Oh, gosh. I can’t keep up with eaglets hatching and ospreys arriving so…watch those eagle nests as I will be chasing after osprey arrivals.
The pair at the Port of Ridgefield have arrived.
Blue 33 and Maya arrived within hours of one another at Rutland’s Manton Bay nest! I am over the moon – and I will keep saying that. Geemeff has Maya’s arrival. https://youtu.be/Zc_Zd__2jZY?
Some want to argue that it isn’t Maya. As keen osprey observers know, the head of the osprey does not change, and Maya has a distinctive ‘X’ on her head. Thanks, Geemeff.
RSPB is giving a Zoom talk, ‘The Return of the Osprey’ in May. Here are the details if you are interested: Go to Eventbrite.co.uk. It is free. Below is the date and time for me.
Big Red and Arthur have their first egg as of the 23rd. Please consider joining the Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters if you are not already a member to keep up with the latest and learn when and where the live chats will take place during the hatch-fledgling period.
Osprey pair back at Cape Cod Mashpee, MA nest.
My goodness – I did say that they are arriving fast and furious.
Heidi’s watching a lot of nests and one of those is Seaside. We have Port of Ridgefield home so the rest should be arriving soon.
Heidi reports that there are now three osplets at Venice Beach and Golf Course Osprey platform as of 23 March!
The little one at Moorings Park is having some difficulties getting up to the table when fish arrive. It is having to wait but Sally is a good mum and the little one did get fish!
It takes a good food source and exceptional parents to have three osplets fledge – never mind four. I wonder if CJ7 and Blue 022 at Poole Harbour will go for another four this year? Their nest is waiting for them.
A memorial video dedicated to Rosie, Richmond’s mate who did not return this year to her nest at Golden Gate Audubon in the SF Bay Area, has been compiled. https://youtu.be/i4h2jIE8xuU?
Did I say get your tissues out?
Richmond loved putting sticks on Rosie’s back.
It is really hard to say goodbye to such a good Mum. Soar high, Rosie dear.
Thank you for being with me this evening. Osprey World is very busy – and so are the eagles and hawks. There will be some fledges soon – I might miss them so please send me the news. Take care.
Thank you to everyone for their wonderful videos, and to SF Bay Ospreys for a fine memorial video of Rosie and Richmond. To those who contributed news and images on FB, I am forever in your debt, as we all are to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives of these incredible birds.
Sunday did not turn out as expected. We lost dear Dory at Audubon Boathouse*, and then I received word that the five Black Storklets in Jogdeva had been stomped, with at least two dying. My husband’s friend, who lost his wife, came to visit, and it was very emotional. Not the sunshine and laughter one might think of on Mother’s Day. Indeed, so many mothers are no longer with us that brings tears in itself — and I know that everyone would like to be with them just one more time to say everything that never got told, or to confirm their great love and bond. The lesson always is: never put off anything for a day if you can do it now. You might not have tomorrow.
*I am pretty bothered by this death. The boathouse underwent renovations/repairs. It has been known for aeons that the owls take the osplets and try to harm the parents. In this instance, it was a deadly attack on the female, rendering the eggs non-viable. While it is true that ospreys return over and over again to the same place to nest (it is their territory), it is equally valid that the new roof of the boathouse could have been fitted with red strobe lights at each corner. These are effective when used. The two organizations had the funds to accomplish this when the ospreys were migrating. At least they could have tried.
‘MP’ sent a screen capture of their favourite Mum – the female at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands near Dallas. Two beautiful fledges this season!
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am asking for your help. As you may be aware, I try to keep a Memorial Page of the raptors that died or who went MIA in a single year. We lost so many and then Akecheta and Thunder – well, I simply had to stop for awhile. Then we began to lose more and more. I do not wish to leave anyone off the list so this is what I would ask of you.
Please send me any information about any birds on streaming cams that either died or went MIA in 2025. I am including Annie, etc even though we do not know the precise date she went missing. Do not assume that I will have the name on my list. Your list could just read eaglets 1 and 2, Trempealeau Bald Eagle Nest, Wisconsin. If you have other information, please include it. Thank you so much! This will make a huge difference in me getting that Memorial Page as accurate and up to date as possible.
Heidi’s Osprey News:
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Sunday 11th May 2025
A quiet day today, no intruders on either nest. The day started with a dawn tryst on Nest One, with Garry LV0 and Aurora 536 having two successful mating sessions. Possibly not enough mating activity to produce eggs this season and it is getting past the point of no return time-wise, but then again, the birds don’t read the manuals and may yet surprise us. In a repeat of yesterday Garry brought one fish today taking his tally to forty seven, and Louis brought two fish, taking his tally to eighty one. Dorcha’s first fish was a small lively flapper which she stayed on the nest to polish off before departing. The second, headless, fish was much bigger and she carried it off in a precarious beak hold, much as Aila did on this day in 2020 however Aila did an athletic mid-air transfer from beak to talons which we didn’t see Dorcha do, so hope she didn’t lose it as she flew off. Apart from some light overnight rain the weather was settled and sunny but more rain is forecast for tonight, with sunny intervals tomorrow. That’s still much better weather than Aila had to endure on this day in 2020 when she had to protect the three eggs which were the future famous lockdown Osplets from overnight snow flurries. Links to those events in the blast from the past section.
Night cam switches on (day cam): Nest One 20.40.14 (03.48.45); Nest Two 22.44.36 (04.12.36)
I was extremely upset by the situation at the Black Stork nest in Jogeva County in Estonia. There were five storklets and an intruder. The latest news on Looduskalendar English Forum is “Two chicks confirmed dead, two chicks confirmed alive. Another egg we don’t know about.
At least there’s still hope. And the parents are okay.
Now we’ll have to wait if the intruder can be kept away, and if the remaining storklets are well. “
The male had been missing since 5 May and there was a fight in the nest with some stomping on the storklets – intruding storks. Oh, please let two or perhaps three of them be alive! It also appears that the male might have returned. Perhaps he was only out of camera range trying to protect the territory.
To counter that, ‘TU’ reminds me: “There are lovely people who tries to make this world a bit better!!! In Makov, on station for rescued birds and animals they delivered 3 chicks and an egg to be adopted by couple of not releasable white storks Honzik and Johanka.” The foster parents are delighted! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J1utP1GG9s
Trempealeau Bald Eagles: T3 continues to do well.
Cornell Red-tail Hawks: O1 and O2 appear to be doing well. Big Red is loving every second of being a Mum.
Snow Lane Osprey Nest, Newfoundland: After raising two gorgeous fledges last year, Beaumont returned early and earnestly set about fixing up the nest he has shared for many, many years with his mate, Hope. Sadly, it now appears that Hope has failed to return from her migration this year.
This beautiful photograph of an osprey in flight was taken by Marc Lausier. Thank you, Marc, for letting me sharing this beauty with my readers. Please check out his website!
Muonio Nest, Finland: Both ospreys are on the nest. Waiting for eggs.
Janakkalan, Finland: Eggs are being incubated.
Paltamo, Finland: Eggs are being incubated.
Ylläslompolo, Finland: The nest appears unoccupied so far.
‘BAH’ sends us the latest from the Port of Ridgefield: “3rd egg laid at Ridgefield last Friday, but since then things have gone wrong on the nest, starting Tuesday when another couple raised heck for two days, fighting and dive bombing the couple on the nest. The female ended up with blood on her feathers. This continued through Wednesday, according to chatters. The eggs were not incubated through it all, and now chatterers say this is a different female on the nest. She doesn’t incubate and ignores the eggs thoroughly, but the male has started incubating again. But it’s no doubt in vain. Alas!”
Golden Gate Audubon Nest: Richmond and Rosie had their first hatch of the 2025 season late Sunday – Happy Mother’s Day, Rosie!
Did you know that incubation is the only time that adult ospreys will sleep lying down?
Baby Hope wishes everyone a terrific Monday!
Thank you so much for being with me. There is much more news. Also thank you for continuing to send in your Spark Birds. Your remarks are so welcome by all of my readers. So please do not be shy – and also, answer myt call for entries for the Memorial Wall. I need all the help you can provide. Thank you. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, comments, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘BAH, Geemeff, Heidi, MP, PB, TU’, John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Geemeff and The Woodland Trust, Eagle Club of Estonia, Looduskalender Forum, csillagig65, Trempealeau Bald Eagle Cam, Cornell Red-tail Hawk Cam, Snow Lane Osprey Platform and Newfoundland Power, Marc Lausier and One-for-One Photography, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Port of Ridgefield, Colonial Beach, Smallwood Ospreys
I apologise for being late with the Monday posting.
At Lake Murray, Mum came down from her perch to sleep with her only surviving chick. Did she hear the GHO. Oh, if this chick can only put on some good weight and if the beams from the strobes were the same as they were Saturday night, Middle might stand a chance. (Note: Little was taken the first night and it appears that Big was taken Sunday night.)
Baby was safe this morning. Oh, please, let this nest keep one!
As we recover from the second GHO predation at Lake Murray, we must – where possible – advise the osprey and eagle nests of the success of the Cowlitz PUD experiment with the metal fish grids. I keep talking about the economical cost. Two fish grids with a welded rod attached to opposite sides of an Osprey platform. That is all you need! It works. A baffle at the base of the pole for raccoons would always sweeten the deal. If you know of a nest that suffers predation from other raptors, please advise them. You can feel free to copy this. They can contact Cowlitz PUD and they will happily tell them how they did it. We need to be proactive. No sense osprey parents working hard to fledge chicks only to fatten them up for owls and eagles who can find other meals.
‘B’ wrote with a very good question. I want to go through my files and put my ‘thinking cap’ on with ‘H’. It is not a topic that we have put into our data forms which are related to ’causes of death in ospreys’ and, specifically, siblicide, but it is worthy of some good notes and someone might be working on this research and I am unaware.
I wonder if there is a statistical difference in predation from osprey nests on platforms that humans have installed specifically for them, as opposed to predation from nests on natural sites that the ospreys have selected? (That is, are the ospreys somehow better able to select a site from their own choices among natural sites than when they receive implicit encouragement to use a site selected by humans? Have the ospreys built up some sort of knowledge from experience and historical patterns?)
I have not seen a difference. In fact, if I think of overall predation by other raptors for the past three years, it ‘seems’ higher on natural nests in the UK and Finland than on platoforms in the US – the deaths there were mostly caused by weather related events or eggs that DNH. The major predator in the UK and Europe appears to be the goshawk that lives in the nearby forests. These nests are not in urban areas as a rule like many are in North America.
A goshawk came and took one of the osprey chicks at Llyn Clywedog right when Seren was feeding them in 2023!
This is a comment by John Williams who cares for these ospreys: ‘This blog was never going to be easy to write, but yesterday at just before 16:30 a goshawk attacked the nest and took one of our young ospreys. It was blue 8B1, the attack was very quick and out of the blue. Both juveniles and Seren 5F was on the nest eating the fish when it happened. All distracted by the food their guard was down. You could see Seren 5F looking down to the ground as if she could see him down there.’ (I have placed a file at the end of this, the entire sad report by John Williams. I was glad to see him refer to the birds as ‘family’ because that is, of course, how ‘H’ and I feel about those we monitor).
A young goshawk took a female chick that had just been ringed at Kielder Forest in 2023 from the nest of Mr and Mrs UV. The couple are raising chicks again this season on that very nest.
Goshawks also attack ospreys in Latvia and in one nest in particular the male has failed to attract a new mate because of this. The rumour, this great sadness of chicks taken, must have spread. It was the nest of Theo and Vita.
The new fledgling, Sacha, named after Sacha Dench and The Flight of the Osprey, was attacked by a goshawk at Tweed Valley. To my knowledge, the ospreys are still breeding there.
CJ7 and Blue 022 are still using their nest in Poole Harbour despite the goshawk taking their fledgling H52 on 5 August 2022.
In the US, people will remember Steve and Rachel and the attacks on their nest. Rachel did not return from migration and Steve and his new mate, Callie, refuse to use the on-camera Hog Island nest despite restoring it and mating and having fish gifts. “Last year, the rangers posted a photo of a very remote nest on Hog Island that they believe was used by Steve and Callie (H)”. ‘H’ also adds, “Dory and Skiff had Skipper that was predated by an owl in July 2023, but they did not change nest sites. The primary nest that I know of is Hog Island.”
There was a spate of killings in Finland and I do wonder if some of the nests without families this year are those. I would have to do some more research and check for certain.
Della and Warren have their first hatch of the 2024 season at Mispillion Harbour.
There is the first hatch at Clark PUD.
Olive and Oscar’s little chick at The Port of Ridgefield is peeking up – look under Mum’s fluffies -. So cute. This nest will be getting lots of predator protection for the 2025 nesting season.
Cutie Pie baby at Boulder County.
And another one at Cowlitz. Let us hope those fish grates hold this year against predating raptors in the area like they did last year.
There is a hatch at Moraine State Park on Monday.
Idris and Telyn are celebrating the hatch of their third chick. It is the 15th year for Ospreys at Dyfi in Wales.
There are now three for CJ7 and Blue 022. CJ7 is making valiant efforts to get that little one some fish.
Beautiful Dorcha is feeding her three chicks. Louis keeps that pantry full despite in climate weather.
Louis delivered six fish on Monday. SIX large fish!!
And there is the first hatch for Elen and Aran!
The three osplets at Smallwood State Park in Maryland are doing very well. Like Manton Bay they are right on the water and I hope it is full of fish!
The three at Maryland Western Shore for Old Town Home are getting a little rowdy, especially the two older ones. Arthur needs to being in many more large fish – if they are even available, maybe not. Or lots and lots of fish deliveries very close together! Fingers crossed for this little one.
Patchogue Nest is so full of garbage you can hardly see the chicks.
Radford University has two babies. Here is the link to their camera in Virginia.
There are four osplets at Field Farm.
At the Loch of the Lowes, Blue NCO lost her chance for a family when Laddie was killed/died. She had two suitors – a Pale Male and a Dark Male. Now Mrs G’s (Glaslyn matriarch did not return in 2023 from migration) granddaughter 7C1 has been battling with Blue NCO for the nest and she was on the nest with the Dark Male on Monday. It is not going to be nice this nest attempted take over.
Archie is working over time to keep his four babies fed!
The trio from the Denton Homes nest are doing very well at SOAR. As well as can be expected when they are being raised in care. Safe, well fed, nice vet care.
Across Europe firefighters work tirelessly to save the lives of storks – whether it is fishing line or floods or just abandonment.
Other ordinary individuals adopt storks and feed them. Makes my heart warm up!
Bety and Bukacek had only one hatch out of two eggs at Mlade Buky this season.
Iris and Finnegan hoping for a family.
The fledglings still visit the nest at the Venice Golf course in Florida while that nest that was loaded with fish at Fisherman’s Creek appears to have no more visitors.
It is very difficult to tell how much food Smallie is getting at Amersfoort. ‘PB’ reports that Smallie was very clever and jumped out of the box to get fed and then back inside. Yeap for Smallie.
Larry’s eyases are getting pretty independent and not sure they want Mum telling them what to do!
Pip/Hatch watch at Minnesota Landscape Arboretum coming up in 3-4 days.
‘H’ reports on the nests she is monitoring:
“5/17 Patuxent osprey nest – There were six fish brought to the nest by Dad. After two days with very little to eat, chick 3 “Little” finally had a couple good meals on Monday. At 0715 Dad brought a medium size whole fish, and Little was not allowed to eat. It’s not just ‘Big’ that is aggressive toward Little, but also ‘Middle’ at times. Dad quickly brought another fish at 0805, while the two older chicks were still full, and Little was able to eat 52 bites of fish. Little was shut out of the third feeding. At 1336 Dad brought a very large headless fish, for a feeding that lasted nearly an hour. Little ate 70 bites of fish at that meal, and had a nice crop. There were two more fish deliveries from Dad of small fish, and Little was not able to get any bites of those fish.”
“5/27 The Mispillion Harbor Delaware osprey nest of Della and Warren has their first baby of the season. One egg remains.”
“5/27 Captiva ospreys: They had a better fishing day with 8 fish brought to the nest, including a partial catfish from Edie. Darling (CO8) was only completely shut out of one short meal, and s/he managed a couple nice crops.”
Could this Golden Eagle nest be the exception to the rule of ‘Cainism’? There are two healthy eaglets at the Golden Eagle nest in Estonia. The first chick always eats first but there is enough food for all and second chick eats well, too along with Mum. Fingers Crossed.
The camera has been on and off with ‘Highlights’ at the West End. I have been told that Koa has branched. I did not see it! They are so big!
It was yesterday but we can celebrate today. One of my heroes.
Thank you so much for being with me today. This was a quick check on all those hatches and some coming up. It is a busy week and there are still eggs to hatch – lots of them! Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, comments, questions, posts, videos, articles and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, B, Geemeff, J, H, SP, PB’, Heidi McGrue, Clark PUD, Port of Ridgefield, Boulder County, Cowlitz PUD, Moraine St Park, Dyfi Osprey Project, BofPH, The Woodland Trust, Geemeff, Smallwood State Park, Maryland Western Shore Old Town Home, PSEG, Radford University Ospreys, Field Farm, The Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL), SK Hideways, SOAR, CS, Mlade Buky Stork Cam, Montana Osprey Project, VGCCO, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Amersfoort Falcons, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Patuxent River Park, Mispillion Harbour, Window to Wildlife, Eagle Club of Estonia, IWS/Explore, and USFWS History Archives.
