25 July 2026
Hello Everyone,
It was a wonderful time with out son and daughter-in law as well as our daughter and her partner. A busy week. They took my list of things to do and just go on with it. The Peletron bike now longer haunts me sitting by the dining room table. The box room is cleared up and it has a new home. The attic is 95% cleared out. All the good stuff was kept, lots donated, and some sadly made it to the landfill. They were so organised! My contribution was to ‘stay out of the way’. The kids leave to return to their home in the Caribbean in a couple of hours. Gosh, I miss them already!
I apologise for I have not caught up with answering your e-mails. My inbox has exploded since the funds came through for Moon Camp.
A lot has happened in Bird World.
First of all, everyone knows that the funds needed to purchase the land and put it into a trust – Moon Camp – to preserve the foraging area of Jackie and Shadow and whoever comes after them is secure. They did it with a week to spare. Bravo!
Every news agency carried this remarkable story. KTLA 5 was one of those. https://youtu.be/R37G4tN1dYE?
Thank you to everyone who helped to make this happen. Now we just need Jackie home —- and she is in the best facility possible to help her, Ojai Raptor Centre!
SK Hideaways might be giving us our last look at Sandy and Luna: https://youtu.be/O32HJ6mozQI?
Sadly, as it happens every year, a White-tail waited til the osprey fledglings get nice and fat for fledge and then struck. AK wrote: “
Sadly, UMU, the #4 nestling in Finland, was taken by a White-tailed Eagle.”
If you follow the images below you will see that the osprey cme to try and get its chick to no avail. The WTE slipped into the forest.
You can see the sequence here, and the osprey flies up to the forest and then turns to the right. So sad. They wait, those eagles and hawks, til the osplets are fat and ready to fledge.
It is fledge watch and Geemeff just sent me the cutest video of Amber flapping her wings and then helicoptering out of view of the camera. Soon! It comes too quickly! We sit and wait for eggs to hatch – that seems to take endless time – and then before we know it they are losing their baby look and turning into ferocious reptiles and then beautiful juveniles. For all those who survived this most tragic year, we salute you and anyone and all who helped.
Amber’s great flapping and helicoptering. https://youtu.be/J6Ki2ZIxvoI?
There are still 4 chicks at Blackbush.
Looks like two at Collins Marsh in WI.
I hope Sassy is eating.
Ping Shen reports from Seattle: “Hope you are well and the heat and smoke are not too bad. We are getting a bit of both here in Seattle, though nothing like what the midwest and northeast had last week.
Some good news mid-week – a very short visit today and all 3 young continue to look good. Mom delivered a Starry Flounder not five minutes after I arrived and lunch was served. The pecking order is very clearly established – you can see #3 sitting back while the first 2 surround mom, the little one not even trying to get in there and seemingly content to wait. However, since it seems to still be doing well, I guess there has been enough fish for this complacency to work! Fingers crossed they continue to well but so far so good. They are now well past the stage where they lost #3 last season, so an improvement already…”
News from Viki and Indian Creek: “LB seems to have split now that Lily has returned. Lily had no problem getting the first AND the second fish I threw this morning, ate them both, not even stopping by the chick’s nest, and since she was full she let the third one I threw sink and the chick has not been fed. It’s like one step forward, two steps back.
Full blown construction surrounds me in the neighborhood today. I sit out on the porch (second day in a row of lovely weather) with noise canceling headphones on. Waiting for LB to show up so I can throw a fish to him to bring to the chick.
LMAO – you are right! An osprey from the other side of the creek just now got that fish. Glad to know they float for a long while.
Heading out to give Lily one more chance – I cover up with a Dr. Seuss XL pajama pant and a long sleeve shirt from one of my husband’s political campaigns. Hoping it was LB who took #4 fish. Sheesh. This is becoming stressful!? [Note: Viki is the mother of the chicks.}
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 24th July 2026
More intruder action today but Dorcha made sure they didn’t come near the nest, allowing the chicks to get on with wingercising and stuffing themselves with fish. There was a lot of fish to get through as Louis delivered seven fish taking the Nest Two tally to three hundred and twenty six, and the chicks are in great shape. Both Amber 8P6 and Juniper 8P7 have been exercising their wings, strengthening them ready for fledging, doing little hops, and Amber in particular did some quite high mini-helicopters, when she wasn’t tangling her talons or wings in a stick, as she did on one occasion. Over on Nest One, Aurora and Garry have stopped paying attention to the rotten but still intact egg and Aurora sleeps elsewhere now, but they are still attending the nest, bringing fish and bedding and adjusting the furnishings. This bodes well for next year when with luck they will produce a viable clutch. Garry brought two fish for Aurora, taking his tally to one hundred and eighty one. The ‘gentle breezes’ forecast for today seemed much stronger than that, but of course, exposed nests at the top of tall trees will feel the effects more. Those ‘gentle breezes’ are set to continue tonight and through tomorrow, with heavy rain, a low of 13°C and a high of 17°C. At the time of filing this report (half past midnight) the rain has begun and Dorcha is on the nest next to her chicks.
Today’s videos:
https://youtu.be/H7JrmiDE4Tg N2 Dorcha sees off an intruder Osprey 07.58.40
https://youtu.be/LCWLmremJP4 N2 Amber tries to steal fish one but Dorcha holds on 08.20.27
https://youtu.be/LX1ZgDdr8vw N1 Garry won’t give Aurora his fish and leaves with it 09.01.26
https://youtu.be/Q5_obJoQWXg N2 Fish two arrives with an intruder alarm 11.29.02
https://youtu.be/8i1xMBWv_Ow N2 There’s a bit of a melee when fish three arrives 16.08.17
https://youtu.be/SHVQSNon5QQ N2 Amber gets high! Quite high mini helicopters 16.24.01
https://youtu.be/D5WRZFFvKbo N1 Aurora works to subdue a lively flatfish 17.59.05
https://youtu.be/G4gKH18phBs N2 Fish four makes a substantial trout dinner 17.59.24
https://youtu.be/2ulgVlV0Mu0 N2 Amber does more mini helicopters getting ready for lift-off 19.31.36
https://youtu.be/rbM6Iy4vP3k N2 Dorcha quickly dispatches fish five, a flapping flatfish 20.02.28
https://youtu.be/TtZwJA3W4L4 N2 Tiddler trout fish six is gone in three minutes 21.03.39
https://youtu.be/JZES_gqHRts N2 Another tiddler trout, number seven lasts two minutes 22.14.45
You’re invited to join the lively community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, free and everyone’s welcome:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam
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Wensi is getting flappy with those wings too. https://youtu.be/I6urCTO9eUw?
I will have more news on Monday. I am still trying to rest up from that wonderful visit! This morning we went to the English Gardens with Toby. Don is doing well after I adjusted his medication four days ago. The change has been rather phenomenal and I am delighted.
Toby checks out all the flowers.
My gorgeous granddaughter, Elysha, who long time readers will know – on her wedding day in Australia.
My family wishes you a good weekend.
See you on Monday!
Thank you to SK Hideaways, Ping Shen, and Geemeff for their great contributions, to those who posted on FB and to the owners of the streaming cams and YouTube stations.