21 July 2025
Hello Everyone,
You need some good news! And we have it.
My earlier report indicated that the nest tree at Balgavies Loch had collapsed.
Concern was raised for 4L1. Then something wonderful happened.
Oh, there are birds flying! We may have lost many, but we have to be joyful for those who survived this year. Wish them strength, good health, great winds, and lots of fish – and a return in two years!
Part of Heidi’s earlier post was not attached and it should indicate that at Seaside, Chee fledged! “Seaside osprey cam has had issues with their live stream all season, and it has been frustrating for viewers and the chat moderator, Jewel. There was a fledge the morning of 7/20 that occurred when the livestream was down, and reports came in from ‘boots on the ground’, John and August. With a brief nest view later on, Jewel determined that the oldest chick, ‘Chee’, had fledged at 54 days of age. The BOG’s provided information throughout the day, and when the live stream resumed later on, Chee was seen back on the nest. “
At Alyth SS, Forest, the oldest of the two surviving chicks, has flown on Monday the 21st.
News from the Usk Valley in Wales as they anticipate, in week 7, a huge celebration as 9K5, the first osplet to fledge from a nest in this region of Wales, in over 250 years.
We also have good news coming from Seattle with ‘PS’s report for the weekend.
‘PS’ writes: “Two chicks continue to look good – lots and lots of wing flapping, hopping around, and head bobbing/weaving. Multiple fish feeds by both mom and dad, with dad doing several “touch and gos” just delivering fish and then leaving immediately to look for more. Seem very close to fledging – fingers crossed for these two. Growing body of photos here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/193514804@N08/582NHoev1b
It’s wonderful to see these two doing so well with their crops bulging, and Dad coming in with another fish. So many nests have failed – so as I continue to say, we must rejoice in those that triumph. We cannot lose hope. We need to take action and address the factors that impact our ospreys, such as habitat loss, commercial fishing, and a warming planet.
‘J’ sends us news of both Rita and Ron!
https://www.facebook.com/people/Rita-the-Bald-Eagle/61562017139998
We interrupt Rita’s History Monday posts to bring you an update on Rita’s former nest in the wild! Though we miss Rita on the nest, her mate, Ron continued to carry on the R Nest legacy when he took a new mate, Rose. After Rita’s injury, Ron and Rose continued to raise more “R” nest eagle babies. With the continued care by Lloyd Brown, Wildlife Rescue of Dade County, and the very generous support of Ron Magill and the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment, these eagles continue to thrive at the nest. On Friday, the old nest platform was replaced, and Daniel Montanez, Modern Day Tech Solutions, was on hand to perform all of the camera and sound system maintenance for the upcoming season. Stay tuned for the announcement for when the cams go live again! Thank you to all of these professionals for their care of Rita and her extended family. Your support for these organizations is greatly appreciated. Without your help, they can’t do all of the amazing and valuable work that they do. JK #ritathebaldeagle https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16rY5dH3Fu/
Today we replaced the Bald Eagle nest platform for the “R” nest, the one that is livestreamed from Miami-Dade County, Florida. We pulled down the old “R” nest, expanded the platform and put the new “R” nest in place. The new nest platform was created by South Miami Senior High School teacher Mr. Nick Truby’s class. Our IT guy Danny worked on the cameras and associated electronics. Thanks to our fantastic volunteers Jeanne Kaufman, Jolie Van Der Vlugt, Daniel Montanez, and Mark Monroe, and to Mr. Truby’s students.
This Eagle Nest Cam is made possible by a partnership between Wildlife Rescue of Dade County and the Ron Magill Conservation Endowment. Your donations help us help our National Bird and all the animals in our care: http://dadewildliferescue.com/donate.php
Thank you to Jeff Kear at UK Osprey Information, Jim Hughes, and the gang at Balgavies Loch; to ‘J’ for the Ron and Rita information, to ‘PS’ for their wonderful photographs and news for the nest in Seattle, Heidi’s monitoring and news, the Usk Valley News, and Alyth. We are so grateful for your concern and care for ospreys! Thank you again.