After being so excited about the young couple at the West End, the ravens have taken the egg when it was left alone. This is youth. They will learn. Both of them possibly wondered what to do with that egg – intuition doesn’t always come easy.
On top of this, Chase and Cholyn’s egg at Two Harbours has been pierced and broken.
On top of all of this saddness in the Channel Islands, Audacity isn’t giving up and has laid another egg.
My goodness, Audacity must be worn out. It takes a lot out of an eagle to produce this many eggs.
I want to thank Penny Albright for keeping us informed about some incredible osprey nests while she has been on vacation. It has been a real treat to see these families through her eyes!
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I am not hopeful for the West End, Two Harbours, or Sauces this year. I want to be wrong!
Take care. See you soon. Ospreys landing in the UK and flying home. Lots to become excited about soon.
Thank you to SK Hideaways, Penny Albright and the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to witness the lives, good and bad, of our beloved raptors.
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.
We were supposed to get a big snowstorm with lots of wind. It didn’t quite work out that way. We did get snow – enough to make everything pretty and white and for the young man to have to come and shovel! Toby still got to go for a walk with Don and Ann and I managed to get to IKEA to return the most complicated set of coat hooks on a metal back I have ever seen.
While everyone was worried about Brock because he did now show up to eat today until late late, Calico was napping in the conservatory not having a single thought about the weather!
The Girls are doing very well. I am sorry I do not mention them as often as I did pre-Toby. The one constant is ‘story time’ and we have been reading a lovely book of poetry that arrived from ‘BA’, The Woman and the Whale. Encounters with other kingdoms. The dedication really touched me: “To all those people whose faces become recognizable to animals and birds as helpers and saviors.” The author is Ethel Mortenson Davis. Calico gives it her ten-paw golden award so far – and I am really loving the empathy and love for wildlife in every line.
So many of you have written to me since the call to help the eaglets on the E-1 nest at the Kistachie National Forest was sent out. The line is still on the nest. The eaglets still sleep and walk on and around it, as does Anna II.
It isn’t just the E1 nest with an issue. The situation at the E3 nest is not good. We overcame any thoughts of siblicide at the Winter Park, Florida, nest. Indeed, today, both of the eaglets, hatched five days apart at Winter Park, were self-feeding graciously today – and I do mean getting along, eating from the same fish at the same time. There you go. This is not the case at the E3 nest, where we will have to wait and see if the smallest survives. It didn’t last year. Is it the same female? I don’t know. Does anyone know for sure, unless there is a striking physical mark like Iris’s eye, if there isn’t a Darvic ring? Several of you have written to me privately in anguish that nothing can or will be done for the little one. Is it a lack of fish, an inexperienced female -.
Check out the crop on Tiny Tim in some of the images below. Incredible. Let’s send good energy in the hope that there might be a turnaround for the little one on KNF E-3.
There is a lot of other activity elsewhere and I will run through some of that news.
First, Jack and Jill have their first egg at the Achieva Credit Union platform in St Petersburg, Florida. Please send this couple your best wishes. The female was so shocked when she laid that egg that we have to understand that was her first egg ever! ‘MP’ got a screen capture of the moment. How would you caption this image?
The first egg of Bella and Scout is now just a broken shell but today Bella laid their second egg and we need to wish this couple well. For those who do not know, the pair lost their fully feathered eaglets last year when the nest collapsed. It was a huge tragedy.
More eggs at Decorah for the Raptor Resource Project.
We have more osprey news from ‘R’, who is keeping a close eye on the osprey platform (one of several) at the University of Florida-Gainesville. This is Stella’s nest, and ‘R’ notes that this morning one of the ospreys was on the nest. The camera is not yet turned on – hopefully soon!
Things going well for Josie and Bert at Wolf Bay.
Heidi has already reported three eggs for Venice Beach.
Penny Albright reports that one of the osprey families she is following on Sanibel has two chicks in their nest.
Richmond has been hanging around the whirly crane at San Francisco Bay. He is waiting for Rosie who should be returning from her migration (Richmond does not migrate) any moment.
Things going well at Moorings Park where we are 10-13 days away from the first hatch.
It turned out to be a soggy day for Big Red and Arthur on the Cornell Campus.
‘L’ sent a note that the Bald Eagles at the Sutton Centre in Oklahoma have their first egg.
Kakapo, Green flightless parrots that live in New Zealand, are also in the nearly extinct category. They breed when food is available. They eat native plants, fruits, seeds, leaves, buds, flowers, and sapwood, with a strong preference for rimu tree fruit. Rimu fruit is key to breeding seasons, however. This is the first time in four years that there are chicks. ‘J’ has been keeping me informed, and I am delighted to inform you that we now have two chicks. The current verified total for Kakapo is 236, according to NZ DOC. We are so hopeful for so many chicks to survive this year!
We had a really good day today. Last night was the first night in ever so long that I slept all night not troubled by the arthritis in my left hand. Despite snow, it was ‘warm’. I had a lovely time finding some small brass door pulls for all the cabinets I had painted ‘Railings’ in the fall. Found a lovely bake at home meal at the Italian grocery – and another one for Ann to take home – and that along with the cinnamon buns and dinner rolls Don and I had made early, it was just a great ending to the day not to have to cook. Toby had his first piece of beef tenderloin and proved that dogs can eat as much as fast as Dyson the squirrel does. Maybe I should re-name him Dyson! (We haven’t eaten beef since the Mad cow Disease Crisis in the UK when we were living there decades ago – so asking the butcher for the equivalent of organic beef for my dog was rather hilarious).
An article, “No trees, no food, shot for fun … yet Serbia’s imperial eagles are making an improbable return”, that gives me some hope for the gorgeous, beautiful Imperial Eagles of Eastern Europe – these are in Serbia.
E-bird describes the Imperial Eagle as “Very large; dark-brown body of adult contrasts with pale head and nape. Similar to the Golden Eagle but with a shorter tail and white shoulders that are difficult to spot. The underwings are dark with low contrast. Immatures are strikingly different, sandy brown with prominent streaks and a pale rump contrasting with the dark tail and dark flight feathers. Breeds in forested areas intermixed with steppes and agricultural areas, where often seen perched on pylons. Winters in open habitats, including cropland.”
The eagle has been on the brink of extinction – this article gives me hope. But, like everything else, the threats are largely created by us. One of the primary causes of death is electrocution. Many power lines are illegal – and yet, there are some countries that are going out of their way to make those lines safe (in those instances normally for storks when so many have perished). Intentional poisoning (just as it is in parts of the UK) is another key cause of the rapid decline of the species. Then there is deforestation, changes in agricultural practices, lack of food, hunting, and lead poisoning.
If we hope to help wildlife, humans really need to change the way we live our lives! I won’t get on my soapbox – Toby is snoring beside me. Calico thinks it is time for all the cats to have a treat, and Don has already gone to bed. I do love this quiet time at the end of the day.
Thank you so much for your notes – I really appreciate hearing about eagle and osprey eggs that have been laid and what is happening at the nests. It is more than difficult for me to keep track of them at this point in my life. So thanks to everyone.
Thank you to the following for their notes today: ‘H, L, J, MP, PA, R’, to BA for that lovely book, Openverse for their images, E-bird for their information, the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to monitor the lives of the birds, and those who post information on FaceBook. I am very grateful.
It is warming up. -15 C wasn’t bad today but it is still cold. Not having any wind really helped on our morning excursion. The last Thursday of the month is ‘old people’s day’ at pet food stores, with 10-20% discounts. Toby loves going to the pet store. He is spoiled. Well, is there a word that means ‘more than spoiled’. He is always on the ‘lookout’ for a new toy when we go shopping, and today it was a fishing wand with some Valentine feathery bobbles. He would not stop whining til it went in the cart!!!!!!! Now, pet stores often do things on purpose just like grocery stores – put the toys down low in line of the pet’s sight. Remember having a toddler at the checkout line with candy???
Well, the fishing wand toy was a big hit with everyone – including all The Girls. So, thank you, Toby!
We managed to get The Girls two extra-large bags of their kibble and six large 24-tin boxes of wet food, and then there was Brock. He got his huge bag of dry kibble and some wet, and I got a big box of wet food for my neighbour, who also feeds Brock. Toby got his dry food and a handful of Lamb Chop toys. On the way home we stopped to pick up a box that had been delivered earlier in the week when we weren’t home. It is an aviator jacket – faux leather with shearling. Toby is a WWII fly boy!!!!!!
Does he look tired of trying on coats? He isn’t actually. Apparently, the tri-colours look ‘grumpy’ because of their colour patterns. I think he is rather handsome and reminds me of the character Andrew in the Foley’s War series.
Toby now has more jackets than Don and me combined. I guess it is time for a doggie closet. It is a good thing that not one of the The Girls likes to be ‘dressed’.
We have finished one book and begun another for Calico’s story time at night. The book was an ‘accident’. Yesterday was the day you don’t want to wake up to. I woke up unwell, but did manage to get the last appointment with my doctor on Friday. Then, when I went to do errands while Ann was here, the front passenger tyre was cooked. The book was a purchase so I could relax and read while the chaps worked on getting a new tyre for my car. The Kamogawa Food Detectives Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai. If you have ever travelled or lived in Japan, I recommend this book. When I visited Japan, which I often did, starting in the 1980s, I always stayed several blocks from the JR Station on Gojo-dari. I could walk to the Kamo River. The book somehow brought back all the flavours and aromas of the streets that I loved so much, like a tsunami rushing over me. Calico approves. The other book, The Friendship Book, arrived in the post – I had not ordered it. Who blessed me with a book of daily readings??? Eventually, the mystery revealed itself, and we are very grateful to ‘MC’ for the volume that we read at the start of story time each evening.
There is a lot going on in Bird World.
‘N’ writes about the Kansas City Bald Eagles, “Ellie laid her first egg this evening! Woohoo so excited. I have included the Facebook post of the announcement. I felt like I was reading Elfuler’s section on behavior in oviposition (egg laying) as I am watching. Amazing. Never gets old does it…
The Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis) is a small, mottled brown-and-gray nightjar found in open, arid habitats throughout the Americas. Known for its buoyant, butterfly-like flight, it feeds on flying insects at dusk and dawn. It is often distinguished from the similar Common Nighthawk by its lower, more erratic flight and a white or buffy bar located closer to the wingtips.
Our Melbourne correspondent is in love with the Royal cam albatross: “Just look at that beautiful little creature. Isn’t it just exquisite beyond words? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeHJsX84JAI. And how wonderful is Mum BOK? They are so serene, gentle, and patient. Beautiful, stately birds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeHJsX84JAI“
‘A’ continues, “The partying juveniles are keeping our baby awake. (Probably, they’re providing some form of entertainment for BOK as she sits there for days on end.) Seriously, aren’t these ‘adolescents’ just too funny? Mind you, after this period of partying, they can spend literally decades as part of a bonded pair, devoting themselves to raising a chick every second season, so perhaps this is the only real chance they get in a very long lifetime to ‘live it up’.
Aren’t their sky calls just wonderful? One of those adolescents has the most startling screeching noise. They do seem to have highly individual voices at that age.
Plateau Chick is progressing well, although it is still fairly small (and lost weight the first two days after hatching, which is not unusual). Mum regurgitated a squid beak during yesterday morning’s feeding, which the chick spat out and the ranger later retrieved from the nest. The twice-daily weighings and health checks will become daily at one week of age I believe, but so far, there have been no concerns with the wee one. It is absolutely precious, is it not? That perfect little bill and those sweet little feet are totally adorable.”
SK Hideaways caught two of the cutest little eaglets at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest! https://youtu.be/GPwd5POXfuM?
At the Moorings Park Osprey platform, Harry and Sally now have three eggs. They are an incredible couple. Food is normally not scarce but, honestly, I hope one of these eggs does not hatch!
All those Hen Harrier killings in the UK??? Well, one man, Racster Dingwall pleaded guilty to the offences in some of the killings.
In part it reads, “MAN SENTENCED FOR BIRD OF PREY PERSECUTION OFFENCES ON GRASSINGTON MOOR
A man has been sentenced for trying to kill a legally-protected bird, following an investigation by North Yorkshire Police.
The case against Racster Dingwall for encouraging or assisting bird of prey persecution, using the Serious Crime Act 2007, is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.
In October 2024, a covert camera placed by the RSPB captured footage of three men on Grassington Moor, using radios and speaking in code to discuss shooting towards and killing wild birds, including hen harriers.
The recording was passed to North Yorkshire Police, and an investigation was launched by the force’s Rural Taskforce.
The footage was processed by technicians at the Regional Scientific Support Services, and an expert from the National Wildlife Crime Unit was called in to interpret it.
This analysis showed that one of the men – later identified as gamekeeper Racster Dingwall – was in possession of a semi-automatic shotgun for the sole purpose of killing a hen harrier.
Dingwall, 35, from Ellingstring, was interviewed by Rural Taskforce officers, and subsequently charged with encouraging or assisting the killing of a Schedule 1 wild bird (contrary to Sections 45 and 58 of the Serious Crime Act 2007); and possessing a shotgun for the purpose of killing a Schedule 1 wild bird (contrary to Section 18 (2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).
All wild birds are protected by law, and ‘Schedule 1’ birds, including hen harriers, have additional protection.
It is thought to be the first time a charge of encouraging or assisting an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007 has been used in relation to bird of prey persecution. “
There are still more people to find, as a substantial number of satellite-tagged Hen Harriers have been shot over the past couple of years.
At the Fort Myers nest o M15 (who delivered three meals in record time on Thursday), E26 has not only been incubating the egg, covering it with moss, and is now working on building the rails. Quite the eaglet!
Gabby and Beau’s NE32 and 33 are growing like wild weeds in a picture-perfect garden. Both had huge crops on Thursday afternoons, and the adults even managed to get some nice fish.
There is a lot of prey on the Winter Park Bald Eagle nest. There was a tandem feeding. Both have been fed. The oldest is simply big in comparison, so you can probably guess that she is a fierce first-hatch female and a second-hatch little boy. Things have turned around. Fingers crossed that it continues.
Cuties at the E1 nest of Anna and Louis II in the Kisatchie National Park.
It will not be long til those little bobbleheads of Anna and Louis will be the gorgeous feathered juveniles like those on Ron and Rose’s nest at Dade County.
C14 or Quinn at the Captiva nest of Clive and Connie is catching up with those juvenile feathers quickly. So sweet this Only.
Thank you so very, very much for being with us today and for all your wonderful comments, e-mails, and snail mail letters. I do so appreciate them! Take care of yourself. We look forward to having you with us again at the end of the weekend!
Thank you so much to the individuals who have created some incredible video captures of our raptor families, to those who post information on the various social media sites, and to Raptor Persecution UK, OpenVerse, and to ‘N’ and ‘R’ for sending me great information along with ‘A’ and her commentary on the Australian birds. My life is so much better – as is my blog – with each of you in it!
Toby relaxing in the conservatory.
Calico tempted to eat Toby’s chicken for her lunch!
It’s Sunday, not Monday. I have the week’s videos from SK Hideaways, and it is a wrap of a review of what is happening in Bird World.
We have been under an extreme cold warning for more than a week now. It is currently -35 (Saturday night). The vets have said that if it is too cold for humans then it is decidedly too cold for dogs to be outside. Their paws can freeze and crack! There is no evidence that frigid cold causes arthritis but dogs with arthritis suffer pain because of constrictions if they are out in this cold. Toby, hopefully, will never have arthritis, but his little incident the other day means he needs to stay inside. We have played a lot of fetch – he loves it – but he discovered that he also likes to play ‘fish’ with the Girls! We were decluttering the pantry as part of an overall downsizing of all our stuff and we found a fishing pole toy with feathered ends. Oh, all of them had such a good time. It was wonderful!
I have not spent as much time on the computer watching the nests as I did a year ago. This has not been a bad thing! In a recent blog, the lovely, talented cookbook author Mimi Thorisson said, “Over the years, living on this planet has taught me something important. It is imperative, from time to time, to detach slightly from the social world and enter a phase of semi-hibernation. It is healing. It is comforting. It brings you back to yourself.” I hope that each of us is taking time to watch the birds and animals outside – I often add that they are such an important part of my life that I have felt paralysed to move to a different house. Our day begins, as it always does, with breakfast in the conservatory and a ‘count’ of the visitors to the nest. Another count occurs around 1530, along with continuous checks on Brock’s dish. These birds and animals bring such joy to my life, along with The Girls and Toby, who have proven to be loyal companions. So, please, embrace the wildlife that is around you. Do what you can to improve their lives – a dish of water, some food. It all helps.
The second eaglet on the Winter Park nest in Florida has been receiving both food and attacks from its older sibling. The size and age difference along with food availability are key here.
Send good positive energy for lots of prey – the parents have to eat, too!
Research indicates that siblicide on Bald Eagle nests is 5% or less – meaning that it is rare. (The osprey mortality rate is often higher than 17% in the nests we have monitored.)
Here is a good article on various Avian Siblicide to help you understand which raptors are more likely to have one nestling kill another. It is very informative.
SK Hideaways sent their videos for the week of the 18th for your enjoyment.
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
Two Harbors Courtesy Institute for Wildlife Studies | explore.org | Two Harbors Eagles Cam Ops Overlook Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yx7RKxpyzQ Eagle Cam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5T2eHM8tcI Cholyn & Chase Do Nesting Season with Class ~ Mating & Fish Gift (2026 Jan 23) Chase has embraced nesting season with much enthusiasm as he continues to woo Cholyn with fish between mating activities. 22 years of “wedded” bliss and romance is still very much alive for this royal couple of Catalina Island. (2026 Jan 23) Video: https://youtu.be/2OEWiuQ9ZxM
Chase Wants Eggs ~ Tests Nest Bowl as Cholyn Watches + Mating (2026 Jan 20) Despite the fact that Chase “knows” that Cholyn almost always lays eggs at the end of February or early March, he’s trying to hurry her along by showing her how comfy the nest bowl is and frequent mating. Here, Chase lays in the nest bowl 3 times to Cholyn’s zero times. Cholyn seems to give him a “what’re you doing?” look, but in her typical Cholyn way, just goes with the flow. Always in sync even when it means humoring the other. Video: https://youtu.be/SZZAkQ0D9z8
Cholyn & Chase Nesting Season Kickoff ~ 2x Mating & Fish Gift (2026 Jan 18) Cholyn and Chase had their official nesting season kickoff ~ at least from where we could see them. They mated in the morning, then Chase brought Cholyn a nice fish for lunch. They had long conversations off camera and then returned to the nest in the late afternoon to mate again. Here’s hoping for a fruitful season for this beloved couple and royalty of the Channel Islands. Video: https://youtu.be/bNEHHlGDCQ4
Couple ID Markers & More Mating ~ Need Nestorations to Seal Deal (2026 Jan 22) The new West End couple (aka masked and unmasked; and VE1 (male visitor) and VE2 (female visitor)) continue to take steps towards being a bonded pair. While they have accomplished mating quite well (!), they have not embraced the nest repairs that would indicate their intentions to start a family this season. It’s early, though, and things can change (as they always do). (2026 Jan 22) Video: https://youtu.be/acrvEOup90E
Masked Female & Unmasked Male Mate for 1st & 2nd Time on Camera (2026 Jan 21) The visiting eagles have been at the West End for about 2 weeks and seen together most days. While mating sounds have been heard off camera, this was the first (and second) observed mating. So the bond is there, but will they remain here to lay eggs and raise chicks? Stay tuned for the next episode of As the West End Turns. Video: https://youtu.be/Z1z28PuQFTs
FOBBV Eagles ~ Big Bear, California ~ Jackie & Shadow Courtesy FOBBVCAM | Friends of Big Bear Valley
Morning Chortle-Snortles & Shadow’s First Incubation Stint (2026 Jan 24) Jackie laid her and Shadow’s first egg late the previous day, so this morning was Shadow’s first opportunity for some incubation time. From what we have observed, he really, really seems to enjoy this part of nesting. So much so that he took his time heeding Jackie’s fish calls. Video: https://youtu.be/jcIPh9l19aQ
Shadow delivers FEEESH ~ Jackie Stumbles on Nest Rails Trying to Collect (2026 Jan 24) When Jackie saw Shadow deliver a whole, big fish (aka feeesh) from her perch on the Cactus Snag, she squealed with glee and made a beeline for the nest. As it turns out, she and Shadow have constructed such a robust fortress, that Jackie stumbled trying to get in the front door. She, of course, did prevail and enjoyed her meal with gusto. Video: https://youtu.be/nTcUFmY6Dxw
JACKIE & SHADOW WELCOME FIRST EGG OF SEASON! (2026 Jan 23) A quick labor for Jackie as she laid the first egg of the season. Shadow quickly came to meet his egg and seemed pretty smitten already.
The Bald Eagle nest on Farmer Derek’s property in Kansas has its first egg.
Rose and Ron have two gorgeous eaglets with so much juvenile plumage!
Quinn is the cutest little eaglet over at the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive.
Girri is flying strong with Diamond and Gimbir. This is just incredible. How many years have we followed this nest, hoping for such an amazing outcome? This is wonderful – a strong, big female.
Duke Farms’ female looking at the trio of eggs she has laid.
SK Hideaways caught Shadow delivering a fish to Jackie as she has been incubating their first egg of the season. https://youtu.be/nTcUFmY6Dxw?
There are no concerns at the nest of Gabby and Beau. NE32 and 33 are growing strong with their thermal down and pin feathers. Lots of food and great parenting make a difference – Beau and Gabby are well-bonded, experienced, and work together like a nicely oiled machine. (Watch them using cam 2: https://www.youtube.com/live/hQrJv_Dt4tY?
At the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23, E26 is getting those gorgeous deep black juvenile feathers. Doing so well!
Anna II is a valiant mom in the cold and rain of Louisiana. Not much nourishment for everyone – let’s wish for a sunny day tomorrow.
Jack and Jill have been seen at the Achieva Credit Union osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida.
Gimbir, that cute Dad that fathered the dynamic Girri, is getting his adult plumage!!!!!!!
My lad and lass – besties forever.
It’s 2:46 minutes long. There is a bit of a pause in the middle but stay to the end. I hope these two make you smile.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Thank you for your e-mails and your comments. It is so nice to know there are others out there who love our feathered friends and who will do anything to make their lives better! I am sorry if I am not able to answer the comments or your e-mails as quickly as I did in the past, but I do appreciate each and every one of them and will, I promise, get around to responding!
We will be back on Friday, if not before – depending on action in the nests.
Please take care of yourself. We look forward to having you with us again soon.
We all owe a great debt to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to monitor the lives of our raptor families. I am indebted to all those who create videos (which takes a lot of time), such as SK Hideaways, and to the authors of the FB posts and the articles that I have included in my blog. We learn from one another, and I hope we share what we know with others. Thank you all. My blog would not be the same without your contributions.
It is late Tuesday night. It was a warm day. Ann was here, and she took Toby and Don for a nice walk. Ellen had been here earlier, so Toby had two good walks! I did not get to making SK Hideaway’s Cranberry Orange scones, but that is on the list for this week. I have moved on from my disappointment with the health services and have pulled up the ‘boot straps’ and gotten on with life. Ann will be here more afternoons and Ellen will help with some dog walking. I spent a lovely afternoon with my bestie. It is Irish Women’s Christmas. Do you know this tradition?
January 6 was known as Nollaig na mBan – “women’s Christmas” when womenfolk across the country took a day off from their traditional domestic chores as a reward for all their efforts, and visited friends and family. The temperature rose dramatically by mid-afternoon before rain started around 3pm.”
We had lovely tea and conversation, and I forgot about the woes of the past weeks – like the eagles.
Speaking of eagles. Could we have ordered a more cute group of babies this year?
E26 seems to have a constant huge crop and is getting its mohawk along with that woolly deep charcoal—a prize for M15 and F23 whose love for this baby oozes out of that nest.
Beau continues to win the hearts and minds of everyone who watches the NE Florida nest. Could you think back to when Beau was V3? How did you feel when Gabby seemed to favour this young one who didn’t, at the time, seem to know which end was which?
Clown feet, mohawk, thermal down, and pin feathers at Captiva. All of the eaglets are growing quickly!
R9 and R10 have the same pin feathers, the same clown feet, the little Mohawks, and they are doing the cutest wingers. Ron and Rose are fantastic parents.
All appears to be well at the Superbeaks nest, too.
Huge winter storms are barrelling through North America raising havoc with our eagle nests – and their trees, many old, many with dead branches. Another suffered damage.
Good news coming from Redding and those following Liberty and Guardian.
An unbanded male eagle has been seen with Haku at the West End—no sighting of Akecheta.
Those caring for the Laysan Albatross on the Midway Atoll report that Wisdom, the oldest banded Laysan Albatross in the world at 74 years, returns frequently to the atoll. She did not, however, lay an egg this year.
Raptor Persecution UK continues to follow the illegal killings, charges, and court hearings in the UK for us.
I was delighted to hear from my friend whose son has been working too hard. He sat down by a lake, and there were ducks, and all the woes of the world slipped off his shoulders. I highly recommend that we all do this in the days and weeks ahead. The holidays are challenging for almost everyone for many varied reasons, but winter can be especially daunting. Try to get outside!
Now I imagine that in about 50 days we might see Iris land on her nest in Missoula. Just imagine. And then, sit back and consider that a fortnight earlier, the UK ospreys will start arriving home as well for their breeding seasons. I cannot wait.
Thank you so much for being with us tonight. I might not post again til the end of the week. No worries. All is good.
Thank you to Raptor Persecution UK, to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my screen captures and the authors of the FB posts. Without your keen eyes and sharing information, my blog would not be the same!
Dear Dyson.
Mr Crow waiting for Dyson to finish with the peanuts so he can have some!
It is a full moon night on the Canadian prairies with a temperature of -16 C. Tobby and Hugo Yugo are curled up beside me on the sofa along with a couple of ‘Little Lambs’, Toby’s favourite toy. Ann spent the morning with Toby while I went to the hospital to see how Don was doing.
I felt really ‘proud’ and happy when the nurse sat me down, hugged me, and told me how well I was taking care of Don. You don’t think it – or I didn’t – his clothes are always clean, and so he is. I feed him, for the most part, whole foods, giving in to a love of cookies that his mother created by her excellent (and constant) baking when he was younger. His bloodwork is good, and he is very healthy given his condition. I know that many have expressed concern about his discharge back into the home, but the root cause was not his dementia, but rather a serious problem with his bladder that the doctors have now repaired. He was very alert today, and after I had been there for about an hour, his oldest friend, Andrew, arrived, and you could hear them laughing several metres away. I slipped out quietly, knowing that his other friend from high school would be arriving shortly. Ann stayed home, monitoring Toby to make sure he didn’t start haemorrhaging again. Toby is getting stronger and more like himself. It was so nice having him snore in my ear last night – I will NEVER complain again about that! Sometimes he is so loud he could shake the roof off the rafters.
Thank you for all of your notes. I want to publicly pass on a big shout-out to Heidi and her video that was included on Day 11 – many of you have downloaded that blog so that you can watch her handiwork repeatedly. She is exceptionally talented, and I am so glad that our paths crossed in this lifetime.
The nurses have asked me to rest up for a few days, so my posts over the next 2-4 days will be shorter and less comprehensive. As most of you can tell, I have a real soft spot for Gabby and now for Beau after adoring Samson for so many years. Those two little scrappers in NE Florida are adorable. And like all of the other eaglets in the nests, they are adored by their parents. My goodness, I wish we could sprinkle this type of eagle love all over the planet.
Girri is one of those great events from 2025. Having sobbed our eyes out with the loss of Xavier, we thought Diamond would not have any chicks. Then along came Gimbir, and well, everyone thought he was too young and inexperienced to be a Dad. Well, were we wrong? Diamond and Gimbir gave us one heck of a strong female falcon, and here she is flying above the trees near the tower! https://youtu.be/ECUH1DwWGao? It just doesn’t get much better than this at the Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam project.
It’s not a raptor… but this is a story everyone should know about. China has footage of a Wild Siberian Tigress with five cubs in Hunchun. Northwest Tiger and Leopard Park. This is thrilling news! They normally have 2-3 cubs so five is rare and is a great conservation success. Here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/JaSsbkfC5N4?
The BBC reports, “Five Siberian tiger cubs have one very proud mum – she’s the first ever tiger known to have given birth to quintuplets in the wild in China.
The family have been spotted in Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which is one of China’s first five national parks and covers over 14,000 square kilometres – that’s around the same size as Northern Ireland!
It’s very rare for Siberian tigers to give birth to five healthy cubs, so it’s a big success story for the park, who say it’s likely that mum had the cubs back in June.” (27 December 2025)
It is all good for Beau and Gabby at NE Florida.
The AEF captured Gabby feeding Beau who then fed the eaglets with the food. How cute was that?
E26 is a massive eaglet. Want to bet we have a strong female here for M15 and F23 this year? Thermal down. Pin feathers. And quite enough food and more than enough love from Mum and Dad.
What a little cutie – the other only – at Captiva for Connie and Clive.
R9 and R10 are just adorable. Ron and Rose are doing a fantastic job at Dade County. Life is looking good!
One of my favourite all-time books about a human being changed by an encounter with wildlife was Raising Hare. Here is an incredible story about a Japanese island inhabited by Hares! Can I put it on my bucket list?
Time for Toby’s last medication. Oh, my dear darling little man. The sheer idea that I could have lost you is beyond my comprehension.
This week, I learned two significant things I would like to share with you, in the hope that one or both might help you in the future. If you know of anyone whose behaviour radically changes, from calm to agitated, please get them to the doctor to check for an infection. If you know or suspect they cannot pass urine, do not be shy about stating this. It is critical. Secondly, if you see any blood, watery or otherwise, in your pet’s vomit or diarrhoea, rush them to the vet. Do not sit around and twiddle your thumbs, I mean, rush. Toby’s life was saved because of quick action on my part and that of Dr Maryam.
Thank you so much for being with us today.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that let us glimpse the breeding seasons of our wonderful raptors. Without them we would never see the joyful moments shared by these parents and their chicks! I would also like to thank The Guardian for their constant reporting on issues about wildlife. Thank you Holly Parsons or that great capture, to Cilla Kinross for her post and to the China Daily for its story on the Siberian Tiger.
It was a great night. Our visiting canine, Nellie, settled in and slept through the night – and so did the rest of us! We woke up refreshed. Toby and Nellie headed out with Ellen at 0930 while ‘The Girls’ had their breakfast in peace. When the dogs got home, Don and I looked at the four sad bananas on the counter and set about to make banana bread. It was a great start to the morning.
Hugo Yugo and Toby were holding hands last evening. I can’t get enough of this puppy and sweet kitty. They have to either be touching or near to one another.
Oh, these animals just lift my spirits.
There are two eggs at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Bald Eagle nest in Texas! That one flew right by me I was so intent on finding out about Girri. Congratulations.
Let’s hope we see more of Girri’s strong flying. It gives me hope that this fledgling of Diamond’s will survive!!!!!!!! She is one heck of a flyer.
Our friend ‘A’ is checking on Angel, the Leucistic Hawk, and her mate Tom and found an update from Connor at Window to Wildlife: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHDDXUkIKio
Connie and Clive have a hatch at the Captiva Eagle cam. CE14 looks strong and alert.
E26 appears to be lucky (in some ways). No indication of a pip in E27’s egg. This is day 38 for that egg. Yes, it is still within the time frame for hatching. Would I want it to? Well, I wouldn’t. Many will. E26 is strong, healthy, and eating well. A lack of a sibling means no bonking – that has already started at Dade County in force with the Rs.
Gabby and Beau continue incubation at NE Florida. I am getting excited for their first pip next week.
Jackie and Shadow are visiting the Big Bear Valley Bald Eagle nest! They were there Tuesday!
Ron and Rose have a nest full of food for C10 and C11. There are still a few bites of Coot and a whole lot of fish ready and waiting.
If you missed Ventana Wildlife’s December chat, here is the link to find out what is going on with the California condors: https://www.youtube.com/live/_FO6WuxmL08?
The post today is quick and sweet. We hope you are not caught up in the rat race of the build-up to the final days of the holidays. Take care. We will see you tomorrow.
Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams where I took my screen captures, to SK Hideaways for their video, to ‘A’ for alerting me to Connor’s Window to Wildlife update! This blog would not be the same without you and without all those amazing members of Bird World!
