produced egg number three, most probably her final egg as she’s not one of those rare Ospreys who produce four eggs. Nest Two was calm today, no intruders and two fish deliveries, although Louis did take his time with the second, bringing it more than fourteen hours after the first. Louis’ tally rises to thirty five, and the nest total to thirty seven. Over on Nest One, Aurora 536 spent most of the day on the nest, although she did spend a block of more than three hours off the nest, leaving the egg unattended. She might have been perched nearby, it was in the early hours so we don’t know. Garry LV0 brought two fish, taking his tally to forty three, and he’ll need to keep up a steady supply as Aurora’s second egg is due tomorrow. At the time of filing this report (23.30), Louis is still on Nest Two incubating the eggs, looking unlikely to move any time soon although Dorcha is standing right behind him.
‘PB’ continues to admire the fortitude of Jill, the female at the Achieva Osprey Platform, in St Petersburg, Florida. I don’t blame them. Jill is stepping up on the number of catfish she is bringing to the nest. As the two chicks get older, they require more food. She has to eat. Jack is not contributing nearly enough. We think of healthy osprey chicks. I look at nests like the Dyfi nest of Idris, Blue 33 at Manton Bay, Dylan at Lyn Clywedog, Louis at Loch Arkaig, or Blue 022 at Poole Harbour. Let’s think 7-8 fish a day. Nice big fish – not little twiddlers. Of course, there are others, White YW – I could go on and on. So the gold standard would be those 7-8 big fish, like Mullets, to make healthy fat osplets to fledge. I fear that like many of the eagle nests we have seen where the eaglets looked healthy but when taken into care were noted to be infested and ‘thin’ (Eagle Country a couple of years ago). So bravo to Jill. I wish we could drop some nice fish for her.
Others are abandoning their eggs. Severna Park in Maryland is one of the first on streaming cam. I want you to prepare yourself. There has not been an influx of fish falling into the waters. Better the eggs do not hatch than wee babes or fully feathered near-to-fledge chicks starve on camera. I warn you to brace yourself for what could be the most tragic year yet. I want to be wrong. If it is, It is sad and entirely unnecessary.
The Chesapeake Bay ecosystem is in a very dire situation. In its case, there are no Menhaden for the ospreys, the Striped Bass, the Tarrapins or others that fed on them to eat. I cannot comment on the neighbouring states, but we do know from images taken that Omega has been industrial fishing along the shores (within legal limits, but sometimes seen to use helicopters to push the fish out) of other states. Virginia is the problem. Want to change this? People have to care. So you have to elect people who really care about all living things, the balance of life on the planet, and are action, not all talk.
Look at how much Little has grown since it has had fish!
Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to Geemeff, to ‘PB’, to you the readers who care dearly about all the wildlife and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us witness the lives of these beautiful creatures.
Ever heard of the International Dawn Chorus? Well, it’s tomorrow.
AI Overview: International Dawn Chorus Day 2026 takes place on Sunday, May 3, 2026. Celebrated annually on the first Sunday in May, this global event encourages people to wake early to experience the peak spring birdsong, either by joining organized guided walks or simply listening from home.
Key Details for 2026:
The Experience: Birdsong peaks in early May as annual migrants arrive, providing a spectacular, immersive, and often therapeutic soundscape.
How to Participate: You can participate anywhere, from urban areas to nature reserves. Many enthusiasts join the #DawnChorusClub on social media to share their recordings and experiences.
Events: Specific, locally hosted, in-person events include a 5:30 AM walk in Toronto’s High Park and a 6:00 AM event at Crieff, UK, according to local event listings.
Why Birds Sing: The dawn chorus peaks in spring because birds are defending territories and attracting mates.
It is recommended to check local listings for nature walks in your area.
Let’s get out in nature – .
We had our first Robin in the garden Saturday morning. So happy. We were just chatting with Ann on Friday and I said we hadn’t had Robins in the garden for several years and there it was!
Did I tell you that Toby alerted the other evening and we had two deer eating from the feeders? Life is full of beautiful moments.
Today I am having to be very cautious. Toby has had his first ‘treatment’ for ticks, fleas, and worms. These Cavaliers have many health issues. I listened to a reader, now friend, and got the best treatment I could get. Still, I cannot have the cats licking Toby’s back as one of the ingredients is dangerous for them. So the Calicos are sleeping in Don’s room and Hugo Yugo and Missey are in mine. Tonight Toby and I will lock ourselves in and by tomorrow at noon, the treatment should be completely dry and all will be well til se have to do it again in a month.
I have learned a lot, and Toby will not go to the groomers anymore. He will only have the hair between his pads cleaned, his nails trimmed and his ears cleaned. I brush him every day and shampoo and condition as necessary – when it is muddy, it could be more than once a day. He is a Spaniel!!!!!!!! They sure love to get dirty.
The Girls are good and Don is hanging in there. we have our good days and bad days. The bad ones aren’t that bad anymore! I am working on some small renovations to the house. I wasn’t happy with the glass around the French doors that were installed – I don’t know why but it bothered me immensely so I am now working on installing bookcases with drawers and a lot of moulding.
They are IKEA. David put them together yesterday evening – a great young dad with two children who works very hard. All of that glass above will be covered up with some panelling modelled on Shaker doors. The question then is to paint or not paint? I will see how tired I am. The plan was to paint them the same colour as the walls, but David also said I could leave everything white and paint the French doors a white to match the bookcases and relax. That sounds easy! I am definitely changing the handles for knobs.
Keeps my mind busy.
There are names at two nests that I know of as of a few minutes ago –
At the nest of Jackie and Shadow, the school children selected the names Sandy for the oldest and Luna for the youngest out of the names sent in.
At the nest of Irvine and Stella, USSteel, the triplets have been named:
The Achieva Credit Union runs the cam but doesn’t get involved either the ospreys. Why doesn’t the chat group have someone run a naming contest for Jack and Jill’s two?
‘PB’ took this screen capture of their bursting crops of the US Steel eaglets. Irvine has been keen to ensure the little one is fed regularly, while Stella seems to take care of the older two. I wonder if the ‘baby’ smelled different when it returned from rehab/rescue – similar to the way our cats and dogs smell different when they come home from the vet, and the other pets in the house growl and dismiss or attack them
Achieva’s Mum Jill is incredible, and if there is a bird Mum of the Year, it could well be her for pitching in immediately when she saw her baby was going to starve to death and catching those catfish like Diane used to bring in. The difference is that Jill goes fishing at a specific time in the afternoon and always comes back with a nice catfish dinner. She sometimes goes out early, too, if Jack fails to bring in breakfish.
Big at Achieva has started self-feeding. He grabbed a small fish from Jack and ate while Jill fed her catfish to Little on Saturday.
The Kakapo streaming cam is live again. They are growing so fast and turning sooooo green. Just beautiful.
The hatch at the Cornell Red Tail Hawk nest of Big Red and Arthur is bothering me. I hope I am just being too cautious. It looks like one of those high-humidity crush eggs. I want to be terribly wrong about this concern. I haven’t seen any of Big Red’s eggs crush like this in the years I have been watching – and that has been a long time. (Please feel free to correct me!)
Arthur and Big Red are doing a lot of changeovers but they are sure now showing us anything. I sure hope those babies are fine. The Cornell Bird Lab has a whole Q & A on their hawks. People always ask:
How Old Are Big Red And Arthur?
Records show that Big Red was banded in the nearby town of Brooktondale, New York, during her first autumn in 2003. Arthur was first spotted by local birders on Cornell University campus as a fledgling in 2016.
Big Red picked Arthur to be her mate after her previous mate, Ezra, died. Arthur did not yet have his red-tail!!!!!!!!!!! But as we know, the birds know better than we do. Arthur impressed by presenting Big Red with a multiple squirrels, his great hunting skills showing he would be a good provider for their chicks, won her heart. The rest is history.
The nest is, as I recall, over the years, very successful, with all the eggs hatching but one. Only one chick, K3, did not fledge. Sadly, a few have died from window collisions on the campus and one from West Nile Virus. E3 is an ambassador for the Cornell Bird Lab.
The eyases of Oren and Ruth are so cute and becoming quite the characters. Lots of food including bunnies.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 1st May 2026
A mainly routine day today after the excitement yesterday of an egg for Nest One finally arriving after six long years. Both first time parents Aurora 536 and Garry LV0 fulfilled their parental obligations with Aurora brooding the egg and Garry supplying fish, and quick meal breaks for Aurora while Garry took over egg duties. This bodes well for their next two eggs, due 3rd and 6th May. Garry delivered two fish, taking his tally to forty one, and on Nest Two, Louis also delivered two fish to Dorcha, although the first was just a tail-end snack. Their nest tally now stands at thirty five including two brought by Dorcha. Her third and probably final egg is due tomorrow, 2nd May, and with luck she won’t be disturbed by intruders like the one she fought off today, the English male Osprey whose Darvic looks like 286 and who’s intruded a couple of times already. Weather was settled but expected to change to light showers overnight with possible thunder showers tomorrow. Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/KsufkdeOL14 N2 Louis brings a tiny snack for Dorcha 06.44.34https://youtu.be/I9K9nCpFocQ N1 Garry brings Aurora a fish and remains on egg duty 11.11.28 https://youtu.be/tgDswzdcGxI N1 Garry brings a second fish but the first’s still there 15.01.43
Sadly the fishing line is still hanging out of the mouth of the only surviving of three osplets at the Moorings Park nest – Poor Winken. Is no one coming to help?
Thanks so much for being with us today. Enjoy being outside tomorrow. Smile. Listen for the birdsong. It will relieve whatever is aching your heart.
Thank you to all the contributors today – we appreciate your dedication and hard work on your summaries, your videos, your FB posts, and all the articles. Thank you so much to everyone who got in touch with me with news of happenings in Bird World and to the owners of the bird streaming cams, we are all grateful to you for allowing us into their lives.
It is 6 C and what a wonderful sunny day it has been.
There is great news coming out of Glaslyn. Our dear Aran, once the mate of Mrs G and then Elen, ousted from his nest at Glaslyn in 2025 by Teifi, is now with a new mate and there are eggs!
From the Glaslyn Osprey Group FB:
Big Red and Arthur will have a lovely little chick soon.
Look at the front egg!!!!!!!
There is now some concern for Winken at Moorings Park who was seen with a fishing line hanging from its beak.
Fish continue to be delivered by Jill at the Achieva nest with a fish arriving from Jack around 11:18 this morning.
Ping Shen reports on the Seattle couple, Harry and Sally: “Making up for lost time – Harry has been busy delivering both fish and nesting material, and also spent some time today excavating the “bowl” of the nest (you can see things flying out behind his talon, almost like a dog), sitting in it, etc. Hopefully Sally is pleased, despite his late arrival! Great to see them both back…no eggs yet, but perhaps soon…”
Viki writes with good news from Maryland: “I discovered a 22nd nest on the island, and it had 2 osprey – looked a very bare platform so perhaps they’re new. And another of my original 21 has 2 osprey now (maybe with eggs) so that’s 15 of 21 with a pair
And as for LB (the M4 young father who is fiddling around with Ethel on the side), Lily, F4, has figured it out. What LB wants to do is brood those eggs – if he brings a fish, she lets him incubate; if he shows up on N4 antsy, she lets him incubate. She no longer takes her fish to N3, which is on the way to Ethel’s N2, but takes it the other direction to N4’s traditional perch in the North Copse of pine trees. Lily also let LB mate with her-once after I’d seen him copulating with Ethel. (I think she must have a nest full of eggs given how long ago she started seriously incubating and the continued flurry of mating afterwards. Do you think the new father is satisfying himself with brooding? Possibly similar urges ?????”
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 30th April 2026
What a glorious day – Aurora 536 produced her first egg, which clearly took a lot of effort but gave us our first egg on Nest One since Aila had her lockdown trio there in 2020. Six years is a long time to wait and hope for chicks on the original Loch Arkaig camera nest but today that wish is coming true. Garry LV0 was surprised and did a comical double take when he first saw the egg – shortly before it was laid, he came steaming in for a mating attempt and was roundly told off by Aurora, who pecked him and winged him away, and although he offered fish later, she wasn’t interested – had a bit of a hard day! Garry brought her four fish in total, taking his tally to thirty nine, and over on Nest Two, all was calm with Louis bringing one fish for Dorcha, taking the nest tally to thirty three. Today’s videos:
That’s it for me today. Don will be returning with Ann for some dessert after a full afternoon at the nature centre. Thank you for being with us. Take care everyone. Keep an eye on Big Red and Arthur’s nest – we will have some of the cutest babies filling that nest at Cornell shortly.
Thank you to Ping Shen, Geemeff, PB, and Viki for keeping me up to date on their nests. I am terribly grateful to them and those who post on FB and who own the streaming cams that allow us into the lives of these magnificent birds.
