Tag Archives: Timber Fire

Did I tell you how much I adore Wensi? …Late Thursday in Bird World

27 August 2026

Greetings Everyone,

Update: Second egg at Port Lincoln today

Wednesday was a lovely day. Don and Ann spent time around our duck pond, full of ducks, geese, and people having a good time. It was all topped off with an ice cream dipped in chocolate sauce. We ended the day sitting outside and taking a late walk with Toby. The leaves are definitely changing – the golden touch of the setting sun really highlights the changes every evening. The temperatures are still those of summer – 25 C. The farmer’s markets are full of fresh corn, local honey, blueberries, cherries, and peaches. It is one of my favourite times of the year! Tomorrow I am going to try and make charred corn and black bean nachos. There is a wonderful recipe in The Guardian this evening. Looks easy and delicious.

Thank you to the staff of The Guardian~!

Tomorrow, Miyoung arrives to cut our hair. Toby is in dire need, too, but I think I am going to leave him with his great feathering and his grinch feet. He loves his baths, and we cut out any mats that he gets, especially the burrs that he gets tangled in when he goes to the back of the property. He is so good at sitting and letting me clean the fur off the bottom of his pads and any mats—and he loves the massage with shampoo!!!!!!!!! What a joy he is to care for, especially since he doesn’t like going to the groomers so much. (We get his nails trimmed and his bottom tidied at the vet surgery).

I might just make this, take the laptop outside, and watch Wensi. The camera operators gave us some amazing images on Wednesday as Wensi got a fish delivery. Don’t ask me if it was Clarke or Iris – it was quick. No one wants their leg taken off by a ravished fledgling!

Iris and Clarke continue to provide fish for Wensi. This is surely one of the healthiest ospreys in the US this season. I would give anything if Wensi had a Darvic ring so we could hear about her in the future.

‘PB’ sent me a note saying M15 had returned to the SW Florida Bald Eagle nest in Fort Myers, ending his summer vacation. Will the female that he has been seen with join him?

At Big Bear, Shadow was caught on camera calling out to Kaydee, who responded. SK Hideaways has them and their morning duet – have a listen! https://youtu.be/YULMHzwlwJk?

Lizmn catches up with Milda, the White-tailed Eagle of Durbe County, Latvia, delivering fish but no fledglings there to grab it! https://youtu.be/p3omLB2V54M?

Wings of Whimsy catches up with Beau at the NE Florida nest. https://youtu.be/8r-bAtjmhSc?

Beau is working on those restorations before Gabby gets home!

Geemeff’s Woodland Trust daily summary for Loch Arkaig Wednesday 26th August 2026
It’s clear Season Ten is winding down – the Hoodies are very bold, there’s only one chick and Louis still around, and night cam is switching over earlier each night. Louis brought one fish today, a flatfish, and Juniper managed to finish it despite harassment by a Hoodie. The Nest Two tally now stands at four hundred and sixty one, including five brought by Dorcha. The weather was settled today, cloudy and achieving a high of about 20°C, and should continue cloudy overnight with a low of 13°C, and sunny intervals tomorrow with a high of 22°C.


Today’s videos:https://youtu.be/lI-AjKSwRCU N2 Louis brings a fish but Juniper is harassed by a Hoodie 13.40.15https://youtu.be/9FxU2CVHtx4

 N2 Juniper waits quietly as the sun sets 20.31.18


Bonus webinar – tomorrow night at 7pm( 19:00 GM|T+1) Steve and George will be discussing the 2025 season and the current restoration works in Arkaig forest:https://woodlandtrust-org-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_78gnztVZT_q7mHQG4JBNZw#/registration

I will be listening to the webinar tomorrow (1300 Winnipeg time).

Its almost Open House at our local wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre, Wildlife Haven. They have now taken in twice as many patients in the first half of the year than they did all of last year!

Check out your local rescues and see if they have an Open House – and remember, save those clean, well-used towels and sheets. They can use them! Clearing out a house of a loved one? Don’t just chuck everything in the bin. Rescue centres need storage bins, woodworking tools, stainless steel dishes, laundry detergent, bleach – you name it – including toys for enrichment.

We are hoping to attend. We haven’t missed an Open House in years.

Get the tissues out. ‘PB’ sent me a link to a tribute to Jackie that I think you will enjoy: https://youtu.be/S7KAIlAcHLk?

There are still ospreys at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

SE38 is sometimes shy about eating. We are all cheering that little one on – and Lady is helping. SK Hideaways captures Lady’s tender encouragement on video: https://youtu.be/ugAnJczXunw?

Now how many eggs do we have at Port Lincoln? Are there two? We are waiting. Bart says between 72-78 hours. As I am watching it is now 76.6 hours since egg 1 so any time!

For those worried that Mum isn’t incubating the eggs all day, this is delayed incubation. It helps get the chicks to hatch closer together. Some of the UK osprey females have made an ‘art’ of delayed incubation, hatching three chicks on the same day – sometimes within a few hours. It really does help with all of the bonking, and oh, do our ospreys love to bonk one another for dominance and fish.

She laid her second egg this morning.

Good news from the Ventana Wildlife:

Christopher has fledged at Tweed Valley this morning.

Some more good news coming out of Wales:

Thank you so much! We love having you with us. It is a gorgeous day for haircuts and then a trip to the country. Toby says it is a great day for ice cream cones! Take care. See you soon.

Thank you to all the contributors – SK Hideaways, Geemeff, all those who post on FB, including the UK Osprey Information group! Thank you to the owners of the streaming cams for letting us see the lives of these amazing birds, and to ‘PB ‘, who is very busy but always sends me news. Thank you. Also a big shout out to the Guardian food contributors for that great recipe – try it! And check out their page on the newspaper site along with their environmental news.

Late Friday in Bird World

21 August 2026

Oh, my goodness. Summer is flying by. We had such a gorgeous day. I don’t want them to end!

We are joining our daughter and family at a beach cottage to take Toby to the dog beach and go swimming. Don is going to love it. He loves the sand and the water – let’s hope the weather is good.

Toby met Ann’s new tiny, tiny dog, Daisy, today. Those two played with Lucy in the garden. Like three old friends. It was a wonderful afternoon away from the house but not being a public place like the zoo – which is full of children attending camp right now.

As for me, I was searching high and low for something interesting to eat. Do you ever just get sick of eating? Things don’t taste good? Takeaway or delivery is often a mix of disgusting food, small portions, cold portions, and service fees, plus taxes and tips. Seriously, two burgers can wind up costing $62. Sorry. We have decided not to do that, so I’m looking for meals prepared locally, like The Greek Market. So Greek it is tonight!

This will be the shortest posting of the week, probably. I left at noon worried about Clark because he had not been seen delivering fish to Wensi. Instead, Iris was taking on this role.

So who delivered this fish first thing this morning? It sure looks like Clark. Am I bonkers?

Wensi came and went from the nest hoping for more fish. at one point he must have seen an adult.

I cannot tell you if this is little 4 at Blackbush or not but whoever it was kept seeing ospreys flying (you could see their shadows) and they were ever hopeful for a delivery.

Please continue to send prayers to those small islands and the Midway Atoll so that Hurricane Lala will pass and head off north.

I have missed commenting on Collin Marsh in Wisconsin. They had three fledglings originally. I cannot tell you if this is the same fledgling or not but it appears healthy. I am very pleased. The Marsh has been drained and the adults would have been fishing the local rivers and inlets.

Eating a nice fish!

Sharon Leigh Miles and friends have put together a family chart for Iris:

We need some really good news and if this doesn’t fit, I don’t know what does. No longer the fire threat to the Big Sur condors and – a condor returning to Big Sur after 21 years? All I can say is, wow. Thanks, Kelly, for your letter.

August 21, 2026
Dear Mary,I have both an update and a genuinely remarkable piece of condor news to share with you today.
 
The Timber Fire is no longer threatening our facilities or any wild condor nests. That said, it is still burning, and in these rugged landscapes anything can happen, so we continue to monitor conditions closely alongside our fire and agency partners. A huge thank you goes to Big Sur Fire, CALFIRE, and the U.S. Forest Service for the incredible job they’ve done managing this fire so far.
 
As for Condor (340) and Condor (868), the two birds we released earlier than planned, both have since flown back toward Pinnacles, putting welcome distance between themselves and the fire. It’s exactly the kind of instinct that has helped this species survive in fire-prone country, and we couldn’t be more pleased with how they’re doing.
 
We’ve also had encouraging news from the field. Early indications suggest the Grimes nest tree survived the fire, and while some of the camera equipment on the ground was lost, the nest cavity itself appears intact. The nest isn’t active right now, but a camera is in place for the upcoming season, and our partners at Explore.orghave already committed to replacing anything that was damaged. We’re grateful for their continued support, and hopeful about what the 2027 season may bring there. Joe will share more at the Condor Chat.
 

The Grimes nest tree still standing after the Timber Fire. Photo courtesy of Tim Templeton.
 
Now for the extraordinary part.
 
An incredible piece of California condor history is unfolding right now. For the first time in 21 years, Condor (161) has returned to the Big Sur coast.
 

Condor (161) back on the Big Sur coast, captured on our live San Simeon Condor Cam.
 
Released into the wild as an eight-month-old chick on December 12, 1997, she became a foundational member of the central California recovery effort. She spent her formative years navigating the rugged cliffs of Big Sur, helping her species push back from the brink of extinction. In 2004, her journey took a dramatic turn when she flew south to join the southern California flock. Over the next two decades, she became a prolific mother, successfully nesting and producing 10 offspring.
 
Biologists are thrilled but mystified by her sudden homecoming. We’re unsure what prompted her return to her original stomping grounds, or how long she intends to stay. This surprise visit is a powerful reminder of how much we still have to learn about the complex behaviors, memory, and lives of these majestic birds.
 
You can tune in to see Condor (161) and other condors on our live Condor Cams, and be sure to join us on the Condor Chat Thursday, Aug 27, to hear more about both stories.
 
Thank you, as always, for following along and for standing with us and the condors.


With gratitude,

Kelly Sorenson
Executive Director

…and the Condor Crew
Ventana Wildlife Society

‘R’ sends us news of Avian Flu in New Zealand.

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/18/nx-s1-5929107/the-threat-the-h5n1-avian-flu-poses-to-australia-and-new-zealands-unique-wildlife

That is good news to close on. Take care everyone. Send good wishes to all our ospreys as they struggle to get fit for migration!

I will see you again – on Sunday. I am going to take a day off. I really am! I urge all of you to turn off the screens and step back for a few days and just enjoy the end of summer.

My faithful companion who really brings so much joy to my life I cannot even find the words. He loves having a bath – Toby is truly a ‘Spaniel’.

Thank you to everyone who contributed information that I have included in this blog. To R and Kelly Sorenson for their news on Avian Flu (R) and the good news at Big Sur. To everyone who posted on FB, and to the owners of the streaming cams that let us watch the birds.