Tag Archives: UC Berkley Campanile peregrine falcon scrape box

It really is a great day in Bird World

Can the little Albino Osprey named Zuri see to grab prey from its mom, Landa? That is the question today at the Urdaibai. Yesterday the wee one with its pink eyes and beak had a few tiny bites of fish and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Today, it appears that its eyesight might cause issues in seeing the fish in order to grab it. Let us all send warm wishes over that way in the hope that this is sorted for the better!

Storms moved into the area later in the day. Let us hope that the damp cold moves out quickly!

And there is some good news coming out of Urdaibai. At 16:24:17, Zuri ate some fish. He was able to grab it. Continue with your warm wishes.

Here is a really good image of the nest and perch at the Urdaibai Biosphere.

The BBC did a special programme on Poole Harbour Ospreys. Poole Harbour is on the southern coast of England.

It is hard to imagine, in 2021, that it was 1993 that the first idea for reintroducing Ospreys to the southern coast of Britain began with discussions between Roy Dennis and Colin and Jenni Tubbs. Sadly, Colin died four years later and the project sat. Dennis discussed the possibility with others making several trips to the site and plotting out potential nest sites but, the Poole Harbour Osprey Project got its wings so to speak in July 2016 when funding came through. Eight birds were released successfully with trackers in late June in the area. Between 25 August and 23 September Dennis says that all eight set off for migration for Africa. It was 2017 and three were known to have arrived successfully in Africa. Dennis describes the details and all those involved in pages 393-407 of his most recent book, Restoring the Wild.

The following April, 2018, Blue ringed CJ7, a Rutland three year old arrived looking for a mate. That mate was Blue L57 but in 2020 he did not return from his migration. CJ7 was the subject of the BBC programme. In 2020, CJ7 took ownership of the main nest of the Poole Harbour osprey Project. She wanted a mate. In 2021, she laid five unfertilized eggs which the Ravens acquired.

And then, when the interview was being filmed, as if by magic, a male appeared on the nest, a two year old, a 2019 bird, Blue 022. He got busy with mating with CJ7 right on camera to the surprise of the live audience! It is too late for chicks this year but let us hope that this couple have a long productive life on the Poole Harbour nest.

Blue 022 is a two year old. So happy he stopped in at Poole on his return journey from Africa. Let us hope that this couple raises many chicks on this prime nest on the southern coast of England. Their mating marked a first in 200 years for this part of England. Imagine the celebration when there are chicks on the nest!!!!!

Tiny Tot had an early morning fish delivery to add to the late night one on 2 June. So far Jack is rewarding Tiny with fish as Tiny continues to protect the natal nest. That morning fish delivery came at 6:26:54. sibling #2 hasn’t been around for a day and a bit. Maybe he doesn’t want to battle with the intruder. But better, he is off catching his own fish! That would be brilliant.

After his breakfast, Tiny Tot started doing some nestorations. Gosh, remember. Males return to their natal nest. Oh, how grand it would be if this became Tiny’s nest in the future (now I really hope that Tiny Tot is a male!).

So a fish late last night and one this morning. All of us can relax for the rest of the day.

Good news is also coming out of Glaslyn. Aran’s wing is visually improving and his flight feathers are aligned. Oh, that is simply wonderful. We were all concerned about Aran being able to make his migration to Africa and here it is 3 June and he is healing splendidly. He has taken a fish from the nest and is eating it on the perch. Mrs G would really like some of it! The males are hard wired to provide so let us hope that Aran shares.

And good news out in San Francisco. Fauci and Wek-Wek, two of the fledgling Peregrine Falcons of Annie and Grinnell were on the tower this morning prey calling. Oh, it is so good to see them!

Oh, I couldn’t leave without checking on the storks today. Let us make it one more good moment! My friend, ‘R’ in Pennsylvania really likes the storks so these images are for you, ‘R’.

The community is doing splendid. Both dad and the three storklets are in fine health and the nest has lovely dry straw on it. What an amazing effort.

Dad stork is protecting his babies from the direct sun.

I wonder if they are watching for a fish delivery.

It is nice to close this Thursday posting on a real positive note. So far everything that is going on at the nests appears to be good. Fledglings are returning, storks are growing, the Poole Harbour Osprey Project has its legs so to speak, Tiny Tot has had a fish, and sweet little Zuri has grabbed some fish.

Thanks so much for joining me. Stay cool if you are in the heat warning area of the Canadian prairies, take care, stay safe.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Achieva Osprey Cam, Urdaibai Biosphere Park, Mlady Buky, UC Falcon Cam, Poole Harbour Ospreys FB Page, and Bwyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife.

‘As the Nest Turns’ – late Friday and Saturday edition

I don’t quite remember when the heavy rains started in the United Kingdom last week. It was a terrible time with many of our Bird friends suffering because of the unseasonable weather. Chicks died, generous people came to the rescue of the Glaslyn Nest, and at two different villages in Czechoslovakia, ordinary citizens are helping two stork families survive by providing food and dry hay. You might wonder why I say ‘dry’ hay but it has been chucking down rain and the nests get soaked. Because of that and the coolish weather, the wee ones are more susceptible to any type of virus or disease. Their system can get stressed. So providing the storks with dry hay is a fundamental way of helping them to cope in what is already a stressful situation – the death of a parent. I really applaud those who stepped up and are helping out. I hope that after things settle down in Glaslyn they might publish every detail about the feeding table they provided so that others in similar situations can more quickly help the Ospreys because of what Glaslyn learned. One thing we did learn is that Ospreys will eat fish that they did not catch. Another feeding table at Rutland in 2012 also provided fish but people forget and many carry on with the belief that Ospreys will not eat fish that is provided to them. Nonsense! Aran and Mrs G were very grateful and continue to be.

I had a question from a reader and I am trying to find out the precise answer. They wondered if Aran would be alright. Yes, Aran is getting stronger every day. It was exhausting trying to fish in Force 11 winds with flooding and intruders and then an injury to the feathers required to fish and fly well. As long as Aran continues to eat the food provided he will continue to improve. We hope that there are no more intruders on that nest to damage more feathers. We must also remember that those feathers help Aran with his flying and he needs them to migrate. Please continue with your donations – no matter how small. Glaslyn exists solely on donations to run their streaming cam plus everything else and now they are feeding Aran and Mrs G. The staff and volunteers are really amazing and they are also stressed and worn out. So don’t forget them simply because there are no longer chicks to feed – they still have Mrs G, the eldest osprey in the UK at 21 and her mate, Aran, to care for. Thanks!

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you will recall that I often say that a fledgling that flies off and returns to the nest to be fed by the parent is one that has a better chance of success. Indeed, when I hear that a bird has fledged and never returned to the nest my antennae go up and for all the wrong reasons. So, it was with great joy that not only did Fauci, Annie and Grinnell’s Peregrine falcon fledgling, fly from the nest on the Campanile at Berkeley yesterday over to the Evans building but, Fauci returned to the nest tower today. My goodness I bet he was hungry – he flew in screaming. Here is the video of that return:

I hope that his siblings do not try and copy Fauci’s landing when they return!

The two Bobs had a nice fish dinner before bed last night at Loch of the Lowes. Both of them looked wide awake and hungry after Laddie brought in a nice fish.

Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes. 27 May 2021

Laddie is a good provider as long as the weather cooperates. He has brought in a couple of big fish. There is an enormous size difference and NC0 doesn’t always fill up the beak of the smaller one but today it stood there til she did!

It’s Saturday and Laddie delivered another fine perch to NC0 and the little Bobs. And guess what? The sun has come out in Scotland. My goodness. They were beginning to think that winter had returned. Looking forward to some nice weather and the nest drying out!

Little Bob seems to like to be on the right side looking up at Mom. It must be working. It looks like he is growing and he is certainly holding its own. Sure makes you happy.

NC0 is doing a great job keeping the Bobs in the shade. It is about 15 degrees and it could be warmer on the nest but oh, how I bet that warmth feels good to mom. And getting this nest dry is a primary importance, too.

Iris stopped in at the Hellgate Nest today. It was almost like she was posing for all of her fans waiting to get a glimpse of her. The Ravens took and ate her three eggs so Iris doesn’t need to come to the nest but there she stood looking straight into the camera. And look at that crop. Iris can now focus 100% on herself – she has earned it. Having fledged 30-40 chicks before Louis and one with Louis, she is the grand dame of Ospreys everywhere. Thank you for popping in to show us you are OK. Put your talons up, Iris. Have a fish smoothie on us!

Isn’t she looking good?

The IR camera has been tripped by the sun rising on the Dyfi Nest in Wales. Telyn was off for a quick comfort break and the two wee ones are awake and wanting breakfish. Idris will no doubt bring in a whopper as soon as he can.

It looks like Idris and Telyn and the Two Bobs are getting a break. Their nest seems to be drying out a bit. Idris came in with a nice fish and you can see that both of the Bobs are getting a crop and Telyn hasn’t even finished feeding them. Wonderful.

There is still only one chick on the Llyn Cleywedog Nest in Wales of Dylan and Seren. And if the other two eggs do not hatch, I continue to say that one healthy little Bob is fantastic. The image below was taken last evening as the sun was going down. The little one had a nice feed along with mom, Seren.

It is late Saturday in the UK and there is still no sign of a pip on that second egg. Apparently the longest incubation for a second egg was at Dyfi – Idris and Telyn – at 37 days. The second egg on this nest was laid on 19 April. Any way I count it makes that egg 40 days old. Perhaps it is not viable. If the third egg is 38 days old today, it might still hatch. We wait!

It is just coming on 5 am on the Rutland Manton Bay nest of Maya and Blue 33 (11). The Two Bobs are still asleep and Maya is expecting an early morning delivery from dad. Just look at that beautiful sky. These nests are often located in some of the most picturesque landscapes. How wonderful!

The storklets are just waking up on the nest in Mlady Buke in Czechoslovakia. The mother was electrocuted on the hydro lines and the father cannot fish and protect the nest. The villagers have gotten together and are providing fish for the family. They bring fish right up to the nest three times a day. People can leave donations. This is heart warming.

The live camera to watch this family is here:

Yesterday, Big Red and the Ks were getting soaked in Ithaca, New York. It was hard to tell form the weather forecast if they would even catch a break before the middle of the week. Big Red was still cold and soaked this morning at 6:40 am.

She kept those babies covered as best she could but around 9am when the heavy rain had stopped, Big Red got up and took a comfort break. It was out and back in a blink trying to find something on the soaking nest to feed the babies. Arthur had brought in a Robin – not their favourite but food anyway – late yesterday. Critters hide and birds sit and hunting is difficult with wet wings – even for Arthur!

By 11 am, feathers are beginning to dry. Big Red is preening and the Ks will be working on themselves too.

I would like you to locate the black dot behind the eye of K3 nearest to you. That is the ear. It is not yet covered with feathers. Mites can get in there or mosquitoes can lay eggs and cause horrific problems for the hawklets. That is why Big Red has to keep that area clean for them until the feathers have grown over them.

They are preening away. Those feathers are all important – they will keep them dry and wet when they all come in and they will help them fly so they can hunt. They say birds spend 70% of their time conditioning and preening their feathers.

Ah, what a great shot. The Red-tail hawks only get their beautiful red tail feathers once they have their first moult and are a year old. You can just see the little tail feathers beginning on K1. “One day I will look just like my mom!”

It’s 11:33 and already the rain on the metal of the lightbox where the nest is located is drying off. Oh, goodness, I hope Arthur has good luck hunting and that our Red-tail hawk family in Ithaca gets to completely dry out and eat before the rains begin again.

Today, Aran and Mrs G have been sitting with one another on the perch post of the nest. Aran has also been seen flying as far as the Visitor Centre where he has been chasing off intruders. This is good news because this is the farthest he has flown since his injury.

It is so nice to see them together. They will both regain their strength and Aran will heal so they are ready for their late summer, early September migration.

Thank you for joining me today. I am keeping an eye on Tiny Tot at the Achieva Nest. The intruder is still around and he is sure wanting to have a fish drop. Fingers crossed for our brave little one. Take care. Stay safe!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I get my screen shots: Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, Cornell Bird Lab Red Tail Hawk, LRWT, Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes Wildlife Reserve, Dyfi Osprey Project, Cornell Bird Lab and the Montana Osprey Project, Ziva Camera in Mlade Buky, Clywedog and Carnyx.

Friday Nest Hopping in Bird World

After the continuing sadness on the Glaslyn Nest and the mounting attacks by the intruder on the Achieva Credit Union’s Osprey Nest in St Petersburg, Florida, it felt like a good time to check on the other nests in Bird World to see what good news is going on.

There were three chicks on the Loch of the Lowes nest. The third, one of the tiniest I have ever seen, died shortly after it was born. The first hatch is doing well and growing like mad. The second is small. I attribute this to the aggressiveness when there is food to the first hatch and the lack of experience of NC0. Let’s hope they both keep going.

The following two images are from the Scottlish Wildlife Trust and the Loch of the Lowes streaming cam:

Being the armchair auntie that I am, Laddie needs to keep bringing the fish onto the nest – big and small. NC0 is hungry and she needs to have fish to top up Little Bob while Big Bob is in food coma!

Scottish Wildlife Trust and Loch of the Lowes Nest Cam

Blue 33 (11) delivered a big fish to Maya for the Two Bobs early this morning and he is back checking on the pantry. Now problems and now worries at the Rutland Manton Bay Nest. Blue 33 (11) and Maya are a Super Osprey Couple.

The two chicks are starting to get their feathers and will look less and less reptilian in a few days!

LRWT

Idris and Telyn (Blue 3J) are on the Dyfi Nest. Idris caught a whale of a fish this morning. He is eating the head and then will deliver the rest to the nest. It is unknown whether the male Ospreys prefer the head or if this is a mechanism to help keep the chicks from being injured in the nest. Still, we know from experiences this year that the fish does not always stop flapping even if the head is off!

Dyfi Osprey Project Cam

Sweet little babies eating their fish.

Dyfi Osprey Project

Ready for another lunch two hours later!

Dyfi Osprey Project Cam

Oh, and just look at that first hatch of Blue 5F Seren and Dylan at Clywedog. This little one is finishing its late lunch resting on the two eggs left in the nest. The second egg is late in hatching and might not and we will see if the third hatches. Sometimes having one healthy chick is the best

Llyn Clywedog Osprey Project Cam

I don’t know if you can tell it but this nest is also still damp from the rain. I hope that Seren keeps Bob warm and dry!

Llyn Cleydewog Osprey Project Cam

Here you can see how damp the nest is better. Oh, little one. Stay well!

Llyn Clywedog Osprey Project Cam

There was other excitement at the Clywedog Nest early this morning. A second year juvenile, KA7 returned to his natal nest today at Llyn Clywedog. KA7 was originally believed to be a female due to its weight but it now believed to be a male. A success story – we need all of them we can get today.

Blue 35 and White YW are on the Foulshaw Moss Nest in Cumbria. The nest is certainly drier than those in Wales. You can see Blue 35 incubating but letting Big Bob get some air.

Cambrian Wildlife Trust

Fauci fledged yesterday at the UC Berkeley Campanile Peregrine Falcon Nest. Annie and Grinnell still have Kaknu and Wek-Wek and both of them seem to be more interested in eating and playing together than fledging.

UC Falcon Cam
UC Falcon Cam

Annie is bringing food to Wek-Wek.

It may be sunny in California but you would think that the Welsh rains have hit Ithaca, New York. The Ks woke up and it was a nice dry day and then the skies opened. Big Red is on the Fernow Lightstand Nest with the Ks and they are now drenched – soaked down to the bone.

Cornell Bird Lab
Cornell Bird Lab

Sadly, the weather is showing continual downpours on Big Red and the Ks through Saturday.

Cornell Bird Lab

The sun is setting on the Osprey Nest in Estonia and we are on hatch watch. The first egg was laid on 17 April, second on 20 April, and third on 23 April. We could wake up to a pip tomorrow morning!

Eagle Club of Estonia

You can watch this nest here:

I would like to introduce you to a new nest. It is an artificial platform that was rebuilt in 2021. This is the Black Stork in in Jõgeva County in Estonia. The Black Storks successfully bred in this nest for many years until 2004 when it was vacant. The male, Tooni, moved to another nest. The Black Storks on the nest have been here for two years. The Black Stork is on the Extreme Endangered List for Estonia and they are very rare. It is wonderful that these two have accepted the new nest.

The male arrived on 10 April to begin preparing the nest in the hope that the female mate would come.

Eagle Club of Estonia

The female arrived on 2 May. The female is incubating four eggs that were laid on 12, 14, 15, and 18 of May.

Eagle Club of Estonia

You can watch the nest here:

The Estonians are learning many things through watching the rare Black Storks. First, the fledge date depends on the amount of prey brought to the nest. Also, the longer the storklets stay on the nest after fledging the more successful they are. In North America, we also know this – the longer the Ospreys and the Bald Eagles remain on the nest after fledging, the more likely they will succeed and beat the odds. A good example is Legacy who fledged, was missing, found her nest and remained on the nest for nearly a month longer. The other case are E17 and E18 from the Fort Myers Bald Eagle nest of D Pritchett. The Estonian scientists also learned that any disturbance of the nest could cause the parents to abandon it at any time. If you see a nest, do not disturb it. And do not tell anyone where it is located. Caution is always the word.

Thank you for joining me today. With the chicks dying at the Glaslyn Nest and the Welsh nests still being cold and damp, it is good to see that many other nests are doing very well. Some have enjoyed good weather while others have had on and off heavy rain, like Big Red and the Ks. Fingers crossed for all of them keeping intruders away, making nestorations for the laying of eggs, and the incubating of their eggs. Take care everyone. Stay safe. Enjoy the weekend coming up.

I have put the names of the streaming cams where I get my screen shots under the images. I am thankful to these organizations for their streams because that is where I get my screen shots.

Tiny Tot defends nest against adult intruder

There they were – two adults on the nest with Tiny Tot but one of them was not his parent. The parent flew off and left Tiny with the intruder – or that is how it looked to me. I filmed the entire 42 minutes but the file was too big to post here. So this will give you a taste of what happened.

It was 4:28 when Tiny Tot’s dad, Jack, fully dispensed with the adult intruder. Tiny was extremely fortunate that his feathers were not torn and ruined but he was gallant and put up a great fight against a bird much larger than him. Tiny Tot is really learning some ‘world’ lessons before he leaves the nest.

There is Tiny trying to get the intruder off the nest! Tiny is the one in the middle of the nest. You can see, even with the camera angle, how much larger the adult is than Tiny.

Tiny Tot is going to deserve one big fish tonight!

And in other news, Fauci fledged. He flew over to the Evans Building. Here is a short clip of Annie and Grinnell’s little one after his first flight. It is about 100 metres from the nest.

Thank you so much for joining me. It is so nice that so many people appreciate the raptors!

Thank you to the Achieva Credit Union and the UC Falcon Cam where I grab my screen shots.

Tuesday in Bird World

Grinnell and Annie are working hard to prepare the three boys for fledging and starting their lives outside of the scrape box. Today is 25 May and fledging should fall into 27-29 May – two days away! It is possible the youngest will be the 31st but you never know.

Grinnell has had the three lined up getting lessons and is working hard on teaching them aspects of self-feeding.

Not so sure they are listening to the instructions on plucking the pigeon!

Ever wonder what it might be like feeding your chicks when they are almost as big as you and there are three of them? Have a look.

Here is a very short clip of Kaknu taking the lunch and running away with it today:

This year has been plagued by a lack of chipmunks. Instead, the Ks seem to have been living on Starling. Something unexpected happened this morning – Arthur brought in a chipmunk. Yes, a chipmunk! Big Red had to have been delighted.

Sometimes Big Red takes a break and flies over to another of the light stands. She can keep a close eye on the Ks from here. On occasion Arthur will do a prey drop for her there and many times you will see the two of them sitting side by side looking out onto their territory.

Big Red was delighted with that chipmunk for breakfast! It looks like there is a partial chipmunk sitting on the nest. Maybe we will see more.

It is not going to be long until these Ks are running and jumping on the ledge, flapping their wings, and getting stronger to fly. Their first flight is usually from this ledge across the street to one of the trees where the parents are waiting for them.

Just look at Big Red’s eyes and face. Oh, she loves being a mother.

“Oh, don’t you want just one more bite?”

Big Red did look tired this morning. Here she is taking some ZZZZs along with the Ks. In three and a half weeks time, the Ks will fledge. It is hard to believe. They will remain with Big Red and Arthur who will teach them to hunt and give them all kinds of exercises to help them later. Big Red and Arthur will also gradually expand the area the Ks are hunting in to include the entire campus. Sometimes they even go on family hunting trips for squirrels – working cooperatively to get the prey out of the tree.

I would like to introduce you to another species of raptor. It is the Booted Eagle, the Hieraaetus Pennatus. This pair of Booted Eagles lives in a pine forest within the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park near Madrid. The elevation is 1400 metres. The Booted Eagles are the largest group of raptors living in the park. They estimate that there are approximately twenty-five pairs. The nest you are looking at has been active every year since 2002.

The female is on the left. You can see she is much darker. The male is on the right.

Just like Annie and Grinnell and Big Red and Arthur, the female is much larger than the male. This is called reverse sexual dimorphism. There are many reasons for this disparity. They are: 1) females need to be larger because they must accumulate reserves in order to produce eggs; 2) the size difference allows the two to hunt different prey and reduce the competition for food. Raptors that hunt birds are generally smaller and faster leaving the females to specialize in larger prey; 3) historically females have selected smaller mates; and 4) to protect the female during mating from being injured by large males.

In Booted Eagles, the male is smaller with darker feathers on its back, yellow ochre on the crown of its head, darker tear shape feathers on its chest which is light. The female tends to the nest and the chicks and the male is primarily responsible for hunting, delivering prey, and territorial protection. You can easily differentiate them in the image above.

There are normally two eggs that are incubated for 37-40 days. The chicks remain on the nest for around 48 days when they began branching and flying. By August, the male is the primary carer. The female has left the territory for a rest. The male will provide prey for the young to self-feed on the nest and will remain with them until mid-September teaching them to hunt and fly.

I received a letter from one of my readers asking about Kisatchie. Kisatchie is the eagle from the Kisatchie National Forest Nest in Central Louisiana. His parents are Anna and Louis (great names). You might recall that Kisatchie is the first eaglet to hatch on this nest since 2013. He brought so much joy and then he fledged and now the camera is down. This is the current information from the Forest Services personnel:

“If you have visited the eagle cam in the past 72 hours, you will have noticed the nest is empty and more recently, the eagle cam is down. This is because our Kisatchie eagle flew the nest on Saturday, May 22, around 3:30 p.m. As luck would have it, Kisatchie chose to take its first flight from a branch ABOVE the camera, so we were unable to capture Kisatchie soaring over the Kisatchie National Forest. Bummer. The eagles will now migrate north for the summer and will return late fall/early winter. Our wildlife biologists will use the summer months to make any repairs on the eagle cam, checking wiring, camera housing, and things like that. We want to be ready for the next round! Thank you for joining us on this journey of watching our first captured-on-camera eaglet hatching. Through ice storms and thunderstorms, it was an exciting 88 days (from hatching to fledging) and a great learning experience for us all.”

Everyone is wondering if anyone has seen Kisatchie or heard. I have written a letter to the Forestry Services and if I hear anything, I will let you know. Here is an image of Kisatchie on 17 May during his branching phase looking out over Lake Kincaid:

There is absolutely no news coming out of the Glaslyn Osprey Nest. As soon as there is any news about Aran and Mrs G and the Bob 2 and 3, I will let you know.

Thank you for joining me today. Take care!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: the KNF Service, Cornell Bird Lab and RTH, UC Cal Falcons, and SEO Birdlife.

Emotional Day in Bird World

The staff at the Glaslyn Osprey Nest in Wales are issuing statements on their FB page about the situation at the nest of Mrs G, Aran, and their three little ones. Aran has returned to the nest without any fish. The three little ones are still alive but for how long without food, no one knows. The weather in the area is not improving.

The Raven attack on the Glaslyn Nest can be seen here:

Watchers of Tiny Tot cried and cheered this morning when the third hatch of the Achieva Credit Union Osprey nest in St Petersburg, Florida fledged. It was 9:52:24. Everyone is hoping to catch more glimpses of Tiny as he returns to the nest for fish dinner. Fingers crossed.

Tiny Tot grew up to be a magnificient Osprey. We wish him a life full of fish and no drama! Oh, how I would like to know where you go and what you do, Tiny Tot. You are such an example of a survivor.

From the moment that E24 hatched, he has brought us great joy. That was the 8th of February. The little one was strong and survived an irritation of the eye as well as a bout of Avian Flu. The popular choice for a name was Legacy and it was very fitting.

Tears rolled down everyone’s face when Legacy left the nest and was missing in action for three days. She found her way home on 1 May and stayed with us for more than three weeks. She flew off the nest tree yesterday, 22 May 2021, at 11:31. It feels like this is goodbye. Samson bought in a fish to try and lure him back to the nest but, Legacy did not come for it.

Legacy’s father, Samson, returned to this very nest, the nest where he hatched, to raise his family. Because of the dire circumstances that happened to Romeo and Juliet, Samson really did create a legacy to his dad at this nest. Last year him and Gabby fledged Jules and Romy and this year, Legacy (such a great choice of name). Maybe Legacy will return in four years time and raise his family, if dad is retired!

Legacy will be 15 weeks old on 24 May. She is right in the sweet spot of the average fledge.

This little one brought us great joy – seeing her fight with her parents who were being surrogate siblings. I enjoyed particularly her interactions with Samson who is just the most amazing dad. Fly high Legacy! Take care. Return to us one day.

22 May 2021. Legacy leaves nest tree in Jacksonville, Florida.

Legacy is a week younger than E17 and E18 over at the Southwest Florida Bald Eagle Nest in Fort Myers. Talk about tears. These two were bonking maniacs. Then they got Conjunctivitis. And despite all the pecks, E18 protected E17 when danger came to the nest. They have grown to be best buddies – the twins that they are. They have played in the water in the ponds, caught prey on their own, returned to be fed by Harriet and M15. Here they are today sitting by one another on the branch. They haven’t left permanently. The time is, however, coming when that could be a reality. Buckets of tears will fall not only because that event will mark the end of a very successful season for Harriet and M15 but because it might mean that these two are separated. Each to their own territory. I wish, like Legacy and Tiny Tot, that they had a tracker.

There is an interesting story coming out of the United Kingdom of a brother and sister duo like these two actually setting up a nest together. (We do not know the gender of E17/18). The scientists have indicated that they are not concerned. So we wait but we might never know, sadly, the fate of E17 and E18. Whenever that last day arrives, they are ready to survive and we wish them boy voyage.

There was enough of a break in the weather at the Dyfi Nest of Telyn and Idris that Big Bob got to have two feeds. One of mullet and another of trout. A big crack has been noted in egg 3. Sadly, Bob 2 suffocated about eight hours after it was born. It was at a time when Telyn was desperately trying to keep the chicks dry and warm.

Here is Big Bob enjoying his trout dinner! Let us hope that this dire weather over in Wales settles down so that Little Bob will not have any difficulties. It has to be a worrisome time for all.

The miserable weather has continued over in Rutland where Blue 33 has been very fortunate in his fishing. The water has been choppy and murky. You can see how windy it is by the new punk hair styles of Blue 33 and Maya.

The Two Bobs are fine. Their plumage has changed and they truly look like their ancient relatives.

The same cold rain is still up at the Loch of the Lowes. Laddie and Nessie (NC0) are doing the best they can to both feed and keep the three little ones dry.

The cold rainy weather continues in Missoula, Montana. It was 4 degrees C. Iris returned to her nest with a nice crop at 10:17:42. She had not spent the night there and she has not, so far, gotten on to the nest with the eggs. The lingering cold and wet have insured that the eggs are not viable. So Iris will not have to go through the tragedies of past years. For now, I am simply glad that she visits the nest so that we can see she is alright! That is the main thing, isn’t it? Iris is, after all, the oldest Osprey in the world and we should enjoy every minute that we can with her. She is truly a survivor and when she doesn’t return from her migration, it will be the end of an era. Buckets of tears will flow. But for now, let us be joyful in her presence.

We know that Osprey fish for their food but Iris is starting to look particularly miserable with all the rain and cold weather. This is supposed to be her summer holiday!

For the lovers of Grinnell and Annie’s little falcons, this week is going to fly by fast. We could be on fledge watch in five days! How quickly they have grown. Today, the white dandelions have almost disappeared on the two oldest. You can see that the juvenile plumage is coming in nicely.

It is a damp day on the Canadian prairies. We have had that much needed rain and sun would be welcome. Outside my window Mr Crow is being difficult. The neighbours have been leaving kibble for a stray kitten. Instead of the kitten eating it, Mr Crow has been enjoying the crunchy bits. The dish is empty!

A friend of mine who lives in Maine says that this has been a different year for her watching the birds. This year she is more aware of the challenges that they face in their daily lives than she was last year. It is so true. They have brought much joy to us, now it is time for us to optimistically step forward and figure out ways to turn their world around.

Thank you for joining me today. I want to leave you with an image of a truly great bird mom, Big Red. I cannot even begin to imagine the mourning that will go on when she is no longer with us. She is eighteen this year. Every minute is precious. Here she is checking out the chicks as they sleep. She sees some things she doesn’t like and starts being the great mom she is – she is preening!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams. This is where I get my scaps: Cornell Bird Lab RTH, Achieva Credit Union St. Petersburg, NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam and the AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam and D Pritchett, LRWT, UC Falcon Cam, Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Loch of the Lowes, Dyfi Osprey Project, and the Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife.

UC Berkeley Falcons have names

Annie and Grinnell are very famous Peregrine Falcons. They first established their territory in the beautiful Campanile on the UC Berkeley Campus in December 2016. It is the penthouse that looks out all over the campus.

“The Campanile” by Joe Parks is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

What an amazing place to raise falcons! The scrape box is located above the bell tower and apparently the ringing of the bells does not bother Grinnell, Annie, or the eyases. It is a well protected and safe place to raise chicks.

Annie and Grinnell have hatched 13 chicks. Three of those are in the nest now. The other ten fledged. Of those ten, one died by window strike and another, a female, Lawrencium, who hatched in 2018 is nesting on Alcatraz Island. The whereabouts of the remaining eight is unknown.

We do not know how old Annie is but Grinnell hatched in Martinez, California which is near to San Francisco in 2013. So Grinnell is eight years old.

Here are the eyases on banding day. The oldest two were born on the 17th of April and the youngest was born on the 19th of April.

From left to right: Kaknu, Fauci, and Wek’-Wek’. Banding Day. 15 May 2021

Every year a contest is held to name the UC Berkeley falcons. The names this year are Fauci after Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases (Red Band), Kaknu which is the name ‘falcon’ in the Ohlone Tradition (Yellow Band), and Wek’-Wek’ which is the traditional falcon of the Miwok Tribes.

The Ohlone lived along the coast and the land around San Francisco was the traditional lands of the Ohlone. In the mythology of the Ohlone, the coyote is the advisor and grandfather of the mythical hero of the people, the Kaknu or peregrine falcon. Kaknu features in the creation myths of the Ohlone as well as in the mythology of another San Francisco native tribe, the Miwok where the falcon is known as Wek’-Wek’. The Coyote was also the creator god of the Miwok and his grandson is also the peregrine falcon. Wek’-Wek’s father was the condor.

The three falcons chicks of Annie and Grinnell are all males. Indeed, out of the thirteen eyases of Annie and Grinnell only three of them have been females. Because the males are much smaller than the females, it does not take as long for their bodies to be covered with feathers. As a result, male falcons fledge earlier than females. (This is a similar situation with hawks). The biologists at Berkeley feel that the feathers will have completed their growth by 28 of May and are expecting the two oldest, Fauci and Kaknu to fledge 28-29 of May with Wek’-Wek’ joining them on the 31st. The eyases will then be trained by their parents for a couple of months to hunt so that they are independent and ready to live in the world successfully. They will do prey drops and aerial exchanges. Oh, can you imagine? The fastest birds in the world doing prey exchanges with their children. Wow!

You can see how quickly their plumage has changed from the image above which was on banding day, 15 May, only six days ago. In one week, they will have their juvenile feathers and be ready to fly.

Look at all that beautiful peach feathering. Gorgeous.

21 May 2021

Thank you so much for joining me today. I hope that our friends in Bird World are bringing you much joy!

Thank you to UC Berkeley Falcon cams that is where I grab my screen shots.

They will be flying in a week!

From Mantou to Murray to Missoula – a check on our bird friends

How many people wake up in the morning and wonder if something has happened on a bird nest? Do you look at the birds in your garden and wonder what kind of a day they have been having? For a couple of days, there has been some sort of stress at the Manton Bay Osprey Nest, in Rutland. It began with a headless fish and included an intruder this morning.

Blue 33 (11) immediately flew to Maya and the babies. Maya hunkered down over the babies watching while Blue mantled and sent out loud alerts.

It was all over in about three minutes but it must have felt like an eternity to Blue 33 (11) and Maya protecting their nest and their babies. Right now, there are many two and three year old Ospreys returning to the UK from their migration to Africa. For many, they have been away for eighteen months and this is their first return journey home. Everyone is looking for a mate and a nest and this nest on Manton Bay is prime real estate.

You can watch the entire process of protecting their nest on this short three minute video:

Ever since Blue 33 (11) brought in a headless fish that twice battered around the Two Bobs, Maya has been somewhat cautious whenever he delivers a perch. Sunday, the 16th of May, was no exception at Rutland’s Manton Bay Osprey Nest.

“Blue, are you really sure this fish is dead? You just wait here with the fish and the Bobs while I have a wee break…”

Blue 33 (11) kept staring at the fish. At the same time, one of the Two Bobs thought maybe dad would decide to do the feeding.

Blue 33 (11) only flew off the nest as Maya was landing. They are taking no chances with stranger Ospreys in the vicinity!

Maya approaches the fish cautiously.

The Two Bobs, having forgotten about the dangerous flapping fish, were ready to tuck in!

There are a lot of intruders on the Osprey nests at the moment. The two and three year olds are returning from their migration to Africa. Many have been away for eighteen months and this is their first time back in the United Kingdom. They do not have mates and they do not have nests and as well know, Manton Bay is prime real estate. Blue 33 (11) will not allow any of them to take his nest or harm his family!

There could be a couple on the Loch Arkaig Nest. The unringed male brought in a fish for the Blue 152.

And there is a microphone inside the Loch of the Lowes nest and you can hear one of Laddie and Nessie’s chicks chirping away inside the egg. She is listening!

The single chick at the Lake Murray Osprey nest in NH is doing fantastic. Have a look! There are advantages to being an only child!!!!!

Annie had the three boys over in the corner and she was behind them protecting them and keeping them in the scrape box last night. Grinnell brought in a banded shore bird of some kind for their late dinner.

As evening came down on Missoula, Montana, Iris was in her nest incubating the eggs. Good Night, Iris!

For the fans of the Port Lincoln Ospreys, Mom has been spending more time at the nest and Solly is doing great. Solly is 239 days old today and she remains at Eba Anchorage. Don’t you just love these satellite trackers?

Thanks for joining me today. Take care, stay safe – enjoy being outside if you can!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Cornell Lab and Montana Osprey, Lake Murray Osprey Cam, UC Falcon Cam, Woodland Trust, and the LRWT. Thank you for the tracking information on Solly, Port Lincoln FB Page!

Sunday Nest News

It looks like there could be a pip on the nest of Mrs G and Aran at Glaslyn. The first egg was laid on 10 April for the 2021 season. Mrs G is the oldest breeding Osprey in Wales. She hatched, from all that can be ascertained, in either 2000 or 2001 making her ten or eleven years old this year. Aran and Mrs G have been together since 2015.

You can watch Mrs G and Aran raise their chicks here:

The two eaglets on the Duke Farms Nest fludged today. Li’l was up higher on the branch and was followed by Big. They both began flapping and well – one of them knocked the other off the branch and they both went flying off to the field. That happened at 9:17:46. Neither have returned to the nest.

Li’l could not figure out a way to get around Big to go down. Li’l flaps. Big doesn’t move.

At 9:17:46, flapping and falling and both fludge.

The pair have not returned to the nest. It is now after 19:00. Perhaps the parents can lure them to return to the nest with prey.

Iris has been on and off the nest. One time she was followed by Louis. I wish he would bring her a fish if he comes calling. Geez. It is easy to understand, watching Louis land for mating, one reason why the female raptors have to be bigger than the males.

Iris has two eggs in the nest that she has been taking care of on and off again. She will never have another mate because Louis will not allow another male in his territory. So let us all hope that the hormones calm down shortly, the eggs aren’t viable, and Iris can enjoy her summer sunning herself and having some nice fish.——— My personal wish is that Louis would just stay home with Starr!

Big Red and Arthur’s chicks are growing like crazy. It seems even faster this year.

The clown feet are already coming and if you look under the white furry down, they are getting grey and speckled. My goodness.

Normally we would see a nest full of chipmunks but I wonder if Arthur cut that population down last year. This year the nest seems to be full of Starlings.

Legacy is still with us. The sun is setting and Samson brought her a fish in the morning. She is so gorgeous. Legacy, you can stay on the nest as long as you like. Samson likes bringing you fish!

Legacy ate that entire big fish!

And it is always a good day when Tiny Tot is still on the nest. Did anyone ever believe that little osplet, running around the rim of the nest begging for some fish, would grow and turn into this beautiful Osprey? Well, she has thrived – most of remember the day this nest turned around. Diane brought in a catfish and that day she fed Tiny to the brim and she never stopped feeding Tiny again! Something clicked that the little one was going to be a survivor. Below in the image is the evidence. Beautiful Osprey. Such a happy ending! Diane and Jack will fledge three this year, it would appear. Always brings tears to my eyes – tears of joy!

Sibling #1 returned the day after she fledged and has not been seen since. Sibling #2 stayed around the nest getting fed and getting its flying better. #2 was last seen at the nest around 10am on 15 May. Someone asked if the Florida Ospreys migrate. That is a great question – no, they do not. They stay in Florida year round.

They are there. You can barely tell them from the dry Spanish moss on the nest. The two osplets on The Landings Osprey Nest on Skidaway Island, otherwise known as the Savannah Ospreys, are doing fine. Both are growing and each has some distinct dark rusty brown markings. Beautiful babies this year. Let us hope they both stay safe!

Sadly, one of the four Winchester Cathedral peregrine falcon chicks has died. Let us hope that it is a one off and not rodenticide poisoning that could impact the entire clutch.

Meanwhile, Annie and Grinnell’s three boys are getting stronger. Their feathers are coming in quickly and they are now venturing beyond the scrape box.

Thank you for joining me. We might have some new ospreys tomorrow. Will keep you posted! Take care and stay safe.

Thank you to the following streaming cams where I grab my screen shots: Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn Wildlife, UC Falcon Cam, Cornell Bird Lab, Montana Osprey Project, Duke Farms, NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam, Cornell Bird Lab and Skidaway Audubon, Achieva Osprey, and the NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam and the AEF.

Late night Thursday edition of ‘As the Nest Turns’

The White-tail Eagle nest in the Matsula National Park in Estonia – one of the oldest known breeding territories in the country, has been fledging eaglets since the nineteenth century, if not before. Archives go back to 1870 with modern records from 1996-2020 indicating that no less than 29 eaglets fledged from the nest that Eve and Eerik currently call their own. So what has happened this year?

For two days now, Eve and Eerik have been mourning the loss of their two babies, EE1 and EE2. Long before the little ones stopped breathing, the couple knew. A parent was always there with them witnessing their last breath. It is a scene that many of us have observed at other nests this year. I remember too clearly the Captiva Bald Eagle Nest in Florida – on Santibel Island – when Hope and Peace both died of secondary rodenticide poisoning. Joe, the father was devastated, and I have often wondered if it wasn’t the death of his two eaglets that made him vulnerable and, eventually, evicted from the nest by Martin. Several years ago, stories of the injuries to Juliet at the NE Florida Bald Eagle nest and then the death of his eaglet, made Romeo abandon the Bald Eagle Nest in Jacksonville where his son, Samson, has now fledged his third-eaglet, Legacy (the two previous were Romy and Jules last year). Birds have memories and emotions, they mourn the dead, and understand. Laura Culley would challenge anyone who begged to differ, “And why wouldn’t they?” she was ask.

Eve and Eerik completely covered the babies, each spending time at the nest. Imagine that you have two seemingly healthy children and within a day they are both dead and you don’t know what happened. I use the term ‘seemingly healthy’, as the two eaglets were somewhat lethargic for several days before they died. It was extremely hot – one of those blasts of extreme heat that my friend ‘T’ from Strasbourg warned me about. I thought it was the heat that caused them to be less hungry and alert.

The experts in Estonia have mentioned that a sizeable number of large birds have been found dead along the coastline. Below is a Google Map showing that coast line and the area of Matsula.

Google Map showing the area of Matsalu and its proximity to the coast line of Estonia.

The eagles eat carrion (dead animals). Is it possible that a disease was transmitted to the nest? Was it Avian Flu? or was the cause rodenticide? It will be good to have the speculation stopped and have factual evidence – then the wildlife authorities can begin to figure out how to make sure this doesn’t happen again (if they can). The bodies of the babies will be removed on the 14th of May for an autopsy if the eagles allow them to take them. Meanwhile, Eerik is at the nest looking down at his baby, EE1, now covered by straw.

Wildlife employees in Estonia have just released this statement: “If we manage to collect the dead chicks (hope the parents let us do that), the tests will be done in Estonian University of Life Sciences or sent abroad if needed. We’ve talked with Dr. Madis Leivits about it. We’ll post the findings on the forum, if we get new information. The camera will stay online and I really hope that next year we can follow this nest again.” Thank you ‘T’ for sending this to me!

It is hard to transition from what is happening in Estonia to the rest of Bird World. I hope that the issues at this beautiful nest in Estonia are resolved and that Eve and Eerik return to raise another family next year.

When the anxiety and tensions on one nest get too high and I need a break, I head to a nest that appears stable – at that moment. As we all know, everything can change in an instant. One of those ‘safe’ nests is the Manton Bay Osprey nest at Rutland, home of Maya and Blue 33 (11). Just look at those Two Bobs! Blue 33 (11) has been busy bringing in fish today. It was a whopper at 11:47. Maya is busy filling the two up before the rains come. Look at how strong their necks are! Oh, I love this Osprey nest and those baby blues of the little ones. They will turn an amber or yellow-orange shortly and when they are adults, their eyes will be a piercing bright yellow like their dad and mum. Oh, those little dinosaurs are adorable.

Birds are often better at telling what the weather will be than our local forecaster. Maya fed the babies as much as they could hold before the skies opened in the late afternoon. Look at how she is hunkered down so the Bobs are warm and dry. Their down is of no protection to them.

By 18:22 it is dry enough that Maya can safely stop her brooding and feed those spunky osplets! There is not any nonsense. Maya and Blue 33 (11) are amazing parents who keep those kiddos full. The Bobs know that there is plenty of fish – no food insecurities here. How refreshing. I could watch these two little ones all day. You can see how they stand erect for Maya and how their crops are just beginning to get full.

There is no shortage of pigeons for the three male eyases of Annie and Grinnell. The parents had a banquet for them after the banding yesterday. If you look carefully you can see the red band on the right leg of the chick at bottom left. Each eyas has two bands – an aluminum one and a coloured one.

One of the questions that someone asked yesterday during the Q & A was about the ‘ps’ all over the walls. The answer was this: if something happened to Annie and Grinnell a pair of falcons checking out this box would know that the territory was a good one, full of prey, because of all the ps. Isn’t that interesting? One of the other questions was about parasites. Peregrine falcons evolved to lay their eggs and raise their eyases in a scrape box. This helps avoid mites and parasites that happen on stick nests.

Big Red and Arthur’s little ones are also full of spunk and vinegar! K3 got its head caught under the wing of one of the sibs and it stood up like a big prize fighter giving that sib the what for. Look at that crop! That little one is really telling that other one. It is not the first time this little one has been ready to take one of the older ones on. This nest is going to get really interesting.

Samson brought Legacy a nice fish. Legacy started squealing and mantling before he was even in sight – that was 4:50:28 if you are watching the streaming cam. There she is mantling and Samson is just arriving.

I love Samson’s skinny legs! It looks like he is wearing tights. He is getting out of there quick – saving those talons for sure!

Legacy will not stop mantling the fish til Samson is not a threat.

Legacy is really learning how to keep her fish for herself. Great lessons by Samson and Gabby.

Legacy made quick work of that fish!

Oh, Legacy, you are gorgeous. We are so lucky you returned to the nest and have stayed around longer so we can enjoy seeing you learn and grow more confident.

I have done a quick run through of the other nests and everything seems to be going smoothly. There will be hatch watch for some of the Osprey nests in the UK this weekend. Iris has two eggs in the nest but she appears to not be taking their presence seriously. She left at 13:55 and at 20:25 she had not returned. I am glad to see that Iris is taking care of herself. No doubt she is enjoying the nice day and has caught herself several good fish.

Tiny Tot, who is no longer tiny, has been eating a lot of fish today. #2 sibling got the first fish of the morning. Tiny Tot showed the remarkable patience she has gained. She waited knowing full well that Diane would let #2 work on the fish for so long and then she would take it and they would enjoy the rest of it together. That has repeated itself throughout the day.

And can you see them with all the things in the nest? The two at the Dahlgren Osprey Nest are doing well. The first hatch has really taken off in terms of size. I bet everyone is sitting around saying that ‘it’ is going to be a ‘big girl’. Time will tell. It is too late for the third egg to hatch and it will be absorbed into the nest. No worries. Harriet keeps the two chicks warm and well fed. Jack is an excellent provider. Two nice healthy chicks is great!

Tomorrow I want to check on some of the Red-tail hawk nests in New York City – yes, right in the heart of the city. In fact, it was one of these nests that keened my interest on urban hawks – the one on the ledge of New York City University. There should also be some news on the retrieval attempt of EE1 and EE2 for their post-mortems. Right now, Eerik is on the left hand branch of the nest tree in Estonia. He has moved the bodies of the babies and him and Eve have eaten off the prey in the nest. They need to consume it so that intruders do not come. So fingers crossed!

Thank you for joining me. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams where I get my screen shots: The Eagle Club of Estonia, the Dahlgren Osprey Cam, Cornell Bird Lab, UC Falcon Cam, NE Florida Bald Eagle Cam, LRWT Rutland Osprey Project, Achieva Credit Union, and the Montana Osprey Project.