Tag Archives: Ospreys

Blustery winds in Port Lincoln

The blustery winds and water blowing onto the nest have made for a rough morning at Port Lincoln. Still, hats off to Dad. He managed to land one hefty fish that he brought to the nest at 6:49:35. Did he catch another? or return that big fish at 7:59:26? It was a bit chaotic. Right now the nest is rocking and the winds are blowing steady at 34 kmh.

Fish were coming and going and feedings and attempted feedings with the wind and the mist off the water.

The weather really turned and Mom hunkered down on top of those babies. She cannot afford for them to get wet or even damp. It is only 9 degrees C.

Notice that Mom has kept that big fish on the nest.

As soon as there was a break in the weather, she fed the kids!

Even then Little and Middle Bob were cold and tucked under Big Bob after they had some bites.

The bad weather is still holding on in Port Lincoln. Mom is doing her best to keep those babies dry and warm.

I really want to say how impressed I am with this Osprey family. Both Mom and Dad are there for these three and at every opportunity they are trying to get some morsels in them – maybe not a lot but some – because they really cannot afford to have them get damp. Send your warm wishes for the winds to calm, please.

It did get up to 29 C on the Canadian prairies and everyone who had a kayak was out on the river. Yes, that meant that the Green Heron was no where in sight! I will try again this week. The fish are still jumping and there will be no let up in our nice weather so the heron should still be here. Wish I could send some of this off to Port Lincoln.

Mr Squirrel and Mr Blue Jay did make an appearance at the bowls at precisely the same time. One wanted nuts and the other wanted a bath.

It is always wonderful when they arrive about an hour before sunset. Nice to know that they are safe and sound.

Mr Blue Jay was not pleased with the amount of water in ‘his’ bowl. He refuses to use the bird bath. Only this ceramic bowl. Notice the square chipped out. That is from his talons! Every year I have to drag this bowl out. He refuses to go to any other even if they are full.

Notice that the Vermillionaires are still blooming. The hummers love them and there was a sighting in our City today of a hummer so they have not all migrated.

I love how he has his crest up. Look at this image from the front and then the next one from the side.

Mr Blue Jay is quite adorable.

Let us all hope the weather calms completely down at Port Lincoln. That said, Mom and Dad are doing everything they can to feed and keep those babies warm and as full as they can. Everything in the other nests is fine. We will be on hatch watch at the Collins Street falcons in about 6 or 7 days. After that it will be Xavier and Diamond’s hatch. The sea eagles continue to grow and are vigorously flapping their wings. The Bald Eagles are working on their nests in the US. Meanwhile, us Osprey lovers are waiting for news of our favourite birds being sighted on the way to Africa (or Spain).

And did you say an Osprey Plushie? Seriously, I did. When the Dyfi on line shop opens in October they will be for sale. I have never seen one. What a brilliant fundraiser! If you are outraged that they will have all terrain vehicles roaming around Lyn Brenig, get on to their website and tell them so. First the filming crew, then the nest being cut down, and now this. What is the purpose of a nature centre? and if it is funds that need to be raised then why isn’t the government understanding how valuable our wildlife and wild areas are to getting this planet a little more normalized.

Thanks so much for stopping in. Take care!

Thank you to the Port Lincoln Osprey Project for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.

Sunday in Ospreyland

The sun is shining bright, the birds are singing and it is 24 degrees C on the Canadian Prairies. Yes, you read that right. 24 C. No wonder my Hibiscus is doing well. We have the temperatures of the tropics! It will be 28 before the day is over. The only way to tell it is autumn in a couple of days is to look at the colour of the leaves.

The weather is not the only thing wonderful to wake up to. Thanks to the difference in time between Australia and Canada, the happenings on the Port Lincoln Osprey nest in the late afternoon are what I wake up to. And, my goodness, they are good! Dad came in with a really nice fish at 15:37. The Osplets were fed at 13:15, 15:37, 16:47, and again at 17:30.

All lined up nicely. These wee ones know precisely what to do. The feedings are starting to get a little longer as the trio grow. The oldest two hatched four hours apart on 13 September at 22:03 and 14 September 02:30. Little Bob hatched at 00:51:50 on 15 September. The close hatch times will really help this nest!

As we begin week 2, I am aware, like so many of you, that the potential for PLO to succeed with three fledges will be revealed in weeks 2 and 3. We are all very hopeful this year.

Look at the crops!

Dad eating some leftover fish.

Mom in the nest on the left and Dad on the perch on the right. It was a good day at Port Lincoln! Well done Mom and Dad.

These little ones are awfully squirmy. It is a wonder Mom gets any sleep. One of them wanted to peek out at 00:20:59.

Things are going so well. Port Lincoln needs good weather, good fishing, and a dad in tip top condition to get the food on the nest.

All of the UK Ospreys have begun their migration. George Anderson wrote an excellent article on migration and how climate change could impact our beloved birds. Here is the link:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2021/09/osprey-migration-facts-map/?fbclid=IwAR2uWIlfHTouFdcVIaHh6-bf3zOVAv9C6rn1KaScjlE1WkaOvJ7aUeAKGqU

My friend, ‘T’ wrote to tell me that the Dyfi on line shop will be opening in October. If Monty was one of your favourite Ospreys, you might want to check out Emyr Evans’ book, Monty. It is reasonably priced and I am told full of everything you could ever want to know about this beloved male. If you missed it, Monty and Glesni’s grandson Pont Cresor’s Blue 494 (son of Aeron Z2 and Blue 014) was photographed in Brittany on his very first migration this week.

While there are many other sightings of the birds, it is also confirmed that LR2, son of Laddie LM12 and Blue NC0 from Loch of the Lowes, was photographed in Trebujena, Spain this past week also.

This is a short trailer for a documentary about Ospreys. The images are stunningly beautiful. You need to have a look.

This documentary is due to be show on Nature on October 25th in North America. As I gather more specific details, I will post them.

Take care everyone. I am off to track down a Juvenile Green Heron. Wish me luck! Thanks for stopping by.

Thank you to the Port Lincoln Osprey Project’s streaming cam where I took my screen shots.

Late Saturday in Bird World

I want to thank the person who wrote and thanked me for keeping everyone abreast of what is happening with the Port Lincoln Osplets. It is truly my pleasure. The situation of siblicide last year with Tapps really touched our or tore out our hearts. People can say that nature is not like Disneyland – and it surely isn’t – but, it is still hard. How many times did we want to scoop up little Tapps and feed him? I almost quit watching Ospreys entirely because of Tapps. I do understand – completely.

I began to wonder about these third hatches. The Osprey nests had such a hard time last year that there were few with three hatches that survived. The first was Tiny Tot at Achieva. Aka Tumbles. What an amazing bird. I will not bore you with all of the intricate details but, in the first two six weeks of her life, Tiny Tot had 12 days – 12 whole days – without food. At least twice, she went for 72 hours. That bird wanted to live. She was clever! And, yes, she got angry and lashed out at the older ones twice. I believe it was the last instance when Diane, the female, took notice. She began bringing in food to the nest. Those big catfish saved Tiny Tot’s life. And then Tiny Little at Foulshaw Moss. Neither of the Tinys should have survived but they did and were stronger birds for it. My interest in third hatches was cemented with the two Tinys. I want to see if their survival rate is higher than the big siblings. The problem is that so few of them are ringed or have satellite trackers. Someone in France just photographed Blue 494 from the Dyfi Nest. Maybe they will see Blue 463, Tiny Little, too. Oh, I hope so.

What I can tell you is that the PLO are doing fine. Little Bob has a good appetite. He can’t eat as many bites as Big Bob but at the most recent feeding, Little Bob ate enough to go into food coma! Mom seems particularly focused on making sure that each gets bites. She is doing really well this year and so is Dad with bringing in the fish. It is 11 degrees C in Port Lincoln and the winds are still blowing strong at 24 kmh. That is 14.91 miles an hour. It might not sound like a lot but it can certainly disrupt fishing.

Here is a close up. Little Bob is the one that is being fed. You can see that he already has the makings of a very good crop.

This is Little Bob getting some nice bites. The one that looks asleep is actually Big Bob. She has eaten and is taking a ‘breather’. Meanwhile Little and Middle Bob are enjoying the morning breakfast.

There is Big Bob back up at the table! Doesn’t take long. She can eat bigger pieces and more of them now. But there is no problem with Little or Middle Bobs eating. Everyone is doing well.

Every once in awhile their eyes lock on one another and my body goes rigid but, so far, nothing. Mom goes around making sure everyone has bites. It is that kind of security that keeps things tranquil.*

These are really well behaved youngsters. Food is plentiful and they line up with mouths open letting out little peeps. Middle Bob is getting some bites now while Little and Big wait their turns.

As I said, Little Bob has a very good appetite and he won’t leave the table until he falls over in food coma or mom calls it quits. Remember, she does not want them to catch cold. Right now the feedings are lasting about nine minutes.

Little Bob is full and in a food coma. The crops are filling on the older two. Oh, what a delight this nest is to watch this year. Of course, it can all change. Just continue to send the warmest of wishes to this family. We want three survivors! Three.

Closer to home. I was heading out to check on the Wood Ducks at the park. The last time I was there the male Wood Ducks – save for one – were in the equinox. They were moulting and getting their fall plumage. They were certainly not their brilliant beautiful selves.

As soon as I was out the door I could hear the familiar pecking of the male Downy Woodpecker in the garden. He comes several times a day. Rumour has it that he lives inside the 123 year-old Maple tree in front of my house.

In the winter I rub peanut butter suet on the bark and I often see him eating away. This summer he brought his baby to find the suet. The strange thing is – we have never seen the female. It is so odd.

Little Woodpecker is such a sweetie. One day when Sharpie, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, was in the garden, the little woodpecker was on the suet like he is today. For 45 minutes, he held on tight, not moving, just blinking his eyes rapidly. He was so afraid he was going to be Sharpie’s lunch. I felt so sorry for him. Sharpie was sitting on a branch under him pretending to be. feeder! Needless to say Sharpie wasn’t successful that day.

It is a beautiful fall day and the park was full of Canada geese and people having picnics and playing cricket.

Over in the pond, the male Wood Ducks really stand out. They have finished their moult. Just look at the range of colour in those feathers. Even the golden beige ones are gorgeous.

Here is a different one. The shape of the head is slightly different on this one.

The female Wood Ducks have really grown, too. My goodness. What a change in a a week. They were so tiny when I left but they seem to be growing by leaps and bounds.

There were definitely more females than males.

The Mallards were particularly annoying today. We noticed that the female Wood Ducks tended to stay close to one another.

Isn’t she beautiful?

The male Mallards are in the middle of moulting. Soon they will have those beautiful emerald green heads that are so characteristic. For now, they look a little bit like peeling duck decoys instead of living breathing water fowl.

There were lots of female Mallards in the pond today.

Two Canada Geese came flying in creating a bit of a ruckus.

Then they slithered along the surface of the pond. They looked rather strange and everyone stopped to try and figure out what they were doing.

We presumed that they were sipping water.

Speaking of water. The pond is pretty clean this year. There are two fountains and everyone is abiding by the signs and not feeding the ducks. If they do it is wild bird seed. What a huge difference from the algae infested muck of last year.

It is early morning in Australia. There will be more meals for the youngsters. All of the birds in our park are safe and sound tonight. We have had no frost. In decades past there was always a freeze in August. I wonder if this might impact migration dates?

Thank you so much for joining me. Have a lovely rest of the weekend. Tomorrow I am going to try and break my unlucky streak and catch that juvenile Green Heron that is hanging about our City. Take care all. Stay safe.

Thank you to the Port Lincoln Osprey Project for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.

Saturday in Ospreyland

There is super news regarding the fledglings. Pont Cresor Blue 494, son of Aeron Z2 and Blue 014 was spotted at Point Caillot in Brittany, France by Colette Leclerqu. Blue 494 was also a historic hatch – the first for the Pont Cresor Nest in the Glaslyn Valley.

Blue 494 has a great pedigree. He is the grandson of Monty and Glesni. Looking forward to his return in 2023!

If anyone hears of someone spotting Blue 463, Tiny Little, from the Foulshaw Moss Nest, please let me know!!!!!! Did you know that Foulshaw Moss was one of only a few Osprey nests in the world to successfully fledge three Osplets in 2021? Achieva Credit Union Osprey Nest with Tiny Tot was another.

I did a short report on the feedings at Port Lincoln in the middle of the night. There were at least two other meals for the three after I shut my computer down.

Mom knows with the cool winds coming off the water that the chicks need to be kept warm. They don’t! They are curious and wiggly and want to look around! Too funny. These three are going to be a handful.

Calypso, the 2019 hatch from this nest, a female, lives and is seen often around Port Lincoln. Solly, 2020 hatch, has a satellite transmitter and continues to stay around Kiffin Island and Eba Anchorage. Solly is 364 days old. Tomorrow is her first year hatching birthday!

The Montana Osprey Project has officially said goodbye to Iris for the 2021 season. She did not return to her nest to say goodbye this year and she was last seen about four days ago on the branch at Mt Sentinel eating a fish.

Here is one of the most iconic of Iris images. For those of you just learning about Ospreys, Iris is the oldest Osprey in the world. She is unringed. No one knows where she spends her winters. Her nest for the spring and summer is at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana. Iris, we wish you safe travels, great fishing, good weather, a wonderful winter break, and a speedy return to us.

It continues to be a good day in Osprey Land. Wishing for lots of fish for the PLO and great feedings today.

What a treat. An Osprey came into view while Ferris Akel was streaming at Wildlife Drive in Montezuma, New York.

I am off to check on the ducks today. Thank you so much for joining me. Emyr Evans if you are reading this, please open the on line store so we can all order our copies of Monty!

Thank you to the PLO Project, the Dyfi FB Page, Ferris Akel Livestream, and the Montana Osprey Project for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.

Little Bob loves his fish

I find myself continually checking on the Port Lincoln Osprey nest. In part it is because of the death of the third hatch, Tapps, last year. It is also because this nest has a history of siblicide. With the hatching of the three osplets so close together this year, everyone is hopeful that each will thrive and survive. If they do, there is a satellite tracker waiting for them so we can follow their lives like we do Solly’s.

Dad was on the ropes of the barge moored at Port Lincoln, Australia, eating some of the fish that he had just caught. This was his second catch of the morning. It wasn’t long til he shifted it over to Mom on the nest for the family breakfast.

The weather report has removed the forecast for rain but the winds are picking up. They are blowing at 34 km/h in the early afternoon. That is 21.1 mph.

It is hard to tell -when the camera was pulled out- who ate.

Turn around Little Bob! Or did Little Bob eat and we didn’t see it?

This feeding is over. You can see the fish left and another tail of a fish in the upper right. There is no shortage of food on the nest. That makes for happy osplets!

At 13:30 Dad brought in a big sized fish. This is so good. That fish, if left on the nest, will feed these wee ones for the rest of the day.

You could hear the wind blowing on the camera. It is very strong and the bobble heads are even more of a challenge for Mum to get tiny morsels into everyone’s mouth. Here she is trying to feed the little one in the middle and its head won’t stay still.

Aren’t those little wings darling?

I have not seen any targeted aggression with any of the three osplets.

Little Bob and Middle Bob have their mouths wide open.

Little Bob decides he is just going to take a bite out of that fish! How cute.

The feeding continues. All three have crops – not huge – but it is a cool wind. I wonder how long mom will feed them? will she stop before they get a chill?

Little Bob even went for the steal on this bite.

It is too funny. Mom is going to cover them up but Little Bob still wants to take a bite out of that fish! Priceless. (You can see his little crop). Oh, Little Bob, you are quite the character already. You are going to be a handful for your mother later!

Oh, my goodness. It is only 14:16 and so far this is today’s tally at the Port Lincoln Osprey nest. Looking at this everyone should be completely relieved. Mom is doing what is best – little frequent feedings. Additionally, she is getting them back under and warm so they do not catch a chill. This nest is really doing well this year. I am much more optimistic.

Fish deliveries: 6:11, 8:16, 13:30

Feedings: 6:11, 8:16, 9:12, 9:25, and 13:30

Please continue to send all of your positive warm wishes to this family so that all three fledge.

Thanks for stopping by for this quick check on the Osplets at Port Lincoln. Take care everyone.

Thank you to the Port Lincoln Osprey Project for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.

Friday in Bird World

Someone has a sense of humour over at the Dyfi Osprey Project. Have a look at their season highlights (oh, I had forgotten what a horrid spring these birds had!). There are some great images in this video compilation.

There was a really short feed at the Port Lincoln Osprey Nest before the sun came up.

The golden rays of the morning are falling on mom has she has those three little osplets under her keeping warm. It is 11 degrees C – coolish and the winds are blowing at 23 km/h. Brisk. I hope Dad has a good day fishing. The forecast is for rain on Saturday and Sunday.

Glaslyn has officially announced that Aran is now on his migration. He has not been seen since Tuesday.

Closer to home. The Great Blue Heron wins the award for patience. He stood positively still and because of that, he was very successful in his fishing today in a river south of Winnipeg. I wish I could find the words to describe how quiet it was on the river and what a privilege it was to see this really beautiful bird catch its dinner.

This Great Blue has been keeping the juvenile Green Heron company but if the latter was around, he is still alluding me.

There was not a sign of a Wood Duck or a Cormorant but the Mallards and the Canada Geese were the usual suspects at the urban pond today.

For some reason today, the grass seemed greener to the geese on the other side of a major paved thoroughfare. We ushered them back but not without a lot of hissing and honking. The grass was definitely not greener and the cars were not being respectful. If you see geese, please slow down.

How many of you are Big Red and Arthur fans? The Red-tail Hawk couple at Cornell University? If so, the folks at the Cornell Bird Lab have put together a compilation video like the one for the Dyfi Osprey Nest. Here it is:

It is that time of year. First, I remind everyone to please not rake your yard. There are insects growing there. Just leave the leaves. Someone’s ears will thank you for not using the blower as well. And, finally, this is the time of year that the eagles, the condors, and many other bird species show up in the wildlife clinics because of lead. Please tell everyone you know that fishes and hunts to use lead free kit. Thanks!

The Bald Eagle is not, of course, the symbol of Canada but many breed here during the summer and we want all of the birds safe.

I hope that each and everyone of you have a wonderful weekend. Maybe the weather is sunny and dry – go for a walk, say hi to your favourite birds. Check out the little ones at the PLO nest or WBSE 27 and 28 at the Sea Eagles nest in Sydney. Hatch watch for the falcons is still a ways away.

Thank you to the Port Lincoln Osprey Cam where I took my screen shots.

Very Impressive

I find myself continually checking on the PLO nest. Do you?

It is a sunny 18 degree C day in Port Lincoln, Australia. The problem is the speed of the winds. The rate is 42 kmh or 26 mph. The water is choppy. The barge is moving a bit. Add that together with three ‘Bobbling’ Bobs and well – could you feed these three hungry Osplets moving about every which way? I am certain that I could not! Dad has even delivered the fish despite the waves and wind. I really am finding myself being totally impressed by these two adults.

After the osplets hatch, the Mom tends to stay on the nest most of the time. That said she does take breaks and, at this nest, Dad can be seen relieving her so she can have a stretch and a relaxation break. Still, his primary role is food delivery – ‘Daddy Door Dash’. Alan Poole reminds us that the number of fish deliveries doubles and triples in the first 20 days after hatch. This is the rapid growth period. It is during these first weeks that we do not want to have cold rainy weather either – it seems to both impact the fishing as well as the health of the wee babes.

Ospreys are semi-precocial. This means that they are not as developed as ducks or chickens who, after 24 hours, can walk, are covered with feathers, and feed themselves. Ducks and chickens are precocial. Songbirds, on the other hand, are born altricial –naked and require complete care. Osplets are in between. They are born with down but still need the parent to keep them warm and feed them. They cannot regulate their own temperature until they are 2 to 3 weeks old.

In terms of growth, osplets should “triple their body weight in the first 8 days after hatch and then double that again in the next 4 days” according to Poole. By the time they are a month old, if all has gone well, they will be 70-80% of their adult size.

Mom has the task of trying to make sure that each open beak gets some fish. She is ever so gentle. The pieces of fish are so tiny. It is difficult to image those small morsels in that large beak of hers meeting up with the tiny, tiny beak of a wee babe. But she does it! Instead of still pictures I thought a couple of videos would help illustrate how impressive this female Osprey is at feeding.

I have to admit that I always worry about the third hatch. In the first video both Big Bob and Medium Bob had some bites. Little Bob had his beak wide open but I didn’t see any fish go in.

In the next video, Mom makes a point of feeding Little Bob. Look at how she stretches over Big Bob to reach Little Bob’s beak. What a relief!

These Bobs are doing so well. They still have their egg tooth that they used to get out of those hard shells. And, of course, we can see that bold dark eye stripe so characteristic of these fish eagles.

One day they will resemble their parents but there is a lot of growth and development that has to take place before then. Right now they have a coat of soft light grey down. This will be replaced by a darker wool and then the osplets will enter the reptilian phase where they look more like their dinosaur relatives than birds. The rusty-gold and coppery red of the pin feathers is gorgeous.

The three osplets in the nest below – not the PLO nest but another just for illustrative purposes show a bit of the range of plumage development. There is the lighter grey down, then the emergence of the charcoal and the one on the left is entering the reptile phase.

“7-10 day old Osprey young” by Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Their flight feathers will emerge last.

There are certainly exciting days to come but, for now, I want to focus on the magic as they seemingly grow right before our eyes. The stated range of fledging dates is 55-60 days in Australia. Those days will pass very quickly. Let’s enjoy them while we can!

I do hope you enjoyed the short videos of the three Bobs at the PLO nest having a feeding today. I do find myself continually commenting on how cute they are — and they are ever so precious.

Thank you for joining me. Send your warm wishes to this nest so that Dad’s fishing ventures are successful and that all three grow healthy and fledge. That would be remarkable. I am so hopeful this year.

Thank you to the PLO Project and their streaming cam where I took my screen shots and video clips.

Thursday in Bird World

Everyone that I know either loves to see an Osprey fish or they wish they had the opportunity to do so. This is one of the best two minute videos I have ever seen showing the physical stamina that the male needs to land his fish and get it out of the water for the family. Look at it closely.

John Williams kept a list of the fish that Dylan brought to the nest for Only Bob, Blue 496. That was the Lyn Clywedog Nest. There were 354 fish seen at the nest including Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, and 10 Grey Mullet. This is for one chick and his mate. I wonder how this number of fish increases for nests of more than one chick? Does anyone know?

Last night, at 18:15, the Dad at the PLO Barge brought in a nice fish. He had eaten the head off. Mum proceeded to provide three feedings to the Osplets between then and 22:15. After the last feeding, she ‘hid’ the fish. Lots of times the fish are hidden to keep insects off. In some countries, the fish buried in the strawy nests stay fresher. I am thinking of the White Tailed Eagles in Latvia. Or maybe she did want to hide it from Dad!

One thing that we always need to remember is that video from the beginning. The male’s role is often forgotten in terms of its importance.

The Osprey nests ONLY succeed when the male is in tip top condition. Tiger Mozone made that point last night on the PLO chat. The nest will fail if the male is not a good fisher or is in poor physical condition. The male must eat. How could he keep up his strength otherwise? Dad eats first and brings the remainder to the nest. Eating the head – which might be the best part (I doubt it) – might also stop that fish from flapping (it doesn’t always). So do not begrudge the male a meal – cheer him on. We need the male healthy so he can exert the type of energy it takes to catch the fish. Many say it is 8 to 15 tries to get a fish. That is a lot of diving. Of course, we also hope that there are lots of fish around the surface for the male to catch.

This image has been circulating. I have no idea who took it, where it originated but it was in my inbox awhile ago sent from a friend. Thanks ‘M’.

The next time you look at the legs of the males – think strength. They do not need a gym membership!

Dad on the ropes eating the head of one of the fish he brought in.
The 3 Bobs stand at attention if they are hungry. This is an image after that fish was delivered.

The little ones at the PLO nest need bites of fish often now. Like I said, Mom fed them at 18:15 and then twice again before bedtime. In 2 weeks time they will need more fish. It is important that the 2-3 week period be stable with deliveries. This will be a big growth period.

This was at 18:15:54. It is less than a minute after the fish delivery. I am including this image so you will then notice how those three get to attention when it is feeding time.

In 30 seconds, they have all turned around and gotten in line. Well done, little ones.

The last feeding of the day. They look like they are singing!

It has been some days since I checked on the Black Stork family of Karl II and Kaia whose nest is in the Karula National Forest in Estonia. The current tracking is for Karl II, Pikne, and Udu.

Udu is now in Hungary. The comment on the forum is that Udu seems to have an affinity for finding good fishing spots.

I like this map the best as it shows Karl’s family plus Jan and Janika’s Julge. Julge is the purple. You might recall that he got on a ship and went the wrong direction but righted himself and is now taking the Western route to either southern Spain and Portugal or on to Africa. I wonder if he will stop in Spain?? Karl II is near to where he was when I last checked on him. Near the Black Sea in the Ukraine. A great stopping off spot it seems.

While a few days might not change Karl II’s trajectory that much, it sure has changed the plumage of the White Bellied Sea Eaglets 27 and 28. Wow. They are gorgeous. And, yes, Toni Castelli-Rosen, they are as pretty as the Red Tail Hawks! Indeed, I have had to admit to Toni that they are double gorgeous. I love the plumage on these juveniles.

The last time Aran was seen was Tuesday morning so he might have left on his migration. The Glaslyn Valley will be waiting for him next year. Isn’t it gorgeous? I understand they are leaving the camera on all winter. Wow. What a treat.

It is not clear if Iris has left Missoula, Montana yet. There were photographs of an Osprey on Iris’s favourite branch eating a fish on 12 September. That was four days ago. Did she leave without saying goodbye to her nest? Maybe. Tiaki, the Royal Cam chick, had a feeding today (LGL) and Tiaki is still on Taiaroa Head. Samson has been bringing in sticks and him and Gabby are working on the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest.

Take care everyone. Thanks for joining me today. I had hoped to do a quick check on all the nests but the long drive in the rain was exhausting. I will do that this weekend. Stay safe everyone. Check out the trio at the PLO Barge. They are darlings.

Thank you to the Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Sea Eagles @Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, the Eagle Club of Estonia and BirdMap for their streaming cam and FB pages.

Wednesday in Ospreyland and elsewhere

The water on the lake is very smooth today. Strangely there were no gulls, only one Cormorant fishing, and a lone duck. The bison were not in their enclosure but the sky was the most beautiful blue and the Aspen trees are nothing short of gorgeous. It was a good day. I also learned a lot by plunking myself down and talking to the chap that runs the Nature Centre. So first with the terrible photos. The blame is on my ‘finger’. The setting on the camera was definitely not where it should have been.

This cormorant was rather amazing. He dove into the water and came up about 15 metres from where he went under – but not for several minutes. Incredible. I hope he found a fish for his efforts.

Feel free to help me identify this duck. I have three bird books in front of me and none of the descriptions fit this one. Ideas? I was told that there is a duck that should not be here but should be in British Columbia. I wonder if this is it?

The fawn was not going to cooperate! And why should it? But I do wish it would have turned and smiled.

Driving through the hills and gravel roads is such a change from the urban asphalt. These colours were stunning and changed from area to area in the park.

The national parks in Western Canada from 1915-1946 were built in part by some ten thousand foreigners, the unemployed, the homeless, conscientious objectors, and people deemed to be enemies of the state. I understand that they were not criminals but were perceived, at the time – during the Depression and the wars – to be persons who might cause civil unrest.

Four hundred and forty German POWs worked at Riding Mountain National Park. They were originally in detainment camps in Alberta that were crowded. They volunteered to come to Manitoba and work in the forests cutting wood. Each man’s quota was 3/4 of a cord of wood a day. Their camp was at Clearwater Lake. There were no fences and no barricades. In conversations with staff at the park, it was known that the men would often sneak out of camp and go to dances in some of the small towns. No one seemed to mind. They would be back in the POW camp in the morning for the roll call.

The men worked eight hour days. There was not a lot to keep them busy. They began wood carving. Many made dug out canoes from the large spruce trees in the forest. They raised pigs and grew vegetables in their gardens. They also caught a bear and tamed it and it became the camp mascot.

A number of the men returned to visit Riding Mountain on the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII. It is totally fascinating – a part of the history of my province that I did not know.

Times have certainly changed. Look at the old canvas tent and the chairs. I love the moose calves. Not sure the rangers would like to see this happen today! I can’t wait to learn more about this beautiful area where I live.

This is a short video about the POWs and their role at the park.

Now to turn our minds back to the birds for a moment. The sun is just rising over the water at Port Lincoln, Australia. It is kissing the back of our Osprey mum with its golden rays.

Six or seven hours after the third Osplet hatched, it was holding its head high wanting some fish.

I am not quite sure where it is during this feeding! It will be a scramble but hatching out of that egg took a lot of energy and many do not even eat the first 24 hours. I have a feeling that this little one is strong. Let us all hope so and send good wishes down to them and their parents. I want to see this nest fledge three this year!

What a beautiful place for an Osprey nest. I hope there are a lot of fish for Dad to bring to the nest. Fingers crossed.

Looks like everything is going well at Port Lincoln. Here is another image of its first feed, less than six hours after hatch. Fantastic.

The researchers and administrators at the Port Lincoln Osprey Project have posted a number of videos on the Port Lincoln FB page. You do not have to be a member of their group to watch them. Check it out!

Thank you for stopping by. I hope to do a full check on all the nests – including returning Bald Eagles – tomorrow night. Take care everyone. Stay safe!

Thank you to the PLO for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.

And then there were 3

Port Lincoln Ospreys welcomed the third hatch at 00:57:50.

This was one of the best images. Mum moved that eggshell later. Congratulations PLO. Let us hope that since the hatches are so close together, the rivalry will be minimal and all three will get to wear an antennae!

There is other good news. Laddie, LM12 and Blue NC0’s 2021 hatch, LR2 was photographed in Trebujena, Spain by Richard Page-Jones. Fantastic. Not sure if he will stay there or continue on to Africa. Well done Loch of the Lowes!

Three other interesting tidbits this morning. A study in Canada has revealed that if you put colourful collars on cats, it helps protect the songbirds in your garden. I might just buy these for the neighbour’s cats that come around my feeders!!!!!!!!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cat-collars-bird-deaths-research-university-northern-bc-1.6168493?fbclid=IwAR0ivf3W0erFnpo5TwYIOag2pxKP1yXuhYwmyddPthi-jpeQpBITJrB1Etk

There is another positive story coming out of my province, Manitoba. The Burrowing Owl Recovery Project has discovered the only known nest – a first for so many years – with two adults and six owlets. Well done.

This morning’s newsletter is short but it is packed with positives. Head over to the Port Lincoln Osprey streaming cam later today to check on that new hatch if you have time. Here is the link:

I am cautiously optimistic about the PLO this year since the hatch times are so close together.

Thank you for checking in. Have a great day.

Thanks to the PLO Project for their streaming cam where I took my screen shots.