13 October 2022
I know few people that do not love autumn with the kaleidoscope of oranges, yellows, and red foliage. It is what comes after that we don’t like and that is what has been happening this morning. It is raining snow. The three Blue Jays are eating as much corn as they can – 5 cobs already this morning! Plus, peanuts in the shell. Humans begin to dig around to find their winter parkas, toques, gloves and mitts, scarves, warm boot socks, and, absolutely essential, boots. All sandals, linens, and summer things can now safely be packed away without fear of being needed for another 8 months! Like the Box Turtles at the nature centre, most of us would like to hibernate under a down duvet, sipping tea, and reading a stack of good books for several months.
As for Little Red’s house, it appears to have been taken over by birds…it is a rather posh nest!
Making News:
We have all been wondering what is happening with SE 29 who was found injured in a residential area near the Discovery Centre and SE 30 who was mobbed by Currawongs and grounded. The news of 30 is very, very promising. He is at the river with the parents and not being chased by Currawongs any longer! Here is the latest news from Eagle Cam:
Always time for a good news story! A Bald Eagle is returned to the wild after being shot.
This video shows the crews crossing the causeway bridge that had one large section destroyed by Hurricane Ian. Things are being restored. This is good news for all of us including Lori Covert and Windows to Wildlife. Hopefully cameras will be back in place by December at Captiva.
‘H’ has been watching the Mispillion Harbour Cam in Delaware. She discovered something very important – you need to watch the nests after the fledglings leave because you have no idea who will come calling and what will happen. First it was a drenched Peregrine Falcon, then one Bald Eagle and now it is two! Check out her other videos of visitors to the MH nest on YouTube.
Here is one with the Bald Eagle bringing an eel to the nest! Eagles seem to really love eel. Certainly, the Sea Eagles in Sydney do.
Speaking of nests, Harriet and M15 are making great progress rebuilding their nest on the property of the Pritchett family in Fort Myers, Florida after Hurricane Ian destroyed it. So happy. They should not be short of building materials – the locals say there is plenty around after such massive destruction in the area.
Harriet and M15 are not the only ones making nestorations. Jackie and Shadow were on the Big Bear Valley nest last night for a short time and it appears that all of the others including Eagle Country are working hard to get ready for the 2022-23 season.
Australian Nest News:
Have you noticed? One of the first things we wonder about the nests is: Have they eaten today? It is the big question on everyone’s mind. So far, Melbourne is in the lead with one feeding from Mum and another from Dad. It is after 8 in Orange and 0730 in Port Lincoln and, at the moment, they are both waiting for deliveries.
Good morning, Melbourne!
Mum was off the ledge scrape at 06:22:53. She returned with a rather bedraggled pigeon at 06:24:26. I suspect that Dad will be flying in with a nice fresh one any time.
Dad really likes to be actively involved with the family. He arrives at 07:01 with a prey item and feeds the eyases while Mum watches and broods. What a guy!
Mum has been gone for an hour flying off at 0853. The eyases are getting hot!
Everyone is still sleeping at Port Lincoln. I thought I saw a rain drop but the forecast is not seeming to call for rain there today, not until Monday and Tuesday. Big Bob will be 28 days old on Sunday. Little Bob will be 24. I am really hoping that by early next week we see some semblance of civility return to this nest. Big Bob had a huge crop – tears were flowing and there was joy in the air after that 20:03 feed last night. And three cheers for Dad for bringing in that late fish. It really saved the day for our third hatch.
Mum in the nest and Dad is over on one of the perches to the right. They certainly have a nice home here on the barge. Sure, loved watching when Ervie would spend time with Dad down in the shed having their little talks.
Gosh, do you remember how civil Bazza, Falkey, and Ervie were until after they fledged? A couple of little pecks at the onset by Bazza to Ervie which only caused Ervie to turn around and stare at Bazza…and get closer to Mum’s beak. But just thinking about their dust ups after. Gracious. What will this bunch be like????????
The crop on Little Bob last night gives me hope. Mum is looking out for him, even at her own expense of not getting food. Dad came in with a late fish. That was fantastic.
The nest is already antsy this morning. ‘A-M’ notes that Little Bob pecked Big and then Big pecked Middle. It all happened around 0628. Not a good start to the day. Now Little Bob is pecking Big and running away from the scene. ‘Not me, I didn’t do it!’
At 07:31 Little Bob is toasty warm underneath Mum waiting for the first fish delivery.
As they wait for the breakfast fish to be delivered at Port Lincoln, Mum has stopped brooding the chicks and we can really see the size difference between Big Bob and Little Bob.
They all still have crops from the 2003 feeding last night.
Sweet Mum waiting for Dad.
Sadly, Mum is still waiting. It is 0915.
In their scrape on the water tower on the grounds of Charles Sturt University in Orange, Diamond waits with Rubus and Indigo for Xavier to bring breakfast.
Diamond is getting as restless for breakfast to arrive as Rubus and Indigo.
Diamond returned quite wet! Her talons were empty. It looks like it is raining pretty heavy in Orange.
Indigo and Rufus are having a Starling for breakfast around 0900.
Flashback Video:
Izzi, Diamond and Xavier’s 2020 fledgling with a female Superb Parrot.
Migration News:
Oh, there is good news coming out of the tracking of Karl II’s family’s migration. First up, little Mum, Kaia, is now in Chad. She has flown a total of 2, 298 km on her migration journey. People are predicting that she will winter in the same spot as Karl II!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is her map from flying from the Suez Canal to Chad.
Here is the area where she is in relation to where Karl II over winters.
Karl II is near the Syrian border with Turkey. Waba is still in Bulgaria.
Bonus is finding fish and frogs at the confluence of the Buzau and Siret Rivers in eastern Romania.
Oh, it would be just so nice if Mum were shading her chicks at Collins Street and Dad had delivered two huge fish already at Port Lincoln. We wait for both! That is it for today. Thank you so much for being with me. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their posts, their videos, and their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Eagle Cam FB, ‘H’ YouTube Videos, NEFL and SWFL Eagle Watcher’s Club, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Port Lincoln Ospreys, CSU Falcon Cam Project, and Looduskalender.