Daisy has laid her 7th egg in the nest of the White-Bellied Sea Eagles in Sydney’s Olympic Forest. She has spent the morning trying to get more down from her breasts and sides – without a lot of luck – and looking for more natural materials to cover her nest. She may have to dig around on the other side of the nest. She seems reluctant this year to cover the eggs and leave them to go over and root around.
So much down last year so little this year.
Here is a video of Dad, the WBSE that owns the nest, flying in at night. Oh, so lucky none of Daisy’s eggs were not broken.
The Port Lincoln Osprey fledglings have been neglected. It was so fantastic to go and check on them and have some great close-ups of Ervie! Oh, he is a handsome young man.
That is a gorgeous crest. That white V that we looked for when he was small is so prominent. He has a nice crop.
Janet Forster says that the trio have been flying circles around the barge. They have also been seen chasing the parents screaming for fish! Good lads.
Here is Janet waving to everyone on camera. She is on the shore with her long lens. You can just make her out about 3/4 of the way over in the background. Thanks Janet for all you do so we can enjoy the Ospreys!
So far everyone is doing fine including Daisy. It is a long haul for our little Duck compounded with the predators and the lack of material on the nest. Still, we hope. The three Osprey lads are magnificent. I am so proud of this nest. Bald Eagles continue to lay eggs and work on nests. And, of course, the Great Horned Owls are looking for nests. There is a pair on the Savannah Osprey nest thinking pretty hard about using it for their breeding season.
There are a lot of people waiting to see if the GHOWs will also use Farmer Derek’s Bald Eagle nest. Will keep you posted!
Take care. It is nearing noon on Daisy’s nest and so far all is well. Thank you for dropping by.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I took my screen shots: Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Sea Eagles@ Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, and Cornell Bird Lab and Savannah Ospreys.
I love getting notes from everyone with new nests to check on. Tonight my friend ‘T’ in Strasbourg, suggested I check on a beautifully woven nest in Germany. We will go to check on it later in the blog.
Does anyone have any idea how many bird streaming cams there are? I do mean just birds because we live in such a marvellous time that we can watch elephants in Africa, giraffes being born in a zoo, watch the ocean in almost any part of the world, and see a condor hatch.
I have no idea how many Osprey cams exist but, there are only four Red tail Hawk streaming cams in the world. That is one of the reasons that Big Red is such a star.
There she is doing what she loves – feeding and caring for her chicks.
Just look at those feathers. They are all that rich earthy deep dark brown – just like their moms. At the beginning of their second year, these juveniles will get that beautiful burnt orange tail just like Big Red. You can see it in the image below.
So what is with the oak leaves? Some of you will have heard me mention Laura Culley. Culley is a falconer. She has many raptors but one, Mariah, is 28 going on 29, I believe, this year. Culley taught me and a lot of other people many things. One is that the pine brought into the nest is a natural pesticide. Another is that the adults like to bring in a variety of prey for the nestlings. They will imprint those birds and animals so they know what is alright to eat. So, last year, I asked Culley about the oak leaves. Well now. This is interesting. Big Red is telling the nestlings to fly to the oak tree across the road when they fledge – the big oak tree in front of Fernow Tower. How clever!
While Big Red was taking a break this evening, Arthur is doing flying demonstrations. Arthur is really in his element once the Ks fledge – he works with Big Red and teaches them how to hunt their prey and how to fly. I remember both Big Red and Arthur soaring one day. It was an amazing sight.
So, we are going to travel from Ithaca, New York where Big Red has her nest on the Cornell Campus to Germany. Specifically we are going to a region known for both wind turbines and storks – not necessarily a good combination – known as the Minden-Lubbecke District. They even have a Stork Museum! I have placed an arrow on the map below so you can find it.
The specific nest is located at the very edge of the district on the grounds of Schloss Benkhausen (the Castle Bankhausen) indicated by the red symbol in the map below.
The area does not have enough large trees for the storks. In 1987, there were only 3 breeding pairs. In 2019, there were 89 breeding pairs but not enough nests for them. In that year, the Gauselman Family set up a platform on the edge of a hiking trail on the grounds of Schloss Benkhausen. In 2020, they set up a camera for the world to watch the White Storks and their family. Well, something different happened on one of those platforms in 2021!
A lovely little goose has made her nest in the centre of that beautifully woven basket platform in the middle of the fields. I am told this is a White-fronted Goose but, not being familiar with the breeds in the region, I am not 100% certain. Nonetheless, a goose is on that platform and as of today she had laid 12 eggs! Twelve.
The goose will take the down from her body and work to line the nest cup and also to cover the eggs when she is not on the nest. You can see that grey fluffy down that the goose is pulling to cover her eggs in the images below. Look – there are so many eggs! This reminds me of Daisy the Black Pacific Duck that laid her eggs in the White-bellied Sea Eagle nest. Sadly, one day when she left for food, the Raven’s took Daisy’s eggs. Daisy did not have a mate to help her. I wonder if this goose has a mate to defend the nest? Normally the mate would be nearby. Older geese lay more eggs than younger ones. Once she is finished laying, this ‘Mother Goose’ will begin hard or sustained incubating. It is approximately 28-32 days til hatch. Around 24 hours after hatching the goslings will jump to the ground. Their parents will wait for them and walk them to water. It is an amazing sight to witness.
Here is Mother Goose covering her eggs during the night. She needed a wee break.
Here is an image taken earlier in the day. You can clearly see the down lining the egg cup and our beautiful little goose.
Do not worry. The platforms are normally erected to a height of 70 or 80 feet. The record for goslings jumping from a height is 400 feet for Barnacle Goslings from their cliff nest.
This is a better look at our little mother. That looks like a puddle in view but it could be larger – the cameras tend to distort scale – and hopefully it might fill with water before these little ones hatch. There also seems to be a little stream.
You can join in the fun and watch this family through fledging of the goslings here:
And speaking of fledging, one of those ospreys on The Landings Nest on Skidaway Island is sure getting some impressive height to its hovering today.
The chicks on the Cowlitz PUD Osprey Nest in Washington State do not look any worse for wear today. Wattsworth has been in several times with fish and it looks like Electra filled their crops. Regular supplies of fish will stop any food competition. I love seeing that little one with that big crop today. It sent those warm fuzzies up my arms.
When I last checked on Tiny Tot, he had returned to the nest after being gone most of the day. His feathers looked a little tattered. It was 31 degrees and hot in St Petersburg and no doubt he is really wanting and expecting the parents to bring him an evening fish. Sadly, Tiny went to bed hungry tonight.
Thanks so much for joining me this evening. Lots of good things out there happening on the nests and some interesting developments with that goose! It just takes me back to Daisy the Duck on the WBSE nest in the Sydney Olympic Park in January. I certainly hope this lovely goose has much better luck!
Big thanks go out to the following for their streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Livestream vom Storchennest-Schloss Benkhausen, Cowlitz PUD, Achieva Credit Union, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon.
Gosh, what a day it has been with the hatch of the first known albino Osprey chick at the Urdaibai Biosphere Park in Spain. Let us hope that despite the challenges that being an albino faces in the wild, that this little one thrives!
Little Albino Osprey. First known. Born in Urdaibai, Spain. 2 June 2021
And surprise. I often just check in on nests that are thought to be vacant after the juveniles fledge and lo and behold, look what is on one of the branches of Legacy’s natal tree – an Osprey! It isn’t Legacy our beautiful ebony plumed juvenile Bald Eagle but hey, it is a bird and a nice surprise!
Well, hello. Did Legacy give you permission to use her nest?
It has been raining in Wales and that means it is wet on the nest of Mrs G and Aran. Since there are no chicks to brood, the pair more than likely come to the nest to retrieve their fish, eat them on the perch or off camera, and perch and roost in nearby trees. They need to still protect that valuable nest of theirs for next year’s season and we already know that there are two year old juveniles sniffing around.
Another damp day at the nest of Mrs G and Aran
The Glaslyn Wildlife Centre has received so many questions that instead of trying to answer each one individually or go on FB with postings, they wrote a detailed blog titled, ‘The Not So Perfect Storm’. I was impressed with the range of subjects they covered and the detailed sound information provided. The topics ranged from Why Did Mrs G Stop feeding the chicks? to What will happen to the Glaslyn pair now? to describing how Aran and Z2, Aeron, who occupies the PC nest with Blue 014, worked together to drive a male osprey away that had intruded at both nests. Wow! Cooperative territorial patrols. I like that. If you would like to read this very informative document, please go to:
Idris is know for his whoppers and here is another one!Telyn feeding the two osplets that huge fish Idris brought to them.
I posted this image so you could see the change the plumage of these two little ones. Bobby Bach is 9 days old and still retains his light grey natal down and hair on its head. Bob, the oldest, is changing plumage and as their Twitter feed said, “now resembles ancient theropod lineage of the Cretaceous period, 66 million years ago”. Bob’s hair on its head is ‘thinning’. He is getting coppery coloured feathers around its head and neck. The body plumage will be getting quite dark.
Osplet on the right still has natal down while osplet on the left is moving into Reptilian Phase.
That is the stage that Big Bob is currently at. He is the eldest chick on the Loch of the Lowes Osprey Nest and he is beginning his Reptilian Phase.
Big Bob at the Loch of the Lowes Nest in his full reptilian phase!
Then the little ones will begin to be covered with their beautiful feathers. Have a look at the pair at The Landings Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island. Aren’t they gorgeous? They have retained some of that peach on their heads or necks and look at those gorgeous dark white tipped feathers on their wings and back. Stunning. The eldest at the Landings nest is started to self-feed a tiny bit.
The Landings Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island. aka Savannah Ospreys. Gorgeous feathers and starting to think about self feeding.
In the image of the Two Bobs at the Rutland Nest today, they are just leaving the reptilian phase and starting to get their gorgeous juvenile plumage. Look at them and look at the ones above at The Landing. In a couple of days the Rutland chicks will look like them! They change so quickly.
Maya is feeding the Two Bobs
It has been raining off and on in Ithaca, New York. Big Red’s Ks have wet feathers. It is a good way to see the changing plumage from K1, the eldest, to K3, the youngest.
In the image below, K3 is causing everyone to hold their breath as it looks down from the light tower ledge. Look at the beautiful dark feathers with their peach on the other two siblings. K3 is just getting its juvenile plumage on its wings. Both of the older siblings still have some down that will be covered soon.
The Ks are curious
Here they are standing up. Note the beautiful peach on the one on the left. If I could get the middle K to turn around you would see they have some peach, too. They look like they are wearing medieval costumes complete with pantaloons, vest, and morning coat. Quite dignified. Big Red is a very dark Red -tail Hawk with Arthur’s plumage being quite light in comparison. Big Red has a magnificent dark apron.
Don’t you just love their feathery costumes?
In terms of plumage that beautiful apron or low necklace of Big Red’s is a stunner. Also note her head, neck, and shoulders.
Here she is from the back. The Ks will not get their red tail til after their first year moult.
My friend in Maine spotted the bleeding from K1’s ear over a week ago and was worried. This is today and there is still some blood there. The ears are not protected until they get their feathers. Big Red works on them to clean them. One of the reasons for the greenery – especially the pine – which is a natural insecticide – is to keep away the insects that could lay eggs in the hawklets ears. In avian studies, they have observed no ill effects to the bird.
Here is a link to a very good and not so long article about parasites in birds including their ears:
Tiny Tot has been on and off the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest in St Petersburg on and off today. He had a nice fish delivery early this morning and is probably hoping for another!
I want to memorize the way this juvenile looks but it will be little help to me if I try to track him down as an adult. Perhaps he will return and take over his natal nest in 4 years time! or maybe he will be a little precocious like the 2 year old juvenile male at Poole Harbour and we might see him scraping with Jack in a couple of years.
Here comes Tiny, the extraordinary, our Super Hero! He will do a perfect landing on the perch pole.
And there it is. Bingo. On the top. No fumbling around.
All those feathers have grown in for our incredible flyer.
And there he is ready to take on any intruders that might want to come to this nest and take his fish today.
There are, as we have all been noticing, other birds that intrude on the territory of others. Then there are people. There were people close to one of the osprey nests in Wales and more recently, the staff put up a camera at the Bucovina Golden Eagle nest in Bulgaria. Golden Eagles are very rare. The couple has one chick on the nest. The camera spooked the male and he left the nest for several days. This meant that the female wound up being a single mom like Spilve and Milda. She had to hunt, feed, brood, and protect the nest. Thankfully, the male returned to the nest yesterday, 1 June. It is a good lesson to everyone. The slightest disturbance can have catastrophic implications for the birds. Some are more sensitive than others to human presence.
You can see the chick below and this video shows the joyful return of the Dad to the nest after many days.
I will close with a beautiful image of the Dad Stork and the three storklets earlier today. The villagers in Mlade Buky Czechoslovakia are feeding then after the mother was electrocuted on power lines. Such generous caring people. Look at the crop on that one standing! They are doing very well, don’t you think?
Thank you so much for joining me today. Please stay safe and take care.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Mlady Buky, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, Bucovina Bulgaria, Dyfi Osprey Project and Montgomeryshire Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife Trust, LRWT, Achieva Osprey, NE Florida Eagle Cam and the AEF, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes, and Association Wild Bucovina.
Oh, there are so many happy people today. The Glaslyn Wildlife Center started the streaming cam on Aran, Mrs G and chicks 2 & 3 at 8am this morning. Thanks to the advice of Dr Tim Mackrill, the staff, and all the volunteers for jumping in there and doing what they could to save this iconic Osprey family. It worked. Aran is getting stronger, Mrs G is getting stronger, and the two remaining chicks are thriving. Just look at the fish on that nest – what wonderful people.
Aran is on the perch protecting the nest from intruders – and there still remain intruders!
Aran is one handsome Osprey with that beautiful crest of his.
So many were relieved and that soon turned to a state of elation when Aran accepted the fish.
Mrs G is also alert to the intruders.
No one ever imagined these little ones could go without food for at least two days. They did. Chicks 2 and 3 survived. It is not clear what happened to the first hatch but it died late Sunday afternoon after eating all day. But, it is time for the joy and everyone is rejoicing that there are 2 strong little ones left!
Here is a really good look at those two plump strong little chicks of Mrs G and Aran. Gosh, just look at them with those strong necks and wings and little fat bottoms. My goodness I never would have imagined.
Everything seems to be going pretty well up at Loch of the Lowes. NC0 took a break and had Laddie doing incubation. Laddie appears to be very uncomfortable around the chicks but he stepped up to the job and did it well. He is keeping the nest supplied with fish and the two remaining chicks are looking good – albeit one much smaller than the other. NC0 is a first time mom and let us hope that she makes sure the little one gets food at every meal. I have to say I am worried because that tiny one is so thin. I hope I am worried for nothing. Sadly we have already lost one chick, the last hatch, on this nest. It would certainly be nice if these both fledged.
Over at the Clywedog Nest with Dylan and Seren, there is one healthy chick and we are waiting for egg 2 to begin to pip. Tonight? Possibly.
Seren is restless. She can hear the chick in the egg. But, stop for a moment and look at Seren’s gorgeous yellow eyes. They are stunners.
A mysterious unringed Osprey has appeared on the Loch Arkaig Nest. Look at that fabulous dark plumage. Surely someone recognizes this Osprey as it is so distinctive.
Blue 33 (11) brings in an early morning fish delivery for Maya and the Two Bobs over at the Rutland Manton Bay nest. These two are really in the growth phase.
The two chicks of Idris and Telyn are doing fantastic. They sure know what to do when mom walks over to the fish! Lunch time!
Lined up nicely! Idris brought in another one of his whoppers – actually he has brought in several. One just about knocked the poor babies right off the nest.
It is sure good to see these Welsh nests drying out from all of the rain and wind last week.
Going stealth like a Peregrine Falcon from Wales to San Francisco and all eyes are on the tower of the Campanile on the UC Berkeley campus today. It is fledge watch for Annie and Grinnell’s three boys and Fauci has been on the ledge since yesterday! While Fauci is occupied with ‘the world out there’, the other two, Kaknu and Wek-Wek, are having their lunch.
I put in an arrow so you can see where Fauci is on the ledge. He moves, of course!
Here is the link to the fledging camera:
In Ithaca, the skies opened up to some torrential rains last evening and Big Red rushed to get the Ks under cover.
The sun came out Thursday morning and everyone was floofed by breakfast.
Just about three weeks to fledge. Time has melted this year. These three are standing and getting their legs strong and attempting to walk. Soon they will be running and flapping all over the ledge. Everyone needs a pocket of worry beads then.
Around 6pm on 26 May, the Raven arrived at Iris’s nest in Hellgate while she was away. It took all of Iris’s eggs and ate them.
The mist is rising over the mountains in Missoula this morning. It is a new day for Iris. She is no longer tied to the nest because of the eggs. She is now free to enjoy her summer fishing and building up her strength for her long migration in early September. While many would like Iris to have had a loyal supportive mate, the fact is, she doesn’t. She hasn’t since Stanley died and she won’t as long as Louis is alive. Is it better for the Raven to eat the eggs or the chicks starve on the nest? For me, there is no question – let the Raven have them.
There is no reason for Iris to be at the nest so we will not see her as much. But, last year she stopped by once in awhile even just before she migrated. So fingers crossed. Catch fish, get really healthy, enjoy your summer break, Iris – you certainly have earned it.
If I pulled the image below out of a pile of photographs, would you recognize these two beauties? They are both standing and walking now, their juvenile plumage is really coming in with all its peach and they certainly don’t look like reptiles anymore – ah, that was a hint. Yes they are the chicks of The Landings Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island in the ‘Peach’ State of Georgia. Gosh, Rhett and Scarlett make beautiful babies. Goodness.
The Achieva Osprey Nest has settled into a routine. In the morning Jack brings a fish for sibling 2 and Diane brings a fish for Tiny Tot. It means they both have a nice meal in the morning. This method is working and 2 is not ‘hogging’ all of the fish that come on the nest. The parents maintain this effort 2 or 3 times a day. Tiny Tot remains on the nest and is still doing its practice flights. This is one smart fledgling! Sibling 2 is in and out, mostly coming for fish. He must roost somewhere close to the nest.
After sibling 2 departs, Tiny Tot decides he is going to get up there and try out that perch! These days are precious. Tiny won’t necessarily give us any warning. One morning he will go for a flight and he will be off on his journey.
The only osplet on the Lake Murray Nest in New Hampshire is being well taken care of – just look at that crop! That ‘little’ one looks like he is trying out for the role of Hulk in some new movie. Lucy and Ricky have certainly taken good care of their only chick! Mom has a big crop too. Fantastic! This is the way it should be.
It is really green in Minnesota just like it is here on the Canadian prairies. We have had a good rain. Harry and Nancy’s two are soaked through. Don’t think they plan on leaving the nest today!
For those of you who watched Kisatchie hatch and grow up on this historical nest near Lake Kincaid in the Kisatchie National Park, it has been a great disappointment that he did not return to the nest after his fledge on 22 May. The Wildlife Services have had no sightings of Kistachie up to yesterday. The streaming cam will remain on until 11 June at which time it will be shut off until next season. The adult eagles, Anna and Louis, will migrate north to cooler weather returning in the fall.
The Bald Eagle juveniles that are ready might get the same phone call telling them it is time to leave their natal nests. Legacy’s nest is empty as is the nest of E17 and E18. Both of the fledglings at Duke Farms are now away.
Thank you for joining me today. It is a blessing getting to watch these birds live their lives day after day meeting enormous challenges. Thank you to the people at Glaslyn for their fortitude.
Thanks go to the following organizations or companies who streaming cams provide my screen shots: Achieva Credit Union, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, Cornell Bird Lab and Montana Osprey Project, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, UC Falcon Cam, LRWT, Scottish Woodland Trust and People Postcode Lottery, Clywedog, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes, Lake Murray Ospreys, KNF, MN DNR, Dyfi Osprey Project, and last, but not least, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife.
Blue 3J, fondly called Telyn, allowed Idris to incubate the three eggs this morning for a short time. As the first hatch is close, she will more and more take sole responsibility for those duties. It wasn’t clear if Idris wanted to get up this afternoon! Some of the dads really enjoy being on the nest. For me, these two are among the power couples of the Welsh Osprey.
There is, indeed, a tiny pip in one of their eggs which was seen at 15:31. In the egg near the top you can see ‘white’ instead of the rust or cream. Hatch is coming at Dyfi!
You can watch Idris and Telyn here:
Mrs G was a little tired after the second hatch and Aran had a nice fish on the nest which she used for a pillow!
Aran is a great dad and provider. Mrs G picked a good one. I love seeing both of them on the nest with the two little ones. It reminds me of Blue 33 (11) and Maya.
Just imagine. Those two little ones in the image above will be the size of Maya and Blue 33 (11)’s babies in a week!
Here is the link to Aran and Mrs G:
Maya is still being careful with the fish that are coming in but Little Bob doesn’t care, he just wants fish! He has scrambled out of the nest cup up to mom and is whispering “Fish, please”. Maya is listening carefully.
It wasn’t long until Dad had a nice big one on the nest for all three to enjoy. Little Bob got his ‘fish wish’.
You can watch Maya and Blue 33 (11) and the Two Bobs here:
Blue NC0 or Nessie has gotten the hang of feeding. I still have to giggle. She has decided that it is best if she sticks her entire beak into the little one’s mouth to make certain it gets the food.
That little one’s down looks like it would be super soft to the touch. Nessie has done a splendid job of keeping the wee one warm and dry with all the rain they are having up at Loch of the Lowes.
I observed Laddie bringing in three fish yesterday and there could have been more. NC0 is so funny. She is not so graceful on that wet nest and when she went to get the third fish her wing batted the little one. That didn’t hamper its appetite – it was right back up saying, “Fish, please!” You can see its tiny head sticking up amidst that beautiful rust coloured moss.
While we don’t see Laddie often, he is, in fact, perched on a tree to the left of the nest keeping guard on his family.
You can watch Laddie and Nessie and their wee ones here:
Darting across the pond, there are no food insecurity worries on The Landings Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island – commonly known as the Savannah Ospreys – anymore. The eldest was a bit of a beast the first week but wow, the crops of those two were bursting this morning.
That is the youngest one closest to the front. You can tell it because of its very dark chest feathers. These two have the most gorgeous plumage I have seen – there is peach bursting out everywhere!
Notice the oldest calling for another fish! It has a very nice crop. Wonder how much room is in there??????
You can watch Scarlett and Rhett and the two osplets here:
It looks like Diane and Tiny Tot are happy to have sibling 2 off the nest and back to their routine. Diane loves feeding Tiny Tot! —— and Tiny doesn’t mind either. He is strengthening his wings and hovering a bit more but Tiny doesn’t look like he is in a hurry to leave. I don’t blame him. Nature isn’t kind and it definitely isn’t Disneyland!
Pesky older sibling showed up later in the day getting another fish from Jack. Jack, Diane and Tiny need another fish! And he heard us. He brought in a really nice flounder and guess who claimed it? Tiny Tot!!!!!!!! Yippee. That’s Tiny with its wings up making the claim. Jack is in the front and there is sibling 2 who recently had a fish sneaking up the back.
You can connect with Jack, Diane, Tiny and elder sibling (2 probably) here:
Oh, those Ks are growing like bad weeds! K1 has discovered standing and is starting to figure out walking while K3 insisted on horking the leg of the Starling they had for late lunch.
Big Red kept trying to take that leg back but K3 was not going to give it up. Big Red watches as the little one gets the hang of horking. Horking has many meanings but with hawks it is getting an item of prey down whole (or almost whole) without chewing it. Is this a bit of a badge of honour for the youngest of the three?
You can see the little leg hanging out of K3’s beak. Big Red doesn’t know what to think.
K2 looks at K3 in disbelief as the last of the foot went down!
Little K3 is quite the character. It has seen K1 ‘walking’ – early stages – and it is even giving it a go. K3 held out its wings for balance and then started spinning and landed on its fat little bottom.
Kerplunk.
Big Red gathered up two Starlings and none of the Ks seemed interested in food. She looked over, saw the top of K3s head and started preening it. Oh, that must feel good. Maybe like getting a shampoo at the Salon! But, alas, it has been so long for so many of us maybe we have forgotten how nice that felt.
Big Red is one of the most beautiful Red-tail Hawks ever. Look at her gorgeous dark plumage! And that amazing red tail.
The link to Big Red, Arthur’s and the Ks camera is here:
There is absolutely no place like home if you are a juvenile eaglet and you fludged. Today, both of the eaglets were back on the nest at Duke Farms. What a relief.
I cannot promise how long they will be there but maybe they both won’t get on the same branch together any more! Be sure to look up if you go to this streaming cam. They are often on the branches like they are in the image below.
Here is the link to this nest in Hillsborough, New Jersey:
I will close with Iris. Iris, the oldest Osprey in the world, laid her third egg at the Hellgate Nest in Missoula, Montana, at dawn this morning. It has been 9 days since she laid her second egg. Eggs are normally laid every 3 days. If you have followed me, Iris has sporadically incubated the eggs. Her hormones require her to lay them but she seems personally not interested. She knows if they are viable or not – or so the experts tell me. Iris raised many ospreys with her partner Stanley – at least, you might think, 30-40. She has done her part. She deserves to have a summer of fishing and taking care of herself. People continue to think that a new mate might appear for her but that will not happen unless something happens to Louis. And then you still have the problem of the other female, Starr, in the same territory. Iris might think we were foolish for feeling sad for her – but, we are human and we do. We want happy endings.
It is 6 degrees C in Missoula and it is raining. Snow and 1 degree C is predicted for Friday.
I have tried to ascertain how long eggs can maintain their protective coating if exposed to continual rain. How much rain is enough to ruin the eggs? Do you know? Message me.
Maybe Iris has her own message to Louis. I wonder. If she does, it is a pretty loud one this year. “I might have to lay those eggs but I don’t have to take care of them”. Do birds think like that?
Here is the link to the camera for Iris’s nest:
We are still hoping for rain on the Canadian Prairies. Fingers crossed. Today the Brown Thrasher, only one, has been in the garden thumping the ground, eating off the cranberry suet cylinder, and having a lot of bird baths. He was joined by a couple of really beautiful Purple Finches and a single male Black-capped Chickadee.
I hope you are finding some enjoyment in your garden or in the local park. Thank you so much for joining me as we check in on with our friends in Bird World.
Thanks to the following for their streaming cams where I get my screen shots: Dyfi Osprey Project, Byweyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, LRWT, Scottish Wildlife Loch of the Lowes, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, Achieva Credit Union, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, Duke Farms, Cornell Bird Lab and Montana Osprey Project.
My goodness. Monday and moving into Tuesday in the UK turned out to be a blur. Mrs G officially had her and Aran’s first hatch at Glaslyn Osprey Nest in Wales at 00.08 18 May. Mrs G, with her great experience – this is her 47th hatch – removed half of the shell. Good work, Mom. You can see the little Osprey to the left of the white egg – that sweet little stripe down its back.
There is Aran coming to check out how Mrs G and Q1 are doing in the early morning. Mrs G told him it won’t be long til Q2 is here – there is a big crack in that egg.
Little Q1 wanting some more fish. Oh, goodness. Not even 24 hours old and look how strong!
Here is the link to watch Aran and Mrs G with what will soon be the two Qs.
NC0 had her first hatch ever! The little one just needs mom to nudge that shell a bit. It has a really loud cheep that can be heard on the microphone under the nest cup.
And here is the little one getting its first feeding! So tiny.
No one gives the Ospreys a manual and it takes time to get to know how to feed a bobble head. I remember aching every time I saw Anna feeding Kisatchie at the Bald Eagle nest in Louisiana. Now Kisatchie is ready to fledge – it all worked out. Nessie (Blue NC0) is trying hard to connect with the little one to feed it and Laddie (LM12) seems to understand he is to deliver fish. Fingers crossed. I am certain they will have the feeding all sorted quickly before number two arrives.
Here is the link if you would like to check out this nest.
White YW (male) and Blue 35 (female) celebrate the arrival of the first hatch of 2021 at the Foulshaw Moss nest in Cumbria.
There is a lot of excitement at the Poole Harbour Nest and ironically, I was just reading through Roy Dennis’s account of when they were first setting up the nests at the most opportune locations in Poole Harbour in his new book, Restoring the Wild. Sixty Years of Rewilding our skies, woods, and waterways. It is very interesting how they use Google Earth to help pick out the best places for the artificial nests.
CJ7 flew in with a fish and lo and behold, there is a male. It is Blue 022. They have been seen mating on the camera pole. Late eggs?
Another nice view of female CJ7 with her catch. Oh, the folks at Poole Harbour would be elated if there was a new pair at this nest! Blue 022 is a 2019 translocated Osprey.
The Cal Falcons need a name and the folks at UC Berkeley have narrowed down the field from 650 suggestions. If you would like to vote to name Annie and Grinnell’s vivacious boys, please go to the link below. There they provide information on the names submitted and then you just choose three. Why now join in the fun?
Here is Grinnell giving the three their morning breakfast. They were fantastic for their dad, all lined up and being nice. Sometimes they run all over the place when Annie tries to feed them later in the day. Nice, healthy falcons!
You can catch the action here when they are inside:
And this is the link to the outside camera:
Oh, those babies of Big Red and Arthur’s get more adorable every day – even with their pin feathers starting to show. Glad to see Arthur snagged a chipmunk for the gang. Did you realize there is a shortage of chipmunks in 2021? It isn’t just Ithaca – across the state of New York. I also wonder about squirrels. Did Arthur wipe out the colonies of squirrels and chipmunks last year when he delivered 2x the normal amount of prey to the nest? It has to take many more Starlings – and I understand that hawks and falcons don’t particularly like Starlings. Wish for a chippie!
They are sure growing but immediately you can still tell which is K1, K2, or K3. Oh, the little wings and tails.
The little ones at The Landings Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island (Savannah Ospreys) are doing great. It is easy to tell them apart. The youngest one has a very dark breast. That one struggled for awhile but the feeding has levelled out and both are fed well and growing. This morning the youngest decided to try walking for the first time! Wow. What a milestone! These two have beautiful peach in their plumage.
Checking in on Iris, she brought in an amazing catch yesterday at 12:45 pm. She could hardly pull it into the nest and then she decided to fly off with it to the pole.
Iris already had a pretty full crop when she caught this one. She has to be the envy of everyone there on the river in Missoula.
Iris is such a beauty. I wonder if she remembers how nice it was to have Stanley for a mate? someone to share these precious moments with? to help her with the eggs and the chicks? Those are, of course, human questions but, you can’t help but notice when a chick is born how quickly the female wants to show it to the male. Iris, the oldest Osprey in the world, is much loved – by tens of thousands.
Iris is not tied to her eggs. Thank goodness. She spent the night on the perch and did not go down to the nest til 8:44 am and was gone by 9:06. She is taking care of herself this year knowing that a single parent cannot raise a family of Ospreys. It is very interesting to me. I would love to have a coffee with Iris and hear what she thinks about Louis! Can humans learn Osprey speak? Probably not. It remains a great unfortunate in the Osprey World that Louis has two nests and that he doesn’t have the energy of Monty to try and keep both thriving.
It won’t be long until Tiny Tot fledges. He is getting a lot of good height and is exercising those wings.
Tiny and Diane are waiting for a fish delivery. The pair enjoyed a late night delivery the other day from Jack and were eating well into the night. It is hot and windy in St Petersburg today, 30 degrees C. Fishing might not be that good.
Tiny has grown into a beautiful osprey. Such joy he has brought to everyone who cheered this little one being clever and wanting to live. It is one of those good news stories from 2021 for sure.
Legacy is still with us! Samson brought in two fish today for her – two at the same time! This is really amazing as there is a high rip tide warning for the coast between Jacksonville and Georgia.
Samson waits and protects Legacy while he eats.
We are so lucky to have this extra time with Legacy. He has not strayed since he was missing for three days. That must have been very scary. Samson is doing a great job feeding Legacy and keeping him on the nest.
Thank you so much for joining me today. We are once again on hatch watch at the Glaslyn nest of Aran and Mrs G. If I look at the other potential hatches in the UK, things are getting busy. It is difficult to keep up.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams. That is where I get my screen shots: Cornell Bird Lab and the Montana Osprey Project, Cornell Bird Cam RTH, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes, UC Falcon Cam, Poole Harbour, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam and the AEF, and the Achieva Credit Union.
It looks like there could be a pip on the nest of Mrs G and Aran at Glaslyn. The first egg was laid on 10 April for the 2021 season. Mrs G is the oldest breeding Osprey in Wales. She hatched, from all that can be ascertained, in either 2000 or 2001 making her ten or eleven years old this year. Aran and Mrs G have been together since 2015.
You can watch Mrs G and Aran raise their chicks here:
The two eaglets on the Duke Farms Nest fludged today. Li’l was up higher on the branch and was followed by Big. They both began flapping and well – one of them knocked the other off the branch and they both went flying off to the field. That happened at 9:17:46. Neither have returned to the nest.
Li’l could not figure out a way to get around Big to go down. Li’l flaps. Big doesn’t move.
At 9:17:46, flapping and falling and both fludge.
The pair have not returned to the nest. It is now after 19:00. Perhaps the parents can lure them to return to the nest with prey.
Iris has been on and off the nest. One time she was followed by Louis. I wish he would bring her a fish if he comes calling. Geez. It is easy to understand, watching Louis land for mating, one reason why the female raptors have to be bigger than the males.
Iris has two eggs in the nest that she has been taking care of on and off again. She will never have another mate because Louis will not allow another male in his territory. So let us all hope that the hormones calm down shortly, the eggs aren’t viable, and Iris can enjoy her summer sunning herself and having some nice fish.——— My personal wish is that Louis would just stay home with Starr!
Big Red and Arthur’s chicks are growing like crazy. It seems even faster this year.
The clown feet are already coming and if you look under the white furry down, they are getting grey and speckled. My goodness.
Normally we would see a nest full of chipmunks but I wonder if Arthur cut that population down last year. This year the nest seems to be full of Starlings.
Legacy is still with us. The sun is setting and Samson brought her a fish in the morning. She is so gorgeous. Legacy, you can stay on the nest as long as you like. Samson likes bringing you fish!
Legacy ate that entire big fish!
And it is always a good day when Tiny Tot is still on the nest. Did anyone ever believe that little osplet, running around the rim of the nest begging for some fish, would grow and turn into this beautiful Osprey? Well, she has thrived – most of remember the day this nest turned around. Diane brought in a catfish and that day she fed Tiny to the brim and she never stopped feeding Tiny again! Something clicked that the little one was going to be a survivor. Below in the image is the evidence. Beautiful Osprey. Such a happy ending! Diane and Jack will fledge three this year, it would appear. Always brings tears to my eyes – tears of joy!
Sibling #1 returned the day after she fledged and has not been seen since. Sibling #2 stayed around the nest getting fed and getting its flying better. #2 was last seen at the nest around 10am on 15 May. Someone asked if the Florida Ospreys migrate. That is a great question – no, they do not. They stay in Florida year round.
They are there. You can barely tell them from the dry Spanish moss on the nest. The two osplets on The Landings Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island, otherwise known as the Savannah Ospreys, are doing fine. Both are growing and each has some distinct dark rusty brown markings. Beautiful babies this year. Let us hope they both stay safe!
Sadly, one of the four Winchester Cathedral peregrine falcon chicks has died. Let us hope that it is a one off and not rodenticide poisoning that could impact the entire clutch.
Meanwhile, Annie and Grinnell’s three boys are getting stronger. Their feathers are coming in quickly and they are now venturing beyond the scrape box.
Thank you for joining me. We might have some new ospreys tomorrow. Will keep you posted! Take care and stay safe.
Thank you to the following streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, UC Falcon Cam, Cornell Bird Lab, Montana Osprey Project, Duke Farms, NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, Achieva Osprey, and the NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam and the AEF.
Wednesday started off with the sudden death of EE2 at the White-tail Eagle Nest in Estonia. The little one was up, bright and cheery at 4:04 and then gone. There has been a lot of speculation. A heat wave went through the area with temperatures doing from 1 to 26 degrees C in a day. Those dramatic changes can put stress on wildlife. Eve and Eerik had plenty of food and the eaglets were, as far as I could tell, growing and filling up the egg cup. Yes, there could have been a toxin and for sure, everyone has been watching EE1 closely. It could also have been a tragic accident of some sort. We won’t know because the body of the little one will not be taken – so I am going to stop speculating myself and hope that EE1 thrives and fledges. EE1 was fed five times between 13:22 and 19:14 and appears healthy.
The three eyases of Annie And Grinnell were banded today. The chick on the left has been banded. The one whose wings are back and looks totally frightened is just getting ready to be banded. It looks a little frightened.
The eyases receive two bands. One is metal and has a 9 digit aluminum band. There is a second coloured band with four digits that is unique to Peregrine Falcons in the SF Bay region. No gloves are used in the banding process so that the banders can handle the birds safely. Banding helps with studies in survival and movement. It does not hurt the birds.
The three are all males.
The banding was an on line event with two people from the centre answering questions as they discussed the process. You can see the whole procedure here and listen to the questions being answered:
Can you tell which of the two ospreys on the nest is Tiny Tot?
Oh, my, that bird has grown! Someone looking over my shoulder said, ‘The one with the beard!’ Well, if those feathers were smoothed down, it sure would be hard to pick Tiny out because Tiny isn’t Tiny anymore. Tiny Tot needs to grow some more feathers for flight. Look at sibling #2 at the back. See the length of the wing tip feathers? And the next layer? It would be really good if Tiny got all that feather growth before setting out on its own. Hopefully Tiny will hang around the nest, as #2 has done, to get some more flight training and to let the parents, Jack and Diane, feed it.
Sibling #2 is on the perch post eating a fish and Tiny Tot has just acquired the 3:47 pm fish delivery. No doubt s/he is going to be really full! Look at the size of that fish!
Big Red and Arthur’s little ones are doing fine. K3 really is a corker. Poor thing. I watched it yesterday when it got behind siblings 1 and 2 and wasn’t getting any bites. Oh, that little one – not scared at all – pecked at that big sib. I was rolling with laughter. It was like a comedy routine. Early this morning, for the first feeding, K3 was up front. It takes a few days to figure out the strategy but those little ones have spunk and drive. No one needs to worry about getting fed on Big Red’s nest!
This nest has a lot of different food items for the Ks. Believe it or not, at this age, they are already imprinting those birds and mammals so that when they are older, they will know that it is OK to eat them. The eyases have to pack a lot of knowledge into a few short months.
Big Red goes off for a break. It is a nice warm day. Arthur delivers a grey squirrel and then returns with a Starling! Everything is fine on the nest of the Ks.
I did a quick check on the little osplets on the Savannah nest. They had nice crops – both of them – around 13:30 – left over from the earlier feeding.
The second sibling is getting a nice feed from mom. That is nice to see. There remains some rivalry that can be unpleasant at times.
The image below was taken yesterday, 11 May. It is Iris and for those of you who do not know, Iris got her name from the specks in her right eye. You can see them clearly below. So, even without any band, everyone knows that this is Iris!
Iris did not incubate the eggs in the nest last night nor did she spend the night on the perch. In fact, she left her nest in good time to go and get herself a good fish dinner and did not return until this morning.
Iris had a nice fish breakfast before heading over to the nest nearby.
Iris returned to the nest at 6:42. She had been away at least twelve hours. Iris is taking care of herself.
As the graduate student at the UC Falcon Cam said today when asked if Annie and Grinnell would remember the banding every year. He said, “Birds have memories.” There is no doubt in my mind that Iris is chained to her hormones during the breeding season. She migrates to Montana and begins working on her nest. She lays eggs regardless or not of mating. She has some urge to incubate them BUT no doubt, over the past four or five years she remembers what has happened. Perhaps she remembers and isn’t caring so much this year? I cannot answer that. Perhaps she knows that both of those eggs are not fertile. ——- I just want to continue to enjoy seeing her. She is an amazing Osprey.
Legacy at the NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam in Jacksonville was waiting for a food drop this morning.
Isn’t ‘he’ gorgeous? He, you ask. The reasoning is in part because of the ‘flat’ head but more important the mandible – the yellow portion of the beak/mouth does not extend to 90% of the back of the eye. I hope that makes sense. Instead, the bright yellow area below stops almost level with the front of the eye. Take your finger to see – and then notice how much longer it would be if it extended to the back of the eye. Are you a boy, Legacy? Of course, there is never 100% certainty unless a DNA test is taken or you see Legacy lay an egg but, it is a good indicator.
Samson came in with a fish delivery at 2:11:32 and he got out of Legacy’s way fast!
Wow. By 2:31 – twenty minutes later – there is hardly anything left of that fish! Good work, Legacy. You are a pro at self-feeding.
I want to close with a look at a power couple in the Osprey world: Maya and Blue 33 (11). Blue 33 (11) has brought a fish to Maya so she can feed the two Bobs.
There was mention about Blue 33 (11) and this nest at Mantou Bay at Rutland. Tiger Mozone said something very ensightful: “Blue 33 (11) not only wanted the nest but Maya, too.” Right on. As Tiger pointed out, Maya had first been paired with 32 (05) who was shot. Then she was with 5R (04) but he didn’t return in 2014. In 2014, Maya paired with 28 (10) who Tiger calls Wonky Wing – Blue 33 (11) made short shift of him evicting him from the nest. Maya and Blue 33 (11) did not breed that year but they started in 2015 and have since had twenty-one chicks!!!!!!!! Blue 33 (11) knew a good female as well as a good nest.
Look at those healthy Bobs. I cannot think of a better way to end the day than seeing these two strong future ospreys.
Thank you for joining me today. It is nice to have you here with me.
Thanks to the following for their streaming cams where I get my screen shots: LRWT, NEFlorida Eagle cam and the AEF, Montana Osprey Project, Cornell Bird Lab, Skidaway Audubon, Achieva Credit Union, UC Falcons, and the Eagle Club of Estonia.
Many reading my blog will have had a routine at bedtime – either as a child, or with your children or grandchildren, or both. Perhaps someone read you a story or there was milk and cookies. Something that would mark the transition from the day time activities to night and quieting down. In a similar way, there seems also to be a nest rhythm. Where there are little ones that need to be fed more often that the bigger ‘babies’ – and where prey is available on the nest – the mothers always make sure that the little ones have been fed before they are tucked in.
It is nearly 8:40pm in Estonia and Eve is getting ready to feed the little ones their last meal for the day. This meal will have to last them until the sun comes up in the morning.
Eve has been keeping the two warm all day. Notice how she is stretching her left leg and wing. She will also do that with her right – birds get ‘stiff’ from sitting in one position for hours just like humans it appears.
Eagle Club of Estonia. 9 May 2021
White-tail Eagles roost at night. So Eve will be settling in with the little ones and needs a relaxation break for a night of brooding the eaglets. Look at how big they are!
Eagle Club of Estonia 9 May 2021
The older sibling might be looking off in the distance but the little one is already for some fish before bedtime. It is stretching its neck to try and get the first bite. That stretching also strengthens the neck muscles.
Eagle Club of Estonia. 9 May 2021
As the sun set in Jacksonville, Florida, Gabby and Samson made sure Legacy had a nice fish so that she would have a full crop before bed just like Eve did with her two little ones.
NE Florida Eagle Cam 9 May 2021
There is always a flurry with those deliveries. Samson doesn’t always get his legs and talons out of the way fast enough.
NE Florida Eagle Cam and the AEF. 9 May 2021
Gabby watches over Legacy as she eats her fish. Indeed, Gabby and Samson have been very attentive since Legacy returned to the nest. They may know that the owl and the hawk have been intruding and that their attacks could actually injure their eaglet.
NE Florida Eagle Cam and the AEF. 9 May 2021
Legacy was still working on that fish tail when the IR cameras came on. Nite Legacy, sweet eagle dreams!
NE Florida Eagle Cam and the AEF. 9 May 2021
I remember, with great fondness, the many meals my Asian friends shared with me when I was visiting them. One of their traditions was to eat around 10pm when the heat of the day had dissipated. Today it was more than 30 degrees C in St Petersburg, Florida. Tomorrow my weather report says it will be a stifling 33 degrees. Tonight, as the IR cameras came on and it had cooled to 23, Diane was sharing a fish with Tiny Tot and sibling #2 had its own piece. The low light didn’t seem to be causing them any problems and I wonder if birds enjoy eating when it is cooler rather than when it is super hot.
Achieva Credit Union. 9 May 2021
As the sun set on Skidaway Island near Savannah, Georgia, there was a nice big fish on the nest for the two little ones before they settled in for the night. I have been worried about the second osplet because the oldest has been fairly aggressive. #2 went to bed with a fully crop tonight. No worries at all.
Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon. 9 May 2021
#2 had to wait but mom made certain that it was full to the brim and more. There will still be some fish for her, too.
Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon. 9 May 2021
The little eaglet in Fort St Vrian in Colorado went to bed with a really full crop tonight, too. The appetizer was fish followed by ‘a feathered’ something or another main course.
X-cel Energy. 9 May 2021X-cel Energy. 9 May 2021
It has been wet and cold in Ithaca, New York. 6 degrees C and rain and more rain. Big Red did not catch a break to feed her little ones before bedtime. Normally their little crops are stuffed. She knew that she had to keep the Ks warm and dry. The forecast says that the heavy rain will stop on Monday morning around 6am.
Cornell Bird Lab. 9 May 2021
The rain stopped for a few minutes around 14:00 and Big Red took a relaxation break from the brooding and even took time to bring in another rail for the nest. Let’s hope that it is warmer tomorrow and the nest, the Ks, and mom get a chance to completely dry out.
Cornell Bird Lab 9 May 2021
Big Red’s Ks made up for not having their bedtime snack with several breakfasts. Everyone is just fine. It’s cloudy and should go up to 11 or 13 C today, 10 May, in Ithaca.
Cornell Bird Lab. 10 May 2021Cornell Bird Lab. 10 May 2021
Thank you so much for joining me. Have a great Monday!
Thank you to the sponsors of the streaming cams where I get my screen shots. I have credited them under the images today.
There are so many bird babies around the world today thankful for their great moms that I thought we would stop in and check on some of them – and take a look back in some cases. I apologize if I didn’t include your favourite.
Thanks Mom Bonnie and Dad Clyde for finding us a beautiful nest tree and then stealing it from those Bald Eagles.
Farmer Derek Streaming Cam. Tree on the farm near Newton, Kansas that once belonged to the Bald Eagles but captured by Bonnie and Clyde to raise their owlets, Tiger and Lily Rose.
We did well. Look at us! Lily Rose and I fly all over the farm but we love to come back to the nest for you and dad to bring us some food.
Farmer Derek Streaming Cam. 8 May 2021
You kept us really warm and full with all those mice when it was snowy and cold.
Farmer Derek. February 2021
Thanks Mom. Look at how big we are – #1 Daughter and #2 Son.
MN DNR. Parents are Nancy and Harry. Oldest sibling is a girl, youngest is a male. 9 May 2021
Thanks Mom Gabby. I inherited your and Dad Samson’s stunning beauty and also your loud squeal – not sure Dad Samson likes it when I chase him! You and Dad have taken such good care of me.
NE Florida Eagle Cam and the AEF. February 2021
Thank you for keeping me on the nest and teaching me all those lessons after I got lost!
NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam and the AEF. Legacy with a huge crop. 9 May 202
Mom, it’s Mother’s Day and I really thought I would be a great mom like you are. But there are people looking at the beak line and my eye ratio and the length of my hallux and they are saying I am a boy!
NEFlorida and the AEF Bald Eagle Cam. 9 May 2021
Thanks Dad Jack for coming to help Mom Harriet feed us this morning! And thanks Dad for not bringing in anymore toys so Mom can find us to feed us.
Dalgren Osprey Nest. 9 May 2021. Jack and Harriet are the parents.
Look, Mom Anna. We did it! I grew up – your first baby ever. Thank you for keeping me safe when that other juvenile came to steal my fish the other day.
KNF Streaming Cam. First time parents are Louis and Anna. This is Kisatchie named after the national park where the ancient nest tree is located.
Boy, Dad Louis sure kept that nest full of fish. Good thing we can’t smell very well, right Mom Anna? Do you remember?
KNF Eagle Cam. 8 March 2021
Thanks Mom, Annie. You are always fair when you feed us. Look how big we are growing. And just look at our pretty pantaloons!!!!!!!!!
UC Berkeley Falcon Cam. Annie and Grinnell are the parents on this beautiful nest in the Campanile in San Francisco.
Look how much we have grown! Thanks for taking such good care of us and feeding us all that pigeon.
Happy Mother’s Day Mom. I hatched just in time! Can I have some fish please?
Rutland Water Ospreys. Maya is the mom and Blue 33 (11) is the dad. This is ‘Little Bob’.
Aren’t I gorgeous? Just like my mom Lime Green Lime. My mom travels thousands of kilometres to find food for me. Then she flies back to Taiaroa Head to give me my squid shake. I don’t have a name yet. People are voting and I will know soon. Stay tuned.
Cornell Bird Lab and NZ DOC. Royal Albatross Cam Chick of the Year, Daughter of LGL and LGK. 7 May 2021Cornell Lab and NZ DOC. One day I am going to fly like my mom, LGL. April 2021
Yeah, the sun is out and the wind is warm and our mom, Big Red is drying out just like we are. Isn’t she the best? She takes good care of us even if it is snowing or raining and flooding everything. Big Red is the best mom ever.
Cornell Bird Lab. Big Red is the 18 year old mom and Arthur is the 5 year old dad of this years Ks. 9 May 2021
Mom Big Red. You endure any kind of weather to keep your little ones safe!
Cornell Bird Lab. April 2021.
Thanks Mom for yelling at dad to bring in more fish so we both can eat. We are growing really big. And I promise to try not and be so bad to my little brother, Mom.
Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon. The Savannah Osprey Nest. 9 May 2021
Thank you Mom for staying with me when I get scared. It is lonely in this nest sometimes. You were so great at keeping me warm when it got really cold here in Colorado. But, today, what do you think of the new hair style?
Xcel Energy Fort St. Vrain Eagle Cam. This Bald Eagle Cam is located in Colorado. This little one has done well and is just getting its dark thermal down. 9 May 2021
Thank you Mom Eve for keeping us warm and being fair with the feeding. We both get fed and we both grow the same! You and dad Eerik keep the nest stocked with food so we never are hungry.
Eagle Club of Estonia. Eve and Eerik are the parents of the two little White-tail Eaglets. 9 May 2021
Thanks Mom for not giving up on us when you were buried in snow for a month. We are going to get our satellite trackers soon and you can follow us wherever we go after we fledge! And also Mom, thanks for not letting Big get all the food!
Duke Farms Eagle Cam, Hillsborough, New Jersey. These two are really growing fast and evening out in their size.
Thank you Mama Lucy. It’s just me so far and that is OK. You are a great Mom.
Lake Murray Osprey Cam. Parents are Lucy and Ricky and this is nest number 8 for this pair since 2013. The nest platform is brand new in 2020. What a beautiful place to raise ospreys.
Lucy and Ricky have a beautiful place and a new platform in 2020 to raise their little ones. The couple arrived in the area in 2013. Since then their nests have been destroyed by storms. Hope this wonderful new Osprey platform survives.
Lake Murray NH Osprey Cam. 9 May 2021
Mama Harriet, we had to go away and get our eye infection taken care of by CROW. Mom, I am sorry I had to have time out because I was so bad to my little brother, E18. I promise we will be the best of friends in the future.
Mama Harriet, I kept my promise. E18 and I are the best of mates now that we are growing up.
You did good, Mom. We only fight over food drops now – just like we did when we were at CROW. Sorry!
Tiny Tot: “Thanks Mom Diane for bringing in all that extra fish. It was literally life and death for me. I promise to grow into a great mom. You will be proud of me.”
Achieva Credit Union Osprey Cam. 9 May 2021. #2 sibling on left, Tiny Tot on Right
Thank you for joining me today. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Bird Moms and to each of you that has inspired, raised/reared someone or something else. It takes a village!
Thank you to all the streaming cams listed under the images. That is where I captured those screen shots.
