Tag Archives: Ospreys

Late Wednesday in Bird World

1 July 2026

Happy Canada Day to all of us who celebrate. We had a wonderful time with our son and daughter-in-law visiting our local Farmer’s Market today. They are off for more celebrations this evening and tomorrow; my daughter and Tammy, DIL, are coming to take Don out for a few hours so I can have some time to myself. I feel blessed. How kind of them!

For the next few days, I want to focus on a couple of topics in each blog instead of running through all of the nests. I will, of course, try to bring you up to date on what is happening every 4 blogs. Today, I want to focus on this Menhaden issue and the ospreys dying, and I want everyone to write to the Governor of Virginia, the Honourable Abigal Spanberger. Her e-mail is: Abigail.Spanberger@governor.virginia.gov.

Tomorrow, I have a wonderful article by Wes Melkner in Smithsonian Magazine. Wes is an intern, and his research and first two articles have taught me a great deal. I do hope you enjoy the one I will be posting.

Friday, I will be giving you the link for a very special documentary to view over the weekend and a look at the current status of one of my favourite friends with feathers, the Condor.

Oh, I am really on a rant. Every day I check to see if Little Dewey is alive. Little Dewey is the poster child for this battle against industrial fishing and the murder of ospreys in this region of the US.

Little Dewey is gorgeous. I want her to thrive. Her parents have worked hard to find fish for her and their survival. We are not out of the woods yet but please, please let this nest be successful this year.

The first fish today did not arrive until 1311. I am unclear of any follow up deliveries. Please let me know.

This is staggeringly sad and reflects what is happening all over the region of the NE US:

“Survey my friend and I did in CT today of a small island with 30 osprey platforms. Raw data in image. XXX indicates the platform was abandoned and we did not go pro it. Fishermen are reporting no bunker again in the CT sound.
Synopsis: 30 total platforms. 13 platforms abandoned. Only 7 young on island. Only 3 appear to be strong and healthy. 8 dead young found in nests. Almost no bunker gill plates by perch posts. Many platforms have been abandoned in the surrounding towns as well but not part of our study group.”

In the comments: “Same story here on the Severn River in Annapolis. Similar results in my area, South Jersey.” “Eco-Ed Endeavours: Chesapeake Field Journal liked David Gessner‘s post: “Here is my contribution to the cause. I realize it is quite osprey-centric, but then so am I. https://www.audubon.org/magazine/ospreys-chesapeake-bay-are-starving-death-disastrous-rates-what-will-it-take-save-them?fbclid=IwY2xjawSqXqlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFDbHpVQnN1Q2ZQQjNCSjhCc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHo-ByAGTxxfErznZo4bjKqCSTTQkUIk7-cWHlzltrO0xlr-KNgcNQivZNJpC_aem_Xg3C8ZucsRPfmyXThAIlZQ”

If you missed Gessner’s article, please read it.

I realize that Heidi and I have been making comments on the demise of the osprey in this region for three years. I am glad that there is more attention coming to this topic, but I fear that we are late- perhaps too late. I never want to give up hope, so I have to look at what the UK did to reintroduce ospreys that had been wiped out. For example, CJ7 and Blue 022 had the first chicks in the south of England for 250 years. The first chick to hatch in the Usk Valley in Wales for a similar period was last year. Now, I want you to think about what I am saying. It is not decades; it is perhaps centuries before this biodiverse region is balanced again. People can blame whales and Bald Eagles if they want to hide their heads in the sand, but the truth is, it will show that it was industrial fishing unchecked by any oversight that caused the damage for years and years by a single company (not the net fishermen) but a Canadian company, Omega Protein. If I could sue the company and all the officials on behalf of the ospreys, I would. Someone who lives in the US should work with Animal Justice to do just that.

Today, Omega Protein went fishing and didn’t find much. Perhaps they have taken all of the adult Menhaden. Maybe they will be forced to shut down their operations. However, if you live in other NE States, including Maine, beware. Keep your eyes open. Many in Maine say that the Menhaden have left the shores and gone deep into cooler water. I just hope they are hiding from the nets!

Others checking elsewhere.

I believe on survived but has not been fed so the story will be much the same, sadly.

The one surviving chick at Great Bay looks to be alright. This one pushed another off the nest about a week ago – they were all starving. It is a sad fact.

Santiam Canyon is doing alright.

The smallest of the two on the Osoyoos osprey platform died today of starvation.

While today is about the impact that humans can have – in a negative way by overfishing and knowing it – and killing off an entire eco-system, it is also about the fact that humans must come to grips with the damage that we have caused our planet and help when help can be of benefit.

I was asked by a reader to post a rather long statement by a rehabilitation/rescue group. After reading it twice, I think that it is very appropriate to put it in this blog about the deaths from siblicide/starvation that have been caused by a lack of food due to human activity.

This comes from Annette at Wild Heart Ranch in Oklahoma and was sent to me from ‘J’ in Berlin:

I have never given parents advice on how to raise their “human” children, and I probably never will again, so please read this and pass it along. It needs to be said. (Rehabbers, if you agree, just applaud in the comments.) 😉
The photo is an oldie of “January,” a calf brought to me years ago with spina bifida and navel ill, crawling on her knees because her legs were useless. It took months, but I got her up, cured, walking, running, and eventually she grew into a full-grown heifer without any obvious problems. She found the perfect forever home.
January WANTED to recover, and there was nothing I could see that would prevent it. She just needed an unbelievable amount of splint work, braces, physical therapy, and support to get there. She wasn’t going to one day be released into the wild. She was going to be somebody’s pampered pasture pet for the rest of her life if I could save her… and she is. She’s still watched over daily for complications her condition could cause as she ages or gains weight.
I didn’t have to know she’d be 100% at the end of treatment. I just needed her to become pain-free and mobile on legs that would eventually support 1,400 pounds.
But that isn’t the case for wildlife.

I absolutely love when you bring your kids with you to Wild Heart to drop off animals. If we’re going to raise the next generation to support wildlife rescue, they need to see the process. They need to witness compassionate people willing to drop everything for an animal they’ve never met. That matters to me because the future of wildlife rescue is in the hands of today’s children, and the way you handle that handoff matters more than you may realize. It matters because every year there are more roads, more windows, more fishing line, more cats, more cars, more toxins, and more hazards that WE bring into their world.
And because, despite my best intentions, I may not actually live forever. I know… shocking.
So there is one thing I ask, beg, and plead…

Please don’t promise your children that we are going to save an injured, hypothermic, maggot-infested animal, then ask us if that animal can be saved in front of them UNLESS you have prepared them for the TRUTH. I am not going to lie to your children before you do. I am going to follow your lead, and if you set me up to crush a child, I may have to step away for a minute to compose myself before I can provide that animal the peaceful, gentle ending it deserves.
If you care about the animals, please be kind to the rehabber.
DO YOU HEAR THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH? (My best friend uses that sentence. It is VERY effective!)
Wild animals are masters at hiding pain. In the wild, looking sick or injured is basically putting up a billboard that says, “Eat me.” So they keep moving until they physically can’t anymore.
That’s why you see a squirrel that’s “just sitting there all calm and content,” and I see a spinal injury or a pelvis that’s been crushed.
You see the bunny your cat brought home that “doesn’t look that bad,” and I know it has a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the two tiny puncture wounds where your cat injected a potent bacteria cocktail into its back.
Looks are deceiving.

The parents who want to protect their children from the hard realities—and I completely support that—usually hand me the animal, smile, and say, “We know you’ll do what’s best.” The kids thank me for helping, they climb back in the car, and I get to begin triage… treatment… or sometimes mercy.
But this is how it sometimes goes for me:
A six-year-old has rescued, temporarily cared for, and named a squirrel Kevin. Kevin has big plans. He’s going to leave our care, climb trees, raise a family, pay squirrel taxes, and peacefully die at the ripe old age of 97 surrounded by his squirrel grandchildren.
AWESOME.
I am all about happy endings.

Meanwhile…
Kevin has dislocated hips, at least one spinal fracture, a pelvis that’s in four pieces, and internal injuries that make me wonder how he even made it to my door. The back half of him has been run over by a car, and any minute now the front half is probably going to stop working too.
Then everyone turns and looks at me and an adult asks, with complete sincerity…
“So… is he going to be okay?”
Wonderful. (Just shoot me.)
While I’m trying to rush this intake so I can put poor Kevin out of his misery, I now get to decide whether I lie to your child or explain euthanasia to someone who still sells their teeth to a fairy.
That is WAY above my pay grade.
And I don’t WANT to lie to anybody.
So please… either have that hard conversation before you come, or avoid putting us in that position.
My instinct is to protect your child’s enthusiasm for helping wildlife. I don’t want to be the lady who unintentionally convinces them that “future Kevin” should be hidden in their bedroom because “that rescue lady will just kill him.”
Tell them Kevin is hurt. Tell them he is probably in a lot of pain. Tell them you’re taking him somewhere that people will do whatever is best for him.
Leave it there…
Or have the harder conversation before you arrive.

People sometimes think euthanasia means we gave up. It’s actually the opposite.
It would be emotionally easier on us, in that moment, to keep trying. To turn a rescue into what I call “an experiment in heroics” which is by no measure okay unless there is FAR more hope than hurt.
It’s much harder to look at an animal we desperately want to save and admit that the kindest thing we can offer is peace. I will NEVER be okay providing treatment only to find an animal dead in a cage later, knowing I could have spared it that experience. That is not acceptable when I KNEW the chances were slim. That is not rescue. That is denial. Sometimes we don’t know, but when we do know, we had better beat death to the punch or we have avoided the only act of care that was reasonable, responsible, and KIND.

A quick, painless, chemically induced death is kind when life without suffering isn’t in the prognosis. There are far worse things than death, and I see them daily.
A responsible wildlife rehabilitator chooses what is best for the animal no matter how disappointed we are, YOU are, how many people are following the story on Facebook, or how much public backlash we might receive. NONE of that comes into play when I am evaluating or treating an animal. The ONLY factors that matter are the animal’s current physical suffering, past case experience, advice from my veterinarians, the animal’s probable ability to live independently after recovery and release, and my conscience. If my conscience EVER starts sounding the ego alarm, I am DONE. I know this about me.
I will NEVER keep an animal alive because it’s popular or because it brings in donations. I was accused of that almost daily while working with January. I received hate mail from veterinarians all over the country. It was hell because I ALWAYS listen to the advice of veterinarians, but in this case they weren’t here seeing what I was seeing: a strong will to live and a calf that wasn’t going to give up. So I helped her fight. Not to prove anyone wrong. (ego) That never entered my mind during treatment. (But I gloated like hell when that calf charged me across my yard and knocked me flat on my ass!)

But I can promise you my motive is always the same.
I believe in an animal’s ability to recover—or I don’t.
I believe in my ability to support that recovery—or I don’t.
The minute I lose hope that an animal can have an acceptable quality of life, I stop. No matter how much it hurts. No matter what people think of me afterward or what they say about me. (With two million followers, I see the comments. There is always someone who can’t WAIT to screenshot the nasty ones and send them to me, which by the way, it just hurts me and changes nothing else so keep them to yourselves friends) Fortunately for my motivation to keep going, I have almost as much compassion for ignorant people as I do suffering animals. 🙂

Here’s something else to keep in mind.
The more experienced the rehabber, the more likely they are to make a judgment call immediately.
Why?
Because when we were new, we tried to save everybody. Experience teaches you where hope exists… and where it doesn’t. Trust that we have seen these injuries hundreds of times. We’ve learned from our mistakes, our veterinarians, our mentors, and the animals themselves.
That being said…
Many of my volunteers have zero medical training. They may be the smiling face that accepts your animal before it reaches someone doing triage.
They see what you see.
If you ask them what they think, they’ll honestly tell you, “I think he’ll be okay.” Then you call later and find out the animal was euthanized immediately.
Please don’t assume we lied, didn’t try, or didn’t care. Just ask to speak with the person who actually performed the triage. I promise you, if that decision was made here, it was made because it was the most merciful option available.

Every intake gets our best.
Every single person here hates euthanasia, but we are grateful that mercy exists.
We remember those animals. We especially remember your child’s face looking at us like we’re monsters without a heart. It’s bad enough when we’re powerless to save a life, but when we’re judged for showing mercy?
That destroys us.
It destroys me.
Last week it happened over and over and over again. It was so bad that I finally stopped going to the front door to do quick intake triage and personally thank the finders because I simply couldn’t do it anymore.
Most people are absolutely wonderful.
And then…
There’s little Kevin’s family.
Mom tells me to build Kevin a wheelchair so he can live here forever and “the kids can come visit.”
All lies, little dude.
All lies.
And I just can’t be part of that story.

Those moments don’t stay here when we lock the doors at night. We take them home. They haunt us. They keep me from the sleep I need so badly that I end up writing lengthy educational Facebook posts trying to work through the frustration.
So please… help us tell the whole story.
Teach your children that rescue doesn’t always mean recovery.
Teach them that there are worse things than death, and suffering without hope is one of them.
Teach them that love and care are two very different things. Love is an emotion. Care is an action. Sometimes the most loving action is letting an animal go instead of asking it to suffer because WE aren’t ready to say goodbye.
Because if I have to tell your child Kevin isn’t going to make it, I’d much rather be reinforcing a lesson you’ve already started than accidentally becoming the stranger who convinced them that bringing injured wildlife to professionals was somehow the wrong thing to do.

If your child cries, that sadness is empathy. Empathy is exactly why they picked Kevin up in the first place, so maybe I don’t have to live forever after all. Maybe there are little humans growing up right now who understand what wildlife rehabilitation is truly about and will support it one day. With time, with funding or even put on their poop shoes and get to work!
There are thousands of wildlife rehabilitators scattered across this country making impossible decisions every single day and doing what is best, struggling to stay afloat so the animals have a place to go. I am working on a way to help keep them going with funding. It will take about a year, but in the meantime, let’s all be aware of the things people may never consider that slowly erode their motivation. I promise you I am not the only rehabber whose day is destroyed by someone bringing in an animal that should not be saved and then confronting us over our honest opinion-especially in front of children.
The goal isn’t to teach our children that every rescue story has a happy ending.
The goal is to teach them that every wild animal deserves compassion.
“And we all suffer the same”
Maybe that’s something worth thinking about.
Thanks for reading.”

I think Annette said many things that I also needed to hear.

Geemeff has posted her summary from Loch Arkaig and I will include it here.

Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 1st July 2026

The weather was wet and windy as forecast but that didn’t stop Louis who delivered five fish, taking the Nest Two tally to two hundred and fourteen. However, the first fish was quite small and the delay of over five hours before the next one saw the hangry chicks having a pop at each other. The aggression didn’t last long and a steady supply of fish, including a large late supper at 10pm, saw the chicks off to bed with full crops and Dorcha struggling to fit them underneath her. Garry brought a single fish for Aurora, a small one which she chose to eat on the nest, which took the Nest One tally to one hundred and forty five. Nest Two cam has been zoomed out ready for fledging which is probably at least two weeks away, and before that the ringers will visit, meantime we get to enjoy the panoramic views again. More wet weather is forecast with light rain, gentle breezes and an overnight low of 12°C, continuing tomorrow with light rain showers, a moderate breeze, a high of 17°C and occasional sunny spells.

Today’s videos

https://youtu.be/0t0bbnRSsoQ N2 Early breakfast doesn’t last long 03.50.30

https://youtu.be/klpNm5FrsHg N2 Hangry chicks have a pop at each other 09.23.36

https://youtu.be/vlvRsKxxCQs N2 Fish number two, so fresh it’s flapping 10.47.04

https://youtu.be/5sXeHSSYwmM N2 Nest cam zooms out ready for fledging! 14.14

https://youtu.be/cO7QXPSSt3E N2 Louis has a very full crop when he brings the third fish 14.56.29

https://youtu.be/uGn0rfW0eqk N2 The chicks call with Dorcha as Louis brings fish four 16.11.14

https://youtu.be/jADtSSy59mc N1 Aurora stays on the nest to eat the little trout 17.33.45

https://youtu.be/dnsLqkDzkZw N2 Wind and rain doesn’t stop Louis – big fish five arrives! 22.19.06

Why not come and 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 today. Please take care all. See you tomorrow!

Also, if you are enjoying the blog, please hit the like button. It moves us up in the algorithm, so maybe more people will learn about what is happening to our raptors and want to get involved in helping make their lives less challenging. Thank you.

Thank you to ‘J’ for sending me the text from Annette, to Geemeff for their daily summary of activities at Loch Arkaig, for those that posted information and images on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams mentioned that allowed us to follow the lives – the good and the sad – of our feathered friends.

Happy Canada Day!

30 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

It was the 4th of June 1969 that I flew across the border between the US and Canada with my then two-month-old son, Cristofre. As a university student at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, I was been part of various anti-Vietnam War groups as well as others protesting for civil rights and women’s rights. Several of my closest friends died during the early part of the Vietnam War and i was determined that my son was not going to drop bombs or napalm on innocents. I have never looked back. Canada has been our home now for what? Fifty-seven years!!!! I was 20. I have never been more proud to be Canadian than this year. Our system is not perfect but when it is urgent or a sheer emergency, it works! My province has beautiful areas – vast tracts of wildnerness and lakes. I cannot say that the city where I reside is gorgeous. It has its moments. But my little plot and the street I live on make up for all the deficiences.

We have had huge storms. Last night Toby had his Thunder Jacket on all night. The lightning and wind were incredible and our street has lost a lot of tree limbs.

Coming out of Europe. A goshawk attempted to take an osplet off the Polish nest. It clung to the nest and was pushed over, but was not taken by the hawk. The osplet was rescued, and I believe it is in good condition.

Ringing is taking place across the UK. This is a great article by Caroline Woodley on UKOsprey Information FB on the importance of ringing and the three generations that were ringed today – and we know because of the family tree and the Darvic Rings:

Elen and Teifi’s chicks:

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 30th June 2026

As forecast, it was wet today with the occasional dry spell, and set to continue, with drizzle, light  winds and an overnight low of 13°C, changing to heavy rain, gentle breezes and a high of 18°C tomorrow, with the sun breaking through around lunchtime. Louis brought three early fish then after a fourteen hour gap he brought another two, much smaller than the family would have liked and left them competing for scraps. In fact, while Chick1 was struggling to down the tail, Chick2 reached over and pinched it right out of its beak and proceeded to swallow it with aplomb. Those five fish take the Nest Two tally to two hundred and nine, and Garry’s single delivery to Aurora takes the Nest One tally to one hundred and forty-four. Garry and Aurora continue to incubate their unviable egg but are starting to leave the nest for longer periods.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/b4Z-1D_fMmY N2 Early breakfast for the family 04.05.28

https://youtu.be/sMdZ2yhecmc N2 Second breakfast – this one’s so fresh it’s still flapping 04.43.43

https://youtu.be/Jx2eBor5rZch N2 Dorcha and chicks don’t get up when Louis brings fish three 06.02.32

https://youtu.be/8izHPpleTj4 N2 Dorcha & chick remove an offending item 10.06.18

https://youtu.be/rXA7WzQTgQE N2 Let me help you with that – chick steals the tail of fish four 20.16.25

https://youtu.be/UD6KTcpJkGo N2 Another tiny tiddler arrives – fish number five 22.30.30

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

Great news coming from ‘PB’ and Achieva:

Screenshot

Some are enlightened.

More about the crisis impacting ospreys in the NE. Today Omega Protein was along the New Jersey shores.

Menhaden Defenders

roSdnosept25aP 1m8tl5t31iae3d60714uhr08:f46Yes0ay85l 4 a2Mit ·

Navesink River, Monmouth County, New Jersey Osprey Survey

“As founder of Menhaden Defenders, I’m always looking at how healthy forage fish populations support the wildlife we love. One of the best indicators is right above us: ospreys.

On June 15, with Ben Wurst, Senior Wildlife Biologist with the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and leader of New Jersey’s Osprey Project, we surveyed 25 osprey nests on the Navesink River in Monmouth County. In addition to looking at the Osprey around each nest, we used a GoPro camera mounted on a pole to reach up and get a view into each nest to look for signs of use, presence of eggs, chicks, or nothing, all added to the spreadsheet.

We found 19 occupied nests, including 12 active nests with eggs or young. Ten nests held 22 nestlings, ranging from hatchlings to about four weeks old. In some nests with three chicks, we saw asymmetry, or an asymmetric brood, where younger nestlings lag behind older siblings. This can be a sign of food stress. When food is scarce, older chicks often dominate feedings, forcing younger siblings to cower and increasing the risk of brood reduction.

Ben and his team also work each year with volunteers and citizen scientists to monitor nests and remove dangerous litter like fishing line, plastic bags, balloons, and other debris. Ospreys are telling us something about the health of the Navesink and the larger coast. We’ll be going back in a few weeks to survey again, and we are very concerned about the survival rate of the chicks we saw. We are seeing these signs of food stress from Raritan Bay to Cape May in colonies that have been productive for years but may now be struggling to breed at levels needed to sustain the population.

Protecting menhaden and other forage fish helps protect the entire coastal food web. Both organizations survive on donations from people like you to continue working on this serious situation.”

Thank goodness the situation is drastically different in the UK. On Mull Island, they are now seeing ospreys – remember, the UK is reintroducing/re-establishing ospreys that were made extinct by humans!!!!!!!!

All three Ps have now fledged. Big Red and Arthur are busy keeping track of them and feeding.

Video by Cornell Bird Lab: https://youtu.be/5s6IMdmmbak?

The little tiny osplet, #4, at Blackbush in Prince Edward Island is still alive. This chick is determined and the male is doing a good job of getting fish in.

At the NCTC nest, RJ fledged. Congratulations Bella and Scout.

The two osplets at Coeur de’ Alene, Idaho, look great.

There are still two at Osoyoos. It has been hot there.

Iris and Clark’s baby is getting some beautiful feathers.

Clark is very smart. He has been bringing in some large cot rails to keep this rather energetic youngster on the nest.

Dudley becomes a pillow for the only surviving chick at Charlo Montana whose crop is about to burst.

There are still two at Cowlitz PuD but gosh that little one is so thin. Please wish for fish.

The trio at Clark PUD are doing so well.

The only surviving osplet on the nest at Great Bay is doing well. One died and the other fell out of the nest and went to a rehabber. I am unclear of its status.

It is sure hard to tell who the little four is at the Poole Harbour nest of CJ7 and Blue 022. They have yet to be ringed.

Beautiful evening at the Rutland Manton Bay nest of Blue 33 and Maya and their trio.

Thank you so much for being with us today. We are doing better than people would think! We are spending the day with our son tomorrow, so you will definitely not be hearing from me until Thursday. Please take care.

Good Night from All of Us:

Hugo Yugo and Missey

Cheeky Hugo Yugo.

Baby Hope and Calico.

Darling Toby.

Thank you to everyone for their contributions to this blog – to Geemeff for her daily summary of Loch Arkaig, to PB and those who write and post information and images on the various FB groups, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of these families.

Supplementary feeding in Europe…late Monday in Bird World

29 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

A brief check-in. Toby has his thunder jacket on as we have storms coming from the SW and moving north from North Dakota. We are saturated with rain. Would love to send it to places that need it!

We will have monarchs! Feeding on the dill.

Thinking of all of you as Europe has 50 C temperatures. At least one nest is receiving supplementary fish. This reminds me of Frenchman’s Creek a few years ago.

Way to go Poland!

Pesticides are harmful. They go through the food chain – the birds eat the insects. If you live in the USA, it is possible that your State has some protections, but it appears that the federal government might undermine that with the new farm bill. Have a read and please contact your representatives if you care about birds!

Keep Harmful Pesticide Language Out of the Farm BillDownload

Just look at Snow. Her parents at the Traverse City Bald Eagle nest would be so proud of their little girl. She was already doing brilliantly – can you imagine a well fed eaglet with no infestations, a clean nest?! That is what Harriet and mate provided this beauty before that nest slid down. I think that is rather rare. Many eaglets have insect infestations and are ’emaciated’.

This is the latest news on Snow:

Snow begins the next phase of her journey! Snow’s healing has continued to progress without setbacks, and she has now been positioned for the next step in her rehabilitation journey.Early last week, the medical team cleared Snow for transition into a slightly larger habitat aimed at accommodating more freedom of movement, while still allowing for reasonably stress free administration of her breathing treatments and anti-fungal medications. Those treatments concluded at the end of last week while observation continues for any indications that symptoms are re-emerging. 
It was then the determination of the team that Snow was ready to move into a full-sized flight enclosure to begin skills training. During Snow’s recovery, we were made aware that one of our collaborating organization’s was hosting an adult Bald eagle on it’s own rehabilitation journey, that could, potentially, serve as an ideal foster for Snow while she develops the skills and strength necessary for the team to evaluate her viability of surviving in the wild. 
After carefully considering the specifics of her case, our avian care team (in collaboration with the veterinarian and A.R.K.) selected this route as providing Snow with the highest likelihood for a successful conclusion to her rehabilitation process💚 
She was officially transferred from our facility into the excellent care of Wildside Rehabilitation and Education Center over the past weekend, where their own highly-trained staff assessed the two eagles compatibility, and took lead on her remaining path to recovery. This option also allowed her to retain the same primary veterinarian who has overseen her treatment from the start, which is preferable.
While we will not be personally leading Snow’s recovery through to it’s conclusion with this path, the fortuitous availability of a viable adult foster provided the highest likelihood of successful recovery, and we couldn’t be more thankful to Wildside for offering this opportunity to her, as their reputation for providing excellent care, and decades of service to our regions wildlife, speaks volumes. 
We can only ask that the passionate community following along on Snow’s journey offers their staff the same grace and support that you have shown, and continue to show, to us
We will endeavor to update the community as Snow’s story continues.

In the meantime, our rehabilitation efforts continue for the many other patients currently in our care!
To support the high quality care provided by our avian care team, you can: -Donate directly at www.northskyraptor.org/donatenow-Empower our rehabilitation efforts year-round with a small monthly recurring donation at: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/snow-recurringdonorcampaign1-Learn about, and support, our work to build Northern Michigan’s first public raptor center by clicking here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/prcfcaThank you so much for your continued support of our mission! 🦉🦅💚
Sincerely,
The North Sky Raptor Sanctuary Board of Directors and Staff 🦅🦉💚

 


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The chicks have been measured and named at Dyfi – and they have new bling!

Tweed Valley almost broke a record by having the latest osplets to hatch in the UK.

There was also ringing at Kielder Forest – every chick will be ringed in the UK that possibly can! What a concept, eh? So glad they do this.

Nest 1A ringing

Several US streaming cams are down. Some are nests that had chicks in jeopardy due to lack of food.

Chicks are still alive (how alive is unclear) at Osoyoos, BC.

One beautiful feathered chick at Great Bay.

At least one fish at Field Farm for one surviving chick at Field Farm.

Looks good at Minnesota Landscape.

Those boys at San Jose are still causing lots of fun and chaos. Thanks, SK Hideaways. https://youtu.be/V-ihIWce5MA?

Sandy has been caught on camera at Big Bear. https://youtu.be/n1efsuJc44A?

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 29th June 2026

It was a peaceful day with no chick fights or intruders, one fish was delivered to Nest One, first seen in Aurora’s talons, but it was almost certainly caught by Garry and delivered to her during the nest cam down time. The Nest One tally now stands at one hundred and forty three. Over on Nest Two, Louis delivered three fish, the first one, a flatfish, was his two hundredth for the season, and the nest tally rises to two hundred and four. The weather was reasonably settled today, not nearly as wet as forecast, but heavy rain is expected overnight, changing to thundery showers tomorrow, with light winds, a low of 12°C and a high of 17°C. The two chicks are now so big it’s hard for Dorcha to keep them covered, but she does her best until the chicks’ juvenile feathers come through which will keep them waterproofed. At the time of filing this report (midnight), the heavy rain has started and both females are hunkered down pearled with raindrops with Dorcha hunched over the chicks to keep them dry, and Aurora still protecting her unviable egg.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/MLxzqGBBmP0 N2 A flatfish arrives – Louis’ 200th for the season 06.12.49

https://youtu.be/R53mUYZnOoc N2 Chicks are ready and waiting when fish two arrives 09.05.11

https://youtu.be/hvTzMvhyp3o N1 Aurora returns with half a trout 11.57.46

https://youtu.be/MfCQZnQZgrE N2 Dorcha encourages Louis to leave after bringing fish three 13.50.23 

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

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

I am signing off. We are expecting heavy rain and thunderstorms. The sky is getting dark. Take care everyone. Please, please leave out water and if you can, food, for the wildlife.

Thank you to SK Hideways and Geemeff, the owners of the streaming cams, those reporting on FB, and PB for alerting me to Beth’s post about the supplementary fish in Poland.

Late Saturday in Bird World

28 June 2026

Greetings Everyone,

I am thinking about all of you living in Europe sweltering in this heat and the wildlife. Or those in Japan and elsewhere who have had earthquakes and now, my son tells me two storms coming to Japan as he is set to fly out for Canada. Please take care of yourself.

I had a lovely Saturday. A friend was here for tea. At the same time, Don needs to go to the hospital, and his brother is taking him tomorrow. It is a prostrate issue again. So today’s report is going to be shorter than normal.

One thing I want to mention is that our dear Ervie has been spotted fishing where he did when he first fledged with dad at Delamere Wetlands.

My goodness – our favourite third hatch. Ervie hatched on the Port Lincoln barge on 16 September 2021 at 00:51:50. He will be five years old this year. Mark your calendars. Let’s all eat some birthday cake in celebration.

‘PB’ has sent me some good reports from the nests.

“Blackbush Little tiny 4 has an open head wound, this bravest of all souls, like Cape Henlopen #3, just keeps getting back up to eat. If it didn’t get food, it would be the end. But this nest has lots of fish, and #4 is fighting to survive.”

“Now tiny 4 moved by Dad, dad feeding 4 privately, rhen mom walks up and gets food from dad to give to 4. I hope the food gives this brave one some good nutrients to grow.”

4 has been injured by 3 and there are certainly concerns since its head now ppears to be bleeding.

“Oyster Bay mom can’t wait for dad she goes fishing 2:25 but #1 eats most of it. I fear we may lose one here. Not enough to keep oldest full.”

“Sandy Hook may be only nest along NJ with 3. All look good still.”

Little Dewey hit the jackpot today. Mum has been bringing in the fish.

Dewey mom found 4 more Menhaden, Heidi told me: 13.22.00, 13.36.12, 13.52.54, 14.15.34, 5:29:44 Dewey mom another menhaden. She had brought in some in the morning.

SK Hideaways brings us up to date with Sandy and Luna, who are now ready to fledge – something we all feared as 4th of July celebrations in the US approach with their useless fireworks. https://youtu.be/glMMMrK8mmI?

Cornell Bird Lab gives us another close-up look at Clark and Iris’s baby! https://youtu.be/fqaMN3W40UI?

Cornell Bird Lab captures the visit of P2 to the nest as P3 gets some inspiration for an impending fledge! https://youtu.be/fqaMN3W40UI?

Super couple CJ7 and Blue 022. The fish brought in today, according to the chat: 05:09, 09:01, 13:24, 16:41, 17:44, 18:33, 20:07, 21:04. Just think about that. Four chicks are thriving. I believe they will break Maya and Blue 33’s record of fledging four this year. Poole Harbour has fledged four chicks in 2024, 2025, and appears to be ready to do it again in 2026, breaking the record.

Manton Bay: 2020 and 2019 were the two years that they fledged four chicks. They had four chicks in clutches other years but at least one died each year.

CJ7 with her four feathered babes of 2026.

A happy story. House Martins return to a UK street.

Young country diary: The house martins are back – I can hear the chicks from my bedroom

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/27/young-country-diary-the-house-martins-are-back-i-can-hear-the-chicks-from-my-bedroom?CMP=share_btn_url

Another Golden Eaglet hit with pellets…

Another young satellite-tagged Golden Eagle from south Scotland translocation project found injuredDownload

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig 27th June 2026

Another calm and routine day, no intruders or alarms, the only negative is the wet weather as it rained steadily with only a few breaks throughout the day. However that didn’t prevent the males from fishing – Garry LV0 brought two on-cam fish for Aurora 536, taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and forty one, and Louis brought four fish for Dorcha and the chicks, taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and ninety seven. As Steve Quinn showed in his weekly stats published today, Louis is setting records and performing very well. Links cant be posted unfortunately, but just pop Nest 2 fish summary to week 10 into the search field and it’ll come up. It’s raining as this report is posted (midnight), and set to continue overnight with a low of 14°C throughout tomorrow with a high of 17°C and the possibility of sunny intervals.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/J1SLRLZ8jRI N2 Early breakfast of trout arrives for the family 04.30.49https://youtu.be/sfXCe22Xnyo N2 Despite strong winds expert fisherbird Louis brings a second fish 08.21.55https://youtu.be/LOcr3poUczQ N1 Garry brings Aurora a fish in the rain 16.19.07 (zoom)https://youtu.be/EhbwlTJIWbE N2 10+ hours after the last. fish  three is worth the wait 19.12.28https://youtu.be/-PFQkQJwS98 N1 Garry brings a second fish and both depart, nest is empty 22.03.12https://youtu.be/kTq5KGpr7Rw N2 Louis chirps softly as he brings number four 22.25.15

Why not come and 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 for being with me today. Please take care of yourselves. I hope to be back with you either tomorrow or Monday.

Thank you to SK Hideaways, Cornell Bird Lab, and Geemeff for their videos and/or daily summaries. I am also grateful to ‘PB’ for keeping a keen eye on some of those hard-to-watch nests. Thank you to the others who post on FB, the owners of the streaming cams, The Guardian for reporting, and Raptor Persecution UK for keeping us apprised of the good, the bad, and the very ugly in the world of raptor persecution in the UK.

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.

Some good, some bad…Late Thursday in Bird World

25 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

Greetings. It only got up to 25°C today, but it still felt hot. We had on-and-off rain with Toby running in and out on occasion to ‘do his business’. Miyoung arrived to cut hair and was shocked when I asked for an extra short pixie cut. I laughed and reminded her that when I was her age, I was wearing a miniskirt with thigh-high boots, a nose ring, and a shaved head. I believe she left in shock. I wonder why young people assume us oldies have not had adventurous lives?????

She added some pink, cut it short and life goes on.

As you have noticed, there have been terrible earthquakes around the world, and Europe is just cooking. I know readers whose living room temperatures in London are 27, and in Berlin, even hotter. Please, please take care of yourselves. If you have a fan, great. If you have AC, great. You can also dampen your clothes and your sheets to help cool you. Please do not take your dogs for walks in this heat.

BBC News on the heatwave hitting Europe: https://youtu.be/SIGeKlsSA_c?

Please leave water out for animals and birds. It will save their lives.

Lighting has hit Loch Arkaig’s streaming cams, and they are down. It is unclear whether they will be available for the rest of the season.

While it might have been cooler in Scotland, the Welsh and nests in the South of England have had lots of hight temperatures.

Usk Valley this morning:

Lots of fish coming to the Poole Harbour nest for CJ7 and Blue 022’s four kiddos. What do I mean by lots? Blue 022 delivered TEN fish today to the nest – good size ones. His kids are not going to get dehydrated nor is his mate!

Above the water at Rutland is surely an advantage in the heat.

Tweed Valley 2 had its first hatch today. This is incredibly late. I wonder what will happen in September when it is time to migrate?

Information about the ringing of the Loch Doon nest:

Screenshot

The temperature at the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn and chicks is 31.9 C at night.

The third little one at Cape Henlopen State Park’s osprey platform died this afternoon. Poor thing was so battered. Aggressive siblings. Just a whiff of not enough food, and well, the wee little ones suffer. I know people are horrified by storks, but they take a look at their brood, their size, analyse food availability and well – it is quick. This baby suffered.

There are still four at Blackbush Osprey platform on Prince Edward Island. The little one is to the far right and getting bites in the screen capture below.

Two at Cowlitz PUD. This nest IMHO needs more fish.

We have lost one at Osoyoos and the oldest gets most of the fish that I can see. This nest needs more fish, too. Lots more fish.

Pitkin County Trails Osprey platform looks OK. I wish these nests had the temperature at the nest posted.

The two osplets at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest are doing splendid.

Only ‘surviving’ Bob at Charlo Montana trying to keep cool. The temperatures were 79 F.

At the US Steel nest of Irv and Stella, both eaglets have now fledged. Hutch flew and met up with Maz. How grand! https://youtu.be/7Juu2c9N1aw?s

Clark continues to bring in whoppers! Iris and Baby are certainly lucky.

The White Storks at Bad Salzungen, Thüringen are ready to fledge. Here is a whole lot of flapping going on. https://youtu.be/H1etyMkz76o?

Fostering. Helping one nest with another. Love it!

Audubon writes about the crisis that is facing all ospreys in the Chesapeake Bay Area. We need more news – every type of news to explain why this is unforgivable.

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/ospreys-chesapeake-bay-are-starving-death-disastrous-rates-what-will-it-take-save-them?fbclid=IwY2xjawSqpw9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFhbGh2NGlnWktjZk5QWXJxc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkxcUgBZl8-lgfag-45Q_3fl8EtjPDk7mqCiFP-_-AOO9PRvR2gAej1SJvXz_aem_CTtX_FYQEjDCvNBtFnZfgw

I understand that Whooping Crane protected lands are now NOT protected. With only 500 remaining in the wild, what in the world do these government officials south of where I live think they are doing? I am starting to think the goal is to kill off all wildlife. Can this actually be true? Pacific areas have now also been opened to commercial fishing – trying to create another area that has no wildlife like the Chesapeake? I wake up and shake my head every morning. I have tried to keep politics out of my blog but sometimes it is difficult when it is the politicians killing the wildlife with their inaction or in some cases turning the world upside down actions.

Has anyone had trouble accessing the Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho osprey cam?

Ospreys in the Southern Hemisphere are preparing nests!

At the Port Lincoln barge – home to Mum and Dad, parents of dear Ernie – they are making preparations. Mum is working on the nest and Dad is not sharing his fish. Fish fairies, are you ready?

Some news of Giliath and our dear Ervie from the 20th:

“2026.06.20 – An update on Ervie & Giliath’s trackers. Giliath is still staying local and fishin in the usual spots then heading back to the main wharf for the night. Ervie has gone on another trip to Tumby Bay but has not visited the island as yet. Will be interesting in the morning to see where he spends tonight.”

Ervie’s tracking:

Chesapeake Bay trio.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 25th June 2026

The day was going very well, with settled weather and both males bringing three fish each – Garry LV0’s Nest One tally now rises to one hundred and thirty eight, and Louis takes the Nest Two tally to one hundred and eighty nine. Aurora continues to incubate the egg but is leaving it for longer periods of time, Dorcha caused havoc with another unsuitable stick, and the chicks had a short and not very serious fight. However – the weather’s changed and around 21.30 a loud clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning scared Louis off the nest and both livestreams have gone down. It may be that the relay signal has been knocked out, we’ll have to wait and see if service can be restored. A weather warning for thunderstorms is in effect for the nest area until midnight tomorrow, and overnight there’ll be light rain with a low of 17°C, continuing tomorrow with a high of 22°C.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/0oO00gR1EJc N2 Very lively first fish 04.26.48https://youtu.be/KlZJimpqT_Q N1 Tiny whole trout for Aurora 06.03.47https://youtu.be/s6UQvIXb0mI N2 Log gate! Dorcha causes havoc with unsuitable sticks 07.33.48https://youtu.be/k2v8jyOTkRA  N2 Second fish arrives – the chicks are growing as we watch!  09.17.54 https://youtu.be/_jFAfUWr1wI N2 A short and not very serious chick fight 13.43.57https://youtu.be/RzL0zmoLWrc N1 Garry’s second fish is a flatfish 15.07.31https://youtu.be/tKJdEVNouN4 N1 Aurora flies to Stick Tree with fish three 18.32.16 (zoom) https://youtu.be/J8R0qOqp6mA N2 Louis brings fish three and shows off an impressive crop 21.15.45

https://youtu.be/6-6pJHei5tY N2 Oh no! Thunder & lightning scare Louis off the nest – both cams go down! 21.29.40

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

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One of the Great Bay osplets fell out of the nest and has been rescued. The other one is not doing well – there isn’t enough food. Another starved to death. So sad. I know the law doesn’t allow for retrieval but surely we might establish that humans are responsible or a lack of fish and then it would be alright to intervene.

P3 is often on the nest of Big Red and Arthur alone until food is brought in and big siblings find their way! What a little sweetie. Standing and self-feeding. So far all are doing well.

How can birds in Australia be protected as Bird Flu spreads?

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jun/24/h5n1-bird-flu-australia-native-bird-mammal-species-at-risk?CMP=share_btn_url

So many, many things our wildlife have to face every day just to even begin trying to survive.

Good night, everyone. Thank you for being with us today. Toby and I are up enjoying some quiet time. Life has been very challenging at home the last week or so as Don’s mental health deteriorates. There are moments of clarity, and then he cannot tell the sink from the bedroom. It eats at my heart, and there is nothing more that I can do for him other than try to make him happy, keep him clean and in as good mental health care as possible. I am going to have a holiday – it is being planned in my head. When I get really tired, I start focusing on the little details. In the meantime, Toby and I are moving furniture. I have a very large silk-and-wool rug that I purchased decades ago. It has been cleaned many times, including the time that a huge mug of hot chocolate went everywhere. Last night I moved the sofas, having decided that the rug had to go. As I rolled it, I noticed that the beautiful natural colours that had faded on the top side were staring me in the face. It is so beautiful. I pulled and pushed, and we got it laid out. That rug isn’t going anywhere! I will enjoy the flat weave side now.

Oh, please do take care of yourselves. Check things you might toss or donate in case they turn out magical like this old rug. I might not see you until Saturday. I am tired today.

Thank you to Geemeff for her daily summary and videos, The Guardian for continually reporting on issues related to wildlife and the environment, to those who post information on FB along with screen captures, to the authors of other newsletters, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these families.

Hen Harriers disappear…Early Wednesday

24 June 2026

A heat wave has hit the UK, and in Wales, they are expecting temperatures above 30 C and will be closing the hides at the nature centres. Rain and now heat.

We continue to have rain but right now there is a wee bit o sunshine with a huge black cloud moving in over the conservatory from the West. Did I say I was sick of rain? I must run out and feed the birds so they manage something before the deluge hits.

One that is thriving and my first little Roma tomato!

Oh, the tomatoes need some heat. The leaves are turning yellow because of too much rain!

A run through some nests:

Charlo: C22, the only surviving osplet on the nest of Charlie and his new mate, appears to be doing fine.

Dewey Beach: Little Dewey is feathered and is OK. I use the term ‘OK’ because the fish coming in are on the small side. Nothing wrong with small, but they will need a lot of them.

Osoyoos: The youngest died a few days ago (on the 20th I believe). This nest could be in trouble – lots of fish needed.

Rutland’s Manton Bay: The trio got their bling on Tuesday. There are two males and a female.

Loch Doon: Expecting the two chicks of Frankie and Angel to be ringed today.

Salmon River, Idaho: Baling twine continues to plague this nest with its two ospreys.

OBX: Two fish and four feedings at this nest -. I say they need more fish. These chicks are growing.

Moraine: Three gorgeous feathered osplets.

Smallwood: Three feathered osplets and a goldfish for dinner?

Upper Newport Bay: Two flapping osplets thinking of fledging.

Oyster Bay: Another nest with three feathered osplets that appears to be doing alright.

Santiam Canyon: Another nest with three osplets. Some large fish came on Tuesday and stopped some of the anxiety that had been happening at the nest.

South Cape May Meadows: The nest of Hera and Zeus that has brought such sadness to the adults in past years. There is now only one surviving osplet. Hoping this baby makes it.

Hellgate Canyon: Many of the other nests could use the size of fish that Clark is bringing onto the nest for Iris and Baby.

Cape Henlopen: Miles and Hennie are both fishing for their three. Wish this nest well. These adults are trying – like all the others to find food.

NCTC nest of Bella and Scout: Susie has fledged and we are on fledge watch for RJ.

Border Ospreys: Trying to keep the heat off the chicks and find fish!

https://borderospreys.co.uk/2026/06/24/fish-and-hot-chicks/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSozT9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeUHRwGyZE4KYQjA8pQ8OOIyZlDgt17sQ7ZUmZjJt1u6ufEHX6wrBQXlOTXa4_aem_AW3cWa0ZfC8b2i5kyrTGLw

Tweed Valley Nest 2: Eggs due to hatch next week. Oh, my they are so late.

Boulder County: Three nicely feathered osplets.

Minneapolis Landscape Arboretum: We still have two growing chicks.

Kielder Nests:

A brief round up

UK Hen Harrier Report: 149 missing from grouse-hunting estates over the past 8 years. Incredibly horrible. I love Hen Harriers – but what about the chicks that get stomped at the nest? Grouse hunting needs to be made illegal. I do not care if it is a medieval tradition of the aristocracy and royals.

If you want a good little book, Bowland Beth, will break your heart and make you understand.

149 Hen Harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in UK since 2018, most of them on or closeDownload

Now another one in Wales. What is wrong with people?

Yet another Hen Harrier ‘disappears’ from Ruabon grouse moor in North Wales – her satellite tag hadDownload

Thank you so much for being with us early today. Please take care. I will see you again tomorrow for a brief look at what is happening! We send everyone out there a big hug. I wish I could send our friends in the South some of our rain, and I wish for cooling temperatures for those in the UK who are under an Extreme Red Warming – 38 C possible. An unprecedented heat wave.

Another one of Missey from yesterday.

Thank you to absolutely everyone who wrote a newsletter, to Ruth T at Raptor Persecution UK, to those that post on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my information and screen captures, I am forever grateful.

Second fledge at Cornell…Late Tuesday in Bird World

23 June 2026

Hello Everyone,

I hope that the beginning of summer has been good to each of you. The days seem to pass so quickly that we must look past the ticks, the midges, the wasps, the mosquitoes and enjoy the beauty of this season. When I think of summer – and for those reading my blog the last week – you will know that I have had ‘Japan on my mind’. I remember walking around the Golden Temple in Kyoto with its pond surrounded by beautiful purple iris. The purple iris in many of the gardens on my street are blooming now, too. My son is in Tokyo eating ramen, shopping, and heading out to go fishing with his friends there. One day I will return – he might have to help me!

One of Bird World’s friends and someone who keeps a good eye on some nests, sent me the following note: “Remember that kitten season is amongst us; in Canada it typically runs from early spring (March/April) to late fall (October/November), with a peak in breeding and births happening between May and July. Brock and the other kitty are driven by their instinct and could be out moving around their territory. It’s early still so don’t give up hope just yet.” There are few homeless cats in our neighbourhood. Brock might have had to go a distance but he always came ‘home’ in the past after three days. I wish to be hopeful.

At the Cornell campus, P2 has now fledged leaving only little P3 at home. P3 will probably not fledge for at least 4 or 5 days. Big Red and Arthur will make certain that each is fed. No worries.

Some images from the nest today.

Just look at this! Iris and Clark’s baby after eating on that big fish all day. https://youtu.be/suhjI_PvwSI?

This sweet darling baby has no idea how lucky it is. Iris, the oldest breeding osprey in the world, and its very young dad, Clark. Yet, from his experiences with the Bald Eagles nearby, Clark is quick to stay home and protect his family while they eat, for fear that another raptor will try to steal a free meal and harm them. I think Clark is magnificent. I hope that he has more years with Iris, but, for now, let us simply enjoy these precious moments. A beautiful sleeping osplet, so full and healthy.

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 22nd June 2026

The weather was settled, there were no intruders or fights between the chicks, and the day was calm and routine, apart from Louis bringing an even more unsuitable stick than the one dubbed The Aerial. Garry LV0 brought one fish to Aurora 536 taking the Nest One total to one hundred and twenty nine, while Louis just kept bringing fish faster than Dorcha and the chicks could eat them. His six fish today take the Nest Two total to one hundred and seventy eight. The weather will remain settled with an overnight low of 14°C, with sunshine and a high of 24°C tomorrow.

Today’s videos: 

https://youtu.be/4Mr7YuXHFB4 N2 the first fish arrives with night cam still on 03.46.25

https://youtu.be/_3T1fnsbFVs N2 the second fish arrives just 7 mins 28 secs after the first! 03.59.23

https://youtu.be/_7s0yMD7XEs N2 Louis brings a third fish before 6am! 05.32.34 

https://youtu.be/NuZIYdaRQoY N2 Branching out – Louis brings an unsuitable stick 12.29.27

https://youtu.be/0XLDXBafWHs N1 Aurora flies off with her fish leaving Garry in charge 13.13.56

https://youtu.be/AUdTehH1vBQ N2 Fourth fish is late but worth waiting for 19.54.20

https://youtu.be/V5V-8HYdpBo N2 Late fish supper arrives, fifth fish today 22.06.20

https://youtu.be/1MXOoZpWTaw N2 Fish number six flaps unnoticed by Dorcha 22.24.43

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

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News from the DNR Bald Eagle nest in Minnesota!

Grounded DNR EagleCam eaglet released and remaining chicks fledge from the nestDownload

The fledge of Cornell Big Red and Arthur of P1: https://youtu.be/HZFLWDeb-g8?

I believe we are losing the third hatch at the Ferguson Museum -. It is tucked in, not moving, and could be dying from some kind of breathing/nest infection. It is, however, unclear, and the baby perked up during the afternoon. Fingers crossed. The female is fish calling!

We were so hopeful that the Buzzards that hatched in Latvia would survive and now the hawk is predating them. Goshawks are to be feared. https://youtu.be/gMX-ZS1URcI?

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 23rd June 2026

The weather was settled today and nothing out of the ordinary occurred. The chicks didn’t fight and the males supplied fish to their respective nests. Garry LV0 delivered two fish to Aurora 536 taking the Nest One tally to one hundred and thirty one, and Louis delivered three fish to Dorcha, taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and eighty one. The family was so full from yesterday’s fish that not much interest was shown in the first delivery but by the second and third fishes, the chicks were coming forward eagerly and trying a little nibble. Having wrestled with the unsuitable stick he brought yesterday and leaving it in an arched position, Louis decided to tackle it today, and after a great effort he managed to collapse the Arch over the side but still part of the cot rail security barrier. At the time of filing this report (00.30) light rain is falling and is expected to continue overnight with a low of 14°C, but dry up tomorrow with a high of 21°C.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/ITQ6QjCIulk N2 The family barely react to the first fish 03.59.36https://youtu.be/7WUzI-6938w N2 Dorcha’s not interested but the chicks try a nibble 10.36.56https://youtu.be/JCNJ3E7LEVI N1Aurora grabs the fish and leaves Garry in charge 15.21.28https://youtu.be/-gEPRQex3NQ N2 Louis delivers a massive fish and remains on the nest 15.30.19https://youtu.be/hcgj_uHDsy4 N1 For how much longer will Garry incubate the unviable egg? 19.24.30https://youtu.be/ORvGGbqPBlA

N2 With great effort, Louis removes the Arch! 20.19.19

Bonus info – how do Ospreys manage to swallow fish bones without injury on the way down? Here are some answers (thanks LizB)

https://nutritionofosprey.wordpress.com/digestive-an

atomy-and-physiology

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

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

We have news from our monitor V from Indian Creek, Maryland:

“Rough storm last night and the third head on the nest in front of my porch did not appear this morning and the female brought soft ground grass to tromp down in one spot of the nest. The other two chicks look very healthy and although the fish are smaller, the male is still bringing them in regularly.

Similarly, the nest next door has at least one chick still in the nest. They raised the nest wall on my side so after my early glimpse of one chick really going at another, I’ve only caught a rare glimpse of a chick, but did this morning. This nest would seem to have had less fish, but of course I miss so much.

The four nests along the south shore at the creek mouth are probably a bust. One I’d hoped for left her nest yesterday. I never did catch a glimpse of the two of them together after she began incubating, too long ago for viable eggs now.  I have a magical pretend hope in one of these four, still. It will be some time before a chick would be big enough for me to glimpse through the box nest and foliage. OH MY the most bizarre thing, an eagle was sitting right next to the osprey on that nest – here is a fast snapshot, was too slow to get a better focus, eagle flew immediately after and osprey chased. Weird.  image001.png

As for the string of five nests at the head of the creek, the pairs are maintaining contact with their nests and one another, but either eggs or hatchlings didn’t make it. However, one nest that spent the earlier season abandoned has a steady couple hanging out.

And finally, yesterday I was certain a nest farther up the road, above Island Creek, with the Potomac across the road from it, had a chick or chicks. But I saw both male and female staring into the bottom of the nest this morning as I went to vote. Last night’s storm would have hit that nest hard, wind right across the wide Potomac. Down here nobody is throwing any silver dollars across the river.

And, finally, I will begin promoting the initial serialization of Island Creek Ospreys tomorrow on my marketing site. Here is the link to the Island Creek Ospreys home page which has links to each of the small segments within the years. I’ve got two years posted and will turn back now to the next  5 years. They’re written. It’s now a matter of cut, paste, find photos, etc., etc.  But it’s a start.”

I have seen some wonder why Clark stays with Iris and the baby while they eat. This is precisely why – an eagle will land right next to an osprey on its nest. Iris would be focused on feeding the chick. As I mentioned, Clark is a hero. A great Dad and so ever young.

Jill continues to feed Big and Little at the Achieva nest. No sign of Jack for a bit. I wonder what has happened to him or if he just decided to start his summer vacation?

What do over 571 osprey nests tell you about what is happening in the Chesapeake Bay? If you didn’t believe that a lack of fish mattered, perhaps you might think differently after reading this study. Please forward to anyone. This is tragic – and I need many, many more to join the movement to stop the industrial fishing of Menhaden. (That includes along the Gulf States, too).

https://www.virginiaospreyfoundation.org/post/what-571-osprey-nests-tell-us-about-the-chesapeake-bay?fbclid=IwY2xjawSn_AdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETF1NG10NktsRkZiZzZTSkUwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnBXtOiHmzvJxSdGDtfH0Go47ABDcjmdf4xOLGqCw_yA1GmSSJj3YC3kx_Ch_aem_SVnVss58Bnjxd6PqOtYGJA

Thank you for being with me. As the rain settles a bit, Mr and Mrs Crow, Mr and Mrs Blue Jay and a host of other songbirds are at the feeders in case there is a storm before they turn in for the night. We have had nothing but rain and more rain. We were wearing jumpers today with the heating on. I worry about the nests – the cold damp is not good for little ones but I believe the Crows and Jays are fledged or near to it.

I also want to thank ‘L’ in Alabama for feeding the crows on her picnic table. They will reward you – every day when they call you will know that you have helped wildlife in your patch. Now if we could get everyone to join there would be no blank spaces and no hungry birds and animals. Humans waste 40% of the food they buy…why not let the animals eat it?

Take care.

Thank you to absolutely everyone – to Geemeff for her summaries, for those amazing videos and reports from all the others including our monitor V in Maryland, to the owners of the streaming cams, and those that write good reports based on observation not fantasy!

Bittersweet Day…Late Monday in Bird World

22 June 2026

A very happy but, sadly, belated ‘Happy Father’s Day’ to everyone who has ever cared for another living soul and to our raptor dads especially who work hard to provide for their families in a very rapidly changing world.

I so enjoyed my friend Ruth’s visit on Sunday. Normally, visitors are Don’s friends keeping tabs on him, so this was quite special for me! She brought me the most beautiful fabric – a William Morris Co ‘Blackthorn’ pattern on a heavy linen fabric. Now to contemplate what to do with this treasure.

A detailed floral pattern featuring vibrant flowers and leaves on a dark background, showcasing various blooms including daisies, bluebells, and bellflowers, with intricate detailing and rich colors.

The garden news is that the Crows have fledged their young. I cannot keep enough ‘meat’ on the bird table for them!!!!!! It is still unclear to me how many there are because they still want the parents to feed them. They have yet to make an appearance where I can get a photo of them, nor has Dyson stayed long enough. She has babies in a nest somewhere! And her trips back and forth are short, so it is close by.

There is, however, a lingering sadness around our entire block. Brock and another dear cat, Charlie, went missing on the same day. Everyone has looked, driven around, called, and now checked sheds and garages. My heart is very heavy. Brock was very special to me, and I hope that he miraculously shows up. If I do not see him in another week, I will have to accept that he is gone. That something happened. He was a sweet soul, and a tree will go up in his memory. I hope he did not suffer.

Photo taken by a neighbour last summer.

A black and white cat sitting on a gravel surface, surrounded by green plants.

I find solace in looking at my bunch – they help keep me calm and they know better than to ever want to be outside! It is dangerous out there.

Toby thinks he is a Calico cat.

A calico cat lounging on a cat tree while a sleeping Cavalier King Charles Spaniel rests on a nearby surface, both pets are relaxed in a bright room with greenery visible outside.

Thankfully, the fish have continued to come into Little Dewey at Dewey Beach. Heidi jokingly said not to tell Omega they had been bringing in Menhaden. We don’t know where Mum is finding them, but keep on – we still have more than a month to go before fledge, and Little Dewey is going to need lots of fish. Might we find a fairy in the neighbourhood?

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 21st June 2026

The weather was settled today, sunny and dry, and both males provided well – Garry LV0 brought three fish for Aurora 536 taking his tally to one hundred and twenty eight, and Louis delivered six fish including a pike, the Nest Two tally now stands at one hundred and seventy two. Dorcha was startled during one of Louis’ deliveries, but not nearly as startled as the chick who got an eyeful of poo from an ill-judged squirt by the other. Or perhaps not so ill-judged – the chicks had been fighting earlier and the one who came off worst was the one who squirted!  The forecast is dry overnight with a low of 11°C but a possibility of light rain showers tomorrow, with a high of 22°C.

Today’s videos:

https://youtu.be/KfZv1C4F5QM N2 An early breakfast of fresh fish arrives 05.06.20

https://youtu.be/Aqx-2N9xm8U N1 Aurora departs with fish one  leaving Garry in charge 09.45.28

https://youtu.be/ydvxHPeA38o  N2 Fish number two is demolished in no time10.15.37 

https://youtu.be/ZvbPCbVmGWE N2 Chick gets bumped, throws a strop, attacks the other but quickly regrets it 10.38.23

https://youtu.be/1SOAPki_Nfg N2 On yer pike! Louis brings a predatory fish 12.32.18

https://youtu.be/lK-tmPLwISI N2 Back to normal, fish four is a large trout 12.54.25

https://youtu.be/SCdDaM8sCMw  N1 Garry moves a few sticks when Aurora departs with fish two 14.45.54 

https://youtu.be/78jxnM-aF3o N2 Louis startles Dorcha when bringing fish five 14.4.07

https://youtu.be/FSHQ11ZwFwQ N2 Here’s mud in your eye – erm, that’s not mud! 18.38.41

https://youtu.be/vfw0nM8DA3E N1 Garry brings a third fish and both he and Aurora depart 19.21.01

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

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

Everything you need to know about what is going on in the California nests by SK Hideaways!

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 20th June 2026

Another day where the main talking point was fish – Louis delivered both the season’s earliest fish at 03.21 and the season’s latest at 23.40, with both deliveries made while night cam was on, and put in his longest working day at 20 hours 18 minutes. His delivery of five fish takes the Nest Two tally to one hundred and sixty six. Louis startled Dorcha twice today, both times by appearing quickly – the first time she jumped up and winged him away, and the second time she let him land with his fifth fish. He had more problem deliveries, he caught his wing on a forked stick when bringing fish two, and he clattered that same stick departing after fish three. By contrast, Garry LV0 had no problems with either of his two deliveries to Aurora 536, and his Nest One tally rises to one hundred and twenty five. For a pleasant change there was more sunshine and less rain than forecast for today, and the mild sunny weather will continue with an overnight low of 10°C and a high of 19°C tomorrow.

Today’s videoshttps://youtu.be/tCFldIg9RDw N2 Night cam’s still on when Season’s earliest fish one arrives 03.21.51https://youtu.be/gEr6xkOPOeE N2 Oops! Louis catches his wing as he delivers fish two 05.13.13https://youtu.be/57URAZuS-AA N1 Garry egg-sits when Aurora leaves with the first fish 11.46.08https://youtu.be/QEucER1tVio N2 Louis clatters a stick departing after bringing fish three 14.20.07https://youtu.be/XMHl5ExOmts

N2 Big fish number four flaps frantically 16.21.43https://youtu.be/WHWqXNiUju4 N2 Is it Louis who startles Dorcha? More than likely! 19.50.29https://youtu.be/_pkScM6isoU

N1 Nice fresh fish supper for Aurora 20.01.13

https://youtu.be/8IqQQgPIv6g N2 Season’s latest fish arrives, number five today 23.40.25

Why not come and 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


SK Hideaways Videos Week of 14 June 2026

FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Jackie (~14 years), Shadow (~12 years), Sandy, Luna (both 76 days as of 20 June)
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

Sandy & Luna Squeeze Onto Back Porch to Say Good Morning ~ Watch Helicopter (2026 Jun19)
Luna and Sandy greeted viewers from the back porch, squeezed together like peas in a pod. A little later, their attention was turned to a helicopter flying overhead. We lamented the possibility of increased air traffic should the Moon Camp property be developed. We support the effort to stop any such development. Shadow then arrived with the first fish of the day, which Sandy quickly claimed. Luna would get the other half when Sandy had enough. 
If you would like to support the preservation of Moon Camp, learn more at  https://savemooncamp.org/.
Video: https://youtu.be/urk5hiJB95A

BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT! Luna Climbs to Y-Branch ~ Perches Even Higher (2026 Jun 17)
Luna stepped up to the Y branch and kept going up! This is a big developmental accomplishment as fledge time approaches. Sandy was suitably impressed with Luna’s progress, but was content to manage her branches. Eagles typically fledge between 10 and 14 weeks, so the window is now open for Luna and Sandy, who are 73 days old. Males typically fledge first as they are smaller. 
Video: https://youtu.be/If_H8omr7nk

Fraser Point Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha (hatched 3/28), Zuma (hatched 3/30), Ryder (hatched 4/1)
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s

BIG DAY AT FRASER POINT‼️  Zuma’s Fludge+Fledge ~ Partial Nest Collapse ~ Ryder’s Near Fludge (2026 Jun 20)
The day began normally ~ Sasha bouncing around in the treetop, Ryder bouncing around the nest, and Zuma on the overnight perch. 
~ Things got exciting when Zuma tried to descend from her perch to the nest and lost footing, falling to the ground. Ryder advised her to flap and asked if she was OK ~ turns out she was. 
~ Later, while showing off her magnificent wingers, Ryder landed on the nest ledge, a big chunk of which broke off and fell to the ground, throwing up a big plume of nesting material. Fortunately, Ryder is much stronger than the first time she got too close to the edge (26 April 2026) and was able to recover and return to the nest. 
~ We finally caught sight of Zuma at 12:47 (minute 7:46 in the video) as she made her way up the hill and took several short flights. We won’t wager on when she might return to the nest, but we’re quite confident that she will. 

All in all, an eventful day at Fraser Point. 

*Note: there has been no formal declaration of the eaglets’ genders. Our references to gender are just our best guesses.
Video: https://youtu.be/AM7s0HwvKNY

Zuma Goes Out on a Limb ~ Explores Life Off Nest for 1st Time (2026 Jun 17)
Call it branching or branch-hopping, Zuma went from the nest to a branch off the nest. A big accomplishment and deserving of praise. Zuma took up residency on that right side branch mid-afternoon and traversed back and forth several times before perching there overnight. Congratulations, Zuma! 
Video: https://youtu.be/3YbwXv9AAQY

Ryder & Zuma Choose Bounce House ~ Sasha Likes the Jungle Gym (2026 Jun 14)
After Cruz and Andor filled the dawn with a beautiful duet, the eaglets began their morning chores. For Sasha that meant flying from one branch to another on her “jungle gym”. For Zuma and Ryder it meant strengthening their wings and legs with big wingers and jumps in their “bounce house”. The younger two seem content to watch Sasha explore the nest tree and beyond for now. We’re very happy for them to stick close to home as long as they’d like. 
Video: https://youtu.be/UcVY8wb2Ksk


Sauces Canyon Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Audacity & Jak
Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Sauces Canyon Eagles Cam Ops
Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnTsOesC6hE

Audacity & Jak Watch Sunset  & Retire to Fave Night Roost (2026 Jun 17)The amazing IWS/explore cam ops team found Jak and Audacity watching the sunset before they retired to what I call the nest-watch roost. Such a treat to see them together ~ as sweet and bonded as ever. 
Video:  https://youtu.be/CX4ZUTb8cy4


San Jose CH Falcons ~ San Jose, CA ~ Hartley, Monty, Jet, Scout, Stewart, Walton 
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

Fledglings Inseparable 2+ Weeks Post-Fledge ~ Parents Still Feeding (2026 Jun 15)
All four fledglings were on camera today, beginning with their overnight roost on the louvers adjacent to the nesting area. Throughout the day, cam ops found them both apart and together (3 of them anyway with 1 just below). What a treat to see them all 2+ weeks post-fledge. As a bonus, we saw Hartley feeding them, Monty making a Dad Dash delivery, and the two of them bonding in the nest box. 
Video:  https://youtu.be/u0dIuFbxwBs

Boys Perform Morning Aerobatics ~ Top Gun Training Progressing Well (2026 Jun 18)
From dawn till dusk, the stellar cam ops team followed Jet, Scout, Stewart, and Walton ~ as well as Hartley and Monty ~ through their entertaining activities. 
~ The morning brought incredible flying scenes followed by predictable loafing to refuel. 
~ Scout interrupted Hartley and Monty when they attempted to pair bond in the nest, causing the long suffering parents to bolt from the area. 
~ At day’s end, the boys came back together on the louver to roost, with an adult around the corner. An exciting and eventful day in San Jose! 
Video: https://youtu.be/rOC0Zu3gY6Y


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

Peregrines Hassle Cholyn ~ Chase Goes Talons Up ~ Cam Ops Give Us a Finale Treat (2026 Jun 19)
Two peregrine falcons were unhappy with Cholyn and Chase’s presence, so became something of a nuisance. They swooped on Cholyn in the nest ~ she rose up and swatted at them. Then Chase arrived and soon went talons up when he was swooped. That took care of the nuisance. Once sure that the intruders were gone, Chase took his leave and cam ops gave us some stunning close-ups of Queen Cholyn. At the end, she and Chase exchanged beautiful chortles before she departed to meet him elsewhere. 
Video: https://youtu.be/b3HcKlH1X3U

‘CG’ sent us a video list from the Syracuse Red-tail Hawk nest where we have some fledging happening!

Home to Ruth, Oren, OR6, and OR7.

OR7 fludges at 46 days old on the evening of 6/12/26.  After making a safe landing, flying here and there, he spends the night on a railing. https://youtu.be/FKUe7phkj7A?s

Day 2 of life off the nest.  Exploring the surroundings, 6/14/26.   https://youtu.be/ijghFmrz_IA?

Day 3, OR7 comes home after a busy day trying to make it back to the nest, 6/15/26. https://youtu.be/Fh5xf5-K0Y4?

OR7 shows OR6 how it’s done.  OR6 fledges at 51 days old 6/17/26.  They spend the night together in a nearby tree. https://youtu.be/IZlav2VcHa4?

Videos by Sylvia’s Raptor Cam

Oh, wow. I am so grateful to Geemeff, SK Hideaways, and CG – it is great to get such good coverage of specific nests!

In Wales, Katherine Keir has kept everyone appraised as to Aran and I am happy to say that he got to celebrate Father’s Day this year with his new mate. It seems they have one chick.

An osprey and its young on a nest made of sticks, surrounded by greenery.

Ping Shen writes about Harry and Sally in Seattle with some great photos!

“Harry and Sally’s 3rd chick hatched sometime between June 16 and 17, and Harry has been very busy making fish deliveries. Mom and the 3 Osplets seem to be doing well – fingers are crossed they can keep them fed and happy. It is still quite a joy to watch these parents tend to their new young – I didn’t visit as much last year during these early days and regretted it, so am trying to make up for it now!”

An adult bird feeding four hungry chicks in a nest made of twigs and branches.
An adult osprey feeding its chick in a nest, with another osprey looking on.
An osprey is flying with a fish in its talons above a nest where another osprey is resting.

I need your help. My Memorial Page is missing eaglets, eaglets, hawks, and ospreys from the streaming cams that have died. Please take a look and send me a note, as I don’t want to leave anyone out. Don’t be shy! I have tried to keep them in chronological order but towards the end they aren’t.

There is something else that I am doing. This year, I hope, with the help of a much-too-busy Heidi, to put together a map. That map will show the nests that fledged their full clutch. I want to see where the successes are visually, and this is difficult to do on our forms. I do not believe there will be many on streaming cams who manage to raise all of their chicks, but I would like your input. When fledge comes, send me the nest name and location! I might already have it, but that is alright. We don’t want to miss any nest.

Breaking news: The Fraser Point nest of Andor and Cruz has collapsed. Ryder appears to be alright.

The second eaglet has died at the Lesser Spotted Eaglet nest in Estonia as was sadly expected. When the oldest didn’t kill it, the adult chose not to feed. They only fledge one no matter how many hatch. It is ‘their way’. In this instance, it was familial homicide.

A parent eagle stands in a nest with two young chicks, surrounded by trees.

Bety was aerating the nest at Mlade Buky around the single egg today.

A stork standing in its nest atop a building, with several houses and green hills in the background.

A miserable day at Cornell nest of Big Red and Arthur. Not good for another fledge – drippy feathers and all. P1 is at the nest too, having fledged two days ago. No doubt they are all hungry!

Three red-tailed hawks perched on a nest with green trees and a city street in the background.

New of fledges at Chichester!

Newsletter no 7 2026Download

Our baby at Hellgate is losing its little down and turning into a dinosaur! Do you realize that ospreys are some of the only dinosaurs to survive the dinosaur age? And we are murdering them as one of my reader’s states, in the NE USA -. They sent me a poster after reading about the Menhaden issues. I agree. Our planet is on life support and a few greedy corporations and people are killing her and all that is beautiful ———we simply cannot let that happen.

Illustration depicting Earth as a sick patient in a hospital bed, connected to medical equipment. The scene conveys a message about environmental harm, featuring elements like pollution, industrial smoke, and a critique of corporate greed.

Small acts of kindness matter. A friend in London saw a pigeon drinking from a tiny, dirty puddle. They had a bottle of water and a cup in their car, and they went over and, in a safe place, left water for the bird. It went immediately. Remember. Water is life. It costs little to leave out a pan of cool water in a spot for wildlife. Please, if you can, leave out water, especially during these heat domes. Water is often more important than food.

Iris feeding her little dinosaur. Clark brought a huge whole fish for the family.

An adult osprey feeding its chicks in a nest, with a fish laid beside them. The scene is set outdoors with greenery in the background.
A close-up of baby ospreys in a nest, one of them is being fed a fish by an adult osprey. The nest is made of twigs and grass, with some natural surroundings visible.

Iris makes me happy.

Thank you for being with us today. The rains are supposed to come down heavily the rest of the week, and today is packed with errands, including getting Toby’s nails trimmed. It was a joy being outside the last few days. I may take a day or two to write again. Summer is now officially here, and it will go by in a blink.

I want to thank Geemeff, SK Hideaways, CG, and Ping Shen for all their news! I really appreciate your generosity in sharing news with all our readers in Bird World. Thank you to the individuals who send out newsletters, post on FB with the latest information, and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to view these amazing birds.

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.