We’ll all have empty nest syndrome soon. Most of the ospreys have flown to their winter homes and left us to watch the peregrine falcons, the WBSE, and the Bald Eagles! I don’t know about you but watching Mum at Port Lincoln incubate eggs isn’t all that exciting but I do love seeing Dad bring her a fish in the morning.
2026 osprey breeding performance was the worst ever recorded for the Chesapeake Bay is published:
More and more organizations and people are supporting the reduction of the amount or the entire stopping of industrial fishing of Menhaden.
I am so pleased.
The takeaway from the report: “The 2026 breeding season was the worst productivity year ever recorded for osprey in the Chesapeake Bay. Average productivity in waters above 5 parts per thousand (ppt) salinity (N = 769) was 0.25 young/pair. On a global scale, the annual breeding performance required to maintain a stable population ranges from 0.8 to 1.3 young/pair. Only pairs nesting within tidal fresh waters (N = 168 nests producing 1.04 young/pair) exceeded the breeding performance threshold required for population maintenance. Eighty-one percent of all pairs nesting in waters above 5 ppt failed to fledge any young. Of pairs that did produce young, 70% were single-chick broods. The 2026 results extend the ongoing trend of productivity decline throughout saltier regions of the Bay.”
Unless something is done, ospreys will go extinct in the region.
A few of the nests that still have ospreys:
C22 and Charlie are still at Charlo with Charlie delivering fish. Mostly at Roger’s Place.
I really haven’t reported on the nest of Bruce and Naha at Seaside much this season. Bruce is still there bringing fish to one of the fledglings.
Wensi has not been seen since 6 September at the Hellgate Canyon nest or owl Pole. Iris still appears to be in the area.
Photo of fledgling Elsi starting her migration from the Dyfi osprey nest. Thanks so much! She is gorgeous.
Aran may still be at Glaslyn today. He was there yesterday. It was raining, not a good day to fly!
Dad was still at Boulder County Fairgrounds.
In Australia, SE38 is still doing well! Look at that crop. SK Hideaways has the feeding on video. It was an eel! https://youtu.be/qMUP6PbcjOg?
We woke up to a rainy, cold 8°C day. We needed to turn on the heating last evening. Toby certainly doesn’t mind going out to do all that ‘business ‘, but I found bundling up to go for a walk a little daunting after such hot weather only a few days ago.
We spent part of our afternoon at the hospital. Don moves so fast in the wheelchair that they are considering putting a seatbelt on him so he doesn’t hit something and fall out. The team at the hospital (his doctor, nurse, physiotherapist and social worker) are starting to formulate a plan for Donald. They are good and quite considerate of everything, including safety, which is paramount. For us, he now requires two strong people to lift him. If that continues, he would not be able to come home and would have to go into long-term care. If, however, he were to need only one person to lift him, they would provide me with a care worker for a 12-hour period, including getting Don to bed and getting him up in the morning, giving medications and giving him a nightly shower. I can sleep and not worry about him! We would also get one of those fancy hospital beds with a warning system that lowers and rises and goes up and down every which way. A nurse would come weekly to check on his bladder issues. This would be ideal. I am prepared for either scenario.
Thank you so much for being with us. Take care. I will be back in a couple of days.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, everyone who posted information and images on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch our bird families. I am, as are my readers, forever grateful.
The weather is much cooler. 15 C. It really feels like fall. The first Starling to return! Toby and I are cleaning up the garden. Ann and I now take turns, alternate days, going to the hospital. Don fell again yesterday. The nurses could not get there in time when the bed alert sounded and found him sitting cross-legged on the floor. It has now been 17 days. He is improving in some ways but his body is giving out. I am preparing myself for the fact that he might not return home. At the moment he needs constant care and watching and it takes 2-3 people to lift him. I am only one! We will do whatever is best for him.
Tobby’s grooming had been neglected. That is all fixed. He is so soft. Don kept rubbing and rubbing him yesterday at the hospital. No more neglecting. Paws and the behind are so important to keep clean. Our vet suggests washing their paws and drying the well (so as not to get anything nasty growing down deep) every time they go out for a walk.
On everyone’s advice, I have returned to a hobby that I love – photography. I love the new R7 camera with the 100-400 mm lens. Just the perfect weight. Let’s see what some of those first images look like!
One of the Blue Jays shot through the conservatory window. I am going to build a hide in the garden. I can only imagine how this might look if it wasn’t shot through glass.
Mushrooms are growing all over the neighbourhood. It has been so wet!
The Starlings have returned – more and more to fill up on cat and dog kibble!
A blurry image caught with my iphone.
Toby and I spend a lot of time sitting on the bench on the deck. I hope the birds and squirrels will get used to us sitting here so I can photograph them.
Iris is still home. If she is still at Hellgate Canyon on Sunday, she has broken her historical record of 11 September being the latest she stayed in Montana.
Images from Iris’s Cafe!
Aran was still at Glaslyn, but Idris has left on his migration!
Daisy from the Loch Doon nest in the UK is still in France:
It feels like only yesterday that we were waiting for all to arrive. Now they are gone on their long journey along the flyway, through France and the Iberian Peninsula, across the Strait of Gibraltar, and down to Senegal and The Gambia.
Sightings are already being reported.
Looking good at the WBSE nest in the Olympic Park Forest in Sydney.
Osprey House Environmental Centre posted some incredible images of George and Hope’s only surviving chick. Look at those feathers.
The Ps are catching their own dinner!
Seasonal news from Dunrovin posted by Sheila Staley on Osprey Friends FB:
9/22/16 Dunrovin
“It looks like the 2026 season is over, although Swoop may still be in the area fueling up, he hasn’t been seen on the cams. This has been a fun year, with very little drama, there was some sibling aggression but it didn’t last long. A couple of highlights was when Swoop feed the chicks and when he caught a fish so heavy he had to swim to the river bank. Winnie was still nervous with some of the ranch activities but seems to have been more comfortable/calmer than in the past. Before her last visit on the nest, Winnie was out of site for a few days, then she made a few appearances a couple of days before she was last seen. Spangle left after Star kept keeping him from the nest. Star owned the nest for the remainder of the season. Swoop provided his girl with plenty of fish. Star was last seen flying toward the river. Hoping for safe travels for all the Dunrovin Ospreys and look forward to seeing Swoop & Winnie in the Spring of 2027.
Stats:
Return Dates:
Swoop – 4/10/26
Winnie – 4/13/26
Eggs laid Hatched Fledged Notes
5/2/26 6/9/26 8/4/26 Star (OE4), female
5/5/26 6/10/26 8/2/26 Spangle (OE5), male
5/8/26 not viable
The chicks were banded on 7/22/26, named on 8/2/26, the gender was determined by the bander.
Last Seen:
Winnie – 8/21/26
Spangle – 8/23/26
Swoop – 9/8/26 *likely around 9/9
Star – 9/9/26 10:05am
Videos of some highlights:
Swoop feeds chicks
Spangle fledges
Star fledges
Video of Swoop’s big catch and swimming to riverbank”
Oh, how I wish every nest would post this information and keep it in an archives.
Raptor Monitoring Scheme in Scotland, Annual Report. Osprey nests are up!
I’m an environmental activist and osprey lover. I am also a Canadian and as everyone knows – I want this Canadian company out of The Bay. Save the ospreys!
More ways to have your voice heard on this matter:
Screenshot
Please do not use rodenticide! This happened in an area close to where I live.
On a happier note, Hope is doing a great job despite George in Australia.
SE38 continues to get nice crops from the feedings by Lady while incubation continues at 367 Collins Street and at Orange with the falcon families and at Port Lincoln with the ospreys.
There is a lot more news, but that is it for us today. Take care, everyone. Wish that Ervie finds a mate this season for next year – and that Dad continues to get some fish to Mum at Port Lincoln. Do you ever wonder if the raptors just want to retire from raising families?
A big shout out to SK Hideaways for their Big Bear video! Thank you to everyone for their posts on FB today and for the owners of the streaming cams – we will be forever grateful to you for allowing us the opportunity to witness the lives of our beloved birds.
I want to wish all my readers who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah starting tomorrow a very happy New Year’s celebration.
It was hot for September. 27 C today with a gentle breeze now and again. The children are all back to school as of Tuesday, the day after Labour Day. The Blue Jays are currently enjoying a late-day feed on peanuts. I can see Junior at the big table feeder right now, with a grey cat walking around the lilacs. Toby will take care of that. He always allowed Brock once he was trained, but he gets rid of the others. I am always afraid they will attack the birds – all are well-fed pets!!!!!!!
Toby and I were home today. Ann was at the hospital, and Don continues with physiotherapy and occupational therapy. It is a long road ahead before he’s strong enough to come home. I am going up tomorrow and Toby is going to the groomer. Poor little guy. He loves to run outside but he gets burrs in his lovely long feathering. He likes his baths and his feet soaks but he really is due for a clipping.
We lucked out today. One of our neighbours gave us some lemon cucumbers and there is a beautiful bouquet from Oak Knoll Farms. Both put a smile on my face. Have you ever tried a lemon cucumber? If not, you are really missing something delicious.
Oh, we know that the world has turned upside down in terms of raptors when we get to hear from our friend ‘A’ who writes to us out of Melbourne. This news sadly found its way to the Junk Mail folder and I only found it today. We will be looking for more lively commentary as the season progresses.
“The top news is that dad arrived on the ledge at the Collins Street scrape, looking perfectly healthy, just before 6pm Melbourne time (8 September). This is of course a huge relief to everybody.
Not sure whether you caught this piece of news but our albatross chick is on his way to Chile. He was a strong healthy lad and should have a good chance and we wish him godspeed and lots of fish.
Of course, being me, I’ve spent a lot of time watching the Olympic Park nest and counting the bites SE38 is getting. As if I wouldn’t be! SE37 really is a Zoe. I can handle a bit of sibling rivalry, but this is so vicious and occurs even when SE37 can barely reach over her crop to attack her younger brother. Lady is the only reason the little one is still alive.She has been wonderful, taking so much time and effort to try and feed her younger hatch. He is terrified of SE37, and it is sad to watch him cowering as Lady tries to coax him to lift his head and eat.
He has learnt to creep up the nest to mum, where he sometimes arrives in time for some bites but often does not. He has had a few good days followed by two or three bad days and I’m wondering whether things will improve or get worse as SE37 gets more and more gigantic. It really is hard to watch. I find myself skimming over the footage and studying the feedings but it’s a depressing watch most days.
Gimbir is absolutely adorable and is making a wonderful dad in this, his second season. He is devoted to Diamond and very keen to participate in all things paternal, which is so cute.”
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don’t believe Diamond has ever fledged three chicks. This could be a first.
Iris is still at Hellgate Canyon. There is even an Iris coffee shop now run by the students. According to Dr Greene, Iris flew by the window along the river during the opening!
Lucille Powell caught Iris:
Teifi, mate to Elen at Glaslyn, is still home as is Dinas in the Glaslyn Valley.
Jeff Kear carried the latest Dyfi migration report. Note that Idris remains enjoying his fish dinners to himself. No doubt these males get tired and out of shape, just like the females, and need some ‘me time’.
So grateful to Suzanne Arnold Horning for keeping up with the Ps, where at least one is still on the Cornell Campus with Big Red and Arthur.
We still have ospreys in Manitoba. Why would they leave – the water is still open and there are plenty of fish in Lake Winnipeg and various other ponds around the City of Winnipeg – some people even stock places with fish for them!
Hearings are currently underway about the lack of Menhaden. As you know, I am a Canadian, and I am not happy that it is a Canadian company (or any other international company, even one from the US) sucking Menhaden out of the Bay. Let’s hope people finally stand up for wildlife and shut down industrial trawler-based fishing! Save the Ospreys.
This isn’t nice.
Our local wildlife rehabilitation centre has been busy.
A great turn out to Jackie’s Memorial:
Take care, everyone. We will see you again soon!
Thank you to everyone who contributed images and information on FB – and a big shout out to ‘A’ from Melbourne. Lovely to have your commentary back. We, of course, are grateful to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these bird families!
You can tell the ‘air’ is different. The beautiful emerald colour at the top of the trees is quickly fading into gold, red, and copper. Summer is ending, and fall is here despite the fact that the temperature is 24 C.
Thank you again for all your amazing letters and your support. I can tell you that I really need all that positive energy. Each of you has asked for an update, so this is a snapshot of the past two days. Don was moved into a private room with a window. The doctors felt that he was not progressing because of the overstimulation of the brain in the emergency room. I fed him his lunch yesterday – he was ravenous. Today Jaine and Carter (daughter and oldest grandson) went at lunch to feed him and give him some homemade cookies. His appetite is good. Unfortunately, after they left, he fell. (He was not in his bed but in a wheelchair in the hall – a nice change from staring at the walls. I was told I could not get him a telly because it clamps to the rails on the bed and he could injure himself). Then he got agitated and was up again. This time it took five people to get him back, and they had to sedate him. All the nurse kept saying when she called was ‘he is big and strong’. He has a security guard with him now! I keep wondering what else in the world is going to happen? Something is certainly wrong, and as far as I can tell, it is one of the percolating infections he is trying to fight.
There are so many things, but if you have loved ones who are dehydrated, it can appear they have memory issues when they don’t. Infections cause sudden changes in behaviour and great agitation, sometimes violence. Please remember these two things because not everything is as it seems.
Bird World is pretty quiet.
The Royal Cam chick is 222 days old today. In about two weeks, Awoheh will be at the average for flight. The albatrosses return to Tairora Head when they are approximately five or six years old after foraging off the coast of Chile.
Blue 33 was still at Rutland but everyone else appears to be gone.
Beautiful fish for Wensi at Hellgate Canyon.
Idris is delivering some big ones to the Dyfi nest in Wales!
Teifi remains busy at Glaslyn.
Blue 8P7 is screaming for fish and Louis does not disappoint at Loch Arkaig.
No activity at Blackbush that I could see.
Fish still coming into the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum nest for the two juveniles that have not left.
No prey for 37 and 38 at the Olympic Park WBSE nest so far today. Adults have arrived twice empty taloned.
Incubation continues at 367 Collins Street. Four beautiful peregrine falcon eggs!
Gorgeous Mum at Port Lincoln Osprey barge hoping for a breakfast fish from Dad soon!
More osprey nest news from South Australia:
Maria Marika gives us news of the black storks.
Lin Lawson brings us news from Charlo, Montana.
Remember to get your purple out to honour Jackie on the 4th! That is this Friday.
Thank you for being with us today. I hope to be back with you tomorrow but it could be Friday or Saturday depending on what is happening at the hospital. In the meantime, please take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to all the owners of the streaming cams who let us watch these amazing birds, and to those who posted information and images on FB. I am terribly grateful.
Thank you so much for your prayers, for keeping us in your thoughts and your love. As MicPark said in the comments, Toby and I will survive this. We will, but I do not know how I would have survived this time without him and ‘The Girls’. We have been through challenging times like all families, especially when our youngest son was killed in a road accident. I can do this! There are millions of families dealing with someone who has dementia or Alzheimer’s. It is a horrible, horrible disease that truly robs that person of their identity.
I am trying to focus on the positive and the fun things that we did. One of those was making a snack late at night – tonight, Toby and I made a little pizza in honour of all those thousands of pizzas over the years made at midnight. It was delicious and brought back such fond times. I saved half and will take it to the hospital tomorrow.
Did I tell you that we don’t use pizza dough anymore? We used to make it from scratch. I use flour tortilla shells. They make the best thin crust pizza – if that is what you like. We would take a large one and put it in an 8 or 9 inch cake pan. It curls the edges up so you can have a deep dish style if you want. Put on the sauce and toppings and bake for 13 minutes at 410 F. Easy for kids to make – young and old. Make sure you get good pizza cheese, at least 25 % MF.
As osprey season really winds down, the Bald Eagles are returning to our delight. I did jump up and down with joy when I saw Gabby – she looks in terrific shape. Ron and Rose, as reported on Monday, have returned and I am sure looking forward to see if anyone will take up residence in the West End nest in the Channel Islands.
Recently, the clubbing of gannets was outlawed (at least for this year) on one of the Scottish islands (reported in a former blog). Here is a hopeful article on these seabirds.
The Port Lincoln osprey barge. Wind and rain hitting Mum as she covers her precious eggs. It looks like the weather is keeping Dad from getting any fish to the nest. As I keep thinking and saying, fish fairies, get ready. If you’ve donated to the fish fund before, start saving those pennies so these babies have a chance of survival.
Nicer weather for 37 and 38 in Sydney.
37 ate first and then there was fish left for 38. Lady did a good job feeding both.
Look at that crop on Diamond! Incredible.
With four eggs, the 367 Collins Street falcons are into full incubation mode.
Wensi got a late night snack, too – 20:27!
It was a big fish. Still eating in the dark – more than an hour after the delivery. Wensi will sleep with a full crop.
Thank you so much for being such a supportive community. Please keep an eye on Wensi. It will not be long before they fly to their winter homes, and then we’ll anxiously await seeing who returns next year. Let us hope they’re all in good health.
I will see you again in a few days.
Thank you to The Guardian for the article on the Gannets and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us look at these incredible raptor families. What would we do without them?
Wednesday was a lovely day. Don and Ann spent time around our duck pond, full of ducks, geese, and people having a good time. It was all topped off with an ice cream dipped in chocolate sauce. We ended the day sitting outside and taking a late walk with Toby. The leaves are definitely changing – the golden touch of the setting sun really highlights the changes every evening. The temperatures are still those of summer – 25 C. The farmer’s markets are full of fresh corn, local honey, blueberries, cherries, and peaches. It is one of my favourite times of the year! Tomorrow I am going to try and make charred corn and black bean nachos. There is a wonderful recipe in The Guardian this evening. Looks easy and delicious.
Thank you to the staff of The Guardian~!
Tomorrow, Miyoung arrives to cut our hair. Toby is in dire need, too, but I think I am going to leave him with his great feathering and his grinch feet. He loves his baths, and we cut out any mats that he gets, especially the burrs that he gets tangled in when he goes to the back of the property. He is so good at sitting and letting me clean the fur off the bottom of his pads and any mats—and he loves the massage with shampoo!!!!!!!!! What a joy he is to care for, especially since he doesn’t like going to the groomers so much. (We get his nails trimmed and his bottom tidied at the vet surgery).
I might just make this, take the laptop outside, and watch Wensi. The camera operators gave us some amazing images on Wednesday as Wensi got a fish delivery. Don’t ask me if it was Clarke or Iris – it was quick. No one wants their leg taken off by a ravished fledgling!
Iris and Clarke continue to provide fish for Wensi. This is surely one of the healthiest ospreys in the US this season. I would give anything if Wensi had a Darvic ring so we could hear about her in the future.
‘PB’ sent me a note saying M15 had returned to the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest in Fort Myers, ending his summer vacation. Will the female that he has been seen with join him?
At Big Bear, Shadow was caught on camera calling out to Kaydee, who responded. SK Hideaways has them and their morning duet – have a listen! https://youtu.be/YULMHzwlwJk?
Lizmn catches up with Milda, the White-tailed Eagle of Durbe County, Latvia, delivering fish but no fledglings there to grab it! https://youtu.be/p3omLB2V54M?
Beau is working on those restorations before Gabby gets home!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 26th August 2026 It’s clear Season Ten is winding down – the Hoodies are very bold, there’s only one chick and Louis still around, and night cam is switching over earlier each night. Louis brought one fish today, a flatfish, and Juniper managed to finish it despite harassment by a Hoodie. The Nest Two tally now stands at four hundred and sixty one, including five brought by Dorcha. The weather was settled today, cloudy and achieving a high of about 20°C, and should continue cloudy overnight with a low of 13°C, and sunny intervals tomorrow with a high of 22°C.
I will be listening to the webinar tomorrow (1300 Winnipeg time).
Its almost Open House at our local wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre, Wildlife Haven. They have now taken in twice as many patients in the first half of the year than they did all of last year!
Check out your local rescues and see if they have an Open House – and remember, save those clean, well-used towels and sheets. They can use them! Clearing out a house of a loved one? Don’t just chuck everything in the bin. Rescue centres need storage bins, woodworking tools, stainless steel dishes, laundry detergent, bleach – you name it – including toys for enrichment.
We are hoping to attend. We haven’t missed an Open House in years.
Get the tissues out. ‘PB’ sent me a link to a tribute to Jackie that I think you will enjoy: https://youtu.be/S7KAIlAcHLk?
There are still ospreys at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
SE38 is sometimes shy about eating. We are all cheering that little one on – and Lady is helping. SK Hideaways captures Lady’s tender encouragement on video: https://youtu.be/ugAnJczXunw?
Now how many eggs do we have at Port Lincoln? Are there two? We are waiting. Bart says between 72-78 hours. As I am watching it is now 76.6 hours since egg 1 so any time!
For those worried that Mum isn’t incubating the eggs all day, this is delayed incubation. It helps get the chicks to hatch closer together. Some of the UK osprey females have made an ‘art’ of delayed incubation, hatching three chicks on the same day – sometimes within a few hours. It really does help with all of the bonking, and oh, do our ospreys love to bonk one another for dominance and fish.
She laid her second egg this morning.
Good news from the Ventana Wildlife:
Christopher has fledged at Tweed Valley this morning.
Some more good news coming out of Wales:
Thank you so much! We love having you with us. It is a gorgeous day for haircuts and then a trip to the country. Toby says it is a great day for ice cream cones! Take care. See you soon.
Thank you to all the contributors – SK Hideaways, Geemeff, all those who post on FB, including the UK Osprey Information group! Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams for letting us see the lives of these amazing birds, and to ‘PB ‘, who is very busy but always sends me news. Thank you. Also a big shout out to the Guardian food contributors for that great recipe – try it! And check out their page on the newspaper site along with their environmental news.
The sea eaglets are doing well after the scare with the fish hook at the Olympic Park WBSE nest in Sydney.
We are waiting for Gimbir and Diamond.
Beautiful Diamond.
Opreys are trying to fatten up in the Northern Hemisphere to make their migration to their winter homes. Storks are on the move as well as all the other raptors and songbirds.
Shadow and Kaydee are becoming more familiar. It’s stick-moving time, captured by SK Hideaways. https://youtu.be/6BVc4os6MOU?
That is just a morning glimpse of what is happening in Bird World. SW Florida should be seeing its first egg and hatch by Christmas! Wonder what will happen at Big Bear? And when will Gabby arrive? And then we have the Channel Islands!
Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to all the owners of the streaming cams and to SK Hideaways for their videos. Check out the others by SK Hideaways – there are some beautiful chortels between Shadow and Kaydee.
Did Iris deliver the fish to Wensi? And was it Clarke who did the stop-and-go? I thought it was the other way around but I can easily be wrong. It happened very quickly!——-Regardless, all three were at the nest within seconds of one another. Iris is still here. Wensi is still getting fish deliveries. Clarke is home, too. All is good.
We have the first egg of the season for Mum and Dad at the Port Lincoln barge in South Australia. At 07:15:50 but Mum has danced around because of the rain and there was only a split second glimpse to confirm that she had laid that first egg.
Fish fairies: Start gathering the fish funds!
Clyde with a partially eaten trout at the Alyth SS Substation osprey nest that once belonged to Harry and Flora. No sign of Blue NC0 today. Has she departed? or is she fishing for herself? Both at the nest yesterday.
Blue 9L2 enjoying a nice fish delivery while sibling is fish calling at Lyn Brenig.
Massive fish at the Gilestone nest in the Usk Valley in Wales. These juveniles are filling up across the UK.
Wishing for fish at Dunrovin.
Ospreys around the Sandpoint nest. Where is Phoenix?
At OBX, Bandit (chick 2) caught a fish the other day. She is thinking about fishing today but hoping for a delivery.
Dylan and Seren were on the nest together at Llyn Clywedog today.
Geemeff’s latest Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 23rd August 2026 A very quiet day today, just a little Hoodie action with Juniper seeing off a persistent crow, and Louis bringing her a single fish, giving her something to scream about as it wasn’t very big and he didn’t answer her fish calls after that. The Nest Two tally now stands at four hundred and fifty four. Aurora 536 is still in Dorset and photographer Mark Wright took more photos, link in the bonus section. The weather was cloudy and cool which will continue overnight with a low of 8°C, changing to partly sunny and warming up in the afternoon with a high of 19°C. Today’s videos:
More photos from Mark Wright of Aurora taken today at Lytchett Bay in Poole Harbour, Dorset:
Osprey (536 – Aurora)Much more distant todayStill present in Lytchett Bay, Dorset this morning@harbourbirds.bsky.social @ukoi.bsky.social @wtscotsocial.bsky.social
We woke up to a cool morning. It was 10 C. The young man who clears my snow wrote to find out when I wanted him to start. I giggled. I guess when it snows – please, let’s not think about that now!!!!!!!
Little Four is much loved at the Blackbush Beach nest in Prince Edward Island. It is peculiar that he spends so much time on the nest. No fish yesterday but a small headless fish arrived at 0840 this morning. I have not had a chance to check for further deliveries. Some worry that Little Four won’t learn to fish. Remember. Ospreys do not learn to fish. 61 million years of adaptation and they know how to fish – no one has to teach Little Four. Most juveniles do not catch their first fish til they leave the nest on migration. This is why it is so important that the parents feed them up and fatten those bodies because fishing is not easy!
There will be skirmishes at times.
I thought I had a video of Ervie fighting with his siblings, but instead, the only one I have now is Ervie catching a puff. For those who don’t know, Ervie was the third hatch of 2021/22. He learned to fish by catching pufferfish!
We love you, Ervie. Now we wish he would get a mate!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 18th August 2026
None of the adults were positively ID’d today, but an Osprey was seen eating fish near Nest One this afternoon, and a chick was seen eating fish on Nest Two around the same time. A chick was observed on and near the nest this morning but whether the same chick or her sister could not be determined. The Nest One fish tally remains at two hundred and one, and the Nest Two tally rises to an estimated four hundred and thirty nine. George WTS informed us a part for Nest Cam Two has arrived and someone should be making a site visit tomorrow to fit it. Fingers crossed that will get the cam back on line, but grateful thanks meantime to LizB for her off-cam reports. After a wet night it stayed damp with light to heavy rain and overcast conditions throughout the day, and a high of only
14°C. The rain will continue overnight with a low of 12°C, changing to thundery showers and light winds tomorrow – which might not be the best conditions for a site visit! – and a high of 16°C.
Bonus photos – Aurora 536 was sighted in Poole Harbour 18th August 2025 by Mark Wright:
Osprey (536/Aurora)Lytchett Bay, Poole Harbour, Dorset@harbourbirds.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @ukoi.bsky.social
Some have worried about Shadow being lonely. Shadow had his chortles answered this morning by KD1, and they have been spending quite a bit of time together. I do not think we need to worry about Shadow. SK Hideaways has the pair on video: https://youtu.be/dRcazZ1Jk3k?
I am so happy for Shadow.
I really hope that Gabby will be returning soon – it is normally in September. Beau is already back at the NE Florida nest awaiting his much loved mate.
At Hellgate Canyon, fish is being delivered elsewhere, it appears. No one slept at the nest. Wensi shows up fish calling once in awhile.
Those last glimpses of this family will be very precious because we do not know when we will last see each one. No crystal ball. But in our hearts, we wish them and all the other ospreys safe journeys and a return next spring.
Please do check out the little sea eaglets. They will grow very fast!
The only surviving osplet at the Chesapeake Conservancy has a name!
The third hatch died from siblicide at the Osprey House Environmental Centre in Australia. I now have serious concerns for the middle chick, chick 2.
Blue NC0 is establishing herself at the Alyth nest for next season and her new mate, Clyde, is in for a learning session. Blue NC0 is one of the best fishers I know!
It is time for us to go to the Farmer’s Market – every day there is at least one outing with me and if Ann is here, the lads get more than one. Doing new things, doing familiar things, being around people, being around animals – it is all good!
Grumpy. Not another photo!
Take care, everyone. Ospreys are winding down their season and I still have so much data to file. I will be back with you later this week when I get a chance to catch up on the work part of why I am watching these amazing birds – their mortality or should I say their life?!
Thank you to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their great videos and summaries, to the people who post on FB including our Heidi, and to the owners of the streaming cams, I am so ever grateful to you for allowing us to watch these raptors. They enrich our lives.
We hope you had a good end of the week and that this weekend you take time to breathe and get outside. The summer is quickly coming to an end, and we can already see a tinge in the leaves across our back lane. Today, the birds were in a big flurry around 1500. The Crow family was all in attendance, along with the six Blue Jays – and hundreds and hundreds of sparrows of various types. We noticed a lactating grey squirrel, but it was not Dyson. Since the disappearance of Brock and the other cat, Charlie, we have also noticed a decline in the number of grey squirrels. Down by half. As I have mentioned previously, there is some concern that someone is using rodenticide. That deadly poison goes through the food chain – it can even kill the hawk that comes several times a week! Please do not use it, and if you know of others who do, don’t attack them but do educate them. So read up – there is lots of information on the dangers of this deadly poison on the Internet.
I want to thank everyone for their notes while you grieve, Jackie. She was so loved, and her influence has touched so many. I am grateful for the excellent care she received, from the first responders to the staff and volunteers at the Ojai Raptor Centre. Jackie died a natural death – and whether she knew it or not, she was surrounded by love. Tributes are still being made, and many want a permanent memorial to her at Big Bear Valley. Flower tributes have been left, and I know from your notes and comments that many people have a big hole in their hearts. Luna and Sandy are fine. I find it very interesting that Jackie stayed strong until they had left the area. As you know, raptors hide their vulnerabilities. Otherwise, others will try to take their position. At some point, however, when one is so very, very sick, that illness cannot be hidden anymore, and that is what happened to our dear Jackie. Shadow will be fine. He misses Jackie. He calls out for her, but no one answers. It is not breeding season, but like M15, he will need a strong mate to help him keep the Big Bear nest. It looks like the one female, nearing five years, KD1, is hoping to fill that spot. We need to send Shadow our best wishes just like we did Bella (NCTC), Connie (Captiva), Gabby (NE Florida) and M15 (SW Florida) – to name a few of the eagles who have lost their mates in the past five years.
I am delighted to report that one female osprey, Blue NC0, whose mate, Laddie LM12, died two years ago, appears to have found another nest and mate. She lost her nest at Loch of the Lowes last year when she failed to bond with the Dark Knight. She has recently been at the Alyth SS Substation nest that previously belonged to Harry and Flora. Harry disappeared, and Flora lost her nest (or that is what it appears). Clyde is the current male, and he has been bringing fish to Blue NC0. Loch of the Lowes and Alyth are approximately 18 km away from one another. I wish Blue NC0 the best.
I want to begin with Geemeff’s summaries and videos from Loch Arkaig:
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 14th August 2026
Today’s big story is the Nest Two camera being taken out by an electrical storm. Unfortunately, as it’s in a remote area, it’s going to take a while to restore service but it is being worked on, and luckily Nest One cam is still streaming live. Garry LV0 wasn’t seen today so his fish tally remains at two hundred and one, but Aurora 536 came to the nest and preened quietly for a few minutes before departing. Thanks to off-nest reports from local resident LizB, we know the chicks were around today both on and off the nest, and Louis was seen delivering fish. Fishing stats guru Steve Quinn has worked out a formula for estimating deliveries by Louis during the cam outage and the Nest Two tally has been raised to four hundred and nineteen. Dorcha has not been seen on cam since Saturday 8th and off-cam on Tuesday 11th. Meanwhile, all the main events of Season Ten are available on Woodland Trust’s playlist, details in the bonus section. After a stormy night, the weather was reasonably settled today but at the time of this report, midnight, it’s raining and due to continue overnight with a low of 12°C, changing to light showers with sunny intervals and a high of 18°C tomorrow. Today’s videos:
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Thursday 13th August 2026
Garry LV0 and Aurora spent time on Nest One today, and he brought her one fish, taking his tally to two hundred and one. The two chicks were on and off Nest Two being very competitive, squaring up to each other, slapping wings, pushing each other off the nest and chasing, and generally doing their best to get as much fish as possible. Louis only brought three fish, all flatfish, and Amber got the first two and Juniper the third. The Nest Two tally now stands at four hundred and fourteen. Dorcha wasn’t seen today, either on or off the nest, and it looks like she might have headed south – we wish her fair winds and plenty of fish and look forward to seeing her safely back next year for Season Eleven. The weather was damp and overcast, with Nest One shrouded in mist at times, and the damp weather is set to continue with thundery showers and light winds and a low of 16°C overnight, continuing tomorrow with light rain, a gentle breeze, occasional sunny spells and a high of 19°C.
Individuals throughout the UK (and elsewhere like myself) are fed up with the medieval practice on the shooting estates BECAUSE it leads to the gamekeepers poisoning, beating, and killing in the most bizarre ways the raptors that come and take a grouse for food. No one tells them they crossed a boundary – and to be honest the pheasants imported, the monies exchanged, never warrant the brutal killing of the raptors.
As you are aware, I am a big fan of Knepp Farms and their Rewilding campaign. In their latest newsletter, they tell of the most recent introduction: “In our latest episode of the Knepp Wilding Podcast, butterfly expert and old friend Neil Hulme joins us to talk about the Knepp Wildland Foundation’s most recent reintroduction project – the black-veined white butterfly.
Absent from Britain for more than a century, Neil discusses the specialist task of reintroducing a species that vanished this long ago and why we’re hopeful that this rare, striking insect will once again become a UK resident.”
The newsletter also brings up other issues such as the failure of national parks to provide safe environments for wildlife. There are other stories. Have a read.
Oh, you want cute. They look like miniature fuzzy snow persons! SE37 and 38 are adorable.
SK Hideaways has a cute video of the little sea eaglets. You also get to hear the duet! : https://youtu.be/QfxN_k_qH24?
Sadly, it appears that we will not have any Ervie babies this year. We saw him at the nest, but no female! Oh, let’s hope a female comes around. We love Ervie – and I can’t wait til he is a Dad.
Phoenix, from the Sandpoint nest, is doing well in rehab. He is said to be very, very feisty! He won’t leave his wing protector on…but this is good. He will be strong when he leaves care and goes back into the world. (A Bald Eagle injured Phoenix when he flew off the nest).
The females are starting to migrate in the UK. Blue 014 from the Pont Cresor nest in Glaslyn has not been seen since she had a fish on the Glaslyn nest on the 10th. Other females are helping the males fill up the chicks!
Take care everyone. Thanks for being with us. I keep saying I am going to take a day off. Maybe it will be tomorrow. I am hoping to get us on a little road trip if it isn’t raining all day.
Thank you to SK Hideaways and Geemeff for their videos and summaries of nest activities, to Knepp Farms for giving me hope for the future, to everyone who posted information and images on FB, to Ruth T for chasing down the latest raptor persecution news in the UK, and to everyone who owns a camera or posts news somewhere so that we know what is happening in the nests. A big thank you to CBS LA for a lovely tribute to Jackie.
