Oh, it is a gorgeous autumn day on the Canadian prairies. Technically, it is still summer, but it feels like fall. We have had our walk and Don has gone with Ann to get a blood collection (he also has hemachromatosis) and a walk in the park. Toby and I cleaned up the laundry room, cleaned the bird baths, and made sure the birdfood was filled. There are so many! Last night we were shocked when, after sitting on the deck for at least half an hour, a hawk flew out of the huge prairie rose bushes! He had been sitting hoping for some dinner. I think we ruined those plans when Toby when down the steps.
This is the time in Bird World when we have a bit of a lull. The newest babies are the little sea eaglets at the Olympic Park nest in Sydney. Iris, Clarke, and Wensi are still at Hellgate Canyon. Blue 33 is the only osprey at Manton Bay, I believe. C22 and Charlie were fishing at Roger’s Place. Beau waits for Gabby’s arrival.
She is a beauty just like her great-grandmother, Maya, mate to Blue 33 at the Manton Bay nest at Rutland.
Even Geemeff’s reports for the Woodland Trust are getting shorter and shorter as the ospreys disperse.
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 25th August 2026
The RAF sent five aircraft flying down the loch, they were nearly as noisy as Juniper, whose voice seems to get more strident by the day. That will stand her in good stead when she has her own nest, for fish calling and warning intruders away from her chicks. Louis brought her two fish today, taking the Nest Two tally to four hundred and sixty, and she managed to protect both of them from the marauding Hoodies, one of whom was bold enough to nip her tail feathers. The weather was mostly dry and settled today with sunny spells and it should be dry and calm overnight with a low of 13°C continuing bright and clear tomorrow with a high of 22°C.
Second egg at 367 Collins Street as we await the arrival of the first egg at Orange. SK Hideaways has it: https://youtu.be/kRjyyXG3krA?
Osprey babies are being rescued worldwide as they struggle to find food and stay healthy.
#2 at Boulder County is a beauty and she is heading south. Great image, Holly!
Hope and George are not getting any breaks this year. Now dangerous fishing gear – . Needs to be removed from that nest!
I love this tribute to the Usk Valley male osprey in Wales.
Thanks so much for being with us today. It is ‘Dog Day’ and I cannot tell you how much I adore my Toby. He came as a tiny little puppy and has grown and grown. He is the light of my life and the beat of my heart.
With his much loved and chewed Lamb Chop!
Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to Geemeff and SK Hideaways for their summaries and videos, to those who posted information on FB with or without images, to Raptor Persecution UK, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch these amazing birds.
Friday was a busy day. The plumbers have almost finished making our main bath ‘accessible’ in case Don needs mobility aids. They were working hard today, and it was often loud, so Don went with Ann to our Zoo, and he got to see Lumi, the little lynx that was rehabilitated by Wildlife Haven. It was exciting, as they had missed seeing Lumi on three previous occasions. This evening, Don’s second cousin, a budding Vancouver photographer, was here visiting her Mum, and Susan agreed to do some photos for us at King’s Park. It was ideal, and there was more – we had some photos taken near a waterfall and pool where Toby had his first swim!!!!!!! I am going to get him a kiddie pool. You would have thought that he went swimming every day – Toby is a real duck.
Susan will edit the images but she did send us one.
As you are aware, Jackie’s latest red blood count has dropped below 10%. She has returned to the critical care unit and has to have oxygen. I feel for this beloved eagle. Without asking you, I am pretty certain that each of us would love to see her fly back to the nest to be with Shadow. The truth is – she is hanging on to life. I have seen the craziest comments – like let her fly up to Shadow, give her another transfusion. First of all, she can’t fly. Secondly, a second blood transfusion is very dangerous. I believe that, at this point, we have to trust the highly qualified vet team and Jackie to know whether she has the strength to continue fighting. Some of you will recall that at the end of June, Jackie’s behaviour was a bit off. She had a fight with Shadow over a fish. She had to have been sick then. The team are desperately seeking answers and getting more clues daily but our girl is more than extremely sick.
No matter what happens, I will be forever grateful that Jackie used all the energy she had to bring two beautiful eaglets into the world, Sandy and Luna, with Shadow this year. I suspect she was ill at the time, and that must have really taken its toll on her body. Poor thing. If it is to be, then I hope she soars into the ether with Sandy Speers, who loved Jackie so much, and that Shadow, like M15, finds another very good mate. Until then, I continue to hope for Jackie’s full recovery.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Friday 7th August 2026
Today was heavy with fish deliveries but light on key players – neither Dorcha nor Garry LV0 turned up today. Aurora spent a little time on Nest One but on her last appearance this evening just perched silently before flying away, clearly Garry wasn’t in the neighbourhood. The Nest One fish total remains at one hundred and ninety four. Louis however was very much in evidence, delivering eight fish to his two chicks who were stuffed so full, neither turned up for the eighth fish and he took it away again. The Nest Two total now stands at three hundred and eighty nine, four of which were brought by Dorcha. Has she left on migration? It would be an early departure for her, she usually waits until the chicks are around seventy five days old, and today Juniper and Amber are sixty seven and sixty five days old respectively. She has been known to stay away from the nest for a day or two before leaving, popping in occasionally, so perhaps we’ll see her tomorrow. It was very wet today with heavy rain showers throughout the day, and the rain will continue lightly overnight with a low of 13°C, then heavy again tomorrow with a high of 17°C.
I love Blue 33 – everyone knows that – and his mate Maya. A lovely image of two of the fledglings from this year.
I am so proud of the individuals who are stepping up to stop the gill net fishing of Menhaden. There will be a survey that can be sent in to a meeting in November. I will send that link, but please educate yourself on the impact of this vacuuming of fish and the use of spotter planes has had on the entire ecosystem, including our dear ospreys dying before our eyes. Many have lost their businesses as well to save 196 jobs at Reedsville, Virginia.
Viki is still feeding three ospreys including that fledgling! She writes, “Indeed, your language is nothing compared to my anger language. ONE flipping living chick in 3 flipping years. Fed this morning. On the search for another box of bait to keep it up. Good to know that they learn to fish at migration.”
Viki was worried that the chick would not be taught to fish so I sent her a couple of articles. There are no fish for the ospreys – the nests were in sight of her porch. She is distraught but determined – like those fighting against a 0- 50% reduction because no one knows how many fish Omega are taking. It is the most frustrated I have been in years. So when the time comes to step up and speak, I hope you will join me.
George and Hope are at the Osprey House Environmental Centre in Griffins, Australia. They have three lovely osplets this year. All very healthy!
The West Midlands (no streaming cams) had a very good year for ospreys. Congratulations. Here is the total for the 2026 class:
Good news out of Rutland – chick wasn’t lost, just looking over the territory!
C22 slept on the nest at Charlo and has been flying around Saturday morning with Chloe – always heading back to the nest in hope of fish! Doing well.
The fledglings are all eating at Blackbush Beach Resort in Prince Edward Island, Canada.
I was very distressed this morning to see that there are proposals for an upgrade at the park near where I live. Our mayor doesn’t like geese, apparently. So this year they culled the eggs and greased others to get rid of the population. I think they don’t know much about geese or ducks. People bring their families to see the wildlife. Why not hire a few high school students during the season to power-spray the sidewalks? It would allow the families to continue to enjoy the ducks and geese; paths would be cleaner, and the wildlife would have the right to their nesting spots they have used for aeons. 3.4 million is the cost. We have lots of crime now, lots of people who are homeless with drug issues…our City is rapidly becoming not a great place to live. Many blame it on the current group of suits that are at City Hall, not just the mayor.
I agree. We need to be outside more and not on our screens. One artist is hand-drawing 1,000 birds to try and get us to do just that. But how would an app keep us off our phones? Please read.
“Hansen, a renowned ornithological illustrator and author, has a monumental task – a hand-painted compendium of every one of the roughly 1,000 bird species ever recorded from the US and Canada, including those found in waters up to 200 miles from shore, Hawaiian birds not included. When finished, it will complete the visual backbone of an app called Flock, whose mission, compared with that of most apps, is quietly subversive.
For rather than seeking to monopolize and monetize its users’ attention, it deftly employs elements of computer gaming and social networking to draw people outward, into the world of birding, with the broader aim of cultivating a community of conservationists.”
The ornithological artist drawing 1,000 birds by hand – all for an app that wants you off your phone
am signing off. We are going outside today. Rain is predicted for the beginning of the week and today the temperatures will go up to a wonderful 23 C. Take care all. I hope you are well.
Thank you to Geemeff for their wonderful summary and videos from Loch Arkaig, the UK Osprey Info with Jeff Kear, to all those who post on FB, to Susan Thompson for the great photos at King’s Park yesterday, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch our bird families. We are so very grateful to each and every one of you. Thank you as always to The Guardian for including interesting wildlife stories every day.
Just another quick run through some nests with some news. I had a wonderful day with my son, daughter-in-law, and daughter. Don had a venture with the girls, and we gathered later in the conservatory for much laughter. Gosh, these are moments to be treasured. Their time here will pass by too quickly.
We have six fledgling Blue Jays. Here is an adult with a fledgling – wings and beak open, and squawking for food! These babies are almost- if not bigger – than the adults and very demanding!
Great news coming out of Poland!
Nadleśnictwo Lipka, Lasy Państwowe and Lasy Państwowe
🦅 FISHING ACTION – STAGE TWO: New life in the Cross Forestry! 🌲💪 Remember our injured fisherman? We have amazing news for you from the next stage of this unique rescue operation! It was another day full of emotions, logistics and… some fresh fish ! 🐟👇 🩺 Morning in the hospital, afternoon on the road, and evening at the new place. It all started at dawn in the “Jeleniagóra” Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center Gabinet Weterynaryjny Agnieszka Strączek where a veterinarian from Nadleśnictwo Zamrzenica took care of it Our main character went through a thorough examination and was supplied professionally. As soon as we received the green light, that the bird was ready for the next step, reliable Forest Ranger Tomek from the Lipka Forestry stepped into action. He packed the little one safely and set out on the road to Nadleśnictwo Krzyż, Lasy Państwowe Upon arriving at the location, calmly at the forest office, the fisherman went through standard procedure: he was weighed, accurately measured and rimed by Adam from @Nadle śnictwo Nedowice, State Forests. But this was just the beginning of the challenge. The real logistics operation began just under the target socket! do ♂️ Professional mountaineer @Mariusz Urban stepped into action, who climbed the mountain itself and carefully transported down the only youngster who has so far lived in the nest. He was also weighed, measured, and hooped. Fun fact: By weight our friend from Lipka is PERFECTLY the same as his new, natural brother “cross”! 😉 🏠 Big move and… trout with home delivery! The climber set off to a tree for the second time – this time bringing BOTH little ones up the mountain. In order to enter a new threshold to pass in a good atmosphere, the young people got a solid “powry” from us for a housewarming party: two delicious trout! 🐟😋 So our bounce didn’t fit in with empty clamps! 😜 During the whole action, they were also able to fix and set up a previously malfunctioning photo trap. Effect? We will know how this new bird family develops, because the nest is now under constant monitoring. The young man has already lived in a new house in Krzy le Nadle Mnictwa😎. He’s fed and kept safe and company. May nature be kinder to him in this new location! Keep your fingers crossed for both these little ones! 🦅💚 Thank you very much to Mrs. veterinarian for help and examining the little one, professor Mizerza for material support and colleagues from #EagleProtectionCommittee and foresters from #Zamrzenica, #PotrebowiceForest and #ForestCross. It’s thanks to you that small fishermen from Lipka have a better chance of survival in this wild world. #Rybołów #OchronaPrzyrody #LasyPaństwowe #NadleśnictwoKrzyż #NadleśnictwoLipka #NadleśnictwoZamrzenica #pomagamydzikimzwierzętom Photos and videos : Adam Pikuła Mariusz Urban Hubert Z. Dominica Nadolna
CJ7 and Blue 022’s four chicks at Poole Harbour have been ringed!
If you have been worried about Sandy at Big Bear, do not! Sandy has returned to the nest with Luna. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/AMnXeJ1UCQw?
It is unclear to me at this time whether petitioners have managed to move the fireworks to a location farther from the nest. It is equally unclear to me what is happening with donations towards the purchase of the land known as MoonCamp. Perhaps I misunderstood, but I thought that if more than 3 million were raised, there were provisions for some type of loan. Do you know? They are well short of the 10 million required at this time with 29 days left.
At the Achieva Osprey platforn, Little finally was home when a fish came in and how wonderful is that!
Sadly, the second hatchling at the Cape Henlopen osprey nest of Miles and Hennie has died from the heat.
There are to be more heat domes across the US and Canada this weekend and sadly, without a massive amount of fish and shade, we could lose more osplets.
One of those that is in dire straits is the oldest at the Osoyoos nest, who appears to be losing energy every second from the heat, little or no shade from an adult, and no fish.
I am equally concerned about Cowlitz PUD where there is heat, little food that I can see, and chicks so thin, especially the second one.
In Idaho, the two osplets, fully feathered, at the Coeur d’ Alene nest are doing very well.
Early fish delivery and lots of heat at Great Bay.
Life continues to be good at Clark PUD.
Nice crops at Dunrovin,
Some cute moments with two of Big Red and Arthur’s fledglings caught by Karel and BOGette: https://youtu.be/PNHokHkgwks?
Iris and Clark’s baby is getting some nice pin feathers!
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigThursday 2nd July 2026
Today was a slow fish day, only four deliveries, three by Louis and one by Garry. The weather didn’t help, the wind made the loch waters choppy and although both males have fished successfully in poor weather, perhaps they couldn’t find many sheltered spots today. Earlier the chicks had a quick pop at each other before settling down then they joined Dorcha in calling enthusiastically when they saw Louis approaching with the second fish. They are looking and sounding more like juveniles as they move towards fledging. The chicks are around a month old, hatched on 1st and 3rd June respectively, and fledging generally takes place around 50 – 57 days old therefore our chicks are about 3 weeks away from their first flight. Dorcha was caught by the wind and did an involuntary helicopter, a skill we can expect to see them perform before they actually fledge. The chicks were cheeping away as the day wound down, and were rewarded when Louis arrived with a very late night supper, so fresh it almost flapped off the nest. Louis’ three fish take the Nest Two tally to two hundred and seventeen, and Garry’s single takes the Nest One tally to one hundred and forty six. More rain and wind expected with an overnight low of 11°C, continuing tomorrow with sunny spells and a high of 17°C.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Take care. See you tomorrow with a special treat.
Thank you to all the contributors today – Geemeff for their summary on Loch Arkaig plus videos, Karel and BOGette for chasing the Ps and their video, for all who posted on FB and provided information, and for the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch these incredible challenged avian families.
Happy Canada Day to all of us who celebrate. We had a wonderful time with our son and daughter-in-law visiting our local Farmer’s Market today. They are off for more celebrations this evening and tomorrow; my daughter and Tammy, DIL, are coming to take Don out for a few hours so I can have some time to myself. I feel blessed. How kind of them!
For the next few days, I want to focus on a couple of topics in each blog instead of running through all of the nests. I will, of course, try to bring you up to date on what is happening every 4 blogs. Today, I want to focus on this Menhaden issue and the ospreys dying, and I want everyone to write to the Governor of Virginia, the Honourable Abigal Spanberger. Her e-mail is: Abigail.Spanberger@governor.virginia.gov.
Tomorrow, I have a wonderful article by Wes Melkner in Smithsonian Magazine. Wes is an intern, and his research and first two articles have taught me a great deal. I do hope you enjoy the one I will be posting.
Friday, I will be giving you the link for a very special documentary to view over the weekend and a look at the current status of one of my favourite friends with feathers, the Condor.
Oh, I am really on a rant. Every day I check to see if Little Dewey is alive. Little Dewey is the poster child for this battle against industrial fishing and the murder of ospreys in this region of the US.
Little Dewey is gorgeous. I want her to thrive. Her parents have worked hard to find fish for her and their survival. We are not out of the woods yet but please, please let this nest be successful this year.
The first fish today did not arrive until 1311. I am unclear of any follow up deliveries. Please let me know.
This is staggeringly sad and reflects what is happening all over the region of the NE US:
“Survey my friend and I did in CT today of a small island with 30 osprey platforms. Raw data in image. XXX indicates the platform was abandoned and we did not go pro it. Fishermen are reporting no bunker again in the CT sound. Synopsis: 30 total platforms. 13 platforms abandoned. Only 7 young on island. Only 3 appear to be strong and healthy. 8 dead young found in nests. Almost no bunker gill plates by perch posts. Many platforms have been abandoned in the surrounding towns as well but not part of our study group.”
I realize that Heidi and I have been making comments on the demise of the osprey in this region for three years. I am glad that there is more attention coming to this topic, but I fear that we are late- perhaps too late. I never want to give up hope, so I have to look at what the UK did to reintroduce ospreys that had been wiped out. For example, CJ7 and Blue 022 had the first chicks in the south of England for 250 years. The first chick to hatch in the Usk Valley in Wales for a similar period was last year. Now, I want you to think about what I am saying. It is not decades; it is perhaps centuries before this biodiverse region is balanced again. People can blame whales and Bald Eagles if they want to hide their heads in the sand, but the truth is, it will show that it was industrial fishing unchecked by any oversight that caused the damage for years and years by a single company (not the net fishermen) but a Canadian company, Omega Protein. If I could sue the company and all the officials on behalf of the ospreys, I would. Someone who lives in the US should work with Animal Justice to do just that.
Today, Omega Protein went fishing and didn’t find much. Perhaps they have taken all of the adult Menhaden. Maybe they will be forced to shut down their operations. However, if you live in other NE States, including Maine, beware. Keep your eyes open. Many in Maine say that the Menhaden have left the shores and gone deep into cooler water. I just hope they are hiding from the nets!
Others checking elsewhere.
I believe on survived but has not been fed so the story will be much the same, sadly.
The one surviving chick at Great Bay looks to be alright. This one pushed another off the nest about a week ago – they were all starving. It is a sad fact.
Santiam Canyon is doing alright.
The smallest of the two on the Osoyoos osprey platform died today of starvation.
While today is about the impact that humans can have – in a negative way by overfishing and knowing it – and killing off an entire eco-system, it is also about the fact that humans must come to grips with the damage that we have caused our planet and help when help can be of benefit.
I was asked by a reader to post a rather long statement by a rehabilitation/rescue group. After reading it twice, I think that it is very appropriate to put it in this blog about the deaths from siblicide/starvation that have been caused by a lack of food due to human activity.
This comes from Annette at Wild Heart Ranch in Oklahoma and was sent to me from ‘J’ in Berlin:
I have never given parents advice on how to raise their “human” children, and I probably never will again, so please read this and pass it along. It needs to be said. (Rehabbers, if you agree, just applaud in the comments.) 😉 The photo is an oldie of “January,” a calf brought to me years ago with spina bifida and navel ill, crawling on her knees because her legs were useless. It took months, but I got her up, cured, walking, running, and eventually she grew into a full-grown heifer without any obvious problems. She found the perfect forever home. January WANTED to recover, and there was nothing I could see that would prevent it. She just needed an unbelievable amount of splint work, braces, physical therapy, and support to get there. She wasn’t going to one day be released into the wild. She was going to be somebody’s pampered pasture pet for the rest of her life if I could save her… and she is. She’s still watched over daily for complications her condition could cause as she ages or gains weight. I didn’t have to know she’d be 100% at the end of treatment. I just needed her to become pain-free and mobile on legs that would eventually support 1,400 pounds. But that isn’t the case for wildlife.
I absolutely love when you bring your kids with you to Wild Heart to drop off animals. If we’re going to raise the next generation to support wildlife rescue, they need to see the process. They need to witness compassionate people willing to drop everything for an animal they’ve never met. That matters to me because the future of wildlife rescue is in the hands of today’s children, and the way you handle that handoff matters more than you may realize. It matters because every year there are more roads, more windows, more fishing line, more cats, more cars, more toxins, and more hazards that WE bring into their world. And because, despite my best intentions, I may not actually live forever. I know… shocking. So there is one thing I ask, beg, and plead…
Please don’t promise your children that we are going to save an injured, hypothermic, maggot-infested animal, then ask us if that animal can be saved in front of them UNLESS you have prepared them for the TRUTH. I am not going to lie to your children before you do. I am going to follow your lead, and if you set me up to crush a child, I may have to step away for a minute to compose myself before I can provide that animal the peaceful, gentle ending it deserves. If you care about the animals, please be kind to the rehabber. DO YOU HEAR THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH? (My best friend uses that sentence. It is VERY effective!) Wild animals are masters at hiding pain. In the wild, looking sick or injured is basically putting up a billboard that says, “Eat me.” So they keep moving until they physically can’t anymore. That’s why you see a squirrel that’s “just sitting there all calm and content,” and I see a spinal injury or a pelvis that’s been crushed. You see the bunny your cat brought home that “doesn’t look that bad,” and I know it has a fifty-fifty chance of surviving the two tiny puncture wounds where your cat injected a potent bacteria cocktail into its back. Looks are deceiving.
The parents who want to protect their children from the hard realities—and I completely support that—usually hand me the animal, smile, and say, “We know you’ll do what’s best.” The kids thank me for helping, they climb back in the car, and I get to begin triage… treatment… or sometimes mercy. But this is how it sometimes goes for me: A six-year-old has rescued, temporarily cared for, and named a squirrel Kevin. Kevin has big plans. He’s going to leave our care, climb trees, raise a family, pay squirrel taxes, and peacefully die at the ripe old age of 97 surrounded by his squirrel grandchildren. AWESOME. I am all about happy endings.
Meanwhile… Kevin has dislocated hips, at least one spinal fracture, a pelvis that’s in four pieces, and internal injuries that make me wonder how he even made it to my door. The back half of him has been run over by a car, and any minute now the front half is probably going to stop working too. Then everyone turns and looks at me and an adult asks, with complete sincerity… “So… is he going to be okay?” Wonderful. (Just shoot me.) While I’m trying to rush this intake so I can put poor Kevin out of his misery, I now get to decide whether I lie to your child or explain euthanasia to someone who still sells their teeth to a fairy. That is WAY above my pay grade. And I don’t WANT to lie to anybody. So please… either have that hard conversation before you come, or avoid putting us in that position. My instinct is to protect your child’s enthusiasm for helping wildlife. I don’t want to be the lady who unintentionally convinces them that “future Kevin” should be hidden in their bedroom because “that rescue lady will just kill him.” Tell them Kevin is hurt. Tell them he is probably in a lot of pain. Tell them you’re taking him somewhere that people will do whatever is best for him. Leave it there… Or have the harder conversation before you arrive.
People sometimes think euthanasia means we gave up. It’s actually the opposite. It would be emotionally easier on us, in that moment, to keep trying. To turn a rescue into what I call “an experiment in heroics” which is by no measure okay unless there is FAR more hope than hurt. It’s much harder to look at an animal we desperately want to save and admit that the kindest thing we can offer is peace. I will NEVER be okay providing treatment only to find an animal dead in a cage later, knowing I could have spared it that experience. That is not acceptable when I KNEW the chances were slim. That is not rescue. That is denial. Sometimes we don’t know, but when we do know, we had better beat death to the punch or we have avoided the only act of care that was reasonable, responsible, and KIND.
A quick, painless, chemically induced death is kind when life without suffering isn’t in the prognosis. There are far worse things than death, and I see them daily. A responsible wildlife rehabilitator chooses what is best for the animal no matter how disappointed we are, YOU are, how many people are following the story on Facebook, or how much public backlash we might receive. NONE of that comes into play when I am evaluating or treating an animal. The ONLY factors that matter are the animal’s current physical suffering, past case experience, advice from my veterinarians, the animal’s probable ability to live independently after recovery and release, and my conscience. If my conscience EVER starts sounding the ego alarm, I am DONE. I know this about me. I will NEVER keep an animal alive because it’s popular or because it brings in donations. I was accused of that almost daily while working with January. I received hate mail from veterinarians all over the country. It was hell because I ALWAYS listen to the advice of veterinarians, but in this case they weren’t here seeing what I was seeing: a strong will to live and a calf that wasn’t going to give up. So I helped her fight. Not to prove anyone wrong. (ego) That never entered my mind during treatment. (But I gloated like hell when that calf charged me across my yard and knocked me flat on my ass!)
But I can promise you my motive is always the same. I believe in an animal’s ability to recover—or I don’t. I believe in my ability to support that recovery—or I don’t. The minute I lose hope that an animal can have an acceptable quality of life, I stop. No matter how much it hurts. No matter what people think of me afterward or what they say about me. (With two million followers, I see the comments. There is always someone who can’t WAIT to screenshot the nasty ones and send them to me, which by the way, it just hurts me and changes nothing else so keep them to yourselves friends) Fortunately for my motivation to keep going, I have almost as much compassion for ignorant people as I do suffering animals. 🙂
Here’s something else to keep in mind. The more experienced the rehabber, the more likely they are to make a judgment call immediately. Why? Because when we were new, we tried to save everybody. Experience teaches you where hope exists… and where it doesn’t. Trust that we have seen these injuries hundreds of times. We’ve learned from our mistakes, our veterinarians, our mentors, and the animals themselves. That being said… Many of my volunteers have zero medical training. They may be the smiling face that accepts your animal before it reaches someone doing triage. They see what you see. If you ask them what they think, they’ll honestly tell you, “I think he’ll be okay.” Then you call later and find out the animal was euthanized immediately. Please don’t assume we lied, didn’t try, or didn’t care. Just ask to speak with the person who actually performed the triage. I promise you, if that decision was made here, it was made because it was the most merciful option available.
Every intake gets our best. Every single person here hates euthanasia, but we are grateful that mercy exists. We remember those animals. We especially remember your child’s face looking at us like we’re monsters without a heart. It’s bad enough when we’re powerless to save a life, but when we’re judged for showing mercy? That destroys us. It destroys me. Last week it happened over and over and over again. It was so bad that I finally stopped going to the front door to do quick intake triage and personally thank the finders because I simply couldn’t do it anymore. Most people are absolutely wonderful. And then… There’s little Kevin’s family. Mom tells me to build Kevin a wheelchair so he can live here forever and “the kids can come visit.” All lies, little dude. All lies. And I just can’t be part of that story.
Those moments don’t stay here when we lock the doors at night. We take them home. They haunt us. They keep me from the sleep I need so badly that I end up writing lengthy educational Facebook posts trying to work through the frustration. So please… help us tell the whole story. Teach your children that rescue doesn’t always mean recovery. Teach them that there are worse things than death, and suffering without hope is one of them. Teach them that love and care are two very different things. Love is an emotion. Care is an action. Sometimes the most loving action is letting an animal go instead of asking it to suffer because WE aren’t ready to say goodbye. Because if I have to tell your child Kevin isn’t going to make it, I’d much rather be reinforcing a lesson you’ve already started than accidentally becoming the stranger who convinced them that bringing injured wildlife to professionals was somehow the wrong thing to do.
If your child cries, that sadness is empathy. Empathy is exactly why they picked Kevin up in the first place, so maybe I don’t have to live forever after all. Maybe there are little humans growing up right now who understand what wildlife rehabilitation is truly about and will support it one day. With time, with funding or even put on their poop shoes and get to work! There are thousands of wildlife rehabilitators scattered across this country making impossible decisions every single day and doing what is best, struggling to stay afloat so the animals have a place to go. I am working on a way to help keep them going with funding. It will take about a year, but in the meantime, let’s all be aware of the things people may never consider that slowly erode their motivation. I promise you I am not the only rehabber whose day is destroyed by someone bringing in an animal that should not be saved and then confronting us over our honest opinion-especially in front of children. The goal isn’t to teach our children that every rescue story has a happy ending. The goal is to teach them that every wild animal deserves compassion. “And we all suffer the same” Maybe that’s something worth thinking about. Thanks for reading.”
I think Annette said many things that I also needed to hear.
Geemeff has posted her summary from Loch Arkaig and I will include it here.
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 1st July 2026
The weather was wet and windy as forecast but that didn’t stop Louis who delivered five fish, taking the Nest Two tally to two hundred and fourteen. However, the first fish was quite small and the delay of over five hours before the next one saw the hangry chicks having a pop at each other. The aggression didn’t last long and a steady supply of fish, including a large late supper at 10pm, saw the chicks off to bed with full crops and Dorcha struggling to fit them underneath her. Garry brought a single fish for Aurora, a small one which she chose to eat on the nest, which took the Nest One tally to one hundred and forty five. Nest Two cam has been zoomed out ready for fledging which is probably at least two weeks away, and before that the ringers will visit, meantime we get to enjoy the panoramic views again. More wet weather is forecast with light rain, gentle breezes and an overnight low of 12°C, continuing tomorrow with light rain showers, a moderate breeze, a high of 17°C and occasional sunny spells.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care all. See you tomorrow!
Also, if you are enjoying the blog, please hit the like button. It moves us up in the algorithm, so maybe more people will learn about what is happening to our raptors and want to get involved in helping make their lives less challenging. Thank you.
Thank you to ‘J’ for sending me the text from Annette, to Geemeff for their daily summary of activities at Loch Arkaig, for those that posted information and images on FB, and the owners of the streaming cams mentioned that allowed us to follow the lives – the good and the sad – of our feathered friends.
Oh, my goodness. It is pouring down rain again and Toby has his thunder shirt on! Thanks to ‘P’ I have discovered they also make these calming jackets for cats. Missey is the other one that was soooooo anxious during the recent storms so that I have now ordered one for her. The running joke amongst us is that the animals have more outfits than we do! It’s true. They are the glue that holds our mental health in place along with the garden and its wildlife.
Our neighbourhood is very concerned. Neither Brock nor Charlie, the cat with the frozen folded ear, have been seen and they disappeared at the same time. I do not believe in coincidences. Neighbours have adjusted their cameras and put out bowls o food in an attempt to see if we can spot them on camera. Don, Toby, and I have called and banged on every shed and garage and one house that is vacant with work being done for fear they are locked in. Brock would not easily go into a trap. I tried him many times but, he might be lured into a house or a space to go to sleep and then someone close the door and not come back. Jane and I are beside ourselves with worry.
P1 fledged at the nest of Big Red and Arthur on the Cornell Campus on Thursday. Congratulations. P2 is ready, but P3 isn’t. How can you tell? To properly fly, we should be able to clearly see five or six dark bands on their tail.
Can you tell who is the youngest by the number of bands? Laura Culley taught me this.
Clark came to say hello, then delivered a stick for the cot rails, and then within a few minutes returned with a breakfast fish for Iris and baby.
Now that industrial fishing has begun in the NE, it appears there are fewer and fewer fish for males to find and deliver to their nests. There have been deaths in the last few days, including Forsythe. I was inherently sad before this osprey season began, and I feel as if someone just punched me in the gut really hard at the start of each day. Heidi and I predicted this more than three years ago. The decline is happening swiftly. The adults who hatched babies cannot find enough fish to feed themselves and their chicks. They also know that even if a few live, they won’t find fish when they fledge. I had hoped that the ospreys would choose not to breed at all, as Duke and Daisy did a couple of years ago at Barnegat Light. What you are watching is the slow extinction of a species in a region of the US that should not be happening. While some might wish to point to all manner of causes – Bald Eagles eating millions of tonnes of fish so the osprey don’t have any – the real culprit is the industrial trawling using spotter planes of the fish that is the basis of the ecosystem in the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding areas. Menhaden. You are witnessing this. It is not going to get any better. What we must do is celebrate the chicks that survive, find a fairy or two to help Little Dewey, and make it rain fish for those that are still alive. In other words, a miracle.
We have another female who is going out fishing to try and keep her babies alive – Hennie at Henlopen State Park. Thanks, Heidi.
The weather at Dewey Beach has been very bad and Little Dewey has had no fish in at least 24 hours.
Has Mum gone fishing, too? I hope so!
At 1600 Mum returned with literally a minnow for Little Dewey. He has had only this snack in more than 24 hours. I really wish someone would drop fish on this nest. If this chick starves to death in front of us like the one last year, it is going to be hard to deal with. The cause of the lack of fish is manmade – industrial fishing – cannot someone do something?
Mum might determine that there is no fish for her baby as he gets older and abandons the nest. This is an acute possibility. We have to be prepared.
Every nest I have checked needs fish in the US – it would be good to see 5-7 fish on these nests where the chicks are in the Reptile phase or later. Dewey is getting feathers. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum babies seem tiny.
The nest is so full of human debris and it appears only one egg that Bety is incubating – it just doesn’t feel right this year at Mlade Buky. Maybe it is just me.
Finnish nest 4. Two chicks in reptile phase doing well.
Beautiful juvenile feathers on the trio at Finnish nest 1.
Two tiny tiny little osplets at Ilomansti Finnish 2 nest.
Three at Oyster Bay getting their juvenile feathers.
Three covered with feathers at Clark PUD in Washington.
Chick 2 is calling for prey, and Mum fed at the Lesser Spotted Eagle nest in Estonia. We can only take this nest one day at a time as Lesser Spotted Eagles practice obligate siblicide (the oldest chick kills the younger).
This black stork nest is doing so well in Estonia that a foster storklet has been added.
Bobby Bach (third Bob) is doing find according to the folks at Glaslyn. There was some concern after the recent removal of fishing line but they have been monitoring the situation with their own special cameras closely and conclude he is alright. The weather has been terrible, but Teifi has been delivering fish, regardless. Here is Bobby Bach right up front and using its crop as a pillow.
Syfadden has been bringing in the fish to the Usk Valley while Clogwyn has made certain – despite their size that they are kept warm and dry in the bad weather of Wales.
At Rutland Manton Bay’s nest of Maya and Blue 33, the osplets, fully feathered, enter their fledge window in less than a fortnight from 28th Jun – 11 Jul. I wish every osplet in the US had the chance for fish that this nest has!
That is a nest full of osplets – four of them – at Poole Harbour – doing just fine. CJ7 and Blue 022. Amazing. They will probably break Maya and Blue 33s record of fledging four (I must check – it could be this clutch!).
I feel like I am the bearer of bad news. Despite the understanding, several years ago, that Heidi and I had that this would happen if the industrial fishing of Menhaden was not curtailed, it is still more than difficult. It doesn’t have to happen. Every person reading my blog, their friends, anyone who loves ospreys should be calling Audubon, anyone in the State of Virginia including the Governor, and every TV, radio, and newspaper channel.
Thank you for being with us. I keep saying that I am going to take a break and it might just be this weekend that I do. It is a little overwhelming seeing so many babies and parents starving. Take care. There are fledges to come on the Channel Islands and P2 at Cornell.
Thank you to everyone who posted information on FB and images, the owners of the streaming cams, and to each of you for your comments and information sent to me by other means.
First up. Some good news. At the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout, RJ got a fishhook attached to a stick stuck in its talon. That chick did the ‘shake, shake, shake’ and got rid of that nuisance. Well, it is more than a nuisance. Could have caused permanent harm or death. Here is the video: https://youtu.be/Kx5Fw2LwQT8?
Sad news coming from the Salmon River Bald Eagle nest. ‘PB’ writes, “1:41 Salmon nest baby 2 gone confirmed with Idaho Fish and Game. Parents brought more twine in, and Sweet #2 was by mom’s foot when she left, took the twine and the baby with her. He managed to hang on to the far left side before falling, and they had someone check, and he was confirmed dead.”
More information from the Missoula team:
Cutie Pie waiting for some more fish.
Clark brought several fish and then a mid-afternoon whopper!!!!!!!
Oh, my heart.
Wide open. Iris seems to be getting more fish around its beak than in its mouth.
I hope that baby got some fish – it is definitely hungry.
More fish for Iris! Clark, I want to hug you. This time Clark ate the head but the fish is big and it is getting late.
Baby gets feed while Clark keeps watch over it and Iris.
Two precious babies and baling twine on the Charlo Montana nest. Please make some calls if you are in the area. Try the biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Audubon Society. This is human-caused!
I dislike the camera at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. No rewind. There are babies. You can see movement but that is all I know.
Just look at the temperature on the nest at Dewey Beach today and our precious Little Dewey.
Menhaden are a big deal for the ospreys that live in the NE.
D3 and D4 nearer and nearer to fledging at Decorah.
Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch ArkaigFriday 12th June 2026
Today was much calmer after the upset of losing little Chick3 yesterday. Early this morning Dorcha removed the body and disposed of it in the forest, leaving the two remaining chicks more room and a cleaner environment. There were some minor intruder alarms but none came close enough to be caught on nest cam, and both males had ample time to fish, and in Garry LV0’s case, to take over egg-sitting duties and release Aurora 536 to eat and stretch her wings. Sadly it does look like their hard work might be in vain because today is Day 43 and Osprey eggs usually hatch between 37-42 days. However, there is still a very slim chance that their egg might hatch, many eyes are watching Nest One hoping for a chick for them this year. Aurora returned to the nest with fish shortly after the cam came online, almost certainly caught by Garry and with his other delivery, the Nest One tally now stands at one hundred and fourteen. Louis brought three fish today and the Nest Two tally now stands at one hundred and thirty two. The thunder didn’t materialise but the showers did, with frequent dry spells throughout the day. However more rain is forecast for tonight and tomorrow, with an overnight low of 10°C and a high of 14°C tomorrow.
Bonus Osprey longevity info – for those who feared Louis was too old to return when he was late back this year, at thirteen or fourteen years old he’s not even half as old as the world’s oldest known Osprey – Iris of Hellgate Montana. She’s been nesting there since 1999, and yesterday, at the grand old age of thirty or thirty one, she hatched another chick! First hatch of her clutch of three eggs. Congratulations Iris and new mate Clark!
Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s friendly, fun, and free!
You need to be vocal. Not only is the price of timber causing habitat loss at a time when we need trees more than ever, but tourism and luxury hotels are now threatening wildlife and our precious birds. In Manitoba, our Premier and everyone I know have been protesting AI data centres. I am glad our leader is Indigenous. I am proud that he is protecting wildlife habitat in the north. But I still need to be vigilant because my City seems to be doing the opposite! Please have your say when you hear about new developments – with strong united voices, we can invoke change. We just have to be patient sometimes. We cannot give up!
Quiet Eagle brings us an update on little eaglet Snow that was in the nest that slid at Traverse City and survived! https://youtu.be/j756uY1hbZE?
I want to close with an image of one of our local ospreys. My grandson, Jeremy, sent it to me. It is a short video and this osprey has a fish.
We have a growing number of osprey in our City. People are putting fish into the retention ponds for them. That might be an idea for some of you in the US, where there is a fish shortage. :))). I can’t seem to post the video so here are some screen captures. Look at the size of that fish. Wow.
We have rain or storm clouds brewing overhead. So much rain! There should not be any wildfires, and the trees and shrubs are doing incredibly. It is a green paradise with a touch of pink or red! There are now four fledgling Starlings – I probably said. They fascinate me. Tonight they are eating a New Zealand dog nugget that is a whole meal – Toby said he didn’t mind since we ran out of minnows and hot dogs! The weather is cooler – 14 C. I wonder if that makes them need more food to stay warm?
It’s too grainy. I so wish I had my long lens camera!
They are so cute and have entertained us all day.
I want to thank you for being with us today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
Thank you to everyone who posted information on FB, with or without images, and to Geemeff for her daily summary of the activities of the two nests at Loch Arkaig, Scotland. I want to thank the authors of newsletters and articles that provide us with a wealth of information. To the owners of the streaming cams, we are grateful to be able to watch the lives of our feathered friends and their growing families. I also want to thank the Guardian for their continued reports on the environment and wildlife and last, but not least, Jeremy, for remembering me and sending me that great osprey video to share with you.
I hope you never get tired of me saying that a single person can make a difference. Well, today, Pam Breci helped out the osplets in the nest with the baling twine in Idaho. Their own website says they will intervene if the event is human-caused. PB did not take ‘no’ as an answer. Today, she made a difference. Tomorrow it could be you. Never give up hope. Always persist.
“Mary Ann! I have a win!!! Idaho Fish and Game listened to me and will remove the twice at Salmon nest!!! I feel so good I may have saved 3 little lives just by being proactive to find their phone number at Salmon Regional office and talked to person who answered the phone. I bet she passed it on to the biologist there and they have on their website they only intervene if man-made like twine. Here’s what’s on chat.
Do not ever underestimate your ability to make a difference! They have no personnel to undertake this over the weekend, sadly but you will note they will do it next week. So when you see something – don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and advocate on behalf of our wildlife. You can be another Pam Breci – who deserves a gold medal today!
This morning I reported that Telyn had swallowed a fishing hook and line. Here is the blog from the Dyfi Osprey Project. Please read it:
The image below is the family portrait. That is Idris, the amazing Dad, feeding his children. It is night now and Telyn is a little restless on the nest. We hope that her stomach enzymes will eat up all that human debris.
I cannot tell you how angry I feel today. My father loved fishing. My sons loved fishing. My oldest son is in Asia at a conference and will be going fishing with friends. My grandson goes fishing. For my son the quiet in his little boat like thing in the mangroves is his sanctuary. But this puts me in a real quandry. Don quit fishing when he realised the mess that humans leave that wildlife have to deal with. I don’t even know how we could clean it up – baling twine in farming areas like Idaho and Montana. Dr Green and his team spend lots of time removing baling twine. But recently we have seen Jackie eat a hook and line. Now Telyn has. How many others that are not seen are hurting, bleeding inside from the barbs on those hooks. My only consolation – if I am right – is that the hook is smaller and barbless in the UK. I want to be hopeful.
Hugo Yugo will be going for dental surgery on Wednesday. Poor thing she had to go to let the vet have a look to make sure that she needed the surgery. Look at the two of them – Toby and Hugo Yugo are seriously joined at the hip so to speak.
Toby weighs 29.3 lbs. Hugo Yugo weighs 12.2 lbs. This carrier is meant for a 16 lb pet!!!!!!!!!!!
Hugo Yugo is so traumatised from just being at the vet that she will not stop howling. Poor thing.
The garden is beautiful now. The rain turned everything emerald green but the wind and rain destroyed the blossoms on the lilacs. The cherry blossoms lasted about 40 hours. I just love the garden right now and when I looked there are some buds on the Prairie roses.
So I want to check on some good nests and I want you to look at the calendar. Iris and Clark will be on pip watch on Monday!
Big Red’s babies are beautiful and they are getting their juvenile feathers fully in and flapping like crazy.
There is great news coming out of Dale Hollow. DH23 is back in the nest after being knocked off during a prey delivery.
Right now Louis and Dorcha have two chicks, but Geemeff thinks that there is a pip in the third egg!
Blue 210 has fed part of the dead chick to the remaining chick on the nest. Dad has brought in 3 fish and a tail, which he ate early in the day, but this nest needs more big fish! Nothing late.
I love Little Dewey.
Blue 33 feeds his babies while Maya takes a break at Rutland.
Teifi and Elen hanging out on the perch while their babies nap.
We are happy to share that Snow has not presented the medical team with any new complications since his initial assessment, and he, so far, continues to respond well to his supportive care regimen consisting of stress management, medications for pain and inflammation, and a healthy supply of clean food (he’s a hungry boy!).
We have two ways that YOU can help Snow’s recovery efforts… read on for more!
Many of you have asked for a quick explanation of what the coaptive approach to treating breaks and fractures entails:
-In scenarios where bones are still developing, the goal is to take a path that provides the highest likelihood of ensuring proper long term function.
-In Snow’s case, the curved edge carpal splint (orange foam in the photos) will support the shape of the wrist in the right wing during healing, with the splint itself being removed, and alignment inspected (using a combination of x-ray imaging and manual palpation), twice each week.
-3 to 4 times a week, the body wrap holding the splinted wing up for support (orange vet wrap tape) can be released for range of motion exercises in the shoulder and elbow while still leaving the wrist supported by the splint.
-On Snow’s left side, the ulna fracture is supported with a wing to body wrap (the pink vet wrap tape).
-This wing will also receive full range of motion therapy 3 to 4 times per week aimed at preventing synostosis (the ulna accidentally attaching to the radius) and to keep developing muscles from tightening.
One of the key medical components for the effective treatment of breaks and fractures is X-RAY IMAGING, and for Snow’s treatment plan, he will require a fair number of them throughout the process. While we do have access to off-site radiographic imaging, managing the stress of travel for patients that are already compromised is a real concern.
Fortunately, over the past 2 days, thanks to the incredible compassion and generosity of so many of you who have followed Snow’s story from the beginning, we find ourselves well on our way (35%) to being able to purchase a PORTABLE X-RAY MACHINE that would be game changing in how we are able to serve not just Snow, but ALL of our patients for years to come!
***IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE for Snow’s recovery, this is a truly impactful way to do it!
In the meantime, we will continue to serve our organization’s mission by providing Snow, and all of our patients, with the highest quality of care available! As always, you can continue to support these efforts by donating at www.northskyraptor.org/donatenow.
We genuinely couldn’t be more appreciative of the support our community has shown, and we will endeavor to keep you informed as treatment continues!”
I have nothing yet from Geemeff. It has been a busy day. I suspect the minute I hit publish she will post her daily summary. I will include it tomorrow. Take care everyone. We are enjoying a beautiful early summer evening. The birdsong is very loud in the garden but we can no longer see them for all the foliage that will keep them cool and maybe dry when it rains. We did spot a baby bunny this evening. Such a wonderful sight.
See you soon!
Thank you to ‘PB’ for persisting in getting a change at that Idaho nest. Thank you also to PB for the screen capture of Little Dewey and to everyone else who posted on FB or wrote articles, I am so grateful. To the owners of the streaming cams, thank you for letting us watch these incredible birds.
I didn’t expect to be posting another blog today, but the information in a FB post by Ben Wurst, Conservation Officer in New Jersey, prompted me to reach out to all of you.
We have been talking about protecting Eagles and Golden Eagles but we MUST protect all wildlife and that includes my beloved ospreys who two years ago found their chicks dying on the nest, and who last year laid eggs and abandoned them. I get letters from individuals in Virginia of nests failed early this season and now we watch Little Dewey.
Little Dewey cannot be allowed to starve to death while people sitting at cafe tables below his nest eat fish. That is simply scandalous. I would go to jail for feeding him – and gladly use that as a test case to get this bloody mess of intervention sorted. I do not live in the US, so some will say that is an empty action, but yes, I would do it. My early life was full of social activism and, in particular, fighting for civil and women’s rights and against the Vietnam War in Oklahoma.
This is what Ben Wurst posted today on the Menhaden – Little Fish, Big Deal today:
Yesterday I flew the entire 130 mile coast of New Jersey. Our goal was to locate schools of menhaden. This was the first time that I’ve ever flown in a Cessna and along the coast. After what we saw with osprey reproduction last year, I knew it was crucial to get independent data on menhaden presence or absence off New Jersey.
The conditions were optimal for flight. Light north winds. Excellent visibility. Great light. We flew from Barnegat Inlet south to Cape May and then north to Sandy Hook.
Throughout the entire flight, which was around 1500 and 2500’ AGL and 1-3 miles offshore, we did not see any schools of menhaden.
The pilot I flew with grew up on the bay and is a life long fisherman, who knows what to look for when reading the water. The whole coast was so calm and quiet that it was eerie. All we saw (marine species wise) were several small pods of dolphins. There wasn’t even much fishing activity.
Right now in NJ many osprey nests are empty, as females did not lay eggs this spring. Those nests with eggs are still incubating, which is odd for this time of year. Most nests should have hatchlings. Those that do have young are entering a crucial period in their development, where plentiful food is required. At one nest that I surveyed today, I noticed how skinny the incubating female looked. All of these behaviors have been observed on the Chesapeake in the past few years. Where are all the fish?
I hope to fly again in another week or two to see if any fish show up but things are looking disastrous.
Do whatever you can to help for the future and for now, if you can.
Thank you for being with us and please wish for fish.
Thank you to the owners of the Dewey Beach streaming cam for allowing us to watch this wonderful family and feisty Little Dewey.
I want to first thank you for all of your messages on FB, comments, and e-mails. There are hundreds of them and I am going to share some of the thoughts that have come in regarding the change to the laws that impact raptors (Eagles and Golden Eagles) in the United States. I am, in particular, referring to the call that something be done after Scout was banded and returned to the natal nest. This single act has caused outrage and I hope activism that leads to a positive end and a law that might be named after Scout.
I have, as you noted, gotten really worked up about what happened to Scout. It isn’t just Scout – it is all the others over the years whose nests would have benefited from a rescue or a fish tank placed nearby. I want to see compassionate governance – people in positions to give permits that allow others to help when help is needed. We do not need government personnel threatening to revoke the licenses of wildlife rescue agencies and rehabilitation clinics if they help. This has certainly happened in at least one instance that I am personally aware.
So thank you to everyone – maybe we can start a movement for change. As I said I do not wish for us to fall into despair, sitting on our hands, and believing that nothing is possible. It is. We might not be able to save them all but each life saved is one life not lost! Remember that.
Just a few excerpts from various social media sources I have received. (I am not going to add names or where people or from- I hope no one minds. These are bona fide readers from around the world who care deeply.)
“I read your blog. You had an awful day and I gave you even more bad news. I’m so sorry. Praying for the eaglet, as you said, hoping beyond hope. We both know that miracles do happen. It depends on how much the eaglet wants to live, if he really wants to, the wish may be granted. Until then many people will send their healing spells to him, he is not alone!
My standpoint is very clear. I believe helping is our sacred duty. We are useless in nature: We don’t have sharp beaks, or claws, we are not fast, have bad eyes and ears etc etc. We are not predators. What we have is brains. I honestly believe that our job is to be the caretakers of Nature. Look what we have done instead. No wonder Nature is angry.
To those that say „many other (in this case) eaglets suffer too“. Yes, they are. But they are beyond our help because they aren’t being monitored. If someone would find one of those eaglets, they would be obliged to help in my opinion.
It’s the story of the woman throwing small sea animals stranded on the beach back into the water. In the big view it’s a useless thing to do since so many more are laying on the beach it hardly makes a dent. For each of those little animals, it means Life.”
“I’m so sad in tears. I would look at that poor little eaglet, before they shut the camera off and knew that what I was looking at wasn’t going to be around forever. It was just too too pitiful. The little one was just hungry!! I despise most people. Scout shouldn’t have been taken back to the nest after they banded him!”
“Where is the courage to do the right thing by our wildlife?”
“Hi, Mary Ann! I hope you’re doing fine. I just read your shoutout about Scout, and I fully support it. I also voted for the change of regulations. It’s beyond my belief how they could let this happen, because, even if his weight was within limits at the time of banding, they knew what was happening. I’m sorry for saying that but the “big guys” not granting the authorisation took part in killing him. That is what I firmly believe in.”
“Thank you, Mary Ann. I totally agree with you & MicPark. I understand there are protected species (though not so much protected as abandoned by our current administration) but I will never understand the “no human intervention” ideology. Scout was suffering & needed intervention. Snow’s nest needed to be propped up because we all knew what was going to happen before she/he fledged. If it is okay enough to intervene and put cameras in their nests for the world to see then it should be just as okay to intervene when these birds are in danger. Thank you for all you do & I’m so sorry for all that you’re not allowed to do ❤️”
“Maryann, thank you for all you say and do for the animals. You will not be forgotten by us or the animals. What you say is correct. I knew animals were part of our world or we are apart of theirs. Whatever way you look at it, we are all in this together. We owe them help when we see a problem. Whoever started this ‘nature knows what’s best’ thing should be shot. Nature is an idea, not an entity. Nature is a word made by man. No wonder the US has turned into an authoritarian nation. Just look at us. We won’t disintegrate if we feed a hungry animal, and neither will they. Thank you, Maryann.”
The thing is not to lose the momentum. A petition is going around to change the Eagle and Golden Eagle laws. It is on change.org. You do not have to pay anything, just repost. That helps reach a broad audience. Gayle Gordon is leading that campaign in the US to get that law changed.
It takes a long time to change laws. Let us not fool ourselves. What we need to do now is positive action. Quick responses. I applaud those individuals who have reached out to me and who have osprey platforms on their land and are near the Chesapeake Bay. I will never divulge their names or locations, but some who had cameras have turned them off. What they did instead was set up fish-farm containers full of koi on their property. I understand that several are having a positive impact on their nests. We have to try.
Images of Snow sent to me by ‘L’ while being rescued and in transport.
Geemeff’s summary was missed by a few seconds last evening. There is now a second baby for Louis and Dorcha at Loch Arkaig nest 2.
Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Tuesday 2nd June 2026
Daily summary Tuesday 2nd June 2026
It was another damp day today, and the chick was kept warm and dry and well fed by Louis and Dorcha. Almost too well fed, as Dorcha fed a too large morsel which got stuck in the chick’s throat, but fortunately she eventually noticed and removed it with no harm done to the chick. Louis delivered three fish taking the Nest Two tally to one hundred and three, and Garry LV0 delivered two fish to Aurora 536, taking the Nest One tally to ninety three. At the time of filing this report (midnight) none of the remaining three eggs has pipped yet. Eggs 2 & 3 on Nest Two could start pipping tomorrow and Saturday respectively, and the single egg on Nest One around Thursday. More rain expected with an overnight low of 11°C and a high of 15°C with occasional sunny spells tomorrow.
And that special video of the second hatch(Edited compilation starts at 05.49 and goes through to 06.22 when hatching is completed, and a bit of footage at 09.36 showing the chick’s progress three hours later:+: https://youtu.be/FMnpIeDqGss
This is from today as I will not have Geemeff’s summary for today in this post. That first hatch of Louis and Dorcha is going to be a handful. It’s already out of the egg cup looking for fish!!!!!!!!!! Look at this video! https://youtu.be/FWh4AUGHiW0?
There is now a third hatch at Borders Osprey for Samson and Augusta!
Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Info FB included the information on the second hatch at LOTL:
A good rescue story from the UK -imagine picking up an osprey and taking it into care. Bravo.
Screenshot
Beautiful baby for Liberty and Freedom at Glacier Gardens.
Heidi reports on Dewey Beach for yesterday: “ Dewey is doing well. I have no concerns so far. They had 3 good meals yesterday. Huge headless shad at 13.53, 30 minute meal; leftover shad at 16.24, 12 minute meal; more leftover shad at 17.24, 10 minute meal.”
Baby Dewey has attitude!
Thank you everyone for all your notes, comments, and mail. I continue to go through them and will post more each day. We need to keep up the momentum and help those that are getting official means started in the US.
Take care. See you soon and thank you for being part of a world that gives hope to our wildlife and our planet. I am so grateful to call each of you a friend.
Thank you to everyone who wrote in, to those who posted information on FB, left comments, and sent me images, to Geemeff for their daily summary, and to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to watch the lives of these amazing creatures. I also want to shout out to everyone associated with the Great Lakes Bald Eagle nest, and to those involved in Snow’s rescue and care, for their transparency and compassion.
Second, Snow’s nest slid. It took rescuers only 11 minutes to get to the nest site and find Snow.
The timeline:
4:36:19 Harry w/fish -huge one, Harriet follows in and takes control of fish; 4:37:06 Harry to SB, Harriet hops down into nest with fish, feeding #3; 4:54:04 noise & both Harriet & Snow look.
Snow is decidedly injured. Precisely what is wrong is not clear but please send good positive wishes. Scout might not ever fly: broken wings can be repaired. I hope there are no internal injuries. That was a hard fall. Let’s hope beyond hope.
Snow is alive, and hope must prevail. Waiting for updates.
Donations for Snow can be sent to Northern Sky Rescue Centre. There is a donation button. www.northskyraptor.org
There is a growing movement to change the laws so that no other eagle has to suffer as Scout did. We want eaglets in danger who are banded and known to be having difficulties to be kept in care. More on this later, but I am going to say something that will be considered controversial by some. As all of you know, I believe in intervention. If historic buildings can be torn down without authorisation, if sacred lands can be drilled for oil and put wildlife in jeopardy, if….then we must find ways to do something positive. So my question is this: What would happen to someone who put fish in a nest? Didn’t return an eaglet but kept it in care so it survived? Might this not be a test case in the US that could go to court to change these archaic laws? I am a Canadian, but the wildlife – the eagles and birds – move back and forth across great swaths of North America – and belong to all of us. Their welfare is up to us. So think about this! I would love to see a test case to determine whether a starving osplet could be fed fish!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I plan to write a more scientific/academic response to this question, but not tonight. I am hoping that Geemeff’s summary will be in but if it isn’t, I am going to say goodnight. I will include it tomorrow.
It has just been a day of rocketing emotions. I am worn out.
Thank you for loving these amazing birds.
Thank you to everyone at the Great Lakes Bald Eagle Cam – the mods, the rescuers, the owners of the cam and everyone who worked so hard to make sure that Snow was helped.
feeling grateful.
