It has been a really exciting day (and it is only mid-afternoon in Australia) with the first fledge at the Sydney Sea Eagles nest in the Sydney Olympic Park. One of the parents was on a branch of the natal nest when SE29 flew. Another parent was with SE30 later. And then SE29 returned to the nest tree. I am still trembling with excitement. While we don’t know where SE29 flew to – perhaps just the camera tree – what we do know is that the Pied Currawong did not chase this amazing eaglet out of the forest to the Salt Marshes. So happy.
I will not have an early blog tomorrow. I am going to post this right away. Look for news from all the nests later on Monday.
In my last blog, Big and Middle continued their battle for dominance of the Port Lincoln nest. The two are pretty much evenly balanced and each gives as good as it gets. Both cause the trouble. Sadly, wee Little Bob often gets caught up in the misery.
Interestingly, they are quite civil at meal times! There was a nice big feed around 10:20ish. Little Bob had no problem stepping right up by Middle Bob and opening its mouth for fish!
Then Big and Middle started scraping again.
Then a big fish arrived and everyone lined up nice to eat. Perhaps Mum should just sit on them between feedings until the pair of them calm down.
After Big and Middle had their feed, Mum gave Little Bob a private feeding. Give her a round of applause. Mum is working hard to make sure that each of her children is fed. Little Bob sure can consume fish but, he needs a fewer more feedings in between. He is entering the big growth spurt now. So far he has demonstrated no real fear of the two big siblings. He even took a fish flake from Big Bob’s beak earlier.
There is enough fish for everyone.
At the Sydney Sea Eagles nest, the time for fledging draws nearer and nearer. On Monday morning (Australia time), SE29 flew to one of the lower branches of the nest tree. S/he waited there for a bit and then…did not fly off but rather, returned to SE30 in the nest. Bravo!
At 13:44:30 SE29 fledged. S/he had watched one of the parents on the branch and was looking over the edge of the nest and just flew. It was beautiful. Congratulations to everyone at Birdlife Australia and all connected with the Sydney Sea Eagles.
A parent waits with SE30. The siblings were so close to one another and what a fantastic year it has been with them and Lady and Dad. I wonder if SE30 will leave today or if SE29 will return later? We wait to see.
At 14:46:58 SE29 returned to the nest to join SE30 and the parent. Tears are just rolling down my cheeks. This is incredible. Normally the Curras chase them out of the park – it didn’t happen today.
Tears of joy.
Thank you for being with me for this great event. SE29 flew!!!!!!!!!! And SE29 returns safely to the nest.
See you soon — and take care of yourselves.
Thank you to the streaming cams at Port Lincoln Osprey barge and Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park where I took my screen captures.
I have hardly moved from observing two bird streaming cams so far today. Those are the UFlorida-Gainesville Osprey Cam and the Cornell Red-tail Hawk cam of Big Red and Arthur. Each nest had potential issues. Blood was seen on the outside of the egg of L1. Was this just the normal amount of blood coming off the umbilical cord? and then a second egg began to pip! At the Florida nest it is difficult to tell who is the nastiest towards Little Bit. Is it Big? or is it Middle? Last year at the Achieva Osprey Nest in St Petersburg, the largest sibling let the Middle one constrain and peck Tiny Tot Tumbles, the third hatch. It was horrible. Tiny Tot survived and became the dominant one on the nest. I am hoping Little Bit does, too.
A nice sized piece of fish arrived on the UFlorida nest. Little Bit had none of the earlier fish and was hungry. He managed to grab a bite from Mum before he was clobbered by one of the older siblings. Our little scrapper from a few days ago quickly went into submission. He has to be tired and somewhat dehydrated but, like all third hatches, he hung in there and waited and watched.
Big is hovering over Little Bit.
Little Bit looks like he is down and not paying attention.
Watch. There Little Bit goes scurrying behind Big. He needs some of this fish to help rehydrate him and help him get strong again.
Both Big and Middle had eaten earlier and had big crops. It is good they got full quickly at this feeding so Little Bit could have some food.
At 15:17 we get a glimpse of Little Bit’s head behind Mum. He is in a food coma. Mum continues to eat on the fish and give more bites to the bigger siblings once in awhile until well past 15:30. There was lots of fish at this feeding and things should be settling down but both the two bigger siblings still believe that there is not enough coming on the nest for three. We wait and hope for another large fish today before bedtime for these three. That should help ease the anxiety although often there is lots of food on the nest and the older siblings continue to exert their dominance.
The miracle might have happened. At 16:58 a nice fish landed on the nest. The two older siblings have big crops. Little Bit looks so skinny.
His wings are so thin.
The big ones ate some of that fish but there is lots left. Little Bit is going to get a lot of fish (I hope). Sometimes the older ones eat til you think they will be sick just to keep the youngest from getting any food.
You can see Little Bit’s skinny wings up by Mom’s left shoulder being fed. This is their biggest growth period. Little Bit needs lots of food. It looks like he gets fed and then one of the bigger ones moves in for some more. I hope he stays put and lets them eat so when they leave he is there ready for more.
There. Little Bit was fed until 17:13 and moved away full.
Little Bit has gone to sleep. Meanwhile it looks like Middle Bob is back up for more fish. Around 17:15 chaos breaks out. Little Bit raises its head like it wants more fish. Big and Middle get into it and then they go after Little Bit. This is not a happy Osprey nest. Middle continues to be the worst towards Little Bit. He will snatch him by the nape of the neck and shake the baby. That always scares me.
They are full. Middle and Big have eaten and eaten. The power plays are entirely unnecessary. Wish for Little Bit to be strong and smart as well as tenacious. He needs to outwit the big ones.
Well, Little Bit is eating again and the two older siblings are watching! Bravo.
It is nerve wrecking. The two are now resting. Little Bit continues to eat! He eats til he is full and then Mum enjoys some of the nice fish. It is 17:25. We can all rest easy tonight. More fish tomorrow!!!!!!!!!! Please, Dad.
Big Red and Arthur have four eggs. The first began with a pip yesterday afternoon. That hatch has caused some worry because of some blood showing. It is normal for there to be a little blood from the umbilical cord. We will have to wait and see. The chick is alive. Is it having trouble with that inner membrane of the egg which is really tough to get through? Around noon another egg began pipping!
You can clearly see the pipping from the second egg, the splotchy one, at the top. L1’s egg is to the far left.
Arthur has brought the first prey item to the nest for the Ls or Big Red if she gets hungry. Big Red will probably remain on the eggs til L1 has hatched fully.
Grab some sleep now Big Red. You are going to be very busy tomorrow.
It is 15:26 and Big Red is extremely restless, rolling and checking on the eggs. Fingers crossed for that wee one to get through that membrane and the rest of that egg!
What do you do while you are waiting for one egg to finish hatching and another to get on with its pipping – on a very windy day? You play with sticks!
At 15:52 we get a glimpse.
Well, I am worn out with the excitement. L1 is working hard to get out of that egg. There is lots of movement. Gosh, I bet everyone watching Big Red and this little one struggle to get out of that egg are having sympathy pains. It won’t be long. Then L2 will be hot on the trail. It would be grand if the four hatched within 24-48 hours.
None of the raptors normally help the little ones hatching. It can actually cause them harm. I have seen some remove a half egg shell that is sticking if the hatchling is free elsewhere. Akecheta did that this year with one of the triplets.
It is now 17:02.
Big Red is not going to lay on the egg. She is going to just wiggle her breast feathers over it. Good progress. It is 17:03 and you can see the little one move. It needs to pop that top off – but it might need to rest a bit. Hatching is very tiring.
The Glaslyn Osprey nest cam is back on line. What a soft nest Mrs G and Aran have made. You can see Mrs G rolling the first egg. We will be looking for a second tomorrow.
Aran looks particularly handsome in the sunshine as he sits on the perch. He has returned from migration in top form!
Towards dusk Aran arrives at the nest with a fish for Mrs G.
He takes over incubation duties while Mrs G eats on the perch. All is well on the Glaslyn nest! Yes.
Iris, the oldest Osprey in the world, has her nest on a parking lot near Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana. It is cool and blustery there today. Iris arrived a little after 14:00 and did some nest work and then stood and looked around.
I wonder if Iris is looking for Louis? Does she think he might grace her with a visit and a fish? It is hard to say. Louis still considers his primary nest with Starr over at their new nest at the baseball park.
Well, Iris is nothing short of stunning for a bird that is 28 or 29 years old (they are unsure since she is unringed). Simply gorgeous.
The failed nest in Illinois is getting a new artificial nest and the two surviving eaglets will be taken up as soon as it is secured! Amazing work. Thank you to Ellen for posting this on the Big Bear FB page.
Thank you for joining me. It is wonderful to know that the two eaglets will be back with their parents in a safe nest. We will have, for sure, at least one hatch tonight at the Cornell Red-tail Hawk nest and Little Bit will sleep and grow. What a relief to see him get a good feed. Take care everyone. There should be a fuzzy eyas in the news for tomorrow. Maybe 2. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Friends of Big Bear, Cornell Lab RTH, U-Florida at Gainesville Ospreys, Brywd Gwyllt Glaslyn, and the Montana Osprey Project.
