Tag Archives: Severna Park

Jill steps up the fishing, Loch Arkaig Summary…late late Saturday in Bird World

2 May 2026

Hello Everyone,

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Saturday 2nd May 2026

In the early hours of this morning, Dorcha produced egg number three, most probably her final egg as she’s not one of those rare Ospreys who produce four eggs. Nest Two was calm today, no intruders and two fish deliveries, although Louis did take his time with the second, bringing it more than fourteen hours after the first. Louis’ tally rises to thirty five, and the nest total to thirty seven. Over on Nest One, Aurora 536 spent most of the day on the nest, although she did spend a block of more than three hours off the nest, leaving the egg unattended. She might have been perched nearby, it was in the early hours so we don’t know. Garry LV0 brought two fish, taking his tally to forty three, and he’ll need to keep up a steady supply as Aurora’s second egg is due tomorrow. At the time of filing this report (23.30), Louis is still on Nest Two incubating the eggs, looking unlikely to move any time soon although Dorcha is standing right behind him.

Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/XVLCnN4L_3A N2 Egg number three, with squeaking 03.12.24https://youtu.be/hTbtvizGGYE N2 Dorcha departs with her breakfast leaving Louis on egg duty 06.45.44https://youtu.be/bu4-o68r8fo N1 Aurora departs with her fish, Garry remains on egg duty 10.17.57https://youtu.be/bdwfME2osds N1 Aurora refuses Garry’s second fish 15.40.38

https://youtu.be/4MxkQbfIcns N2 Louis gives fish number two a tour before landing it 21.17.31

Bonus guide – Woodland Trust’s advice on visiting bluebell woods:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjpl597rjko

Blast from the past, this day in previous years:

https://youtu.be/0Rw_H0C8-SE  N1 Owl strike on unsuspecting Aila 2020 (Slo-Mo)

https://youtu.be/JJRPS8QYvpY  N1 Lockdown Ospreys star on BBC Breakfast 2020

https://youtu.be/rwa2_9rR24Q  N1 WT’s Dr Jessica Maxwell discusses the nest on BBC Breakfast 2020

https://youtu.be/1syQj_jjjxw  N2 Golden variation: Dorcha is bathed in the setting sun 2022 (Classic Ospreys Bach)

https://youtu.be/efwVjBqAYpA  N2 Gerroff and go fishing! 2023

https://youtu.be/bdcOT9JEGB8 N1: Garry LV0 brings moss, flies to Pole Tree then away 2024 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/GioCl06202I N2: Fish number one and only for Dorcha 2024

https://youtu.be/EKAjiNbY3A0 N2 Shadows seen near the nest at the time of the Eagle encounter 2024 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/WLLCALZOinI N1 Blue 536 gets the first fish from Garry LV0 the second times 2025

https://youtu.be/Cp3WkBSAZ_I N2 Intruder Osprey buzzes Louis & Dorcha 2025 (zoom)

https://youtu.be/vF0HagQMSb8  N1 fish number two but it’s B536 who brings it! 2025

Come and join the friendly community at Woodland Trust’s Osprey forum, it’s fun, free and everyone’s welcome:

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/osprey-cam

‘PB’ continues to admire the fortitude of Jill, the female at the Achieva Osprey Platform, in St Petersburg, Florida. I don’t blame them. Jill is stepping up on the number of catfish she is bringing to the nest. As the two chicks get older, they require more food. She has to eat. Jack is not contributing nearly enough. We think of healthy osprey chicks. I look at nests like the Dyfi nest of Idris, Blue 33 at Manton Bay, Dylan at Lyn Clywedog, Louis at Loch Arkaig, or Blue 022 at Poole Harbour. Let’s think 7-8 fish a day. Nice big fish – not little twiddlers. Of course, there are others, White YW – I could go on and on. So the gold standard would be those 7-8 big fish, like Mullets, to make healthy fat osplets to fledge. I fear that like many of the eagle nests we have seen where the eaglets looked healthy but when taken into care were noted to be infested and ‘thin’ (Eagle Country a couple of years ago). So bravo to Jill. I wish we could drop some nice fish for her.

Others are abandoning their eggs. Severna Park in Maryland is one of the first on streaming cam. I want you to prepare yourself. There has not been an influx of fish falling into the waters. Better the eggs do not hatch than wee babes or fully feathered near-to-fledge chicks starve on camera. I warn you to brace yourself for what could be the most tragic year yet. I want to be wrong. If it is, It is sad and entirely unnecessary.

The Chesapeake Bay ecosystem is in a very dire situation. In its case, there are no Menhaden for the ospreys, the Striped Bass, the Tarrapins or others that fed on them to eat. I cannot comment on the neighbouring states, but we do know from images taken that Omega has been industrial fishing along the shores (within legal limits, but sometimes seen to use helicopters to push the fish out) of other states. Virginia is the problem. Want to change this? People have to care. So you have to elect people who really care about all living things, the balance of life on the planet, and are action, not all talk.

Look at how much Little has grown since it has had fish!

A nest with two young hawks and one adult hawk surrounded by twigs and leaves, set against a backdrop of trees and a residential street.

Take care all. See you soon.

Thank you to Geemeff, to ‘PB’, to you the readers who care dearly about all the wildlife and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us witness the lives of these beautiful creatures.

Preparing for Iris’s arrival…Saturday in Bird World

14 March 2026

Good Morning Everyone,

We hope you had a lovely week. It is still cold, with it feeling like -20 C this morning, even though it is actually -16. Toby didn’t want to go outside. The Girls are busy watching the starlings as they land and search for kibble (I haven’t been out yet to feed them). Brock was here in the middle of the night – that is when he comes, so I get to see him on camera! He has a route. He spends most of his time at Jane’s. Brock loves her soft chair and wet, warm food. Then he goes to a lady a block away (again caught on camera) and comes here when he is assured Toby is sleeping. I do miss him.

Dr Green and team are preparing for Iris’s arrival. The fence has been placed on the parking lot of the Rivberview Health Centre to block any intruders that might want to get to close to her abode.

Typical of Iris, she left the nest in a pretty good state. Oh, please, send out good energy for our Osprey Queen to return – the oldest known osprey in the world should be 30 this year. I also really want her young mate from last year to return, too. We were all saddened when Finnegan, who bred successful to raise two beautiful osplets in 2024, did not return last year as we anticipated he would.

At the Wolf Bay nest in Alabama, Bert and Josie have their second egg of the season. The time was approximtely 0631 today – gosh…I hope there aren’t any Crows around!

Indeed, a thief was caught by the new camera at the Rutland #4 nest. Geemeff caught it.https://youtu.be/BXD-4KKeH3A

At the Moorings Park nest, the osplets are changing. Their heads are getting that oily look (pinfeathers) of the reptilian phase that 1 and 2 are entering. It is a delightful nest! Well behaved, so far.

The fundraiser for the new batteries at Severna Park was a success, and the camera is now live-streaming. There is a number of sparrows taking advantage of the nest while the ospreys are still migrating. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/live/SHGPhGPtDWI?

Ospreys are arriving in the UK. Sightings were in Perth & Kinross this morning, heading north. One was sightee flying over Waterford in Ireland.

I am keeping an eye on Manton Bay. Blue 33 (11) is fifteen years old this year. Maya is older, thought to be nineteen this year.

Heidi is on the case of the Dewey Beach cam and its angle! If anyone can get them to fix this, it is her.

Brutus and Peanut are being shown where to branch as they continue to self-feed and flap those wings.

Eve and Kai will be thinking of fledging but not for a week…

The pine lining to Big Red’s nest bowl on the Cornell Campus has been added. This is not only pretty but it is also a well known remedy to keeping insects away from the hatchlings.

Only eaglet at Duke Farms is doing well.

Stella and Irvin have three eggs at the US Steel nest. Stella has had a sub-adult trying to bother her but she is pretty calm and didn’t react.

Only surviving eaglet JBS24 has grown into a beautiful, fully feathered, wanting to fly bird. JBS24 will be 79 days old on April 14, around the average time of flight at this nest. That would make it 21 eaglets fledged from here since 2012.

That is just a little catch-up. No doubt many things will happen at the nests today. Keep an eye! Take care of yourself. Enjoy your weekend. We will see you again on Monday (unless Iris or any of the UK ospreys land on their nests). Thank you so much for being with us today.

A few of the gang say ‘hi’.

Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams that allow us to view the lives of these amazing birds!