I did not intend to post a blog today. The warm weather has energied all of us. We did a 4.3 km walk and then came home and dismantled the conservatory, scrubbed the floors, and rearranged the furniture. I wish Toby could do heavy lifting. He gets bored when Hugo Yugo wants to sleep and not play and now Toby is into tearing leaves off the tropical plants! What a mess they make.
We have our first egg at Duke Farms.
It is the time of year when some institutions offer honorary adoptions to support the essential work they do for our raptors. One of those is Ventana Wildlife, which manages the California Condors at Big Sur and Pinnacles. You could adopt – Redwood Queen, mother of Iniko (1031), who survived the Dolan Fire. Redwood Queen was the mate of Kingpin, who died, but she is now the lead condor in the flock.
Eagles at Decorah North.
Milda, the White-tail Eagle, was on her nest in Durbe County, Latvia on Monday.
I do love the eaglets – they are the cutest little things but my heart throbs at the sight of a tiny osprey or eyas.
I really ‘need’ Jackie and Shadow and Jak and Audacity to have at least one healthy eaglet this year. It would make 2026 so much better. Both couples are working on their nests.
Jean-marie Dupart counts ospreys in Western African along the coast of Senegal. We are so grateful for his diligence, dedication, and the sightings of banded birds. Thank you for your report. Gosh KA9 sounds like a familiar osplet…let me see if I can find out where it is from.
Of course, KA9 is a male that hatched at Llyn Brenig in 2022. Ringed 4 July 2022. Parents are LJ2 and LM6.
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We did lots of walking and cleaned up the conservatory, moving furniture, etc. Then we made SK Hideaways’ scone recipe #2. Delicious.
Oh, I wish I were a little younger. I would open a facility for people with dementia where they had free access to gardens, animals, baking -. Most talk about the time for some things, but it doesn’t seem to happen in the free way that it should. Keeping minds and bodies busy is paramount.
I will share one of these with each of you virtually!
Thank you so much for being with us for this very brief blog. I cannot promise that there will be another til the end of the week or next Monday. In the meantime, please do take care of yourself.
Thank you to everyone who posted information on FB. We appreciate your generous sharing of information and videos. Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our beloved raptor families.
Gabby and the babies are on the big screen this morning. Gosh, they are big! It is windy and looks like rain coming to their nest.
Late note: Colonial Beach osprey cam is now live. We have lost a condor. Ventana Wildlife reports: “We recently found condor Vincent (892) deceased in Big Sur. He was just starting to come into his own as a breeding adult condor, and we are heartbroken to lose him so early in his life and when it was looking like he and condor Kodama (646) were about to nest.”
Thank you for all your lovely notes and supportive comments. We have had a good weekend. The weather has not always cooperated, especially on Sunday when we had pounding sleet during our walk with Toby (yes, we do get out no matter the weather). Today it is warm and the lads are in for a long walk – at least 3.6 km. We need it! And I cannot tell you how uplifting it is to go outside, even if it is for five minutes!
We hope that you had a lovely weekend. Did you watch that little sweetheart at the Winter Park, Florida Bald Eagle nest? And did you remember to put in a name for C14 at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive?
The Winter Park eaglet is so cute!
The Winter Park female spent most of Sunday protecting her eaglet and 35-day-old egg from an intruder that was rather persistent.
It has been a gorgeous weekend. On Sunday, it will be 0 °C. We woke up to a fresh blanket of snow Saturday morning, and temperatures of -7 C. Toby was more than eager to get outside and go for a walk, and he was really excited when Miyoung arrived for haircut day. She is heading home to Korea for the New Year’s celebrations and to spend a month with her family. We are so very happy for her. It has been a true blessing to be able to count on her to come to our house, cut and style our hair in the conservatory, with Toby and the Girls looking on in awe. There should be more mobile units of all sorts – including dog grooming – for our ageing population. I have managed to figure out grocery delivery. Some people told me that they ordered too much because of the delivery charges – don’t do that. We want to cut down all waste, right? Just order what you need. The charges are a % of that, and you might be able to get free delivery by signing up for a service. Obviously, these conveniences are different wherever one lives! We have lucked out with the groceries, the snow removal, haircuts, and Ann. My next task is to try and organise friends and family to commit to coming one weekend afternoon a month. Those little breaks and Don’s ability to socialise with many different people make a huge difference. Keep that in mind if you or someone you know is in a similar situation.
Toby really enjoys his ‘Bully Sticks’ from Iceland. They help clean his teeth and are good at helping with the anxiety he is having. At the moment, he is wearing a sweater. The four days in the vet hospital matted his beautiful, long fur on his tummy. Poor Guy. He will go for a shave on the 17th.
Hugo Yugo got caught in Toby’s new car seat! You might recall that Hugo Yugo and Calico were quite interested in Toby’s stroller when he was a tiny pup. Well this very soft velvet carseat has caused a lot of commotion – no interest from Toby, however.
Missey has discovered a new spot to hide. I created a pile of wicker baskets – Toby chews on their handles – behind one of the sofas. Missey has taken it over. Toby can’t get back there and there is a nice window.
Baby Hope always sleeps on Don’s bed during the daytime. No one bothers her there and she does enjoy getting away from Calico once in awhile.
I might have missed it but I saw E26 getting fed ‘something’ dug up in the nest. I did not see a prey delivery on Saturday happen prior to 1600- but, please correct me. I want to be wrong. I know that road kill had been delivered and this looks like left over bones from it.
It was hot in Fort Myers.
M15 is OK. Flew in but nothing in his talons. Eaglets can go without food. E26 does not look like it is ‘starving’ – do not get me wrong but in the heat they depend on hydration from the prey. Fingers crossed for a nice whopping meal before bedtime.
Fish was on the menu for C14 at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive! Oh, how I love it when those eaglets get to eat fish.
It is so good seeing those two healthy eaglets at the Dade County Bald Eagle nest of Ron and Rose. There is also news that R5 has been photographed at a golf course at Palm Beach, Florida. —–Imagine if they had not received their bands we would never know. So happy about the survival of these eaglets!
These two are so big.
I had the loveliest note from ‘N’ and I wanted to share the Eagle Country news with all of you that they sent me: “Wanted to update you on the latest journey we are blessed with at Eagle Country. We have a pair of Great Horned Owls (Willow & Gus-EC announced names yesterday). We miss the eagles being at the nest of course but am embracing this opportunity to learn about more about GHOW with the incredible cams there. Skye has been seen on the river cams (we see eagles daily there) and was last seen Dec 16th maybe the 31st at the nest. She has failed to bond this season with one of many suitors that have been about. Blaze has not been seen in months this season
Love what Eagle Country has said “It’s been a beautiful reminder of why this place we call home is named Eagle Country. Country means the whole wild story, not just one chapter. Nature is wild. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”
NE32 & NE33 Crawl to the Pantry + Gabby & Beau’s Seamless Changeovers (2026 Jan 6) NE32 is 6 days old; NE33 is 5 days old. They’re seeing more and moving more, including galumphing over to the pantry for snacks. Gabby and Beau are providing ample nourishment for these adorable, growing eaglets. Video: https://youtu.be/13nHkRpPt2Y
FOBBVCAM Eagles: Jackie & Shadow Fluffed Up Nest Ready for Pancakes & Chick-Proof Rails (2026 Jan 5) Jackie and Shadow have added fluff to the egg cup and built-up the rails around their nest. With Jackie’s fertile time occurring from January to April, we wait with giddy anticipation and hope for another successful breeding season. (5 Jan 2026) Video: https://youtu.be/E6xPBIEXv9k Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4-L2nfGcuE Wide View Cam (Cam 2): https://youtube.com/live/LCGYWfbyBWc LIVE Recap & Observations https://bit.ly/3Md8TSz
Two Harbors Eagles: Nest of Cholyn & Chase Cholyn Brings Lunch ~ Ravens Want It ~ Chase Shoos Peregrine Away (2026 Jan 8)After a brief morning chat at the nest, Cholyn and Chase departed to a secret hideaway. Cholyn later returned with a tasty fish, but had to defend it against a raven before consuming it in peace. Chase arrived as sunset approached to defend the nest again ~ this time a swooping peregrine falcon was the culprit. Both Cholyn and Chase made quick work of their respective unwanted intruders to get on with the next eagle task at talon. (2026 Jan 8) Video: https://youtu.be/2bUHUX55g-0 Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org, Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ
Masked Eagle Takes to Nest ~ Visitor Perches On Hillside (2026 Jan 9) There was an eagle on the nest for the first time since 1 January. There is some discrepancy about whether it is Haku. I personally don’t think it is. What do you think? There was another eagle perched on the hillside as well. There have been no confirmed sightings of Haku since 1 January and none of Akecheta since 30 December.) Video: https://youtu.be/T3i1xbltjPU
Speaking of hanging around, how blessed are we that Girri continues to chase her parents, Diamond and Gimbir, for food, and that she’s such a strong flyer? Seeing reports on Girri just makes my heart beat bigger and warmer. Good weather and a big strong fledgling – what a difference.
The theft of the peregrine falcons in the UK:
“In the 90s, the UK trade in peregrine falcons was domestic, but it is now almost exclusively geared towards serving the market in the Gulf states. The UK exports more live raptors than any other country, and the UAE is the largest importer. “Over the past 10 years there has been significant growth in the falcon breeding industry,” said DC Steven Irvine, who has been investigating this trade.
Trading captive falcons is entirely legal, but what is not legal is the trafficking of wild birds into the captive trade. It is not known how many of those exported birds are wild caught, but police have identified at least some that are.” Read more…
It is now less than 60 days til we expect the first osprey to land in the UK. Who will it be? Seren Blue 5F at Clywedog? Blue 33 or Maya at Rutland? Blue 28 at Rutland?
Of you can’t wait that long, Moorings Park thinks they might have an egg this week – Harry and Sally are home.
‘A’ sends us a long commentary from Melbourne – thank you! “I was a huge fan of Beau when he was V3, as you might recall, and was thrilled when Gabby warmed to him (in her own time) and decided he was worth training. Beau was young and totally inexperienced at being a mate (and of course Gabby is one very demanding female). But he got there and look at who he is now. The most devoted of mates and a perfect dad. I adore watching the tandem feedings (where Beau usually feeds NE33 while Gabby feeds NE32, I have noticed, although occasionally it is the other way around), especially when he is feeding bites to Gabby that she in turn feeds to NE32, or vice versa.
What I do notice is that when Beau is doing a feeding on his own, he always makes sure that the food is shared between the pair, with a bite for NE32 and then a bite for NE33. These nestlings do have impeccable table manners, which helps a lot, but then I suspect the angelic behaviour at meal times is probably the result of knowing that they will each be given enough to eat so there’s no need for bonking. It just slows down their eating!!
I am so glad that Gabby found such a wonderful mate after losing Samson. She deserved Beau, and as I keep saying, I loved that he was patient with her and not pushy, allowing her to move on at her own pace. I think they did have a special bond. Something made Gabby chose V3 rather than V9 or V13 or even V14.
Suffice it to say that Gabby (and her nest) represented prime eagle real estate and there was much competition for both. It is interesting that a very young, inexperienced male should be the ultimate victor – it surely has to represent a choice on her part because otherwise, it would be most unlikely that V3 should successfully see off so many older, more worldly competitors to ultimately win her talon, so to speak. A true bald eagle love story.
And now look at the results. Super parents in a relaxed, happy, mutually supportive partnership. What a truly adorable family they are.
Meanwhile, the pair at WRDC are also adorable, I agree with you about siblings. I think they are a major plus on a nest, and was really amused to re-read the story of Bodie and Juvie at this nest. I truly believe that was a huge plus for Bodie, and it was so typical of this particular family that they adopted Juvie as their own. I wonder what the motivation was for that on the part of Gabby and Beau. Did they understand the bonuses in the situation for Bodie? Or were they simply reacting instinctively to a young bird begging for food, in pretty much the same way as the parents of Junior did when they brought in Malala, the red-tailed hawklet, to feed to their own chick as lunch but then adopted?
But I’m rambling. It’s a lovely sunny 18C day today with a cool breeze and a blue sky. There are still fires in parts of the state but some rain overnight and the halving of temperatures have helped the situation immensely. Everyone In the family is safe.
At Tataroa Head, the Royal Cam egg (laid on 6 November) is 66 days old today. The egg has been candled and we know that it contains a living creature that we presume to be a miniature northern royal albatross. That means we are less than a fortnight from pip watch. TOO exciting. I’m wondering whether the incubating parent is aware of the impending hatch – I’m presuming they can hear that a hatch is underway – and be reluctant to leave the nest during the hatch. Or whether the foraging parent has some way of knowing that a hatch is due and so hurries home for the hatch.
Of course it is possible that they are remarkably unconcerned about the whole process, given the fact that the rangers remove the egg as soon as a pip is detected and take it to hatch in a supervised incubator, leaving the proud parent carefully incubating a dummy egg that suddenly ceases to emit any sound whatsoever. I do have to wonder whether that distresses them in any manner (it doesn’t appear to do so and fortunately, but somewhat strangely to me, there is no information to indicate any of the bamboozled incubating parents abandoning the suddenly silent egg. Maybe they just accept the happy ending and/or have learned to trust the intervention of the rangers, whatever form it takes.
But to return to my point, the Royal Cam egg is due to hatch in 13 days (which is 24 January by my estimate). The egg takes many days to hatch, so I’m not sure what stage the 79 days takes us to. The pip? The hatch itself? I will have to look it up, but based on my memory of previous years, I think it means we should have a small damp fluffy person on 24 January. I will look it up to be sure but the timing of a hatch on day 79 is perfect – it’s two days before Australia Day.
I’m so excited. I do adore the early weeks of a baby albatross, and this nest is such an easy watch because of its isolated setting and the rangers’ dedication. Intervention? These birds get squid smoothies when they need nutrition, electrolytes when they need hydration, sprinklers when it’s too hot, supervised hatching of the eggs in incubators, and regular general health monitoring throughout, and of course all nests have one chick only and the albatross is the most gentle of birds, so a bit of posturing and bill clacking is about as aggressive a watch as it gets. The birds are just exquisitely serene, as you would be if you planned to spend more than half a century drifting around the world on air currents. Their entire life is a meditation.”
Thank you so much for being with us today. We will see you next Monday.
Thank you to those who post news on the various FB groups – what would we do without them?! And to the owners of the streaming cams who allow us to look into the lives of the Raptors, as well as news agencies and blogs that report on the atrocities that happen to our beloved feathered friends, such as The Guardian and Raptor Persecution UK.I am grateful to ‘A’ for her long commentary, to ‘N’ for writing in about Eagle Country, and to SK Hideaways and their amazing videos. Thank you all!
Gosh, it is going to warm up to 0 C. The ice build up that was causing so many people issues, including myself despite heating tape, etc., is melting! The sun is shining and the sky is a light baby blue. Toby is off on his walk with Ellen and right now our world feels calm. Cardamon buns are rising in the kitchen in preparation for a visit from Don’s cousin.
In Bird World, there is no news of Akecheta. I never give up on him. I like to think he is off looking for Thunder and didn’t take too much to Haku, preferring to keep his life and limbs intact rather than fighting all out.
The baby eaglets are growing like bad weeds – most of them do not have to share food, which is only a plus. Only Ron, Rose, Gabby, and Beau have to contend with the bonking sessions. I do love Gabby. When she gets fed up with the pair of them, she just sits on them. Mind you, they are pretty evenly matched, and from watching the cats in the house, it is good to get some ‘play fighting’ in before one gets lost in the world without the safety of the nest.
NE32 hatched at 1:00 am on December 31st 2025, NE33 hatched at 7:54am on January 1, 2026 according to the bot on chat.
Girri is doing just fine -. I don’t know about you but this is the happiest I have felt about the fledglings at the Orange scrape in years. Girri is going to triumph.
Well, the news coming out of the UK on the illegal sale of peregrine falcons to the Middle East should get everyone in an uproar.
He is panting heavily when he brings this monstrous catch up to the tower scrape. Darling Gimbir. He is such a sweetie. Look at those eyes. Diamond really does seem to attract some special males, doesn’t she? I do miss our precious Xavier a great deal, but I am very happy that Diamond has a devoted and very young mate. It shows that somewhere relatively nearby (presumably within 50km), there is a scrape successfully fledging young peregrines. Now that is a lovely thought, is it not?
Meanwhile, that pair at NEFL are outrageous. Lots of exercise at least. Poor Gabby and Beau – getting bonked by their own offspring. Feisty is the appropriate word at this age I suppose. But I really do hope they cut it out pretty soon and settle down.
At Chez A in Melbourne, it is 39C today and the temperature still climbing at 2.30pm (the forecast is for 42C) and it’s as much as anyone can manage. I do worry about the garden birds on days like this. I tell everyone that the best thing they can do for the birds (apart from growing trees and also nectar-producing shrubs for all our honeyeaters and parrots and so on) is provide them with fresh water in summer. When days are above 40C, everything in the garden needs water, including all the pollinators and other insects. It’s not just the birds and the cats. We’re all praying that no-one throws a cigarette butt out of a car window anywhere rural today – the fire danger is rated extreme. We lost over 100 people in a single day on the last really bad bushfire day.”
Big Red spotted. It is always a good day. She hatched in 2003 seven miles from her nest at Ithaca. She was ringed in October of 2003. She will be 23 years old this year.
A good news story.
The Royal Albatross are partying like it’s no tomorrow at Taiaroa Head in New Zealand! They are looking for future mates, dancing, and sky calling. It is fantastic. https://youtu.be/P5SyyM-f6rs?
All other eaglets that have hatched are doing well. No problems that I am aware.
Thank you for being with us today. We are doing exceptionally well. The sunshine brings both happiness and hope! Take care of yourself. I will be back with you probably on Saturday.
Thank you to those individuals who created videos or took photos and posted them online so that I might share them with you on my blog. Thanks, ‘A’, for your comments – stay cool! Thank you Raptor Persecution UK for bringing us the news uncensored when it concerns our raptors.
It is a full moon night on the Canadian prairies with a temperature of -16 C. Tobby and Hugo Yugo are curled up beside me on the sofa along with a couple of ‘Little Lambs’, Toby’s favourite toy. Ann spent the morning with Toby while I went to the hospital to see how Don was doing.
I felt really ‘proud’ and happy when the nurse sat me down, hugged me, and told me how well I was taking care of Don. You don’t think it – or I didn’t – his clothes are always clean, and so he is. I feed him, for the most part, whole foods, giving in to a love of cookies that his mother created by her excellent (and constant) baking when he was younger. His bloodwork is good, and he is very healthy given his condition. I know that many have expressed concern about his discharge back into the home, but the root cause was not his dementia, but rather a serious problem with his bladder that the doctors have now repaired. He was very alert today, and after I had been there for about an hour, his oldest friend, Andrew, arrived, and you could hear them laughing several metres away. I slipped out quietly, knowing that his other friend from high school would be arriving shortly. Ann stayed home, monitoring Toby to make sure he didn’t start haemorrhaging again. Toby is getting stronger and more like himself. It was so nice having him snore in my ear last night – I will NEVER complain again about that! Sometimes he is so loud he could shake the roof off the rafters.
Thank you for all of your notes. I want to publicly pass on a big shout-out to Heidi and her video that was included on Day 11 – many of you have downloaded that blog so that you can watch her handiwork repeatedly. She is exceptionally talented, and I am so glad that our paths crossed in this lifetime.
The nurses have asked me to rest up for a few days, so my posts over the next 2-4 days will be shorter and less comprehensive. As most of you can tell, I have a real soft spot for Gabby and now for Beau after adoring Samson for so many years. Those two little scrappers in NE Florida are adorable. And like all of the other eaglets in the nests, they are adored by their parents. My goodness, I wish we could sprinkle this type of eagle love all over the planet.
Girri is one of those great events from 2025. Having sobbed our eyes out with the loss of Xavier, we thought Diamond would not have any chicks. Then along came Gimbir, and well, everyone thought he was too young and inexperienced to be a Dad. Well, were we wrong? Diamond and Gimbir gave us one heck of a strong female falcon, and here she is flying above the trees near the tower! https://youtu.be/ECUH1DwWGao? It just doesn’t get much better than this at the Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam project.
It’s not a raptor… but this is a story everyone should know about. China has footage of a Wild Siberian Tigress with five cubs in Hunchun. Northwest Tiger and Leopard Park. This is thrilling news! They normally have 2-3 cubs so five is rare and is a great conservation success. Here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/JaSsbkfC5N4?
The BBC reports, “Five Siberian tiger cubs have one very proud mum – she’s the first ever tiger known to have given birth to quintuplets in the wild in China.
The family have been spotted in Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which is one of China’s first five national parks and covers over 14,000 square kilometres – that’s around the same size as Northern Ireland!
It’s very rare for Siberian tigers to give birth to five healthy cubs, so it’s a big success story for the park, who say it’s likely that mum had the cubs back in June.” (27 December 2025)
It is all good for Beau and Gabby at NE Florida.
The AEF captured Gabby feeding Beau who then fed the eaglets with the food. How cute was that?
E26 is a massive eaglet. Want to bet we have a strong female here for M15 and F23 this year? Thermal down. Pin feathers. And quite enough food and more than enough love from Mum and Dad.
What a little cutie – the other only – at Captiva for Connie and Clive.
R9 and R10 are just adorable. Ron and Rose are doing a fantastic job at Dade County. Life is looking good!
One of my favourite all-time books about a human being changed by an encounter with wildlife was Raising Hare. Here is an incredible story about a Japanese island inhabited by Hares! Can I put it on my bucket list?
Time for Toby’s last medication. Oh, my dear darling little man. The sheer idea that I could have lost you is beyond my comprehension.
This week, I learned two significant things I would like to share with you, in the hope that one or both might help you in the future. If you know of anyone whose behaviour radically changes, from calm to agitated, please get them to the doctor to check for an infection. If you know or suspect they cannot pass urine, do not be shy about stating this. It is critical. Secondly, if you see any blood, watery or otherwise, in your pet’s vomit or diarrhoea, rush them to the vet. Do not sit around and twiddle your thumbs, I mean, rush. Toby’s life was saved because of quick action on my part and that of Dr Maryam.
Thank you so much for being with us today.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that let us glimpse the breeding seasons of our wonderful raptors. Without them we would never see the joyful moments shared by these parents and their chicks! I would also like to thank The Guardian for their constant reporting on issues about wildlife. Thank you Holly Parsons or that great capture, to Cilla Kinross for her post and to the China Daily for its story on the Siberian Tiger.
I have been asked to share this urgent request immediately because of the timely nature of the legislative bill: I apologize for the size – maybe you can go to the Wild Heart Ranch FB for the details if you cannot blow this up.
What a great community of people we have in Bird World. When I look at the map of people who read my blog and treasure our birds, there are very few places on the planet where there isn’t someone who is not a member of our family. It warms my heart.
There was a deep underlying purpose in asking you to contribute the joyful moments you remember from Bird World in 2025. Too often, we focus on the negative, even if that terrible event was only one of a dozen wonderful, glorious ones in a day. It is time for us to shift the way that we think – and believe me, I need to do this as much as anyone. Life has thrown a lot of extraordinarily difficult challenges at me this year – and I know that it has done the same to so very, very many of you. Sometimes I want to slide under the duvet and stay there for several days, hoping that whatever it is will go away. It doesn’t happen, of course. It is like some big furry monster just waiting for you to stick your head out. So now is the time to deal with it and bring the sunshine back into our lives.
I am going to start with a few instances to get the ball rolling, so to speak. Akecheta. The day when I saw Akecheta’s bloody head on Tor and Thunder sitting next to that other male, I was devastated. Maybe it was just the icing on top of the cake, the cherry on top of the sundae to different events that day, but it hit me so very, very hard. Then, when Akecheta was photographed on the Californian Mainland, I wept with joy. He was alive! But the real triumph was when Akecheta returned, healed and confident, to take his rightful place at the West End, sitting proudly with Haku looking out at the sea. The second instance that made me so very happy was seeing CJ7 and Blue 022 raise another clutch of four osplets at Poole Harbour. To raise two can be hard – three is difficult – but it takes extraordinary parenting to fledge four (and a source of good quality fish). https://youtu.be/mzG-D8kmI-s?
It has been a long time since we have witnessed the sea eaglets at the WBSE nest in the Olympic Forest survive. Most of the time, we cheer their growth, admiring their intelligence and beauty, only to worry that the Currawongs will drive them out of the territory or find them near the Discovery Centre, in need of care. This year, the Currawongs were outwitted! Yes, we lost the male 36, but there is no reason to believe that anything untoward happened to 35. She was a strong flyer. But seeing them fly in and out, getting food without falling into the Currawongs’ harm’s way, gives me hope for future clutches as well. Oh, there are so many. Iris returning to her nest.
Diamond mating with a very young male and producing a strong female who appears to be doing splendidly.
“There is something to appreciate in every moment of every day. Strive to
find it as often as you can. Living with gratitude will change your life.” (Goodreads)
There are so many quotes. Find one that suits you and print it and look at it each morning when you open the fridge.
“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.” — Oprah Winfrey
There were a lot of wonderful memories in Bird World for 2025. Thank you for sharing some of your magical moments with the rest of us!
‘BF’: “Perhaps not the same as a highlight — in fact, this had the potential to be a “lowlight” — but an unusual situation that captured my attention was when an uninvited (and not related) juvenile bald eagle showed up on Gabby and Beau’s NE Florida nest looking for food. It was rocky at first, but after a few days — and a few tussles — “Juvie” almost seemed to be an accepted member of the nest family (perhaps grudgingly?), along with Gabby and Beau’s own not-yet-fledged juvenile, Bodie. All seemed to get along, it was surprisingly peaceful, and perhaps it was even a positive for Bodie to have the slightly older juvenile nest mate. Eventually Juvie moved on and Bodie fledged and dispersed and both are successfully off on their own.
‘PB’: Most memorable nest for me is Dunrovin and all that drama! Losing Mo due to a throat problem and then found by the river passed. Relieved Eenie fledged. That nest was so stressful when we almost lost the little ones falling off the side of the nest. I hope Dunrovin will fix the nest for next season so we don’t have to go through all that again.
“B’: “There are so many highlights for 2025 — for sure, every single hatch and fledge is a highlight to be remembered. But I was especially pleased to see the successful hatch and fledge of eaglet Betty Lou for Audacity and Jak at the Sauces Canyon nest on Santa Cruz Island, since for Audacity and Jak it had been three seasons and four long years — with many broken eggs — since their most recent previous eaglet, Dina in 2021.
Similarly, celebrity eagles Jackie and Shadow had spent many, many days the past two seasons at Big Bear Valley — through snow and winter storms — incubating eggs that turned out to be nonviable; it was wonderful to see the 2025 hatch of lively eaglets Sunny and Gizmo at Big Bear, the first for Jackie and Shadow since Spirit in 2022.
The return of Akecheta to West End has been a surprise highlight. We last saw Akecheta early in the year, lying on the ground, injured in an apparent territorial fight. Then the cameras went out, and when they returned Akecheta was nowhere to be seen, and we were concerned for his survival. It has been a real blessing that Akecheta has returned now to West End; we hope for mating and new eaglets in 2026. As great as Akecheta’s return has been, the real highlight for me was the day in May when we heard the report that Akecheta and his distinctive blue wing tags had been spotted at Lake Casitas, many miles away on the mainland near Ojai, for that was when we learned that Akecheta had survived and was off in the world being an eagle.
oh, and how could I forget another whole class of highlights: the watching and waiting for the return of the migrating birds and the highlight it is when you see Iris or Louis and Dorcha arrive. Or seeing Beau arriving weeks early and waiting for Gabby. These sorts of things are simple and repeatable, but they are something to celebrate each time.
‘R’: “My favorite ‘Bird’ story this year was following Iris. 🪺 And Jackie and Shadow’s success ❤️
My favorite non-bird item was definitely Heidi’s Christmas video to you ❤️💕and the pictures of Don and you! I saved “Day 11 Welcome to Winter”, so I could look at the pictures again.Ever since I’ve known you, before WordPress, I heard of Don, knew he was ill, and not as bad, back before COVID, but I never had a face to go with the name.”
‘N’: “I have many favs but this recent one comes to mind…caught this recently at Dade (speaking of our Florida nests). Made me giggle, which I can use often!
Sibling pooping on sibling!
SP’: Oh, Mary Ann, with so much human tragedy in 2025, I was so invigorated to go back through the events of 2025 in Bird World only to discover an avalanche of happy, heartwarming, beautiful events throughout the year. Here are way too many (in alpha order)!
367 Collins Street Falcons: F23, M23, and 4 chicks F23 and M23 had their talons full with 4 rambunctious chicks, but they raised and fledged them beautifully. Dad Tries to Feed 5- and 2-Day Old Chicks Whole Prey (2025 Oct 5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02vbdny7Bo0 Pre-Fledge Chicks Perform Acrobatics ~ Teetering on Ledge (2025 Nov 10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_GfSbdrs68
AEF-NEFL Eagles: Gabby, Beau, NE31, and Juvie The arrival of Bodie (NE31) and Beau’s first foray into fatherhood were so special, as was the development of Gabby and Beau’s relationship. The “adoption” of Juvie by Gabby and Beau, and the ultimate bonding between Bodie and Juvie were simply beautiful. Beau Tries to Feed NE31 for the First Time (2025 Jan 21) https://youtu.be/G4zea3983tw?si=RA0InJ2bNJkm5wYo Bodie Branches Out ~ Juvie Shares Flying Tips (2025 Apr 5) https://youtu.be/cYTuJVPT8K4?si=tNR4bQZCq6EQRa7o
FalconCam Project: Diamond, Gimbir, and Girri (RIP dear Xavier) Girri lifted our spirits as we mourned for Xavier. Gimbir stepped up to take on parental duties as he learned from pro mum Diamond. Gimbir Brings 3 Starlings in 9 Minutes ~ Chick Gets First Meal (2025 Nov 6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mynzf-kkOQQ GIRRI FLEDGES at 43 Days Old ( 2025 Dec 18) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96yPLdvaixU
FOBBV Eagles: Jackie, Shadow, Sunny, and Gizmo (RIP Misty) Jackie and Shadow mourned the loss of one chick as they raised Sunny and Gizmo to be strong, independent fledglings. It was such a gift after two years of failed clutches. SC Stands Tall on New Clown Feet ~ BC Delivers Single Bonk (2025 Mar 23) https://youtu.be/sWFD087ffRg?si=ATZrG4B9dD3xnpqm Golden Hour Moments with Sunny & Gizmo ~ Special Times to Remember Always (2025 May 15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WraMnX8mFy0
San Jose City Hall Falcons: Hartley, Monty, Emma, Willow, Octavia, and Chico For the second year, Hartley and Monty raised four chicks. There were so many delightful moments with all of them. FIRST 2 CHICKS HATCH: One Gets Wild Ride Across Nest (2025 Apr 19) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9jZtIHqat4 Raucous Rooftop Food Fight ~ All 4 Chicks Win (2025 Jun 7) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9rt2B1BZ8A Sydney White-Bellied Sea Eagles: Lady, Dad, SE35, and SE36 Despite a sad ending for SE36, the saga of SE35 and SE36 was a joy to watch. Family time was always a special treat. SE35, SE36, Lady & Dad Spend the Afternoon Together Next Door (2025 Nov 10) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcaObXf4qpA
Two Harbors Eagles: Cholyn and Chase Every moment with these two is a gift. Cholyn & Chase on 22 Years of Mated Perfection (2025 Oct 21) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTbMUL24oMs
I could go on (Betty Lou, Blue and Kaimana, TE3!), but I’ll stop here. Thank you for pulling this good news together to go on lifting spirits as you do all year long.
‘L’: 1. Beau at the NEFL nest brooding the eggs and the look on his face when “Bodie” hatched. In addition to Bodie being a single, a rogue juvenile showed up and stuck around for a few weeks providing additional entertainment.
2. Audacity and Jak, Santa Cruz Island. Audacity laid 3 eggs, 2 broke and the third hatched. It was a miracle after several years of broken eggs for this longtime pair. It was pure joy watching “Betty Lou” grow up.
3. Jackie & Shadow with 3 hatchlings! Unfortunately losing one but the other two survived given the names “Sonny” & “Gizmo.”
4. The trio of Scout & Bella lined up on the rails at the NCTC nest(unfortunately the nest collapsed)
5. The Trempealeau nest with TE3. Mrs. T deserved an award after practically raising TE3 alone.
6. Gimbir taking over the nest after the male Xavier disappeared from the Charles Sturt University FalconCam nest. Diamond laying 3 eggs and little Girri hatching!
‘J’: I obviously do not have a lot of memories this year, but one stands out above everything: WELCOME HOME AKECHETA!
‘SA’: Iris arrives home. Jackie and Shadow have two – Sunny and Gizmo. Cheta comes home to the West End.
‘TN’: It was a cracker of a year for Poole Harbour raising another clutch of four to fledge. Simply brilliant.
‘C’: Akecheta returns to the West End.
‘BA’: “As for favorite nest event of 2025, mine is probably the same as most everyone else’s — the successful hatching of Jackie and Shadow’s three eaglets, and the subsequent successful fledging of two of them. (The death of one was probably the saddest event for me, though I know it was probably best that they only had to raise two.)
Second favorite event was Gabby and Beau’s first successful year together raising an eaglet. (That too is probably a favorite of most others.) I know there were many other joyful moments in bird world. It’s good to have them balance out the sad moments.
(Really sad about CalFalcons last year…. haven’t yet gotten over the loss of both — and that nest that still sits empty.)”
‘J’: “Has to be Sunny and Gizmo hands down. Jackie and Shadow being parents gave me a new reason to want to live through my cancer treatments.’
‘K’: ‘There was worry that Louis might not return to Loch Arkaig. Seeing him land on the nest was the best moment for me all year. Louis survived what ailed him and came home to Dorcha.’
‘WL’: There are too many wonderful things that happened but two stand out for me amidst a lot of dismal nests. The first is little T3 in that nest in Wisconsin, raised only by its mother, no thanks to that two-timing dad. That chick was determined to live. The other was Iris returning to her nest. It was sad Finnegan didn’t make it. Maybe the new one will.’
‘A’: ‘The death of Xavier rocked my world to its core. Then an almost too-young Gimbir turns up. Diamond likes him. Diamond really likes him. Out of the sadness came a superb female falcon named Girri. Many of the latest fledglings out of that scrape did not make it. Girri is doing extremely well. Seeing Girri fly over the tower, learning to be a falcon from Diamond and Gimbir, makes me smile every day. It was the best thing to come out of the worst.’ ‘We cannot forget the falcon fledges from the CBD in Melbourne!’
Thank you ‘AK’ for this incredible card!
Thank you to everyone who participated.
The day my baby got sick.
Home from the vet and bright-eyed but sad because he cannot find his daddy.
Woolly and Mysterious Missey, who has a ‘mat’ that I must cut out. Don typically brushes her many times a day.
Precious Calico.
The little trouble maker, HUGO YUGO!
Sweet Hope.
Toby is sleeping upside down next to me. He is feeling better because he wanted to romp around the house with Hugo Yugo a few minutes ago. It is so very nice to have him home from the veterinary hospital. While I might have complained that there isn’t enough room in the bed with him on the pillow and HY in my arm, Calico at one side, and Missey near my feet – I sure would not want it any other way. The only one that doesn’t join in is Hope and maybe she will one day.
We wish you a wonderful 2026.
Thank you to everyone who participated and to the owners of the streaming cams so that we can watch these amazing birds and their families. I also want to thank SK Hideaways for their amazing videos that add depth to the stories. You are all so wonderful and my blog would never have the spice of life that it does without you!
Great news from the American Eagle Foundation. It is official. Beau and Gabby have a pip. This is what I have been waiting for – and what joy this little one will bring.
This image is from the AEF:
First, please do send me some of your favourite memories from our bird nests so that I can post them on 2 January! I really want to hear from you!
SK Hideaways Videos, week of 12/21/25
Channel Island Eagles
Fraser Point Eagles: Elusive Cruz Visits Nest with Andor ~ A Few Sticks are Shuffled (2025 Dec 27)
It was a real treat to see Cruz and Andor together after Cruz’s nearly 2-week absence from the cameras. For those who haven’t met this pair, we provided a little history as they did a bit of stick shuffling and hanging out.
The female, Cruz, hatched at the Pelican Harbor nest on Santa Cruz Island in 2006 and was the first known chick to naturally hatch on the islands since 1950. Andor hatched at the Baby’s Harbor nest, also on Santa Cruz Island, in 2017. Video: https://youtu.be/ijOvAohCxeA Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies, explore.org, Fraser Point Cam Ops Nest Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OY4V_AppZ6s
Two Harbors Eagles Cholyn & Chase ~ 22 Years of Devotion & Territory Rule (2025 Dec 21) Cholyn and Chase briefly greeted the morning together at the nest before Chase departed to do eagle things. Cam ops then gifted us with close-ups of Cholyn and we took the opportunity to share some history of these 27-year-olds marvels, who have been together for 22 years. Their story is part of the eagle restoration program in the Channel Islands that began in 1980. Through trial, error, and extraordinary work by scientists at the Institute for Wildlife Studies, the program has been wildly successful. Cholyn and Chase, now the elders of the Channel Island eagles, are just one piece of that story.
Jackie With and Without Fishing Line 🎣 With Shadow and Wonky Stick (2025 Dec 26-27) Jackie arrived on December 26th with a long bit of fishing stuck to her beak. She stayed at the nest a short time, flying off with the line still attached. We were relieved to see her arrive the next morning without the fishing fine, but with a beautiful, big wonky stick. Shadow joined later to celebrate and we all breathed a sigh of relief. Video: https://youtu.be/qscEDVaWNwM
Jackie & Shadow Bicker, Beaky Kiss & Bump During Big Nestorations (2025 Dec 26)
Jackie and Shadow spent just over an hour bringing a wide variety of branches to build up rails and begin forming an egg cup in anticipation of nesting season. Along the way, they entertained us with bickering, beaky kissing, and bumping each other to and fro. Video: https://youtu.be/cn4LWsO8YQU
San Jose CH Falcons: Hartley & Monty Stop By to Deliver Holiday Greetings ❄️ (2025 Dec 25)
Hartley and Monty stopped by for some pair-bonding after opening and devouring their Christmas gifts.
AEF-NEFL Eagles: Gabby and Beau Have Long Conversation Before Changeover (2025 Dec 23)
Gabby and Beau may have been discussing the fact that pip watch for NE32 and NE33 is just 2-3 days away. They talked for quite some time before Gabby relieved Beau of incubation duty. The chortling and chirping was music to our ears. Video: https://youtu.be/2UAbkrjUyp8 Courtesy American Eagle Foundation/NEFL Eagle CamOps
FalconCam Project GIRRI RETURNS TO TOWER! 2025 Dec 23 Girri shows off her strength and flying skills as she returns to the top of the tower to meet up with her parents. She fledged just 5 days ago. Great job, Girri! (2025 Dec 23) Video: https://youtu.be/2Yvnm67rL2A Courtesy FalconCam Project, Charles Sturt University NSW (http://www.csu.edu.au/special/falconcam/)
We’re on HATCH WATCH at NE Florida for Beau and Gabby and it is raining Monday night. The AEF confirmed a pip in the afternoon around 3pm.
Gabby is restless.
There will be a little one tomorrow.
We have a hatch at Hilton Head.
Everyone else is doing fine.
My news is that my husband is in the ICU waiting for a bed in the hospital so that he can be fully treated. I do not know what the future holds but he is calm and knows me, and there is nothing nicer than lying next to him cuddling. Thank you for all your positive wishes – that beautiful energy sent from around the world is precious and is helping us I am certain.
Please take care of yourselves. I will check in tomorrow briefly.
Thank you to SK Hideaways for their great videos, to the owners of the streaming cams, and to those who post news on FB. My blog would be nothing without your input.
I cannot thank you enough for your best wishes. It isn’t easy to express how much your kindness and letters of support mean to me. I am as fine as fine can be under the circumstances. I slept for the first time last night. Nellie is going home on Tuesday and after she leaves I hope to begin processing all that has transpired over the past few weeks over hot mugs of tea. you will undoubtedly know that the British drink tea for everything – when I lived there any celebration or any issues were solved over a cuppa’.
Don is in the hospital, where he is safe, secure, and comfortable. He is currently in the ICU unit – urgent care. There is something significantly wrong with his bladder that is causing toxins to remain in his body. Those toxins could have caused the behaviour he was exhibiting. They are working on finding a solution to this problem. He will be moved ‘upstairs’ to the LAU Unit, where he will have an entire team looking after him – geriatric psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, home care workers, etc. Once he has been thoroughly evaluated and stabilised, they will work to find a safe and secure place for him to live. His condition has deteriorated rapidly, and my gut tells me that he will need to live where he can have 24/7 care and be in a secure unit where he cannot wander and get lost. Dementia is a terrible disease. Lewy Body Dementia is even worse with its horrific hallucinations. I am grateful to everyone who has helped and continues to support Don and me, and to our friends and family who have stepped up to take turns visiting him. Jaine came with her beautiful, smiling face and a bag of her favourite homemade chocolate-chip cookies. Their help and support are giving me the time and space to begin processing how our lives are changing.
I am also so happy that I have The Girls and Toby as well as Brock and the outside animals and birds – they get me out of bed to feed and clean after them which is extremely helpful. The problem is that it is too easy to cover one’s head with a duvet and shut out everything. I am responsible for their lives and I need to be strong for Don so that the team and I can make the best decisions for him that we can. He deserves that. He still knows me and I melt when his face lights up and he wants a kiss and a hug.
As we get to the beginning of 2026, I would love to hear from you on what your highlights of the 2025 season were. Please feel free to send them to me via e-mail or post them in the comments. I will put them in the blog on the 2nd of January. So please take part. I would love to hear from you. Let’s jog everyone’s memory about the wonderful things that happened this past year.
So thank you, and now, let’s get on with a look at a few nests! I hope to have a small daily report…I had thought a break might be good but I find, like you, that the birds bring much solace.
There is a pip at the Hilton Head Bald Eagle nest.
We are on pip watch for Gabby and Beau at NE Florida, and this baby just can’t come fast enough for me.
At SW Florida, E26 is getting a sweet little tail and some thermal down. M15 and F23 have been providing all manner of prey items – one, a RK cat – was removed. Thank goodness.
CE14 is one of the cutest little eaglets. Growing fast on the Captiva nest of Clive and Connie. Looks like another ‘only’.
Looks like Ron and Rose’s little eaglets are hoping for a bedtime snack!
Only nest so far with more than one hatch save for Superbeaks that had three eaglets with Froto passing. Let’s see how the others do.
We had hoped for the drama at the West End nest of Akecheta to stop. We had hoped that Haku and Akecheta could live in peace and raise an eaglet family. At the time I am writing this, Haku has been missing for a day with another female eaglet hanging around the nest. I hope that this is just a ‘silly something’ and life will return to normal there.
Or is it Haku? I cannot be certain. Akecheta seems perfectly at home sitting on Tor with this bird.
Gigi and Pat have been seen mating near the ND-LEEF nest in South Bend, Indiana.
I would love to see some ospreys on the Captiva Osprey nest, wouldn’t you?
Olivera and Hoots. Incubation of their two GHO eggs. Gosh, they are cute but I sure do not like them around the eagle and osprey nests!
I wonder how many trees had to be cut down just to make Christmas wrapping paper and napkins? Best to purchase gift bags and not write on them so they can be used over and over again!
Do you use Merlin Bird ID? Here is an article in The Guardian that you might find interesting.
Toby waiting for his walk with Ellen and Nellie. After Tuesday it will Toby and me hitting the snow!
Toby giving Nellie a good night kiss.
Thank you so much for being with us today. We hope your holidays were bright and that the new year is kind to each of you.
Thank you so very much to The Guardian for its wildlife articles, the owners of the streaming cams, and the authors of FB posts that helped me to write my blog this evening.
I want to thank you again for all your wonderful letters of support. Dementia has touched so many lives. Anyone living with a partner or parent knows that, like those sad events in Bird World, we do not anticipate the tragedies that will befall us.
As I last wrote, my husband’s Lewy Body Dementia had, for an unknown reason, taken a sudden turn for the worse. Today I sadly had to have him removed from the home and taken to a hospital for an evaluation – he had become increasingly violent. While he is there, I have to find him a place to live. This is not easy as it is still the holidays and public spaces are full. Thankfully, my entire neighbourhood, our joint friends, and our daughter Jaine are helping me. I am so grateful for their love and help.
I had hoped, as you know, that Ann and I would be able to curtail any issues and he could remain at home til the end of either his life or mine. It has been the most devastating day of my life, and I say that having had to bury my youngest son after he died from a car accident.
Because of these difficulties, I also do not know when I will be able to report back on our birds. I am hoping that Gabby and Beau will have a wee one to cheer me up soon! Pip watch for our NE Florida couple begins tomorrow.
SE26 is doing well. Rain began there and it appears SE27 will not hatch. I can see only one eaglet for Captiva so far and at Dade County the bonking had slowed for a bit. Fingers crossed for them. The parents are good providers although the presence of Coot on a nest – or any waterfowl – gives me unease due to Avian Flu.
SE26. Strong little eaglet.
Girri is also doing well. Screaming at the adults for prey. How fortunate we are to see this strong fledgling out of Diamond’s scrape.
Please keep us in your warm thoughts, and if you are prone to pray, then please say a prayer for us. It is a very difficult time. Thank you.
For those who celebrate Christmas, we hope that you and your family have a wonderful time together, sharing much joy, many good laughs, and making new memories. For those that don’t, we hope that your day is also full of good companionship, a walk in nature, and a hearty laugh about anything. Laughing can truly heal what ails us.
Nellie and Toby have settled into a really nice routine. Nellie sleeps at night and both enjoy their walks with Ellen. I am grateful to the enclosed garden so that both can go out and play in the snow without fearing they will go out and get lost.
In her holiday message, UK ceramic artist, Midori Tanaki, whom I met at the London Ceramics Fair in 2018, writes: “This year I have taken four months off. It has been the longest break since I started doing ceramics. I was worried if I would get bored, but I didn’t. I spent months cooking, preserving the harvest, walking and seeing people. I felt alive and relaxed. I don’t think I have really relaxed since I have started ceramics. I would like to take my life back now before it is too late. I am planning to take a four month break, again, in 2026. It is my way to rebalance my life and work, and to see what will await ahead.”
Tanaki is not the only individual writing about slowing down. Not only have I been bugging all of you to slow down, almost every blog that I have read, written by women, this past six months has talked about this need – to disconnect from social media and to reconnect with people and nature.
Australia was bold in restricting social media to those over 16. While you might think that terribly cruel, my granddaughter reports, as do the Australian papers, that people are actually doing things together. They no longer sit with their heads down at the table or on the beach, but instead spend time with others in good conversation and shared activities. Maybe it is time we all did this! I am so serious.
After having a glowing month, Don’s behaviour deteriorated slightly last week over the course of three days and today, the hallucinations that accompany Lewy body Dementia were very concerning. His medications have been changed. Please join me in hoping that they help calm his mind.
In this spirit of slowing down and feeling the need to spend some time with Don as he adjusts, I am going to take a three-day break from the blog – the 25th thru the 27th. Ellen will not be here to take the dogs for their walk, so it’s up to me to give them the much-needed exercise. It will be good for me, too!
In the meantime, let’s check on the nests with chicks and look in on Gabby and Beau who are next in line for hatch other than nests waiting for their second hatch, according to my calculations.
No pip in the 39 day old second egg at SW Florida. E26 is strong and is eating well.
CE14 is doing well at Captiva. It looks like there could a pip in that second egg.
Two beautiful bobbleheads being fed well at Dade County home to Ron and Rose.
Thank you for being with us today. I will see you again in a few days. Sending you wishes for a wonderful holiday – no matter which you or celebrating or maybe you aren’t. Take care everyone.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my screen captures and to SK Hideaways for the post about Girri. We are so grateful that you allow us into the lives of these amazing birds.
It was a great night. Our visiting canine, Nellie, settled in and slept through the night – and so did the rest of us! We woke up refreshed. Toby and Nellie headed out with Ellen at 0930 while ‘The Girls’ had their breakfast in peace. When the dogs got home, Don and I looked at the four sad bananas on the counter and set about to make banana bread. It was a great start to the morning.
Hugo Yugo and Toby were holding hands last evening. I can’t get enough of this puppy and sweet kitty. They have to either be touching or near to one another.
Oh, these animals just lift my spirits.
There are two eggs at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Bald Eagle nest in Texas! That one flew right by me I was so intent on finding out about Girri. Congratulations.
Let’s hope we see more of Girri’s strong flying. It gives me hope that this fledgling of Diamond’s will survive!!!!!!!! She is one heck of a flyer.
Our friend ‘A’ is checking on Angel, the Leucistic Hawk, and her mate Tom and found an update from Connor at Window to Wildlife: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHDDXUkIKio
Connie and Clive have a hatch at the Captiva Eagle cam. CE14 looks strong and alert.
E26 appears to be lucky (in some ways). No indication of a pip in E27’s egg. This is day 38 for that egg. Yes, it is still within the time frame for hatching. Would I want it to? Well, I wouldn’t. Many will. E26 is strong, healthy, and eating well. A lack of a sibling means no bonking – that has already started at Dade County in force with the Rs.
Gabby and Beau continue incubation at NE Florida. I am getting excited for their first pip next week.
Jackie and Shadow are visiting the Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle nest! They were there Tuesday!
Ron and Rose have a nest full of food for C10 and C11. There are still a few bites of Coot and a whole lot of fish ready and waiting.
If you missed Ventana Wildlife’s December chat, here is the link to find out what is going on with the California condors: https://www.youtube.com/live/_FO6WuxmL08?
The post today is quick and sweet. We hope you are not caught up in the rat race of the build-up to the final days of the holidays. Take care. We will see you tomorrow.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my screen captures, to SK Hideaways for their video, to ‘A’ for alerting me to Connor’s Window to Wildlife update! This blog would not be the same without you and without all those amazing members of Bird World!
