Tag Archives: Superbeaks

Hatch for Alex and Andria, Ervie is fishing, L3 is flying… and more…in Bird World

26 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

For those that celebrated Christmas, I hope that you had a wonderful day surrounded by friends and family. For those celebrating the end of Hanukkah, chag Hanukkah sameach and for all preparing for the New Year and especially our friends in Japan, we are cleaning our house with you and looking forward to eating lots of mochi.

I have so many fond memories of living in the UK. I wonder how much it has changed? Those of you who live there can tell me. We lived on a lovely cul-de-sac on Gorse Road and the gorse was about six houses (semi-detached) from ours. We spent so many hours wandering those fields. But, back to the point. Milk was delivered by the person driving the milk float. But they also had a brochure with all of the holiday hamper offerings for the next year. You could pay for your Christmas feast by the week and it would be delivered on time. It was a fantastic way of budgeting for some truly remarkable things. But, at the time, the children got two presents. A sock filled with little treats and one big present, normally a new bike. That was it and it was wonderful. No flurry, no regrets, no big bills to look forward to. The most important thing was everyone stopping to share a truly nice meal with one another.

As we see the end of 2022 approaching, let us hope that joy, compassion, empathy for all living things, and peace will be with us in 2023.

I want to introduce you to someone who is a wildlife conservation photographer who moved to looking at the birds in her back garden. It is just a great little video clip and some of you will remember we also had the General Adjutants in the blog one year. Time to go back and visit the energy the women of Assam India had in trying to protect this terribly endangered species. Enjoy!

Making News: A golf course in the UK is being turned into a park and the only holes made will be by badgers and woodpeckers. Isn’t that fantastic – rewinding?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/25/frodsham-cheshire-golf-course-transformed-woodland?CMP=share_btn_link

Happenings in Bird World:

Things are starting to happen in Bird World with the first pip and quickly the progression of the hatching of their first egg for Alex and Andria at the E3 Bald Eagle nest in Louisiana. Indeed, I am writing this at 2200 Sunday evening and by Monday morning, there could well be an eaglet for this lovely couple. They are named after the closest city, Alexandria, to the forest. Many thanks to Tonya Irwin who has kept everyone up to date on the progress and who so carefully explains below how humidity impacts hatching. I learn something new every day. Thank you Tonya.

The latest news to describe how the difference in humidity (80%) in Alexandria, Louisiana impacts hatching.

First feeding – a Coot. Look how big and strong that little eaglet is. Unofficial full hatch time is 0341 on the 26th of December.

Meanwhile, in Central Florida, PePe and Muhlady are keeping the two eaglets well fed. I have to say – the position of the camera at this nest is excellent. Yes, yes, I can hear you screaming at me but let me explain. We cannot see a thing at Superbeaks. The eaglets are slowly being revealed to us as they grow taller. It certainly saves a whole lot of stress. There are two of them. Sometimes you only get sight of one.

Great news regarding Big Red and Arthur’s L3. Oh, gosh, we have waited to hear if this darling would ever fly again and there she is. So very relieved and happy. She sure looks like her formidable mother, Big Red!

In the meantime, Ithaca, home to Big Red, Arthur, and L4 is in the grips of that bomb cyclone weather with a temperature of -9 C and it is predicted to get as low as -13 C. Please send your warm wishes to our favourite RTH family as they battle to stay alive in these unusually frigid temperatures that are seeing many Americans in the area die. The cameras are down but Buffalo, which is, as the Ithaca Report said, “A low pressure storm system is expected to rapidly intensify, a process known as explosive cyclogenesis or “bombogenesis,” as it crosses the Lower Great Lakes west of Ithaca and Tompkins County. This storm will be extremely powerful, with forecasted core pressure more typical to oceanic lows and hurricanes than a continental storm system. The National Weather Service Buffalo office is describing it “as a once-in-a-generation type of event.”

Ervie was over at Delamare wishing for a fish! What a handsome fellow he is. I wonder if he is still fishing with Dad?

I have not kept as close an eye on Ernie’s sister, Zoe. The parents are still bringing her fish. Today, Mum brought in a small piece for her daughter at 1405. Zoe did seem to have a crop prior to that delivery. Wonder where she ate? and who brought it? or did she catch it? I would not be surprised if Zoe is not fishing but we wait to see if those attempts are successful. Perhaps she will join Dad and Ervie over at Delamere soon (her tracker will tell us? Now that would be sensational!!!!!!!

Zoe’s crop three minutes before Mum delivers her a small piece of fish. Don’t you think her crop looks full? and what about that necklace? It is pretty awe-inspiring.

Mantling that snack from Mum.

While Alex and Andria were celebrating the pip and hatching in their first egg at the E3 nest in the Kisatchie National Forest, Ron and V2 are still working on their nest.

Someone was with Gabby at the nest early in the morning. Is it V11? Will this nest settle down in the new year?

It looks like V11 is still there tonight. Send positive wishes! Maybe the revolving door of suitors and intruders is coming to an end. If V11 can keep them away and get food on the nest, wow. Wouldn’t that just be sensational? I don’t know about you but I am growing weary and if I am, can you imagine how Gabby feels after losing Samson? and then having seen mostly dire prospects come to the nest? Everyone has gotten a good education in widowed eagles finding new mates from watching both Gabby and Ron. (Ron is not widowed per se but he is alone as Rita will not ever return to the nest).

At the nest of Jackie and Shadow, the snow has all melted and our eagle couple are there checking on things today right before noon. — And my goodness, how could I not put Shadow right up there at the top with Akecheta now that our dear Samson is no longer with us? Sorry Shadow. I do adore you.

The sun setting on Fraser Point Bald Eagles nest, home to Andor and Cruz, is simply stunning. The eagles were not there – do not be fooled if you see one working on the nest – it is a highlight. There was, however, a visit by a Raven or a Crow.

No one home today at Two Harbours, the home of Chase and Cholyn. It certainly is a rather spectacular place for a nest – this and the West End nest of Cholyn’s daughter, Thunder and her mate, Akecheta.

The Red List 22. Red-backed Shrike

“Red-backed Shrike” by Andrej Chudy is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

The Red-backed shrike is only slightly bigger than the House Sparrows that visit my garden. The male is striking with its black mask earning the male birds of this species the nickname, ‘the bandit’. They have a grey head, that really dark black eye line going over their cere and running to the nape. Their underparts are white. They have the most gorgeous rust or shall we use the 2022 colour, Redwood, to describe their back and primary feathers. Their tail is black while their other wing feathers are black with white edging. Their beak is black and it is hooked. I really hate it when writers describe the female (image below) as being dull. They are not dull at all! Is it not possible to see the variety of browns and rusts in the upper parts, the lovely grey in the rump along with the upper tail coverts. Instead of an all black tail (very boring), the female’s is an espresso brown with white edging and tips. Their mask is subtle as if they have been trained in the fine art of using an eye liner brush compared to the male who has taken a Sharpie marker!

Matt Shardlow says of the Red-backed Shrike in his essay for Red Sixty-Seven: “Victoria shrikes watched over the land from Durham to Devon and Kent to Conway; eyes alert for burly bumblebees, dumpy dung beetles, well-fed wasps, even delicious lizards. with a pounce and swoop the animal was dead in the shrike’s little raptorial bill.” Shardlow reminds us that by the Beatles became the pop music hit of the 1960s, the Shrikes were in rapid decline and that decline continues. “In 1989, it was down to one heath, with one nest in one short lonely lolly-pop tree…” (80).

“Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)” by gilgit2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

While many believed it was the weather that caused the near extinction of the bird, it was, in fact, a loss of food with large moths decreasing by 2/3 in population since 1948. The same was true for the bees and the beetles. Change in farming and the use of pesticides has been key to its demise. Imagine all the birds gone and left to only two pairs to raise young to keep the population going. Imagine now if this were all the birds. The use of pesticides is entirely unnecessary. Indeed, my City was ripe to spray all living flying things to get rid of mosquitoes only to discover that Dragon Flys do a much better job and cause no harm to the environment. It was time for a change to save the Shrike and it seems that some changes in the UK in terms of rewinding and the cessation of pesticide use in certain areas, since the publication of Red Sixty-Seven in 2019 (just 3 years ago), have had an impact. We can change things but we must just dig our heels in and get on with it. No excuses. The RSPB still counts only three resident mated pairs of Red-backed Shrikes living in the UK; the remainder are migratory. Let’s see if that number can be raised ten fold in the coming years. Wouldn’t that be grand?

Thank you so very much for being with me today. When I think of all of you, I get all giddy. So many people who care so much for our feathered friends. Sheer joy and a huge smile comes on my face. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for the letters, their posts, their videos, and their streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Beneath the Feeder, The Guardian, Kistachie National Forest Eagle Cam Fans and Tanya Irwin, NF-AEF, Ron and Roses Eagle Nest Watchers and Pat Burke, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Cornell Hawk Cam Chatters and Suzanne Arnold Horning, Superbeaks, Openverse, Institute for Wildlife Studies and Explore.org.

Is it a new couple at the WRDC? has Gabby finally settled on her mate?…and more in Bird World

25 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone,

From all of us on the Canadian Prairies, we wish you good health, joy, some laughter, and much love at this time of the year.

The kittens hope that you have some good tasty treats. Lewis would love some turkey but, sadly, he will only see it coming from a tin! I wonder what he will think of tofu with Tamarind sauce? I will let you know.

Missy hopes that you have a friend to share some time with – she especially is grateful to have Lewis for a little brother to play with and cuddle when it is chilly.

Dyson hopes that you have a lot of nuts and seeds!

The Starlings think a Bark Butter pie would just be the best ending for a special celebration. They would certainly not want it to be a ‘Black Bird’ pie in case anyone mistook them. Did you know that in medieval times they really did put birds in pies? They would fly out of the pies during the vast banquets on the estates and then the men would go and shoot them? It is true! One of the best books on medieval falconry is, Robbin S Oggins’s The Kings and Their Hawks. Falconry in Medieval England. Oh, so many stories.

My Starlings say make it a ‘Vegetarian’ pie!!!!! or a mincemeat one.

Mr Blue Jay reminds us that we need to take care of one another and all the animals. He wishes you a wonderful 2023!

A friend sent me this lovely image and I don’t think ‘S’ would mind if I share it with you. What a beautiful illustration of all the animals and I do love badgers! It is perfect.

So from all of us, good joy and good cheer! We are so glad that you are part of our big family.

M15 is, by far, the most favourite male Bald Eagle according to my readers. Samson was my heart throb but Akecheta comes up a close second and, then, of course, there is Shadow. And, yes, of course. I adore M15. Not only is he a softie when it comes to feeding the eaglets especially one that might get left out a bit but, he also takes great care of Harriet as Lady Hawk shows us in this video:

This version of the Twelve Days of Christmas was posted on the SWFL Eagle cam chat by Marie Chism. It is wonderful and a whole lot of fun.

On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A nest in a pine tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Nine fish a dancing
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Ten horns a blowing
Nine fish a dancing
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the 11th day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eleven crows a crowing
Ten horns a blowing
Nine fish a dancing
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

On the 12th day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
12 beak kisses
Eleven crows a crowing
Ten horns a blowing
Nine fish a dancing
Eight stalkers stalking
Seven starlings singing
Six ducks a playing
Five nose bling (five nose bling)
Four cameras watching
Three screamin squee’s
Two little eggs
And a nest in a pine tree

One of the nice things about the end of the year is that very talented people put in a season summary of their favourite nast. My very first love were the hawks and falcons and my heart still melts when I see Big Red on her nest with Arthur. It is remarkable. She will be 20 years old this spring having hatched in Brooktondale, New York (about 7.5 miles away from Ithaca) in the spring of 2003.

Today it is snowing. There is a ‘bomb cyclone’ that caused all manner of disruption for a 2000 mile stretch. It is terribly cold with a strong wind in Ithaca. There is fear for millions because of the storm and the cold. These are caused by “a collision of cold, dry air from the north and warm, moist air from the sout,” according to The Guardian. Hopefully Big Red, Arthur, and L4 are tucked in safe and warm and that all are safe – humans and wildlife as there are power outages just when warmth is required.

Big Red and Arthur working on their nest in the snow in 2022. Big Red laid her first egg on the 14th of March. 9 days later she laid her 4th egg – unprecedented for Big Red. All of the erases fledged.

L4 is in the middle. It is ‘Cutie Pie’ L4 that remains on the Cornell campus with Big Red and Arthur. L3 is in care. L1 was killed striking a window on the campus shortly after fledgling. L2 has dispersed.

L4 was not the first to fledge but that little one, who clamoured over its siblings not afraid of anything, was the first of the four to catch its own prey. It is still doing that and Mum and Dad do not seem to mind sharing the space with L4. And why should they? It is a large plentiful spot and L4 is a very special little one. No one thought there would be four and no one thought that the 4th would be as vivacious as he was…just look at that crop. L4 as the first up to the beak. He reminds me of Ervie, the 2021 hatch at Port Lincoln. Nothing phased Ervie either and he is still living in his parent’s territory, too. Gosh, I will never forget the dustups up Bazza….those three males at PLO were quite the characters.

It is a beautiful winter wonderland at the Deborah Eagle nest in Iowa today. The eagles have been around during the last week. There is, however, no sign of the Deborah North eagles, yet.

The death of the much loved male at the Centreport Bald Eagle nest on Long Island made the news:

I do not want to link the death of Dad at Centreport with Avian Flu but it has to be something that is considered when they do the necropsy. There are dire warnings coming that stress the deaths to our avian world will be akin to those of DDT before it was banned. They are calling it the second Silent Spring. We must prepare ourselves that we will see Avian Flu raise its head with a vengeance as we move into the new year and spring. ““The last time we experienced such large-scale and rapid losses of wild birds in the UK would be the impacts of DDT on birds of prey in the 1950s and 1960s associated with the Silent Spring narrative, or the widespread declines of farmland birds during the 1970s and 80s as a result of agricultural intensification, ” says the author of the article below that appears in The Guardian today.

And, yes, we must do something about it – and that something could mean the closing of the large factory farms that supply poultry around the world. A return to buying local from small farms where the birds are allowed to run freely and have a decent life before they are killed. Or giving up poultry (and meat) altogether. We must be prepared to pay more to help end this vicious cycle of bird flu if we really care about those feathered friends.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/23/deaths-thousands-wild-birds-avian-flu-new-silent-spring-aoe?CMP=share_btn_link

In Australia, everyone is wishing Zoe a happy 14th week birthday today.

Zoe being her best self – screaming for fish!

In Northeast Florida, everyone is wishing the revolving door of potential mates for Gabby would come to an end. V11, according to the AEF, was in the nest moving sticks around this morning shortly after 0803. (The other day it was Gabby and V9).

At 0823, Gabby was in the nest helping V11. This looks promising. Fingers crossed. Gabby needs a mate that will keep the other intruders out of the territory. Come on V11 – show us your stuff. Can you deliver huge fish? can you feed eaglets til their crops burst? can you bring food for Gabby and protect her? You have big talons to feel since Samson is not here. We need to know you are up to this — but, most of all, Gabby needs a strong male partner.

They were together after 1700.

Good night Gabby.

At the NCTC nest of Bella and Smitty, Smitty has been at the nest today. No sign of Bella today.

Gosh, I don’t know what I would do if Elain stopped posting her daily summaries of the Orange scrape. I certainly look forward to them and seeing what has happened at the scrape of Diamond, Xavier, and Indigo!

Just giggle when you see Indigo with his prey!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, just about the time you think that you might get a better glimpse at the two eaglets at the Superbeaks nest, the parents, PePe and Muhlady, notice that there is a hole in the side of the nest that a chick could fall from. So what do they do? Stuff it with a pine branch blocking our view. There are two of them, little grey bobbleheads — and there is quite a lot of fish. No one is hungry on this nest.

Oh, just look with its soft feathers on the top of its head all stuck up straight. Adorable.

You can see both heads. Look carefully.

You can see the fish stacked up and look how well they fixed that hole. They must have heard us worrying about the little ones falling out. Well done you two. What great parents you are!

News of Ron and V2 comes to us from Pat Burke. Please note that it is Ron on the right.

V2 and Ron might be dreaming of eggs and eaglets but, Alex and Andria are getting ready any day for them! Now, how many days is it til we will have pip watch for M15 and Harriet….a week? Must check the dates.

Wishing all of you the very best that the season has to offer. Thank you so much for being a part of this great community of bird lovers. It is so reassuring to know that there are so many kind souls working to make the world a whole lot better for our feathered friends. Take care of yourselves. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, their posts, their videos, and their streaming cams that make up my screen captures: Darleen Hawkins and the Kistachie National Forest Eagle Cam Fans, Pat Burke and Ron and Rita’s Nest Watchers, Superbeaks, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NCTC Bald Eagles, Port Lincoln Osprey, NEFL-AEF, Long Island News, Cornell Bird Lab, Raptor Resource Project and Explore.org, Marie Chism, Lady Hawk and SWFL and D Pritchett, and ‘S’ for that lovely image.

Annie and the ‘new guy’, Gabby arrives home with an injury…and more for Saturday in Bird World

24 December 2022

When the sun is out and it is incredible cold, we get ‘sun dogs’. The Manitoba Weather Network posted this lovely image today and I want all of you to see what they look like. We love the ‘sun dogs’ but, it would be nice if they happened when it was not soooooo cold.

Wikipedia says, “A sun dog (or sundog) or mock sun, also called a parhelion[1] (plural parhelia) in meteorology, is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that consists of a bright spot to one or both sides of the Sun. Two sun dogs often flank the Sun within a 22° halo. The sun dog is a member of the family of halos caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere. Sun dogs typically appear as a pair of subtly colored patches of light, around 22° to the left and right of the Sun, and at the same altitude above the horizon as the Sun. They can be seen anywhere in the world during any season, but are not always obvious or bright. Sun dogs are best seen and most conspicuous when the Sun is near the horizon.

In contrast, my daughter in law sent me a photo of an Egret that was seen on her travels in the Caribbean today. Oh, gosh. I miss those warm mornings waking up to the sound of the Tropical Mockingbirds. Look closely and you will see a very large Iguana!

The kittens are doing well. Lewis has decided that he prefers looking at birds and flowers on the laptop screen! He has offered to be my official helper this season. Meanwhile, Missy prefers to look at real birds outside.

The male eagle at the Centreport Bald Eagle Nest on Long Island, New York has died at 0347 on the 23rd of December. Him and his mate known only as Mom fledged 5 sets of eaglets. Dad did not appear to feel well during the past week. I do not know how old he was and no one is sure of the circumstances. He was rescued by Bobby Hovrath of WINORR but, nothing could be done. I believe a necroscopy will be performed to find out the cause of the death.

This leads me to a question by ‘A’ in the post: What are the latest thoughts on Avian Flu and its impact this year? (I am not saying that the male at Centre Port died of Avian Flu but, it is a possibility and we need to brace ourselves for more deaths this year due directly to H5N1).

Clearly, Avian Flu is on everyone’s mind. France and the UK are trying to implement strict protocols to fight this so that there is not another instance of millions of birds dying from the spread of H5N1, highly pathogenic Avian Flu. Here is one article from Nature:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03322-2

The CDC (Centre for Disease Control) in the US is extremely worried about what might happen in 2023. Here is their latest announcement:

“November 3, 2022—As bird flu outbreaks in wild birds and poultry continue across the U.S., the country approaches a record number of birds affected compared to previous bird flu outbreaks. Since early 2022, more than 49 million birds in 46 states have either died as a result of bird flu virus infection or have been culled (killed) due to exposure to infected birds. This number is nearing the 50.5 million birds in 21 states that were affected by the largest bird flu outbreak that occurred in 2015. Even so, the number of states affected in 2022 is already more than double the number of states that were affected in 2015. Although the overall risk to the general public from the current bird flu outbreaks remains low, it is important that people take preventive measures around infected or potentially infected birds/poultry to prevent the spread of bird flu viruses to themselves or to other birds/poultry and other animals, including pets. This applies not just to workplace or wildlife settings but potentially to household settings where people have backyard flocks or pet birds with potential exposures to wild or domestic infected birds”.

This article entitled ‘The World is Addicted to Chicken and so is the Avian Flu Virus’ is rather enlightening:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-19/bird-flu-epidemic-and-farm-culls-will-make-eggs-chicken-turkey-expensive?utm_source=website&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=copy

Continuing on with Bald Eagles, the E3 nest in the Kisatchie National Forest is now on Pip Watch! I can hardly believe it. Time flies as fast as the Concorde flew!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At Gabby’s nest near Jacksonville, Florida, there were two visitors today. V2 and V9. Looks like V9 was there towards the end of the day. Did he stay? what have him and Gabby been doing off camera? (if anything). V9 is certainly handsome and his resemblance to Samson has not escaped anyone. But -. We wait to see.

One of my fondest memories of Samson was his stepping in and feeding the eaglets especially the second hatch if the first had dominated a feeding. He was an incredible Dad.

Sadly, Gabby has been at the nest this morning with what looks like a puncture on her head. Send her your warmest wishes. It should heal on its own but, I hope this does not mean that there is a territorial fight with females for the nest. Poor Gabby. What a season she has had.

The WRDC Bald Eagle nest in Miami seems to be settling down. It looks like Ron and V2 have been spending much time together on and off the nest. Fingers crossed! Now if we can just get Gabby settled in with a new mate of her choice.

PePe is really trying to get the award for most fish in a nest in Florida. If you look the nest is already full of fish and he comes in with a huge shark. Everyone is eating well at Superbeaks. Incredible. Muhlady is really excited.

Elain’s wonderful video summary of the comings and goings at the scrape on the campus of Charles Sturt University in Orange, Australia beings with a warning kek-kek-kek from one of the adults.

Oh, I couldn’t catch it. Watch closely. Annie and the ‘New Guy’ beak kiss near the beginning of their bonding session. We will have to see but this looks serious.

For all of the Iris fans out there, Montana is now counting down the days til the oldest Osprey in the world returns to her nest at Hellgate Canyon in Missoula, Montana in the spring.

Iris is seriously gorgeous.

Getting anxious for Osprey season? I sure am so with the end of the year approaching, Richmond can be thinking about Rosie’s return. She is usually there by Valentine’s Day, the 14th of February.

If you are a fan of the Threave Ospreys, then you will be pleased to hear that one of the 2022 fledglings has been seen safely spending its winter in Senegal! Migration is so arduous and so many of the first year birds never make it to Africa. Just heart warming when they do.

Tim Mackrill has put together a really informative one hour talk on UK Ospreys and migration. You don’t have to listen to the talk all at one time, you can stop and start. However, if you are a huge osprey fan then I urge you to listen. Mackrill has been working with Ospreys for some time and is now head of the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation after working at Rutland Water and writing their ‘huge’ and beautiful book on the Rutland Ospreys.

Thank you so much for being with me this morning. Take care everyone. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their letters, their posts, their videos and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: The Osprey leadership Foundation, Friends of Threave Osprey, Golden Gate Audubon, Hellgate Osprey Twitter, Cal Falcons, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Superbeaks, WRDC, NEFL-AEF, Raptors of the World, the CDC, the Guardian, Nature, and to ‘A’ who asked about Avian Flu.

Pepe brings in an evening snack, more visitors to Gabby’s nest…it is Sunday in Bird World

18 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone from a very snowy Manitoba! It has been a long time since we have seen so much snow dumped on the Canadian Prairies at one time. It is beautiful and a good way to slow down.

The Starlings showed up at their usual time for some of the suet.

The House Sparrows were here – mostly on the ground eating seed that Dyson & Company had dumped on the ground. You see the squirrels have found a way to empty one of the feeders entirely by shining on it!

Dyson is in her favourite spot. I always know where to find her. The other three – her babies from the summer – are doing well. She has taken good care of them.

It is a different story in the house. Lewis and Missey want to help with everything including the new images of Aran that have arrived from Glaslyn or the squirrel cards from DaniConnorWild.

Are they so innocent?

One or the other loves to get in this little basket. When they first arrived, both of them could fit in it. No longer! I am now calling them cats instead of kittens!

Lewis pretending he is an angel. I will not take my eyes off him or these candles while they are on. It is way too easy for a cat to burn their fur or start a fire. In fact, after sitting nervously for a few minutes, I have decided to only use candles if they are covered by a glass globe.

With the help of ‘J’, the memorial listing of the birds that we have lost is getting filled in much better. I have now returned to it with her help – while at the same time preparing a summary of Port Lincoln’s season for Claudio and the incredible International Osprey Data Bank he has created for me to track the Ospreys on the streaming cams. By the end of the first week in January, there will be a separate page with the Memorial Wall for 2021-22. If you have any additions (or corrections), please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. Let us all hope that 2023’s listing is much shorter.

I don’t always get to sit and watch Ferris Akel’s Saturday Tour but, it is often playing in the background. Whenever he is talking about an interesting bird – instead of just searching for them – I jump up. Today, there was a Belted Kingfisher. Isn’t it lovely? I have never seen one and they look like such unique characters with that long pointed beak and that ‘bed head’. Love the colour palette of the plumage, too. Lovely birds.

Several Bald Eagles were out in the fields near Montezuma. Ferris has a way of spotting them and I have no idea how he does it.

One of the most exciting moments for me was a Northern Harrier hunting in the fields and catching some prey!

It is hard to see but they have a face like an owl with plumage that captures the sounds. They fly low to the surface of the land to catch their prey unlike other hawks that might hover or sit on poles and wait.

I cannot imagine, for a single moment, not wanting to allow them to have a bird or a vole for their dinner. Beautiful creatures.

There were also Tundra and Trumpeter Swans. You could see areas with some open water while others were covered with ice or were slushy.

A Horned Lark had found some food and was eating it on the side of the highway. Silly one!

There were Snow Geese and Canada Geese, too.

They had been feeding on the fields of corn that had been harvested and then all of a sudden, they flew away. Ferris was happy. Last year at this very site someone shot a Snow Goose while he was broadcasting.

Ferris spotted Arthur and a juvenile Red-tail Hawk on the grounds of Cornell University. I would like to think that the juvie that was hunting is L4 who has decided to stay in its parents territory. Certainly Arthur and Big Red are not running it off!

Arthur is all poofed up. It is 0 degrees C and they are due for some more snow. Notice the very deep brown/black eyes of the adult Red-tail. Arthur does not have the majestic apron of Big Red on his chest so it is easy to tell them apart. Such a little cutie, Arthur is. Big Red was seen recently by Karel Sedlacek so I am not worried that Ferris did not see her. It is hard to imagine but in three months time we will be watching for Big Red to lay her eggs. She will be 20 years old this spring! Wow.

This is the juvenile that I believe to be L4. If you look carefully you can see the light celadon of the juvie’s eyes.

Ferris Akel is a wealth of knowledge who gives his time and shares the birds around the area of Ithaca with us almost every Saturday of the year. He has been doing this for more than ten years now. He is humble but, I learn something every time I stop to listen to his programme. You can subscribe to his channel on YouTube and there is a chat moderated by a fellow Canadian, Dolphin. I often lurk – but, everyone is grand and they will welcome you to chat if you say ‘hi’.

As night began to fall, Pepe flew into the Superbeaks nest with a huge prey for Muhlady and the eaglets. I am trying to figure out what it is – a Black duck with red? Anyone know what this might be? Is it a Red-legged Black Duck?

Muhlady certainly seemed pleased and what a nice time to bring the prey. A snack for everyone before bed and some breakfast in the morning. Lovely. This is my first time watching this nest – in fact, it is a new nest on streaming cams. One never knows what to expect but this eagle family seems to have a good source of prey and they are very smart – having their eaglets before it gets too hot! Can’t wait til we can see those wee ones a little more. You certainly can hear them if you tune in.

I had a giggle today. Lady Hawk called Gabby’s nest ‘As the Nest Turns’, too. And it certainly is a revolving door. Today there was a 4 year old and a juvenile less than 2 years which led me to want to think it was Legacy!

Legacy, I don’t know if this is you but, if it is, you are still as gorgeous as ever. It is those piercing eyes…I have looked several times at images of Legacy and it sure could be her. I sure wish someone would band these eaglets! And here is my reasoning. For the past several days, we have been receiving images of Siren 5F who is the mate of Dylan at Llyn Clywedog. She is perched in her regular roost in The Gambia where she winters. Easily recognisable. No guesses. That is how banding can help – amongst other things.

That 4 year old eagle sure has Samson’s legs!

A short video of V4 flying into the nest with V5. Someone mentioned Gabby abandoning this nest. The Bald Eagles are attached to the nest. I cannot see a reason for her to leave it unless she were ‘run out’ of the territory by a bonded couple intent on taking over the territory and the nest.

One of the resident Ospreys at the Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey is Bailey. She was the companion of Smedley who sadly died last year. Yes, Ospreys do well in care!!!!!

Wow. Look at this image from the scrape at Charles Sturt University in Orange today. The expression on Diamond and Indigo’s faces are amazing.

At the same time, Indigo can be just a darling.

Elain’s highlights of the day at the Orange scrape. Always welcome, Elain. You do a wonderful compilation! Thank you.

Ron is quite the catch. I sure hope some deserving female flies into his nest! He is doing a super job of working on it. Someone today wished that Ron and Gabby could get together. That would be one super couple.

Jackie and Shadow working on their nest. They were caught mating on the other camera today!

As we wait for eggs to be laid or hatch, for Gabby to get a new mate or not, there is not a lot going on in Bird World and for that, I am truly grateful.

Good news has come to us from the rehabilitation centre that has cared for WBSE27 and who is now training WBSE30. We know that 27 is flying free. We have seen her tracking. They did a marvellous job teaching her to fly and to hunt and they are now doing the same for 30. Let us hope that she, too, will be equipped with a tracker so that we can follow her movements.

The top image is 27 leaping off a perch while she was being trained before she was released. The bottom image is 30 being trained now. Warm wishes for her life to be as successful as her older sister’s.

30 is on the perch on the right.

I have not been able to find a recent update on WBSE 29. Lady and Dad have, however, visited the nest tree the other evening. So nice to see them!

And a quick check on Zoe at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge. I caught Dad delivering either a small fish or a piece of a fish to Zoe at 1402. She spots him coming. My goodness, Zoe, you are loud! They could hear you across the lagoon.

So, with the lull, let us turn back to our Red List of Vulnerable Birds published in the UK.

No. 20 The Red List: The Smew

“Smew” by hmclin is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The author, Ben Watt, calls this darling black and white diving duck, the ‘Karl Lagerfeld’ of the divers. Watt uses such terms as ‘vivid white crest, jet black shades, white tux, …moving elegantly’. What a grand description. Quite fitting.

The top image is of a male Smew. The bottom is of the female adult. Just look at that magnificent rusty head on the female. Quite striking and gorgeous.

“Smew – male” by Len Blumin is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

“Zoo Smew” by hmclin is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

There are fossils of Smew going back 1.5 million years ago and yet this gorgeous little waterfowl is at risk of going extinct in our life time. Watt is on a crusade to save this bird that inhabited the wetlands near to his home. In 1956, there were 144 recorded wintering at the Brent Reservoir (Welsh Harp). It was a record! Today, there are 10. I did not keystroke that wrong – ten. So what is the problem? Climate change caused by humans. Milder winters, the increase of water sports and the pollution of waters. Watt says, ‘These days, the two inflowing rivers at the Welsh Harp are badly oxygen-depleted, and high in urban run-off, contaminated with silt, phosphates and micro plastics. Feeding grounds are suffering and the numbers of regular species are on the decline.’

We could of course say this for most of our waterfowl. Indeed, ‘A’ and I have been wondering about the silt flowing into the water at Port Lincoln due to flooding slightly north. Luckily, for the Smew, they can stay year round in various bodies of water near Amsterdam where they number close to 200 at a single count.

Last today, ‘J’ has been helping me with the memorial wall asks that we keep Victoria Cockatoo in our thoughts and prayers. Victoria is a 50 year old Cockatoo that had a very hard life before she was taken in by a kind owner, April. As a result of the treatment she received earlier in life, Victoria is battling significant health problems and is in hospice.  Yesterday she was eating April’s breakfast so there is some hope on improvement. Here is that link:

https://www.facebook.com/ParrotPlayhouse

Please also keep Alden, Samson, and Rita in your positive thoughts as well.

From somewhere in Australia, a tree full of Rainbow Lorikeets that used to come and wish our lovely little Black Pacific Duck Daisy nesting on the big WBSE tree ‘good morning’.

Thank you so much for being with me today. It is lovely to have you here with us. Take care of yourselves. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their posts, their videos, and their streaming cams that make up my screen captures: OpenVerse, Port Lincoln Osprey, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, Elain and Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, FOBBV, Raptor Recovery Australia and Judy Harrington and Sea Eagle Cam, WRDC, NEFL-AEF, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, Superbeaks, and Ferris Akel’s Live Tours.

Gabby and V3, Hen Harrier chicks stomped to death…and other news in Bird World

15 December 2022

Good Morning Everyone!

My goodness. Can you believe that we are 16 days away from 2023? Did we blink and 2022 flew by? The good news…it seems that Gabby might have been persuaded by V3’s charms. They were in the nest together and on the branches this morning!

In the garden it is snowy wonderland. About 17 cm fell – or should I saw blew in from Colorado with some more to come today. The birds do not like the heavy wet snow any more than I do. Mr Crow flew in and complained along with 27 European Starlings and a host of Sparrows.

The Starlings also knocked a solid seed cylinder to the ground and have been trying to eat it. I don’t think they like getting their feet in the snow.

The lone Blue Jay, Junior, has decided that eating the soft suet like the Starlings is a delicacy. So happy to see him enjoying it. Of course, Dyson is busy working away at the brand new solid seed cylinder that I put out this morning. Apparently Dyson & Co can eat a whole one in two days. That surprised me. They must have been eating all night!

In the World Cup of Birds, it is the French Gallic Rooster versus the Argentinian Rufous Hornero.

“João de Barro / Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus)” by Wagner Machado Carlos Lemes is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

“Cockerel, The golden Gauloise, whose male is named Gallic Rooster, (51650492815)” by gailhampshire is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

In Vancouver, a rare Warbler has been found and rescued in a parking garage.

Endangered bird not native to B.C. found in Vancouver parking garage

Channel Islands eaglet seen. San Miguel is the most remote of the islands and in this article Dr Peter Sharpe says he has not been there since 2017. The spotting of the eagle is excellent news.

The Channel Islands’ Bald Eagle Brothers

Deborah North Eagles caught mating. New season. New Hope.

Goodness. That Pepe at the Superbeaks Bald Eagle nest in Central Florida had some good fishing today. Just look at the size of the fish he brought in for the family! Incredible.

At the California-Berkeley Peregrine Falcon scrape of Annie, the new guy continues to come and try to wow her. However, twice he has brought prey and twice he has eaten it! I don’t think he read the ‘courting’ manual carefully. Annie is too much of a treasure. Let’s hope that this new guy shapes up or ships out!

In Louisiana, there was severe weather and tornadoes. Tonya Irwin reports on the nests in the Kisatchie National Forest:

It looks as if the male at the Metro Aviation Nest in Louisiana got hit by flying debris on his head ?? or had some other injury. It seems he will be alright.

This is a long but, a good eye-opening read from the Raptor Persecution UK. It has been suggested by Geemeff that I give you a warning before reading this. It is distressing to the extreme. Baby Hen Terriers stomped to death by humans!!!!!! Having just read Bowland Beth and a stack of books on the plight of the Hen Harrier and the Red Kites, I find this article distressing. How can we convince people that all of the animals have as much right to life as we human animals do?

Hen harrier chicks stamped to death in nest on grouse moor in Yorkshire Dales National Park

Early morning at Port Lincoln and Zoe is wishing for a fish!

We will miss that amazing Indigo when they leave the territory of Xavier and Diamond. Indigo is adorable. He has been stashing his leftover prey in the corner and Diamond has been taking it – obviously to teach Indigo many life lessons. He retrieved his prey from Mum. Look at how proud he is!

As Wednesday ends at The Hamlet, Gabby and V3 are on the nest tree together.

This image of Gabby with V3 is from this morning, Thursday 15 December. It seems Gabby might have made up her mind!

Two other love birds…Samson and Jackie. Oh, stay safe you two!

And last, some very good news sent by Geemeff —especially if you have been following The Flight of the Osprey! A live event…

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php/?fbid=471505791824836

Thank you so much for being with me today. Wherever you are, take care. See you soon!

Thank you to Geemeff for the heads up on the Flight of the Osprey live discussion. Thanks to the following for their postings, videos, and streaming cams that make up my screen captures: FOBBV, Port Lincoln Osprey, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam and Cilla Kinross, NEFL-AEF, Raptor Persecution UK, Tonya Irwin and Raptors of the World, Cal Falcons, Superbeaks, Raptor Resource and Explore.org, and Vancouver City News.