Concern is growing over F23, the mate of M15 at the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest. She has been an incredible mate and mum and E26 is nearly ready to fledge having branched a few days ago.
This is what the Pritchett Family have posted:
Screenshot
I have to say that when I saw this, my heart sank. The only good thing is that M15 is well prepared, having raised two eaglets from one month to fledge after Harriet went missing.
There is no word about Mr North either and Mrs DNF and MU are in the nest.
Jolene and Boone have their first hatch at the Johnson City ETSU nest.
Another egg:
Honestly, I am having trouble keeping track of all the eggs being laid, branching, hatching – thank goodness the ospreys are not arriving yet in the UK.
Brutus and Peanut ate well on Saturday. Peanut? Peanut might be bigger than Brutus by the time they fledge.
The kids at Dade ate well, too!
Ferris Akel found Big Red and Arthur today on his tour. This is a great way to end this short post. Send best wishes to all the raptor families but a little more for F23 to return home safe.
On the Canadian Prairies, it is cold. Was -28 C this morning and Toby took one sniff of the freezing air and decided that ‘going on the potty pads’ was what was going to happen this morning. He’s very good. He might be able to win at darts!
We are moving my office, clearing boxes, and waiting for a new Magic Mouse from Apple to arrive. Toby and Hugo Yugo are having a nice nap in the conservatory.
In the garden, the European Starlings are gathering in mass.
Thank you so much for being with us today. We are tired from moving tonnes of boxes. I think Toby and I will have a wee nap before a big mug of tea. Take care of yourself. See you soon with the new Kakapo chick hatch count!
Thank you to Ferris Akel for chasing after Big Red and Arthur, the Pritchett family for their streaming cam and website announcements, the owners of the other streaming cams and those who post on FB and keep us up to date. You are greatly appreciated.
Gosh, golly. We have a countdown clock to the arrival of the ospreys in the UK now. Big Red and Arthur are busy at the nest, and there could be eggs in two to three weeks. There are second eggs being laid at the Bald Eagle nests, and it just seems that everything is happening at once. Older eaglets are branching and will be fledging soon.
We are having a ‘yellow alert’ today, which means that winds are blowing up to 100 kph, with the main highway around Winnipeg closed. The ‘red’ lines indicate closed roads.
Ann and Don have gone to The Leaf to be inside with the koi and butterflies. It allowed me and Toby time to remove an old rug, lay down a new one and put the old one in the library area near the woodstove. These rugs cause a negative and a positive. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels love to run and play – the zoomies are incredible. But they tend to ‘slide’ on hardwood and dislocate bones. So carpets are a must – wall-to-wall carpet would be best. I cannot even imagine the amount of cat and dog hair that would attract. Don, on the other hand, cannot afford to get caught and trip and fall. This means they have to be taped down securely. Gosh, golly.
Meanwhile, the animals in the garden are thinking it is spring. We predict that the number of red squirrels might grow this spring!!!!!!!!
Let’s check on some of our Bird World news.
The eaglets at the Sutton Centre have beautiful names!
At Decorah North, Mr North has not been seen for three days at the time of writing this post. It appears that the UM has won the battle for the territory. Mr North was last seen favouring a foot and wing. Many of us adore him, and I hope that he is alright and will find another home. I am going to assume he is ‘missing’, and I am not putting him on the Memorial Wall as yet. He could be resting up to return for another day and another battle.
The owners of the Winter Park nest have selected names. Windows to Wildlife writes:’ “Thank you to everyone for submitting names for the eaglets. We had over 1,200 submissions. The landowners have chosen the following names! WPE1- Brutus, WPE2 – Peanut.”
I missed it. We have two eggs at the ND-LEEF nest!
Donations. I have been talking about donations recently because everyone is finding life challenging. There is, however, a campaign to raise millions – 10 million to be exact – to save the land around the nest of Jackie and Shadow. Here is the information. Please note that this post addresses fraudulent individuals soliciting funds and provides the only donation link. So if you do have a fiver – maybe this is the place to send it!
Note this is on the donation page if you are wondering: “Donate today. The donations made on this site will go directly to the purchase of the property and not to Friends of Big Bear Valley. FOBBV is managing the fundraiser only. All donations are tax deductible. Tax ID # 33-0700417“
Due to the limitations set out under the streaming cam, I cannot include images of Jackie and Shadow at their nest.
That is one lucky eaglet at Duke Farms. Dad Eagle continues to bring in the most amazing prey for Mum and Baby.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. We will be back with you again on Monday.
Thank you to the individuals who created videos, posted notices on FB, created websites for donations for Jackie and Shadow’s region, and the owners of the video cams that allow us to see the lives of these amazing birds. I am grateful to each of you.
I am taking a moment while Miyoung cuts Don’s hair to try to post some of the latest bird news. Missey is watching from the table, and Toby is on the sofa in the conservatory, wishing for an extra walk, not Dad getting a haircut!
The weather is warming up before it gets a bit nippy again. Tomorrow is going to be plus 2 C. Ann and Don are going to go out for a walk – we are going to do as much walking outside with him as we can as his condition is changing and we are starting to see a few Parkinson’s tremors. That is signalling the potential need for a walker sooner than expected. But, we will see!
So many of you have asked about the little squirrel with the mange. He has overcome his exposure to rodenticide, and his fur is about half grown back in. We are astonished and so happy. I want to attribute this to his being in good condition. It is a bit like Brock. Jane and I, along with some others, keep him well fed, and he stays on Jane’s porch much of the time. His fur is glossy – he does not look like a feral cat living outside, but he is.
The whiter fur is the new.
Branching. When an eaglet officially flies to a branch from the nest bowl. We have two today!
Quinn at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive has branched.
70 day old E26 at the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23 has branched at 0913 local time. S/he flew to the veranda. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/hG3QdbKOQL4?
Well done. I am expecting Eve and Kai at the NE Florida nest along with Dade County eaglets to be on that list any time!
More eggs are being laid!
Ma Vrain and her mate number 3??? Identified as Pa3 has laid her first egg at the Ft St Vrain Bald Eagle nest in Colorado.
Cruz and Andor have their third eagle egg at Fraser’s Point.
At Decorah North, the drama is seemingly coming to a close. Mr North, the long-time male resident of the nest, has been injured and has been MIA.
On the 17th: “The Decorah North eagle nest turned into the scene of a fast and fierce showdown on the morning of February 17, 2026. After being gone for almost a week, Mr. North had just recently returned to the area. During his absence, an unidentified male eagle had been hanging around DNF and testing the boundaries of the territory. Viewers watching the Decorah North live cam could feel the tension building. Then it happened. The intruder didn’t just perch nearby. He actually landed right inside the nest.” Mr North engaged with the intruder. “As soon as the intruder landed, Mr. North took off, circled back, and attempted to strike from behind before the intruder turned to face him.”
Mr North had been missing for a week. He has now been seen around the nest with what some are calling a wing injury. I will not give up on him just yet. The intruder is being called UM (unidentified male).
Mrs DNF has not accepted the UM as I understand it. There have been boots on the ground looking for Mr North.
I would like to introduce you to Condor 470 Fuego – please read more in the file below. To get you started: “His plucky spirit and spectacular flying skills make him a wonderful addition to the Big Sur flock. Fuego (470) has also been a member of not one, but two different trios! Along with his foster father, Amigo (204), he first paired with Condor (534). The trio was successfully able to raise their chick, Laura’s Bird (842). Unfortunately shortly after Laura’s Bird (842) fledged, Condor (534) went missing. The following breeding season Fuego (470) and his foster father added another female to their group, Kodama (646). They successfully raised their chick, Katie’s Bird (1003), but Fuego (470) has since left the trio and paired with Sottow (962). During the 2024 nesting season, they hatched Condor (1318) who fledged in late November of 2024. We are thrilled that Fuego (470) and this first-time-condor-mom have been successful so far!”
I could not close without checking on our only eaglet at Duke Farms. It is doing very well with an enthusiastic dad who has a buffet on that nest for his mate and baby.
I am really getting itchy feet for those ospreys to start arriving in the UK!
In the meantime, I want to mention something to all of you. There is no person who reads my blog who is unaware of the challenges everyone is facing amid escalating inflation, the high cost of healthcare premiums, medicines, and food for us and our beloved pets. Many who used to donate cash to their favourite wildlife rehabilitation centre, or even to a streaming cam, are unable to do so. I do not want you to feel bad about yourself. There are other ways to help – I will continue to remind you that the vet clinics, the wildlife rehabilitation centres all need clean used towels, rags, gently used pet crates and carriers. You can help and not have to spend a cent, and it will really help them. So look at those piles in the attic, the garage, the basement and see if there is anything that might be needed – and that even includes tools!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. We will be with you again soon – probably at the weekend unless we have a fledge.
Thank you to Ventana Wildlife, SPO, Audubon Florida, and the owners of the streaming cams that let us into the lives of our feathered families.
There has been a lot of discussion about the industrial fishing of the Chesapeake Bay and the lack of Menhaden for the Ospreys.
The Bay is one of the main areas for ospreys in the United States. There were hundreds of thousands of them. That is a lot of fish required for adults and chicks and the fish are just not there. Can the osprey adapt to eating a different kind of fish? They have certainly adapted over 61 million years, but the problem is – what other fish? Talk to Brian Collins or some of the other fishers from the region and we immediately understand that Striped Bass numbers are down as well along with all other species. Has the industrial overfishing impacted the other regions? Some debate that.
Ben Wurst’s recent newsletter from Conserve Wildlife of NJ indicates the lack of prey is the root cause of nest failure in the area of the Bay. Thanks, Heidi, for this great article.
Heidi, Viki, and I monitored the changing behaviour of osprey in the area. We noted that Duke and Daisy chose not to breed. Viki noted that in 2024, all chicks starved in the fifteen nests they had monitored for twenty years in Maryland. Last year, those same adult osprey laid their eggs and abandoned them before hatching due – I strongly believe – to a lack of food. No sense hatching them if they are going to starve to death. Please don’t tell me our raptors are not intelligent. They are. I continue and will always add what Laura Culley taught me – they are smarter than humans!
The problem is we are killing them and their habitat.
One thing that we cannot ignore is the rising temperature of the oceans, lakes, and streams. This is killing off fish and that will have an immediate impact on seabirds and other raptors that rely on fish as their sole source of food.
So as we move into osprey season, I want us to educate ourselves on some of the major challenges the populations face in different regions of the world.
Thank you for being with me this morning. Take care. Regular blog back the end of the week!
Thank you to Heidi for sending me the article by Ben Wurst. Thank you Ben for writing it and to The Guardian, we are always grateful for your coverage of the environment.
It is actually Sunday evening when I am sending this out. Ellen is coming early to take Toby for his walk on Monday morning, and we are busy with projects. Hopefully, nothing will happen in the next 12 hours!
I am delighted to tell you that we had a really wonderful week. Despite the temperatures plummeting, the early part of the week was marvellous, and we had some of the best walks of the entire winter. The garden is full of chickadees at dusk, with the European Starlings arriving several times a day to feed on cat or dog kibble. Brock is doing well. He was here Sunday evening and then found his way to my neighbour Jane’s, where he ate a feast and rested again. The pizza delivery driver came and, instead of bolting, he went to the other end of the porch and waited til the all clear. I hope he stays at Jane’s. It would make all of us have better blood pressure readings!
The Girls and Toby are also marvellous. Toby’s fur is as soft as a cloud. It is because of the dehydrated sardines. They helped us clean out the bookcases of all books and move the cases to the conservatory. They will be primed, painted, and reloaded. The plan is to move my desk and desktop computer out into the library area right in the middle of all the action within the house. Then I can keep an eye on everyone. At the same time, the books are out in the conservatory, ready for us to grab a new one at any time for story time.
So, wish us luck with all this painting! Missey’s tail seems to be the only problem – she always gets into mischief when it comes to paint, and we would think it would be Hugo Yugo.
Always nipping at one another!
These are the moments that get birders excited – a very rare bird in the Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto – a King Eider. Here is the news report with some really good information on Eider migration and ‘why’ it might have stopped over in Toronto: https://youtu.be/l4VPXXuXaOM?
I couldn’t stand it and had to check on Mum and the hatchling at Duke Farms. It is always a worry when a new hatch opens, and a storm hits. Sleet is starting to accumulate in New Jersey, around 1500. You can hear it hitting the camera lens. Send good wishes!
SK Hideaways outdid themselves on videos this week. Please check them out – this is a lot of hard work and incredible effort!
SK Hideaways Videos Week of 15 February 2026
Channel Island California Eagles Livestreamed nests: ~ Fraser Point ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Cruz & Andor ~ Sauces Canyon ~ Santa Cruz Island ~ Audacity & Jak ~ Two Harbors ~ Catalina Island ~ Cholyn & Chase ~ West End ~ Catalina Island ~Resident in flux
Cruz Welcomes 1st Egg ~ Andor Snoozes in Waiting Room (2026 Feb 19) Cruz laid her first egg of the season after a day spent mostly in or near the nest bowl. Andor was perched nearby and will be ready to meet their egg first thing in the morning. Video: https://youtu.be/UlT9pQ_J9c8
Kestrel Brings Mouse to Snag ~ Dining Balance Act No eagles today, but Mr. Kestrel was quite entertaining. The neighborhood kestrel enjoyed his mouse breakfast while balancing on the tip of a snag. Feaking (cleaning beak) was a slippery proposition. (2026 Feb 21) Video: https://youtu.be/gkMOPrtpRz0
Chase Catches Fish 1 that Ate Fish 2 that Ate Fish 3 (2026 Feb 20) Chase brought Cholyn a massive fish gift that turned out to be a three-for-one deal. According to our resident fish expert, Chase caught a big Kelp Fish that had eaten the Topsmelt (whole, mind you), that had eaten a Sardine (also whole). Needless to say, both Cholyn and (finally) Chase filled their crops. Chase once again showed his excellence as a great provider and mate. Video: https://youtu.be/O7Spi_nane4
Chase Calls Cholyn for Fish 2x ~ Stunning Close-Ups (2026 Feb 15) At the height of nesting season, Chase is collecting lots of brownie points by delivering many fish gifts to Cholyn. Oh, Cholyn does love her fish! We were then gifted with some stunning close-ups of beautiful Cholyn, thanks to the stellar Two Harbors cam ops team. Video: https://youtu.be/PBj80qZsZdg
FOBBVCAM Eagles ~ Big Bear Valley, CA ~ Jackie & Shadow Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley Resident Bald Eagle male: Shadow (unbanded) since May 2018. Estimated hatch year: 2014 Resident Bald Eagle female: Jackie (unbanded) since September 2016. Estimated hatch year: 2012 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
Jackie Nibbles Shadow’s Neck on Frisky Friday Date Night (2026 Feb 20) After evening nestorations, Jackie was quite demonstrative about being ready for romance, which included her loud declarations and neck nibbles. Shadow was not quite ready and continued with his branch management. They made up for it later behind closed branches. Video: https://youtu.be/hwiTHNebbx0
Juvenile Eagle Interrupts Shadow’s Lunch ~ Jackie Comes Home to Mate (2026 Feb 18) As with Jackie’s fish a few days before, a juvenile bald eagle followed Shadow back to the nest hoping to share some of his lunch. Shadow, of course, wouldn’t hear of it, complaining until the youngster flew off. A bit later, Jackie arrived for nestorations and mating, the latter fairly rare on the nest. They departed together and were seen together later on the Lookout Snag for more mating. Fingers still crossed for a second clutch. Video: https://youtu.be/ctSrnTXP7wY
Jackie & Shadow Enjoy Snow Day Feesh & Sticks (2026 Feb 17) A snow-covered valley and nest did not keep Shadow from delivering a fish gift to Jackie nor did it keep her from happily collecting it. Shadow also delivered a stick, which required some placement negotiations. As a bonus, there were snowy beaky kisses. A brief but eventful visit. Video: https://youtu.be/2PqA-NX63FY
Juvie Spoils Jackie’s Peaceful Feesh ~ In Warmest Memory of Sandy Steers 💙(2026 Feb 15) As we remember Sandy Steers, the heart and soul of Big Bear Valley wildlife conservation, we are grateful for the opportunity to watch the lives of Jackie and Shadow. We think Sandy would have enjoyed today’s happenings.
Shadow brought one fish to the nest, which he peacefully enjoyed all to himself. But when Jackie brought her fish, a wily juvenile followed her in hopes of getting a few bites. Well, of course, Jackie was not about to share her fish and let the juvenile know in no uncertain terms. Jackie managed to finish her feesh with, the juvie keeping close watch, and then shooed it off. Much to our delight, the juvenile soared around the valley, gifting us a wonderful airshow. Even Jackie may have enjoyed the show, now that her belly was full. Video: https://youtu.be/WZqLPjTDxyU
John Bunker Sands Eagles ~ Combine, TX ~ Mom, Dad, and JBS24 JBS24’s Bottomless Buffet (and Belly) (2026 Feb 16) JBS24 is 3 weeks and 1 day old. The eaglet is spoiled for choice at mealtimes with Mom and Dad both often in the nest offering a variety of prey. JBS24 is growing up fast, now sporting grey thermal down and almost always a full crop. Video: https://youtu.be/h_Nks375XLg Courtesy John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Eagle Cam Eagle Tower Camera 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wdo7BzUU_g Eagle Tower Camera 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDb2KqvvyQ
When I checked, both Jazz and Nola were in food comas in the Kisatchie National Forest E3 Bald Eagle nest of Alex and Andria II? III?
Gracie Shepherd catches E26 at the SW Florida Eagle nest of M15 and F23 trying out their wings in the wind. That eagle can really hover! Are we ready for this beauty to fledge? https://youtu.be/vEAmBdxHWlQ?
Suzanne Kay reveals the banding results from Dade County:
Quinn late Sunday nightwas hunkered down in the nest as a storm was rocking the nest at Captiva.
Beau and Gabby sure make beautiful babies – Kai and Eve, fully feathered and gorgeous. (I am a little soft on this nest!)
There is some amazing news coming out of Rutland’s Osprey Project.
Calico has a special video for everyone today. They have wings but are not raptors. Dani Connor Wild is in Mexico, and she went up to the top of the mountain on horseback and found thousands of Monarch butterflies.
It is so wonderful to have you with us. I always welcome your comments and your e-mails. I think I am almost caught up in answering – please accept my apologies for any delay. Take care. It is going to be a busy week, and I really hope that it is completely uneventful, no drama, nothing! We will see you again on Friday.
I am so grateful to SK Hideaways who so generously arranges their weekly videos for us – for all the others who contribute videos on YouTube, post information on FaceBook, and write articles that eduate each and every one of us. There is always something to learn! To the owners of the streaming cams, everyone is grateful to you. We would not know about the lives of our most wonderful raptor families without those cameras. I want to thank you, my readers, for caring for our wildlife, for writing those letters, and for being there and trying to help when it is needed. You are amazing and I am so grateful to have you as part of the Bird World family.
The only viable egg at Duke Farms has hatched! There is a very strong and predicted to be quite powerful blizzard headed towards this nest. Please keep this family in your prayers.
I am starting to write my post Saturday evening. It is 1733 and the conservatory is filled with light. The days are much longer and that is truly welcome. Everyone feels good. The weather will, however, continue to get cooler until next weekend when they are predicting we will drop to -30 C.
Today, we put another area rug in the conservatory. There is a reason for these rugs – they are for Toby. He chases Hugo Yugo throughout the house or Hugo Yugo chases him. There is a real issue regarding the legs of these Cavaliers. Like Toby’s food, I am doing everything I can to protect his health and physical well being. This means there is one more rug to get for the library area. At the same time, these rugs must be secured so that Don doesn’t trip on them. Talk about a balancing act!
Hugo Yugo and Toby helped with the rug.
We need to send some good energy to Duke Farms. One of the three eggs broke Friday night. The other one appears to not be viable. There is, however, one little eaglet working hard to get out of the last egg!
The siblings at the Winter Park Florida Bald Eagle nest are doing fantastic.
Jazz is getting a private feeding. Things on this nest, the E3 at the Kisatchie National Forest have turned around just as everyone had hoped. Nola still has first rights, so to speak, but Jazz is eating well and there is plenty of food coming on the nest. The little one looks great.
So far the food deliveries on the E1 nest of Anna and Louis II have been low on Saturday.
There is a second egg for Jack and Jill at Achieva.
Decorah Mum protected her precious egg scovered in snow. There are two of them.
Owlvira and Hoots two of the four owlets that survived are doing fantastic.
Little Miami Conservancy now has three eggs.
There are now 10 Kakapo chicks. This is going to be a brilliant year! There was a daytime egg check a few minutes ago. Here it is on video: https://youtu.be/bkNQWALZ9mw?
Bella has laid the third egg for her and Scout. Wish them luck! Deb Stecyk has it on video: https://youtu.be/PCAOOIIyBVM?
Baby Hope wishes everyone a wonderul end to their weekend.
Missey hopes your weather is warmer than ours.
Brock had several meals and slept on my neighbour’s porch for about three hours. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
Thank you for a quick check in with some of our nests. We will be back again with you on Monday with more news about our wonderful feathered friends. Please take care. Enjoy the end of the weekend. Get outside if you can. It is revitalising!
Thank you to those who created videos, to the owners of the streaming cams who let us peek into the lives of our feathered friends, and to the authors of the FB posts who keep us informed of all the action! I am truly grateful.
