It is the end of the weekend as I write this, and now the beginning of the week. We hope that you have a wonderful one.
Look at these two sweethearts. I melted when I saw them together.
Missey and Hugo Yugo.
Whether it is sitting outside listening to the birdsong or just looking at the four cats and Toby that share my life inside, they make me a better person. They also make me so happy. It is something that I cannot fully explain but I also know that most of you know what I am trying to say!
What bothers me is that there are individuals who care nothing for animals, believing humans to be far superior. My son said once that ‘humans are a failed experiment’ compared to animals. My late mentor, Laura Culley, would agree. How do we get people to care? Could it be that we need to get them to understand the benefits of birdwatching?
I worry about the raptors that lose their children or their mate. In this case, Seren has been on my mind so much.
Beautiful Seren was on her nest on a wet Sunday evening in Wales. I wonder where she thinks her babies are?
Dorcha and her three babies are waiting for Louis and a fish. That fish came, and Dorcha gave a huge piece to three who appeared to be choking on it. Dorcha began to brood, and we do not know the status of little three as I write.
It’s pitching down. We may not know what happened to little 3 til tomorrow.
Aeron Z2 and Blue 014 on their Pont Cresor nest.
Little 4 at Poole Harbour has a much better change with the great parenting and all the fish than some of the US nests that are struggling.
If you would like to guess the gender of Maya and Blue 33’s trio, please go to the chat associated with the streaming cam and put your guess in the comments.
What a relief. Big and Little showed up at the Achieva nest in the afternoon together.
Jill brought in a huge freshwter fish and Big took it. Later she went out and caught another one, both waiting. I wonder if Little got some?
PB: Jill did it again!!! 18:30 huge speckled trout. Big got it but Little was hungry and as PB said, got bold and took it from Big.
At the US Steel nest, Sid has branched. SPO wrote, “On June 5, 2026, Sid the eaglet hopped onto its first branch at the U.S. Steel eagle nest in Pennsylvania, turning a quick, wobbly move into a milestone moment as Hutch, Sid, and Maz move closer to fledging.
At 65 days old, Sid made a short but meaningful first trip onto a branch.
It was not a dramatic long perch or a polished eagle pose yet. It was better than that. It was honest, wobbly, determined, and full of young-eagle energy.
This was not just a few seconds on a branch. It was Sid’s first real step beyond the nest bowl, a small move that showed just how quickly the U.S. Steel eaglets are growing.”
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 7th June 2026
Today was wet and mainly uneventful – no pip yet in Aurora and Garry’s single egg yet although at one stage Aurora looked like she was listening to the egg. It’s Day 38 and eggs can hatch right up to Day 42 so the wait goes on. Over on Nest Two, Dorcha has been stuffing the three chicks full of fish, perhaps too much so as the almost-two day old youngest chick appeared to get a large morsel stuck in its throat. Dorcha then covered the chicks – subsequent glimpses appear to show movement but it will be a relief to get a proper look. However, Louis may have something to say about that as he’s brought a stick with lichen pom poms, and plopped it down right where it obscures our view! He brought three fish today and the Nest Two tally rises to one hundred and seventeen, while Garry’s single fish takes the Nest One tally to one hundred and four. The wet weather continues with more light rain overnight and a low of 9°C, and light rain showers with a high of 14°C tomorrow.
Thank you for being with us as we sit and wait to see how the baby is at Loch Arkaig and for one of Iris’s eggs to pip.
Take care.
Thank you to Geemeff for their daily summary, to PB and Heidi for information on nests and fish ID, and to all others who post information on FB and elsewhere or own streaming cams that allow us to see the lives of our birds.
This continues to be the most important story coming out of the US when it concerns ospreys.
Ben Wurst writes today:
Last week, I flew along the entire 130 mile coastline of New Jersey.
What I saw was alarming.
The goal was to locate schools of Atlantic menhaden, a historically abundant forage fish found in New Jersey’s nearshore waters. Menhaden have long been a primary prey species for coastal nesting ospreys, as well as many predatory fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. They also support the largest fishery by volume on the East Coast and are harvested for bait and industrial reduction products (oil + meal).
I teamed up with my friend and pilot, Adam Sherer, for the survey. It was my first time flying in a Cessna and conducting an aerial survey along the coast. Spotter planes are commonly used by large-scale bait and reduction fisheries to locate schools of menhaden. Some aircraft fly weekly from Reedville, Virginia, to Sandy Hook to assess the presence and abundance of fish.
After what we observed with osprey reproduction last year, I felt it was crucial to gather independent observations on menhaden presence, or absence, off New Jersey. As far as I am aware, there are no dedicated public surveys conducted along New Jersey’s coast to assess nearshore menhaden abundance.
Conditions for our flight were ideal: light north winds, excellent visibility, and calm seas. We flew from Barnegat Inlet south to Cape May, then north to Sandy Hook, surveying waters approximately 1–3 miles offshore at elevations between 1,500 and 2,500 feet above ground level.
Throughout the entire flight, we did not observe a single school of menhaden.
Schools of menhaden are highly visible from the air, often appearing as large dark patches near the water’s surface. They are frequently accompanied by predators such as bluefish, striped bass, tuna, dolphins, whales, and seabirds like northern gannets, all of which feed on these important forage fish as they move along the Atlantic coast.
Adam is an experienced pilot who knows how to read the water. Given the conditions, I am confident that if substantial schools of fish had been present, we would have seen them. The coast was so calm and quiet that it felt eerie. Aside from several small pods of dolphins, we observed very little marine life. There was also surprisingly little fishing activity.
Meanwhile, many osprey nests in New Jersey remain empty because females never laid eggs this spring. Without adequate food resources, females are not able to reach breeding condition. Many nests that do contain eggs were initiated later than normal and often have smaller clutches, both potential signs of food stress.
As chicks hatch and adults shift to feeding young, abundant prey becomes even more critical. If food remains scarce, we may see increased food stress, brood reduction, and nest failures, similar to what we documented last year when menhaden appeared scarce along portions of the coast and what many osprey pairs are experiencing on the Chesapeake Bay, which has always been considered the most important nursery grounds for menhaden on the Atlantic coast.
Another concerning observation is the condition of nesting females. While photographing a female leaving her nest, I was struck by how pronounced her breastbone appeared through the viewfinder. Her mate was absent, likely out searching for prey. Similar reports and observations are coming from throughout the coast. This is not what we typically expect to see during the nesting season.
Perhaps most concerning is that fisheries managers continue to rely heavily on fishery-dependent data to estimate menhaden abundance, while warning signs from dependent predators like ospreys receive far less attention. What we are seeing at nests all along the coast is that something is out of balance.
In addition, reports indicate that the reduction fleet in Virginia has remained at the dock for much of the spring while spotter aircraft search vast stretches of coastline from North Carolina to New England looking for fish.
Taken together, these observations raise serious concerns about the condition of the marine ecosystem and the forage base that supports whales, dolphins, ospreys, game fish, commercial fisheries, and coastal economies.
If you care about our coast and the wildlife that depends on it, now is the time to pay attention. We need better monitoring, greater transparency, and a stronger commitment to understanding and protecting the forage fish that serve as the foundation of our marine ecosystem. Follow groups like the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Menhaden Defenders, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Forage Fish Campaign to get involved and stay informed.
Very grateful for this opportunity to help better understand what is happening along our coast. Thank you, Adam.
Heidi and I have been warning about this collapse for three years, along with others from William & Mary College, including Michael Academia. This is VERY serious. It is not only the osprey that are starving, but also the other fish that depend on Menhaden and even tarrapins. The entire ecosystem is dead or dying. Some might point to multiple conditions, but for me, there is a single major cause: Omega Protein, a Canadian company that turns millions of tonnes of Menhaden into chicken and salmon feed, based in Reedsville, Virginia. They are also gutting the schools in the Gulf. This has to stop. I urge each of my readers to write in support of a three-year moratorium on commercial-industrial fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and all the waters from Long Island, around New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. Please note that mile limits have caused Omega Protein to use helicopters in at least one instance to get the schools to flee back to deeper water where they can net them!
You can use the wording from Ben Wurst’s letter. He is the Conservation Officer for New Jersey. You might also want to educate yourself before writing by examining the posts on the FB group – Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal.
I am very concerned about Little Dewey at Dewey Beach in Delaware. And I want to make clear that if any of the birds on streaming cams are starving, the cause can be argued to be human-caused, a reason for intervention! Remember I have said that we might have to have a test case to prove that this is human caused.
This image, from Heidi and PB, shows the tiny Menhaden that Baby Dewey had for breakfast. This precious family might need help, and the USFWS should permit fish to be placed on the nest for them, since the absolute decline in the Menhaden population has caused issues and endangered ospreys to the point that they might not exist in this region as they did during the time of DDT. The Ospreys are the ‘Canaries in the Mine’ warning us of disaster.
In other news, ‘PB’ reports that both Jack and Jill have been at the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest with fish but no Big and no Little to eat. Please return you two. You are still a little young to be out on your own, Little.
SK Hideaways Videos, week of 31 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 Sandy & Luna Play Tug of Fish🦈🪢 Jackie & Shadow Steal Away (2026 Jun 3)When Shadow brought a whopper to the nest, Sandy and Luna got to work consuming their fair share. While the eaglets pulled the fish from each other time and again, the 90-minute meal was more a tug-of-peace than a tug-of-war, as they both got plenty to eat. Abundance makes for peaceful mealtimes. Once the eaglets were in food comas, Jackie met Shadow on the Simba Tree for a most picturesque rendezvous. Hatch dates: Sandy, 4 April; Luna 5 April Video: https://youtu.be/ki-gZ6sEY6M Fraser Point Eagles ~ Santa Cruz Island, CA ~ Cruz, Andor, Sasha, Zuma, and Ryder Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Fraser Point Eagles Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s Sasha Branches Cruz Approves ✅ Sasha Returns (2026 Jun 5) Congratulations to Sasha on an easy branching to and from the left branch at 69 days Video: https://youtu.be/jFYnyJCpC_E
Eaglets Show Big Wingers🪽and Jumps🦘➕Nonstop Eating (2026 Jun 4)At nearly 10 weeks old, Sasha, Zuma, and Ryder will be branching and fledging any time now. We wondered how they’d all fit on the nest once fully grown, but they’re managing just fine and even allow Cruz and Andor to visit ~ as if they have a choice. We checked on their progress as they displayed their beautiful wings, made some impressive jumps, and ate… incessantly. What a joy to watch these triplets thrive. Video: https://youtu.be/0-PBOvkuCX0
Party in the A.M.🎉Party in the P.M. 🍾 Things Get Raptoresque(2026 Jun 5) The boys met on the roof for the first fete of the day, which left them loafing in the afternoon. Come 5 p.m., they were right on time for happy hour on the nest ledge. They even let Monty stay… for a while. Then the rave kicked into full gear and things got raptoresque. Video: https://youtu.be/EiemTOD-YGI
Chicks Vie for Cutest Raptor Fledgling Championship🏆 You Decide (2026 Jun 4) This day-in-the-life video includes an opportunity for you to cast a completely unofficial vote for the Cutest Raptor Fledgling amongst a selection of raptor types in Northern California, where this falcon family lives. The rest of the video is a collection of the day’s poses and shenanigans, which all contribute to my own personal vote. Enjoy the fun and your own personal contest. Video: https://youtu.be/-aE-lEcDHSE
Chicks Present, Accounted For,📋and Even Cuter (If Possible) (2026 June 3) Despite the fact that fledge watch has completed, we are all compelled to check on the boys. Happily, all four are present and accounted for as end of day today. They seem to get more adorable by the minute. Video: https://youtu.be/ZtjQtjaK9L0
Chicks Take Over Fledge Watch 👀 Hartley & Monty Bond in Nest (2026 Jun 2)Jet and Walton took up their post on the roof to observe early morning aerial activity. I don’t know if they knew the featherless giants (with occasional long black eye protrusions) were gone, but they did seem to take responsibility for the skies above city hall. Meanwhile, Hartley and Monty took a moment to bond in the nest box; perhaps reveling in another wildly successful breeding season. Video: https://youtu.be/tce7draJcbg
All 4 chicks returned to the nest 🎉 Monty hung out with his boys (2026 May 31) The four boys gave fans a real treat ~ thanks to a steamy San Jose day ~ and spent nearly the entire day and overnight in and around the nest area. They found shade in the nest box and along the sides of the runway to keep cooler. Along the way were visits from Hartley and Monty, giving us the bonus of seeing the entire family together. It was fascinating to watch Monty spend a good amount of time with the boys, despite their occasional protestations; a very different response than when his offspring have been larger females. Because this is a rare and unique event, I captured a substantial part of the day, allowing us to savor the waning moments of seeing this special family together. Video: https://youtu.be/-j4K_dqhkgM
Fledge Watch 2026 👀 Day 3 Highlights (2026 May 30) A collection of images from the San Jose City Hall Peregrine Falcon cam, my phone camera, and my phone camera through one of the scopes atop fledge watch HQ chronicling the highlights of fledge watch 2026 day 3. It was a thrilling couple of days for this avid fan, who continues to be humbled by the magnificence of our falcon family. I am equally humbled by the wisdom, dedication, and compassion of the fledge watch team and photographers, who show up day after day, year after year in support of these special birds. Video: https://youtu.be/slTtVRA98TI
‘AK’ was watching nest 5 in Finland when this lynx went up to the nest. No chicks yet, just eggs. ‘AK’ notes that the adults were able to frighten it away. I have never seen a lynx climb a nest!
‘AK’ adds: This happened at 02:51:50 Finnish time.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 6th June 2026
Today’s big event was the overnight arrival of Louis and Dorcha’s third chick. The exact time was difficult to determine as Dorcha was blocking the view, doing a good job of keeping the chicks warm and dry despite the constant rain, but eventually the time of 00.49.09 seemed the most logical based on glimpses of empty eggshells (thanks LizB). Dawn gave us and Louis a good look at the little hatchling, although Louis seemed more interested in snaffling a bit of left over fish, until Dorcha returned and made him give it up for the chicks. He delivered only one new fish to day but it was massive, and the Nest Two tally now stands at one hundred and fourteen. Nest Cam One has been zoomed in ready for those magic moments when the egg pips and the little hatchling emerges, but there’s no news yet – the egg shows no sign of pipping. However it’s only day 37 and hatching is possible right up to day 42, especially as Aurora 536 delayed incubation for the first couple of days. Garry LV0 brought her two fish and his tally now stands at one hundred and three. It was another damp day and set to continue with light rain overnight and a low of 10°C, changing to thundery showers and a high of 15°C tomorrow.
Telyn looks well. May she live a long and healthy life – and may we, humans – clean up after ourselves so that wildlife do not have to suffer.
It’s raining in Missoula (again). Is Clark having trouble fishing? Is there a pip in an egg?
Posted on Montana Osprey Project FB:
I mentioned that Lola had returned to her nest that she shared with Charlie raising chicks. When she arrived (after a month of healing), Charlie was incubating the eggs of his current mate.
The premier, Wab Kinew, of our province has turned down a request to build an AI Centre next door to our now only Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre, Wildlife Haven.
There are many places fighting the building of AI centres including the Nashville Zoo.
Thank you for being with us today. It is very hot, and we continue to have a yellow heat warning. It is the temperature and humidity that are causing this. My sidekick, Toby, is right here with me. Don is doing better today. He had a bad fall yesterday and had been unwell for several days. He is so much better that I am feeling a little bit like a human being today. We are staying in, hoping it will be cool enough for Toby to go outside with his cooling vest and boots. Remember, if you have a dog, the pads of their feet can burn and crack from the heat of the sidewalk. If you need shoes, so do they!
Take care. We will see you soon.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for their great videos, to Geemeff for their daily summary and videos, to Heidi and PB for their news, to AK for the image of the lynx and alerting me to this new danger to our ospreys, and to everyone who posted news on FB or elsewhere. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch the lives of these incredible bird families.
We have another yellow warning for heat and are being told not to be outside unless necessary. I had hoped to set up Toby’s spray pad, but it had a warning that pet’s toenails should be clipped. Of course. Punctures!!!!!! Hugo Yugo has her dental surgery on Wednesday and when I pick her up Toby will go in and get those nails trimmed then he can have some great fun!!!!! While it might sound silly, I had the deck extended by a modest 5 x 10′ in order for him to be able to have a little pool of this spray pad. The rest of the garden has really been given over to the garden animals so they have lots of cool shelter in the summer. There are bunnies – we thought one and their nest is under our deck. It is a good spot for some of the animals to get out of the way of the hawks and falcons that come for a quick lunch (or so they think!).
We travelled out to the garden centre that I prefer, and there were no peonies. I had hoped to add another 3 or 4 plants to an already growing number. They are toxic to dogs, like hydrangeas, and all of the groups are fenced off so that Toby cannot get ill or, worse, die. I am considering planting about ten raspberry plants. I have the perfect spot – with direct southern exposure just beside the conservatory. Sour cherries were also tempting. We will sleep on this over night.
There is no bad news about Telyn. She was eating and feeding the three chicks this morning. Oh, please let her be alright.
From the Dyfi Osprey Project (Emyr Evans):
Teifi has been bringing in some nice Brown Trout for Elen and the triplets at Glaslyn.
The surviving chick at Loch of the Lowes is doing so well. There is a third egg. It could still hatch.
All appears to be well at the Usk Valley osprey nest.
Maya and Blue 33 have been working on the cot rails as those three kiddos get larger. The ‘babies’ are now preening their new juvenile feathers. This also helps take away the keratin sheath – that waxy protein tube that holds the blood feathers.
CJ7 and Blue 022 are masters at raising four osplets at once! Look at the images and spot the fat little bottom of hatch 4.
Dylan and Seren continue to bond and spend time together. Will they leave early for their migration – perhaps in July? This is wonderful to see – bonded and caring, they are protecting their territory and will really fatten up and be fit for their long migration. We don’t know where Dylan goes but we know that Seren Blue 5F goes to the exact tree in The Gambia every year.
Yesterday, Charlie’s former mate, Lola, visited their nest that now has eggs with his new mate. Charlie was incubating when she arrived. It is interesting to me that had this been the other way around, Charlie would have destroyed those eggs.
We are getting closer and closer to hatch for Clark and Iris at Hellgate Canyon.
At Amersfoort, the Little Prince and his sister nap in the scrape box. No worries this year over the tiny baby. Can you tell them apart?
A look at the trio at Loch Arkaig 2 for Louis and Dorcha – a feeding video by Geemeff. https://youtu.be/-O_WQ33FChQ?
I am glad that Little Dewey is a bit spunky. This might help him or her later on. Look at that fat little bottom and there is a fish on the nest – a large one.
Geemeff’s latest Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigFriday 5th June 2026
Another day with plenty of fish and wet conditions. Garry LV0 brought two fish for Aurora 536, and his tally now stands at one hundred and one. He’d eaten the first one in a strange way, starting in the middle, but Aurora wasn’t bothered by the way it looked, and took it away to eat off the nest. Louis brought four fish for Dorcha and the two chicks, and the Nest Two tally now stands at one hundred and thirteen. At the time of filing this report (00.45), the third egg on Nest Two has pipped and is chupping away, and over on Nest One, there is a possibility Aurora’s single egg is also pipping, but a better view is needed. The wet weather is set to continue, with overnight drizzle and a low of 9°C, changing to light rain and a high of 16°C tomorrow.
I am so delighted that Telyn shows no sign of being adversely impacted by that fishing line and hook. Let us send our good wishes to all our families who struggle with more than we could imagine. Chicks are hatching in the area that Heidi monitors, and we are just praying for fish for them. They have, in the past, starved to death.
I will leave you with what is making me happy these days – the garden. The rain and heat have kick-started everything to bloom. Soon, there will hardly be any open space left, save for the deck area, so the birds, bunnies, squirrels, and Brock will have a place to stay cool.
There were two plants in the back garden when we bought the property – a peony and a prairie rose bush planted around 1902. These are the roses. They are so fragrant.
The Korean Maple.
The tunnel to the back of the property is now completely obscured.
The direct sun is shining down on all the garden and yet it is about 15 degrees cooler in this area for the birds and animals.
Thank you so much for being with us today. I am very tired and I do not know if I will have a post tomorrow but I will on Monday that will include SK Hideaways weekly videos. I should also mention that we have had fledges at the Spirit Bluff Peregrine scrape. Well done.
Thank you to everyone who posted information and images on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams that allowed us to view the birds and their lives, and me to take screencaptures. Thank you Geemeff for your amazing daily summary and videos. Much appreciated. Thank you so much.
I hope you never get tired of me saying that a single person can make a difference. Well, today, Pam Breci helped out the osplets in the nest with the baling twine in Idaho. Their own website says they will intervene if the event is human-caused. PB did not take ‘no’ as an answer. Today, she made a difference. Tomorrow it could be you. Never give up hope. Always persist.
“Mary Ann! I have a win!!! Idaho Fish and Game listened to me and will remove the twice at Salmon nest!!! I feel so good I may have saved 3 little lives just by being proactive to find their phone number at Salmon Regional office and talked to person who answered the phone. I bet she passed it on to the biologist there and they have on their website they only intervene if man-made like twine. Here’s what’s on chat.
Do not ever underestimate your ability to make a difference! They have no personnel to undertake this over the weekend, sadly but you will note they will do it next week. So when you see something – don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and advocate on behalf of our wildlife. You can be another Pam Breci – who deserves a gold medal today!
This morning I reported that Telyn had swallowed a fishing hook and line. Here is the blog from the Dyfi Osprey Project. Please read it:
The image below is the family portrait. That is Idris, the amazing Dad, feeding his children. It is night now and Telyn is a little restless on the nest. We hope that her stomach enzymes will eat up all that human debris.
I cannot tell you how angry I feel today. My father loved fishing. My sons loved fishing. My oldest son is in Asia at a conference and will be going fishing with friends. My grandson goes fishing. For my son the quiet in his little boat like thing in the mangroves is his sanctuary. But this puts me in a real quandry. Don quit fishing when he realised the mess that humans leave that wildlife have to deal with. I don’t even know how we could clean it up – baling twine in farming areas like Idaho and Montana. Dr Green and his team spend lots of time removing baling twine. But recently we have seen Jackie eat a hook and line. Now Telyn has. How many others that are not seen are hurting, bleeding inside from the barbs on those hooks. My only consolation – if I am right – is that the hook is smaller and barbless in the UK. I want to be hopeful.
Hugo Yugo will be going for dental surgery on Wednesday. Poor thing she had to go to let the vet have a look to make sure that she needed the surgery. Look at the two of them – Toby and Hugo Yugo are seriously joined at the hip so to speak.
Toby weighs 29.3 lbs. Hugo Yugo weighs 12.2 lbs. This carrier is meant for a 16 lb pet!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugo Yugo is so traumatised from just being at the vet that she will not stop howling. Poor thing.
The garden is beautiful now. The rain turned everything emerald green but the wind and rain destroyed the blossoms on the lilacs. The cherry blossoms lasted about 40 hours. I just love the garden right now and when I looked there are some buds on the Prairie roses.
So I want to check on some good nests and I want you to look at the calendar. Iris and Clark will be on pip watch on Monday!
Big Red’s babies are beautiful and they are getting their juvenile feathers fully in and flapping like crazy.
There is great news coming out of Dale Hollow. DH23 is back in the nest after being knocked off during a prey delivery.
Right now Louis and Dorcha have two chicks, but Geemeff thinks that there is a pip in the third egg!
Blue 210 has fed part of the dead chick to the remaining chick on the nest. Dad has brought in 3 fish and a tail, which he ate early in the day, but this nest needs more big fish! Nothing late.
I love Little Dewey.
Blue 33 feeds his babies while Maya takes a break at Rutland.
Teifi and Elen hanging out on the perch while their babies nap.
We are happy to share that Snow has not presented the medical team with any new complications since his initial assessment, and he, so far, continues to respond well to his supportive care regimen consisting of stress management, medications for pain and inflammation, and a healthy supply of clean food (he’s a hungry boy!).
We have two ways that YOU can help Snow’s recovery efforts… read on for more!
Many of you have asked for a quick explanation of what the coaptive approach to treating breaks and fractures entails:
-In scenarios where bones are still developing, the goal is to take a path that provides the highest likelihood of ensuring proper long term function.
-In Snow’s case, the curved edge carpal splint (orange foam in the photos) will support the shape of the wrist in the right wing during healing, with the splint itself being removed, and alignment inspected (using a combination of x-ray imaging and manual palpation), twice each week.
-3 to 4 times a week, the body wrap holding the splinted wing up for support (orange vet wrap tape) can be released for range of motion exercises in the shoulder and elbow while still leaving the wrist supported by the splint.
-On Snow’s left side, the ulna fracture is supported with a wing to body wrap (the pink vet wrap tape).
-This wing will also receive full range of motion therapy 3 to 4 times per week aimed at preventing synostosis (the ulna accidentally attaching to the radius) and to keep developing muscles from tightening.
One of the key medical components for the effective treatment of breaks and fractures is X-RAY IMAGING, and for Snow’s treatment plan, he will require a fair number of them throughout the process. While we do have access to off-site radiographic imaging, managing the stress of travel for patients that are already compromised is a real concern.
Fortunately, over the past 2 days, thanks to the incredible compassion and generosity of so many of you who have followed Snow’s story from the beginning, we find ourselves well on our way (35%) to being able to purchase a PORTABLE X-RAY MACHINE that would be game changing in how we are able to serve not just Snow, but ALL of our patients for years to come!
***IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE for Snow’s recovery, this is a truly impactful way to do it!
In the meantime, we will continue to serve our organization’s mission by providing Snow, and all of our patients, with the highest quality of care available! As always, you can continue to support these efforts by donating at www.northskyraptor.org/donatenow.
We genuinely couldn’t be more appreciative of the support our community has shown, and we will endeavor to keep you informed as treatment continues!”
I have nothing yet from Geemeff. It has been a busy day. I suspect the minute I hit publish she will post her daily summary. I will include it tomorrow. Take care everyone. We are enjoying a beautiful early summer evening. The birdsong is very loud in the garden but we can no longer see them for all the foliage that will keep them cool and maybe dry when it rains. We did spot a baby bunny this evening. Such a wonderful sight.
See you soon!
Thank you to ‘PB’ for persisting in getting a change at that Idaho nest. Thank you also to PB for the screen capture of Little Dewey and to everyone else who posted on FB or wrote articles, I am so grateful. To the owners of the streaming cams, thank you for letting us watch these incredible birds.
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.
feeling grateful.
