Well, I am going to start with heartbreaking news and hopefully, by the end of this posting, we will have some good news! – No, that isn’t going to happen. I just received word about an event at the Dyfi nest of Idris and Telyn from Geemeff.
Oh, we need to breathe!
One of the osplets of Lucy and Newman at the Lake Murray Osprey platform was taken by the GHO after 0200 this morning. We know the GHO is there. For several years, the owner tried mannequins, music, but it was the strobe lights that helped the one year. So where are they? Am I missing seeing them? This is heartbreaking. As Heidi says, Lucy and Newmann spent all this time fattening up their chicks for an owl’s dinner. It’s terrible. Yes, I know owls have to eat, but there are certainly enough rodents around to keep them fat!
All those beautiful babies together and happy. It is believed to be the second hatch that was taken.
I really do not like owls.
There has been an amendment to the Eagle and Golden Eagle petition. Here is the new wording. Please read and then go to change.org and support the efforts.
The four osplets at Steelscape are surviving well, and Mum is doing a great job at feeding each of those little mouths. Thanks, ‘PB’ for the image!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 4th June 2026
Today was a much calmer day after the excitement of yesterday’s second chick hatching. Louis kept the family well supplied with fish and Dorcha made sure both chicks were fed and kept warm and dry despite the constant rain. Louis brought three fish including a very large trout which he came back for and flew off with after Dorcha and the chicks had had a meal. The Nest Two fish tally now stands at one hundred and nine, and the Nest One tally at ninety nine following Garry LV0’s two deliveries for Aurora 536, including the season’s first flatfish. More rain’s due overnight with a low of 9°C changing to thundery showers and a high of 14°C.
So far, so good at Dewey Beach. Keep sending that energy. The chick last year died at 50 days. We want Baby Dewey to fledge! He has won all of our hearts.
I am getting word that there is another issue, this time at Dyfi- Telyn has swallowed a fishing line with a hook attached. They cannot use barbs in the UK (a blessing). Let’s hope this comes out naturally and doesn’t cause any internal damage. What can I say? People love to go recreational fishing. They leave their garbage around, BUT also, lines break when fish get caught, and the raptors pay for it.
That was 5 hours ago. Telyn has been eating and let us hope that this hook and line go through her system or come out without any harm. Telyn is an incredible mother and Idris – well, what can I say? He is an amazing Dad.
I want to close and get this news out to you. Kelly Sorensen has published a paper on an alternative to lead ammunitions. Please read and advocate for all our raptors.
Smile. ‘PB’ sent a sceen capture of Little at Achieva this morning adding s/he looks like a Butterball Turkey. These kids are healthy thanks to Mum Jill.
I also want to close with another great image. Dylan brought in a whale of a fish – it looked like it was almost as big as the nest – at 0800 today – for his mate, Seren. They are eating with one another and holding on to their strong bond after the loss of their three chicks.
Gosh, we need a break. It has been a rough year. Sending each and everyone of you a virtual hug.
Thank you to everyone who alerted me about Lake Murray. These adults are much loved, and the sadness extends around the world. The red strobe lights need to be moved up to the nest so they hit the owl’s eyes as it approaches. They should not be on the ground. Someone, please, tell the owner to put them on poles now. Thank you. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams, writers of FB posts and articles.
Life never happens as you plan it. It has been such a bittersweet 24 hours at the Llyn Clywedog nest in the Hafren Forest in Wales. Seren blue 5F is alive – she returned to her nest nearly 24 hours after something spooked her off. I know that people said they did not hear anything or see anything but, believe me, the hearing sensitivity of animals, including my Toby, is far superior to my own.
Seren is alive and home but Dylan seems bewildered. I got angry at someone who said he did not try to save his chicks. He did. As soon as the reservoir waters were calm (they had been very choppy and muddy), he brought a fish to the nest. His babies were crying. He tried. He is used to travelling great distances to get Brown Trout for his family as a treat but not for brooding and feeding. But he tried. They were already too weak and cold. The rescuers tried but a cherry picker could not get there in the dark. Everyone tried to save the babies. In the end, while it is so very sad, we have to thank everyone for their efforts.
Now the family has to heal. Dylan has been on and off the nest. He shared a trout with Seren earlier. Meanwhile she has stayed on the cam 2 perch. She has to be wondering what happened.
The forest around the nest:
Send them positive wishes. It is still a very teary and tragic moment. I am not criticising the removal of the chicks’ bodies. They had hoped to rescue them, and no one knew Seren would return. But sometimes we need to see the dead and say goodbye to understand what happened.
However, there are good things happening and I want to point out a couple of them.
The first one is congratulations to Jill, who has fledged two chicks from the Achieva Osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida. More than a month ago, we wondered if Little would survive. Jack was not bringing in fish, and Jill started fishing herself, bringing in catfish around 1800 every evening. Then she upped that to two fishing trips, then three. She kept her babies alive, and Little thrived. Then Jack started helping. Between the two of them, those two chicks grew big and strong and today, Little fledged. What a wonderful, happy event – and she returned to the nest. The parents should continue to bring fish to the nest for Big and Little until they disperse.
Time of fledge 08:31:47 with a return at 11:02:30. Thank you ‘PB’ and Heidi.
Little did a lot of flapping and hovering before the flight. Look at those long legs. I always thought Little might be a female but now I wonder.
Congratulations. This is cause for a celebration! Perfect flight.
At the seaside nest of Bruce and Naha, Naha has not been well. Bruce – oh, this is amazing – took over the brooding and the feeding of their chicks while Naha recovered. Oh, if only all the males knew how to switch from just fishing to caregiving. Naha is improving. This is great news.
Iris almost pulled Clark off the nest. It has been difficult fishing and even Clark was missing for a time and we were worried but he is OK and came with a fish – which Iris grabbed (along with her mate)!
Everything is going well at the Loch Arkaig 2 nest.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 3rd June 2026
Another day, another chick! Louis and Dorcha’s second chick hatched this morning around 06.21. It was difficult to give an exact time as Dorcha unhelpfully kept pushing the shell back over the chick, but eventually it was fully free and looking strong. The first chick showed its enterprising spirit by popping out from under mum’s shelter, begging for food loud and long, and then tucking itself back under Dorcha next to its hours-old sibling. Fish kept arriving, some bigger than others – Garry LV0 brought four fish for Aurora 536, including a mystery fish, taking the Nest One tally to ninety seven, and Louis brought three fish for Dorcha and the chicks, taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and six. Dorcha fed both chicks, sometimes the morsels were too large and at one stage the chicks were trying to eat the pieces sticking out of each other’s mouths. But both were fed and kept warm despite the wet weather. It rained on and off today and more rain is forecast – light rain showers with an overnight low of 10°C, and thundery showers with a high of 15°C tomorrow.
Geemeff will have more news for us but I will have this sent out before she posts so enjoy that last video addition.
Glacier Gardens is not suffering from a lack of fish – just a very deep egg cup. Hard to see but there is at least one little bobblehead there.
It has been a very emotional day and I have a headache. I am going to stop and enjoy the rest of the day with my family. I want to thank my daughter Jaine for being with us for lunch and to my dear friend Geemeff who phoned from London to give me the good news about Seren. Life goes on. Sometimes we just have to breathe and take the bittersweet with the wonderful and that is what today has been. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to everyone for their notes and their messages including Heidi, PB, and Geemeff today. I appreciate all of the posts on FB and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch the challenging lives of our raptor families.
We were having lunch with our daughter when Geeemeff’s call from London came in – Seren Blue 5F landed on the nest and appears to be unharmed.
We will never know what prevented her from returning to her three chicks for nearly 24 hours. She is a dedicated mother and would never have left them that long without being in peril herself.
Seren is the only osprey of the UK streaming cams that I have seen in the feathers, and she was very special to me. I am so glad she is safe. She and Dylan will continue to bond, and she will grow strong, and next year they will try again. Right now, they are both grieving for the loss of their babies.
I want to thank John Williams for his love for this family and his quick action. He could not get up to the nest in the dark. It was impossible, but he was there as early as he could be, trying to save those babies. Nests in North America have a lot to learn from this kind of love and dedication.
What a terrible morning. John Williams and the Forestry England team went with the cherry picker to help the little osplets on the Llyn Clywedog nest but when they got there at first light, it was too late.
Dylan had come in with a fish and tried to feed his babies. Only C1 was responsive.
There is no sign of Seren Blue 5F, Dylan’s mate and the chick’s Mum. She flew off the nest suddenly and did not return. She appeared to hear or see something that caused her to leave. Seren was a loving and caring Mum who always had her spot in The Gambia in the winter.
Soar high, Seren and babies.
Dismayed Dylan. He has lost his entire family.
Message from John Williams who has loved and looked after this family beyond his role with Forestry England.
Message from John this morning :
“Its with great sadness that I write this. Sadly the chick’s had already passed when we recovered them this morning, I know people may of been asking why we couldn’t do something sooner, and I wish that it was that easy. You have to weigh up all the outcomes with any decision of intervention you take. Knowing that what ever you do could end the same way with them passing away.
Interventions have been done before, like at the Dyfi but they did have the benefit of both parent birds being there, so that any surviving chick could be returned. We don’t know what has happened to 5F I looked for her but its like looking for a needle in a hay stack, thanks to the Clywedog fishermen for also searching the lakeside too.
It was late last night when it started, at first you have to hope that 5F would come back. As there is no reason for her not to unless she came into harms way, and there would of been no way to know this. Then there is the question how would I get to the nest, id need to hire a cherry picker, after 10pm that wasn’t going to happen, and also id need a skilled operator to come at short notice, out of hours. Then there was the issue of the weather with gusts of over 40mph. You cannot use a cherry picker with winds that strong, and the tree itself isnt safe to climb in the daylight let alone the total darkness.
Best thing I could do was mobilize guys first thing in the morning whilst also seeking advice from experts. No one can doubt my commitment to these birds, I’ve dedicated so much of my life and time to them, here put lots of things on the line for them. It is heartbreaking for me and I know it is for many of you too. 5F is a much loved osprey by us all, I’ve got my fingers crossed that she is safe and well somewhere.
Im not the best with words, but I hope I’ve demonstrated to you all that we couldn’t of done much more than we have already for them, as hard as I know it is. Its been a very stressfull time for me, and im really sorry”
I didn’t expect to be posting another blog today, but the information in a FB post by Ben Wurst, Conservation Officer in New Jersey, prompted me to reach out to all of you.
We have been talking about protecting Eagles and Golden Eagles but we MUST protect all wildlife and that includes my beloved ospreys who two years ago found their chicks dying on the nest, and who last year laid eggs and abandoned them. I get letters from individuals in Virginia of nests failed early this season and now we watch Little Dewey.
Little Dewey cannot be allowed to starve to death while people sitting at cafe tables below his nest eat fish. That is simply scandalous. I would go to jail for feeding him – and gladly use that as a test case to get this bloody mess of intervention sorted. I do not live in the US, so some will say that is an empty action, but yes, I would do it. My early life was full of social activism and, in particular, fighting for civil and women’s rights and against the Vietnam War in Oklahoma.
This is what Ben Wurst posted today on the Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal today:
Yesterday I flew the entire 130 mile coast of New Jersey. Our goal was to locate schools of menhaden. This was the first time that I’ve ever flown in a Cessna and along the coast. After what we saw with osprey reproduction last year, I knew it was crucial to get independent data on menhaden presence or absence off New Jersey.
The conditions were optimal for flight. Light north winds. Excellent visibility. Great light. We flew from Barnegat Inlet south to Cape May and then north to Sandy Hook.
Throughout the entire flight, which was around 1500 and 2500’ AGL and 1-3 miles offshore, we did not see any schools of menhaden.
The pilot I flew with grew up on the bay and is a life long fisherman, who knows what to look for when reading the water. The whole coast was so calm and quiet that it was eerie. All we saw (marine species wise) were several small pods of dolphins. There wasn’t even much fishing activity.
Right now in NJ many osprey nests are empty, as females did not lay eggs this spring. Those nests with eggs are still incubating, which is odd for this time of year. Most nests should have hatchlings. Those that do have young are entering a crucial period in their development, where plentiful food is required. At one nest that I surveyed today, I noticed how skinny the incubating female looked. All of these behaviors have been observed on the Chesapeake in the past few years. Where are all the fish?
I hope to fly again in another week or two to see if any fish show up but things are looking disastrous.
Do whatever you can to help for the future and for now, if you can.
Thank you for being with us and please wish for fish.
Thank you to the owners of the Dewey Beach streaming cam for allowing us to watch this wonderful family and feisty Little Dewey.
Dylan and Seren Blue 5F are the adult ospreys at the Llyn Clywedog nest in the Hafren Forest in Wales. They have successfully raised chicks together for years. They have had troubles with a goshawk in the past that took one of their chicks.
This season the pair had all three of their eggs hatch.
The weather earlier today had been rainy.
Fish on the nest above. At times during the afternoon, I thought Seren appeared to be distracted.
Seren flies off the nest leaving her babies at 20:58:44.
She has not returned.
Dylan came to the nest about an hour after Seren flew off. He has not brooded the chicks. They were chirping and huddling together.
I have a really bad feeling about this. Seren is too good a mother to leave her chicks for this long unless she is injured or dead. My heart is aching for those little babies who want the warmth of their Mum.
It has been a really rough week in Bird World. We lost Rosie and Richmond’s only osplet, Scout died, Snow was taken into care, and we count every fish that goes to Little Dewey at Dewey Beach. Storks in part of Europe are hungry. They need rain along with frogs and little fish. This year promised to be challenging and it is turning out to be more than anticipated.
Please send your wishes to the Llyn Clywedog nest of Dylan and Seren that Mum will return, and the babies will not succumb to hypothermia.
Remember to be grateful for all the little souls in other nests that are fine – anything can happen. Keep them safe!
I am taking the day off tomorrow. June 4 is our late son’s birthday and we always celebrate by eating New York cheesecake, his favourite. It will also give me a chance to take a deep breath after all these tragedies. Take care everyone. We will see you again on Friday.
Thank you to CarnyX Wild for their streaming cam to the Llyn Clywedog nest where I took my screen captures.
I want to first thank you for all of your messages on FB, comments, and e-mails. There are hundreds of them and I am going to share some of the thoughts that have come in regarding the change to the laws that impact raptors (Eagles and Golden Eagles) in the United States. I am, in particular, referring to the call that something be done after Scout was banded and returned to the natal nest. This single act has caused outrage and I hope activism that leads to a positive end and a law that might be named after Scout.
I have, as you noted, gotten really worked up about what happened to Scout. It isn’t just Scout – it is all the others over the years whose nests would have benefited from a rescue or a fish tank placed nearby. I want to see compassionate governance – people in positions to give permits that allow others to help when help is needed. We do not need government personnel threatening to revoke the licenses of wildlife rescue agencies and rehabilitation clinics if they help. This has certainly happened in at least one instance that I am personally aware.
So thank you to everyone – maybe we can start a movement for change. As I said I do not wish for us to fall into despair, sitting on our hands, and believing that nothing is possible. It is. We might not be able to save them all but each life saved is one life not lost! Remember that.
Just a few excerpts from various social media sources I have received. (I am not going to add names or where people or from- I hope no one minds. These are bona fide readers from around the world who care deeply.)
“I read your blog. You had an awful day and I gave you even more bad news. I’m so sorry. Praying for the eaglet, as you said, hoping beyond hope. We both know that miracles do happen. It depends on how much the eaglet wants to live, if he really wants to, the wish may be granted. Until then many people will send their healing spells to him, he is not alone!
My standpoint is very clear. I believe helping is our sacred duty. We are useless in nature: We don’t have sharp beaks, or claws, we are not fast, have bad eyes and ears etc etc. We are not predators. What we have is brains. I honestly believe that our job is to be the caretakers of Nature. Look what we have done instead. No wonder Nature is angry.
To those that say „many other (in this case) eaglets suffer too“. Yes, they are. But they are beyond our help because they aren’t being monitored. If someone would find one of those eaglets, they would be obliged to help in my opinion.
It’s the story of the woman throwing small sea animals stranded on the beach back into the water. In the big view it’s a useless thing to do since so many more are laying on the beach it hardly makes a dent. For each of those little animals, it means Life.”
“I’m so sad in tears. I would look at that poor little eaglet, before they shut the camera off and knew that what I was looking at wasn’t going to be around forever. It was just too too pitiful. The little one was just hungry!! I despise most people. Scout shouldn’t have been taken back to the nest after they banded him!”
“Where is the courage to do the right thing by our wildlife?”
“Hi, Mary Ann! I hope you’re doing fine. I just read your shoutout about Scout, and I fully support it. I also voted for the change of regulations. It’s beyond my belief how they could let this happen, because, even if his weight was within limits at the time of banding, they knew what was happening. I’m sorry for saying that but the “big guys” not granting the authorisation took part in killing him. That is what I firmly believe in.”
“Thank you, Mary Ann. I totally agree with you & MicPark. I understand there are protected species (though not so much protected as abandoned by our current administration) but I will never understand the “no human intervention” ideology. Scout was suffering & needed intervention. Snow’s nest needed to be propped up because we all knew what was going to happen before she/he fledged. If it is okay enough to intervene and put cameras in their nests for the world to see then it should be just as okay to intervene when these birds are in danger. Thank you for all you do & I’m so sorry for all that you’re not allowed to do ❤️”
“Maryann, thank you for all you say and do for the animals. You will not be forgotten by us or the animals. What you say is correct. I knew animals were part of our world or we are apart of theirs. Whatever way you look at it, we are all in this together. We owe them help when we see a problem. Whoever started this ‘nature knows what’s best’ thing should be shot. Nature is an idea, not an entity. Nature is a word made by man. No wonder the US has turned into an authoritarian nation. Just look at us. We won’t disintegrate if we feed a hungry animal, and neither will they. Thank you, Maryann.”
The thing is not to lose the momentum. A petition is going around to change the Eagle and Golden Eagle laws. It is on change.org. You do not have to pay anything, just repost. That helps reach a broad audience. Gayle Gordon is leading that campaign in the US to get that law changed.
It takes a long time to change laws. Let us not fool ourselves. What we need to do now is positive action. Quick responses. I applaud those individuals who have reached out to me and who have osprey platforms on their land and are near the Chesapeake Bay. I will never divulge their names or locations, but some who had cameras have turned them off. What they did instead was set up fish-farm containers full of koi on their property. I understand that several are having a positive impact on their nests. We have to try.
Images of Snow sent to me by ‘L’ while being rescued and in transport.
Geemeff’s summary was missed by a few seconds last evening. There is now a second baby for Louis and Dorcha at Loch Arkaig nest 2.
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 2nd June 2026
Daily summary Tuesday 2nd June 2026
It was another damp day today, and the chick was kept warm and dry and well fed by Louis and Dorcha. Almost too well fed, as Dorcha fed a too large morsel which got stuck in the chick’s throat, but fortunately she eventually noticed and removed it with no harm done to the chick. Louis delivered three fish taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and three, and Garry LV0 delivered two fish to Aurora 536, taking the Nest One tally to ninety three. At the time of filing this report (midnight) none of the remaining three eggs has pipped yet. Eggs 2 & 3 on Nest Two could start pipping tomorrow and Saturday respectively, and the single egg on Nest One around Thursday. More rain expected with an overnight low of 11°C and a high of 15°C with occasional sunny spells tomorrow.
And that special video of the second hatch(Edited compilation starts at 05.49 and goes through to 06.22 when hatching is completed, and a bit of footage at 09.36 showing the chick’s progress three hours later:+: https://youtu.be/FMnpIeDqGss
This is from today as I will not have Geemeff’s summary for today in this post. That first hatch of Louis and Dorcha is going to be a handful. It’s already out of the egg cup looking for fish!!!!!!!!!! Look at this video! https://youtu.be/FWh4AUGHiW0?
There is now a third hatch at Borders Osprey for Samson and Augusta!
Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Info FB included the information on the second hatch at LOTL:
A good rescue story from the UK -imagine picking up an osprey and taking it into care. Bravo.
Screenshot
Beautiful baby for Liberty and Freedom at Glacier Gardens.
Heidi reports on Dewey Beach for yesterday: “ Dewey is doing well. I have no concerns so far. They had 3 good meals yesterday. Huge headless shad at 13.53, 30 minute meal; leftover shad at 16.24, 12 minute meal; more leftover shad at 17.24, 10 minute meal.”
Baby Dewey has attitude!
Thank you everyone for all your notes, comments, and mail. I continue to go through them and will post more each day. We need to keep up the momentum and help those that are getting official means started in the US.
Take care. See you soon and thank you for being part of a world that gives hope to our wildlife and our planet. I am so grateful to call each of you a friend.
Thank you to everyone who wrote in, to those who posted information on FB, left comments, and sent me images, to Geemeff for their daily summary, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch the lives of these amazing creatures. I also want to shout out to everyone associated with the Great Lakes Bald Eagle nest, and to those involved in Snow’s rescue and care, for their transparency and compassion.
We finally got a little bit of rain and were thankful, but in London, it was coming down by the bucketful.
But I am going to the leading news.
Snow’s nest – the Traverse City Bald Eagle nest in Michigan – gave way as Snow was being fed. The rescue team is on its way. Last two images.
The second tragedy is that Scout has died. That is the nest with Sunday where the eaglets were removed to be banded and Scout returned without regard to the conditions. He was denied food and beaten badly by Sunday.
Quite honestly. Someone will criticise me harshly but I am one for intervention. I say it loudly. If people can destroy public buildings, kill innocent people, drill on sacred lands, then someone can switch off a camera and put food on a nest. Make it a test case all the way to the Supreme Court. What is it going to hurt? It might help!!!!!!!! I am so angry for the disregard for the lives of the wildlife that we share this planet with – they don’t leave their trash for us to hurt our children. But we do! Any ideas, folks?
The good news is that there is a hatch at Glacier Gardens.
SK Hideaways has been away watching the flying in San Jose and those four little feisty male chicks of Monty and Hartley!
SK Hideaways Videos, week of 24 May 2026
FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Jackie, Shadow, Sandy, and Luna 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 Jackie Tries to Brood Her Big Eaglets as Wind Rocks Nest🌪️ (2026 May 26) As Big Bear blustery winds rocked the nest tree, Jackie protected her eaglets as she always does from any perceived threat. Sandy nipped at her while she tried to aerate Sandy’s spot, but soon settled. Happily, the winds eventually settled a bit as well. Sandy and Luna are 52 days old. Video: https://youtu.be/Ni1s0kUuII0
Fraser Point Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha, Zume, and Ryder Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s With 5 eagles on 1 nest with endless fish, space is getting tight!(2026 May 24)Eaglets Sasha, Zuma, and Ryder are all 8 weeks old (give or take a few days). When both parents are also on the nest, things get a little cozy. The video captures beautiful golden sunset light on the Zen Nest as the last fish of the day was consumed and gold turned to dusk. Video: https://youtu.be/9fGQ2246s18 San Jose City Hall Falcons ~ San Jose, CA ~ Hartley, Monty, Jet, Scout, Stewart, and Walton Courtesy San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon Cam 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 Fledge Day 2 ✈️ Scout, then Jet Fledge ➕2 Rescues 🛟 2026 May 29 Reporting from the ground in San Jose, here’s a look at what the cameras caught during fledge day 2. Feeling incredibly grateful to be here live observing these stunning, graceful falcons. As such, reporting will be sparse and delayed for the next couple days. Video: https://youtu.be/kIcphBp29qU Stewart’s Fledge ~ Walton’s Rescue ~ Busy Day for Hartley & Monty (2026 May 28)The 3 chicks remaining at the nest played in the rain in the wee hours. Then with little fanfare, Stewart inadvertently fledged from the same spot where Walton stumbled yesterday. This time, we saw Stewart fly beautifully, with Monty right behind making sure all was well. I hear that he has found a good place to roost. Later, Walton was found on the ground and escorted up to the City Hall rooftop, where he stayed until Hartley tempted him down to the Mayor’s balcony for a late lunch. He fluttered down and ended up getting two meals for his trouble. He has done some traveling since then, but we’ll leave that story for another day. Video: https://youtu.be/hW4WVZR6AAU The 4 Boys’ Last Morning Together as Fledge Fever Begins + Walton’s Fludge (2026 May 27)When peregrine falcons have fledge fever, we know the time of nest-level innocence is waning. So we captured the last moments of this time, culminating in Walton’s unintentional departure from the nest ledge aka his fludge. As of this post, Walton has been rescued from the ground, returned to the City Hall roof, and fluttered down to the Mayor’s balcony, where he’s been well fed. Video of his rescue to come. Video: https://youtu.be/4a0U6yTjfAo Scout Scales Nest Board, Explores Upper Ledge, Flys to Low Ledge 😮💨 (2026 May 26)In keeping with his name, Scout (blue) worked on his merit badges and being prepared. He scaled the nest board, dropped down behind it and returned, explored the upper ledge, and flew from the upper to lower ledge when Hartley arrived with dinner. He returned to perch on the nest board with Monty, who was not in the mood for father-son bonding, but Scout didn’t seem to mind, as he basked in his day’s big accomplishments. Video: https://youtu.be/gJPOZNVVLf4
Chicks Play Shell Game ~ Who’s Who on the Ledge? (2026 May 24)All four chicks perched on the low east ledge at once for the first time. Keeping track of who was who as they shuffled themselves around was a shell game of epic proportions. Video: https://youtu.be/jZzoKaYdx1c
I have received a sad letter from our good friend and osprey monitor (writer, etc) VV from Maryland – nests are appearing to fail. There are at least 15 of them within eye shot. They note, “My husband tells me most of the fish our ospreys eat IS menhaden, I had thought the fish were mostly spot. I also just learned alewives and bunkers are the same fish as menhaden. They say never to old to learn … Friends on boats tell me the trawlers are busy at the mouth of the bay.
The fishing still seems plentiful enough, but this is the second day I haven’t seen the male on the one nest I was sure had hatched chicks. And a nest I can only judge when a bird stands, I finally caught sight yesterday of a female standing with a very depleted crop. Plus it is windy again today.
It has been very windy the entire “spring” – which has been unusually chilly. If egg laying happened the week in April I thought, then this is the week chicks should be hatching. I’ve seen a couple nests where there had been incubation but now abandoned,–including a well-established and traditionally productive nest directly across the creek at Jack’s (my husband) aunt’s house. Foliage has grown in around other nests and I’m hoping they’re still brooding viable eggs. But unless the male returns to save the day on Nest 5, the 5 nest platforms along my yard have only one active nest remaining. And they’re first-time parents.”
What is happening at Indian Creek has already happened at other sites. I am keeping a very close eye on Dewey Beach, with its one osplet and a nest right in the middle of this storm.
The male is landing but no fish so far this morning and Mum is busy fish calling. I wish she would go and try her luck.
Congratulations to Loch of the Lowes that had their first hatch at 0430 Tuesday, 2 June!
That’s it. I am going to watch for news of the rescue of Snow but I am not hopeful that beautiful eaglet survived. Few do from that height. I remember Scout and Bella’s babies from last year and the MN-DNR nest of Nancy. But send positive energy. I want to be wrong.
Take care.
Thank you to SK Hideaways and to all those who post images on FB and the owners of the cams so that we can watch the nests.
It is hazy and will be a little warm today, but not up in the high 30s. Melissa is to arrive in a few minutes, and my house can’t wait to get cleaned!!!!!! You might recall that I was sick for 5 or 6 days and well, there are a few more fingerprints on my espresso black cabinets than I would like but, as Melissa says, ‘If I didn’t have some places to clean, she wouldn’t have a job!’ True.
My son is on his way to Asia for a conference in Singapore. He will first land in Tokyo, and he tells me that there is a typhoon. I am sending positive thoughts to all our Bird World friends in Japan impacted by this big storm.
The big news is that the first hatch has taken place at the Loch Arkaig 2 nest of Louis and Dorcha. You could hear this strong chick before it even hatched!!!!!!!! Listen as it uses its egg tooth to pick through the shell.https://youtu.be/oNu1t9PXQlI?
Louis was on hand for the hatch. He is an exceptional dad, and I hope that his health holds out this season.
Geemeff was so excited. They could hardly sleep! Here is their video of this wonderful event: https://youtu.be/5Xt0TjsAeZA?
Look at their faces as they see their little one all curled up.
Still an Only Bob at Ranworth.
I do love this. Three generations all have chicks on live-streamed nests in the UK. Maya is a grandmother!!!!!!!!!! (more than once). There is really good DNA coming out of that Rutland nest. Ah, but now Maya is a great grandmother – Teifi has chicks.
Tiger Mozone always says it is DNA plus luck that gives them longevity and endurance.
In the US Bridge Club has their first hatch reported on FB by Heidi.
Virginia Osprey Foundation has its first chick.
Eaglets die in Minnesota. Why?
The cause of death for the baby birds in the post isn’t definitively known yet. However, considering they were panting hard to cool down before passing away, it’s possible that heat stress or heatstroke contributed to their deaths, especially during a stretch of high temperatures. Other potential causes of bird deaths in general include ¹:
Common Causes of Bird Deaths:
Habitat Loss: Destruction or fragmentation of natural landscapes, which can lead to food scarcity and increased predation.
Collisions: Impacts with buildings, windows, vehicles, and power lines.
Predation: Hunting by domestic and feral cats, as well as natural predators.
Poisoning: Exposure to pesticides, lead, and other toxins.
Climate Change: Shifting habitats, extreme weather, and disrupted timing.
Disease: Infections and parasitic infestations.
It’s worth noting that Avian Flu was mentioned in one of the comments, but without further information, it’s impossible to say if this was the cause. The Department of Natural Resources visited the scene, so they may have more information on the cause of death once their investigation is complete
Hatching is underway in two of the eggs at Loch of the Lowes.
DH23 (Dale Hollow) eaglet, which fell off the nest on Sunday during a prey delivery, has now fledged from the branch where it landed. Congratulations and relief.
A feel good moment.
Screenshot
So how is New Guy2 getting fish for Iris? Here is your answer.
At the Achieva nest, Big caught its own fish and brought it back to the nest! Wow. 15:48:15. Thanks, ‘PB’.
Heavy rains in the Glaslyn Valley have meant tricky fishing and mums needing to keep youngsters dry.
At the Dyfi nest, Telyn is struggling to keep the chicks dry during the heavy rain.
It is the same story for Seren at llyn Clywedog.
So how is it in the Usk Valley? Heavy rain.
Chucking down rain at Llyn Brenig.
Poole Harbour with its four chicks under CJ7 is also getting a large amount of rain!
Maya is drenched too – but the rains began to let up at Rutland later in the night.
I wonder what Geemeff will report about Loch Arkaig? The weather is certainly better!
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Monday 1st June 2026
No surprise about today’s main event – the first chick has hatched! After pipping last night and chupping ever more strongly, the little scrap of life made its way out of the eggshell at 12.40.39 and despite falling over backwards and taking a while to right itself, is looking in great shape. Surprisingly, it was Louis on duty at the moment of hatching – he shot upright when he must have felt the chick suddenly emerge from the shell, one of many endearing moments today which included Dorcha trying to feed Louis. All the action was on Nest Two today, except for Garry LV0 delivering one fish for Aurora 536 which takes his tally to ninety one. Louis delivered three fish to Dorcha and the Nest Two tally now stands at one hundred. It was a damp day which will continue with light rain showers, light winds and an overnight low of 12°C and more light rain, light winds and a high of 17°C tomorrow.
Sad news from the UK. Another White-tailed Eagle disappears from a shooting estate! When will this stop? Only when the penalties are such that the extremely wealthy consider the fine and/or jail time ‘too much’.
Calico wishes everyone a great beginning to the week.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Wish all of the nests, no matter where they are, better weather and lots of fish tomorrow! Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to everyone. ‘PB’ that is a great image of Big at Achieva! Fantastic news. To all who posted on FB and to Jeff Kear and the UK Osprey Info FB page – I am always grateful. Thank you to Geemeff and to all the owners of the streaming cams and individuals who post information – we appreciate your extraordinary efforts.
The end of the weekend and the beginning of June tomorrow. Summer is feeling like it is here. Children are still in school in Manitoba for a few more weeks but I suspect summer holidays have begun in the US. Please take care if you are out on the roads!
At the Dale Hollow Nest, there was almost a problem. DH23 was knocked from the nest. It is on a branch lower in the tree calling for food and flapping.
Images before:
Fish has come to the Dewey Beach nest and Mum and Only Little Baby are so full and happy. Thanks, ‘PB’.
Such a cheeky little one. Oh, please keep the fish coming.
It is raining again in Missoula and the Clark Fork River is once again raging – dirty and fast. It will be tough fishing for NewGuy2 again.
Despite this, Iris’ ‘man’ brought her a fish. He is incredible.
Monty and Hartley’s four fledglings are keeping absolutely everyone busy chasing, tracking, and taking back to the roof! Those volunteers must be worn out.
The latest post cut and pasted as it is long:
The San Jose City Hall Falcons
· And another more detailed report of Day 2 from BOG: Yup, still late, but here is my recollection of Fledge Watch day 2. After a few hours atop the Rotunda (starting from around 6AM), working his way up and down and all around, Walton takes off south from the Rotunda. It looks like he’s going to land near Stewart on the elevator shaft but keeps on going. He ends up in a palm tree on 6th street, where he’s harassed by crows. An adult followed him and briefly attempted to drive off the crows. Walton eventually takes off first heading west then heads southeast where he lands on the roof of the SJSU Student Union. He eventually takes off and heads back toward City Hall, heads around the east side then the north side, and is next seen on the southern tan perpendicular under a satellite dish. He eventually makes it back down to the nest area. Sometime after 1PM Stewart departure from the Council Chambers elevator shaft has him flying low to the east, at one point going up against the western slats of the elevator shaft on the southern part of City Hall. He ends up on the exterior walkway that runs on the north side of the corridor that connects City Hall to the Council Chambers. As collectors approach from both sides to try to pick him up, he flees through some bars and ends up mothing and trying to grab hold of a window edge on the west side of the North tower. Eventually he gives that up and floats to the ground where he is surrounded and picked up for a ride up to the roof. While he is being brought up, Scout departs from the nest area. He flies over the garage and is last seen heading west. I head in that direction and catch a glimpse of a falcon flying past the east side of the 88 building, going north to south, at a down angle then going up around the south side and disappearing around the west side While this is happening Jet takes off. I circle the 88 building but don’t see anything. But from the library, Deb spots a bird on the roof of the 88, behind the glass wall above the penthouse. Paula H confirms the sighting and it is later verified as Scout. Scout makes it to the top of the glass wall on the 88 and takes off heading south. He goes about a block or so before turning back to disappear behind the west side of the 88. I find him on top of a white wall on the southern part of the roof and right when I do, he takes off and heads toward City Hall to land on a louver on the south side. While out looking for Jet, Animal Control contacts Falcon Central that someone reports a bird on the ground on Second Street, just south of San Fernando. A person there tells us it was sitting on a railing, was spooked by someone and flew a short distance into the glass wall of a business. The business had told Animal Control it was there about 30 minutes. Thankful that they reported it! We picked him up and returned him to the roof to join Stewart. At some point Scout departs City Hall and lands on the roof ledge on the north side of the business center. A crow harasses him for a bit but he pays it no mind. At some point he takes off and makes it to a northeast roof edge of the library. Hartley brings in a big meal and lands on another nearby northeast edge, but Scout shows no interest. But Walton does and takes off from the upper front ledge of the nest area and makes straight for Hartley and claims the meal. Walton begins to pluck and eat. Hartley is often perched nearby, constantly complaining about something. At one point Walton drops the meal over the edge but quickly grabs it with a talon before it is lost and pulls it back to the roof. Hartley lands later and attempts to take the meal from Walton but he has none of that and Hartley takes off. Later, Hartley lands and is able to take the meal and starts feeding Walton. When Walton has had enough Hartley continues to eat. When Hartley is done she takes off heading north toward the Miro building. She starts circling to gain altitude, then heading south of City Hall and then she turns back to deliver the meal to Stewart and Jet on the roof of City Hall where they share the meal. Scout and Walton spends some time together on the library before Scout takes off toward City Hall. He tries for the southern louvers but hits the wall, slides down trying to grab a hold, and turns away. He ends up on top of the bars that partially encase the rotunda. Walton soon takes off from the library and heads toward City Hall, but ends up turning south and lands on the northeast tower of Clark Hall. While no one is looking, he suddenly appears back on the library roof. After a short appearance he takes off toward City Hall and lands on a 17th floor louver on the south side.
Three osplets at Clark PUD in Washington State are entering the Reptile Phase.
At Allin’s Cove East, there is at least one osplet. The nest is high and deep and we cannot see to confirm how many babies there are.
For those of you asking about Scout, the last news I saw was five days ago on 26 May.
As we wait for Geemeff’s excellent report and videos from Loch Arkaig, it appears that there is a pip at the nest of Louis and Dorcha. We are hoping that Aurora’s single egg is viable and there will be another chick at nest 1 soon.
We are on Pip Watch at Glacier Gardens Bald Eagle nest! “@LadyDeeagle55 5/31/26.. Egg #1 is 35 days old..Pip watch has begun on egg#1..https://www.tickcounter.com/countup/5…”
Fish is coming to the nest. Snow is adjusting beautifully and the parents are so careful and gentle. Snow is 50 days old today. We need a good three weeks for her to fly. Keep sending very positive wishes. So far the nest is holding.
Just look at that wee baby at Poole Harbour.
If you have not heard, I want to tell you about an amazing situation taking place in Minnesota. A female osprey lost her mate. She incubated her three eggs all by herself for 37 days. The three have hatched and she is feeding them herself – flying off briefly and returning. Imagine. I thought Jill was incredible, but here is yet another female this year that is doing amazing things without a mate.
Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch
OMG….my heart! I visited the female who is raising chicks alone today….she has THREE beautiful bobble heads….and I was overwhelmed with love and anxiety. How will she feed three chicks alone….and get enough food herself? She left for about 7 minutes to get a fish….and during that time I saw one little head pop up briefly….but when she came back with a fish at first I saw two heads and then OMG three…. Wow. I was mesmerized watching them. It was so damn hard to move on to other nests…. So this post will just be about her. That males other nest has not hatched yet…. Why do these pictures make me cry? So many big feelings…. I love what I do, I love these birds, I love THIS osprey in particular, and I am so lucky to be skilled enough to even know what’s going on each nest.. how many people would even know her story without following that male, reading bands, watching her so closely. I have been challenged lately by trying to explain what is going on to many of the volunteers….somehow I notice more….and I can’t figure out why. I understand behaviors after all these years….and I am patient, and I am still deeply curious about what is happening, so I often add up behaviors differently, I spend more time, I come to different conclusions, I have a good scope….I ran into a lot of new people today and shared a lot of stories…I LOVE teaching people about ospreys! I literally feel so much in my chest right now looking at these photos and thinking about this female and all she has faced, endured, and is up against in the coming days and weeks. On two different nests in my 33 years of studying them, ( only two) I have seen an unrelated male bring fish to a nest where he was NOT the father. I remember talking to my mentor Sergej about this and he explained to me it is an unusual behavior, but it is a way for a male to secure a territory. He gets a territory and a female….but he has to bring food to chicks that do not carry his DNA. It’s also unusual for a female to allow an unrelated male anywhere near her nest.…but if he has a fish….and she is desperate, well maybe. Dare I hope for this? I do have a monitor, Pat, who witnessed this several years ago on a nest she was monitoring. My goodness we witnessed a lot and learned so much as we both put in many extra hours observing and documenting this unusual behavior. ( too long a story and too much to write now). I also witnessed an unrelated male bring fish to a nest many years ago, in the beginning of my researching days…..after a male was hit by a car and killed when the female had young chicks. He never actually fed the chicks or brought fish directly to them, but he brought fish to the female, as a courtship behavior, which allowed her and her chicks to survive….and he became the territorial male at that for many years after that. But that first year, she never let him stay on the nest with the chicks….he would just drop a fish at her feet and she would say, scram, and he would leave. I am hoping for something miraculous to happen for this female and her awesome little family. Think about her, incubating alone for 39 days, leaving to feed herself without being gone too long. She had a perfect success to hatch three chicks.
Find the positive energy and send it to this mother who is going beyond what anyone might believe. No mate, nothing, three little babies to feed and herself. Fishing for an osprey is not easy. Oh, my.
Mum at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is keeping her eggs dry on a soggy day.
The difference in size at the Pitkin County Trails Osprey nest in Colorado is incredible. There is bonking that has begun.
There are three babies on one of three ospley platforms at the City of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
It is unclear to me if this is the same female. She lost her mate in a previous year and chicks died but one (if I remember correctly – perhaps all did – it was sad). I hope they get lots of fish. Three little cutie pies.
They are doing an amazing job in introducing ospreys to South Australia – think Port Lincoln, Ervie and his family and all the others. A few people can make a huge difference! Also remember that these are the fish fairies.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 31st May 2026 Today’s big news is that one of the eggs is pipping! Louis & Dorcha’s first chick is on the way! And just in time, Nest Cam Two was zoomed in to give us great closeups of all the action at the heart of the nest. Nest Cam One will also be zoomed in soon, Aurora 536 laid her egg four days after Dorcha’s first, so there are a few more days before we’ll be on double-nest pip watch. Louis delivered two fish to Dorcha, including the season’s first Silver Tourist, and the Nest Two tally rises to ninety seven, while Garry’s single fish takes his tally to ninety. It was damp today, it rained on and off, and it’ll be
11°C,wet and windy overnight and continuing with heavier rain tomorrow and a high of
17°C. Dorcha is going to have to do her best mumbrella to shelter the little one when it hatches.Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/dLfbf8qndhg N2 Louis is in charge when Dorcha departs with fish one 10.24.59https://youtu.be/A9s1lx_2yG4 N1 Both Aurora with her fish & Garry depart but he quickly returns 15.40.40https://youtu.be/-ert550qbjw N2 Nest cam is zoomed ready for hatching but is there a pip already? 20.04.58 (zoom)https://youtu.be/0BKHmOZJwgs N2 A second fish for Dorcha – this one’s also very silvery 21.41.34 https://youtu.be/4LHyxhrugEE N2 Louis stands guard as the pipping egg starts chupping (zoom, audio-boosted) 22.12.45
Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care as we end the weekend and start the week. See you soon!
Thank you to all the individuals today for chasing down what is happening to the birds in our world. I am so very grateful to those who post on FB, send me notes, create videos to highlight the amazing adventures of our birds and their families and to Geemeff and SK Hideawys and ‘PB’ for all their contributions over the years. Thank you also to the owners of the streaming cams and to the newspapers that continue to write about nature and the environment.
