Tag Archives: Victor

Ervie does a fly by to say ‘hi’ to Mum and other news in Bird World on Friday

16 September 2022

Oh, the best of the morning to all of you!

Thursday was a gloomy day on the Canadian Prairies with delightful periods of sunshine popping in and out – like the squirrels and the Blue Jays gathering peanuts to store for the winter.

One visitor, in particular, managed to let me get her photo – Dyson. It is difficult to tell if she is still nursing babies but, she is in good form. So grateful.

I do not know where her nest is precisely. It used to be in the century old Maple tree in the front of the house until the City cut it down this summer. Now she runs along the back lane to the West. Her tail is beginning to grow out.

Squirrels are like the Blue Jays. They can also let part of their tail break away if they are being attacked in order to survive.

One of the other garden surprises today was the visit by at least two different Blue Jay fledglings and Junior. Everyone is stashing peanuts. It is said that September is the month when the Jays do the most gathering. As a result, the pile is always large. Some Blue Jays over winter while others migrate. Will wait to see what happens.

It’s Junior. How can we tell? As the adult, he is the only one of the Jays moulting as the three youngsters only hatched in the spring. Notice that he is just getting a hint of his new crest and he does not have all of his tail feathers. The feathers that he has are nice and healthy, brightly coloured. Blue Jays can live to be 7 years old. Junior is now about 5. His parents are not longer with us as of this year. He has a mate and they were so lucky to have the 3 fledglings – they outsmarted the Crows and the Cooper’s Hawk!!!!!!! And even the GHOW. Their nest is across the line in a Maple tree. Like Samson, the Bald Eagle, Junior took over his parent’s nest.

The Sparrows find the 17 degree C a little chilly. There is a nip in the breeze and many perch on the ends of the lilac branches to get warm in the sun.

And here it is Friday mid-morning and it continues to rain. The trees and plants are loving it – the birds not so much! I see only two brave souls at the bird bath…oops, no…about 60 now!

Making News:

Ervie was flying close enough to the barge this morning to say ‘hi’ to Mum! Oh, cheeky Ervie. You just wanted Mum to remember that you are a year old now. Oh, and you were thinking she would invite you home for a fish dinner?? Oh, poor Ervie. You almost have brothers and sisters. Mum is busy. Hopefully you can have some fishing time with Dad.

The Ojai Raptor Centre reports that our beloved Victor continues to make progress and his zinc levels are normal. Oh, gosh. Isn’t that wonderful? Look how handsome this Two Harbours fledgling is!

A new subarctic seabird is breeding on the Diego Ramirez Islands. Have a read — oh, and they are using the Grey-headed Albatross’s nests!!!!!!! Thank you to Holly Parsons for posting this on the Albatross Lovers FB Group.

https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/4440-a-newly-described-landbird-the-subantarctic-rayadito-recorded-breeding-within-an-active-grey-headed-albatross-nest-on-islas-diego-ramirez?fbclid=IwAR1mfwMeFd1zXQ1cxLcegs3A6G3gR2BBVDap7uiD4VQ9p0eluDSTtFKdGDw

With Idris having departed the evening of the 13th and not seen since, the staff at Dyfi Osprey Centre will turn off the streaming cam in just a few hours. Here is that pastoral view.

The view at Glaslyn

At Loch Arkaig.

At Loch of the Lowes.

One of my friends in the UK said that it is best if we start knitting Osprey toy lookalikes until the end of March or beginning of April when the Ospreys return. That would actually be a great charity idea!

Travel safe and always with full crops our dear UK Ospreys. Full crops over the winter and safe and swift winds home in the spring.

New News:

Well, SE29 has been getting the fish deliveries on the Sydney Sea Eagles nest but, Lady, always keeping a watchful eye makes certain that SE30 gets some! Lady has blossomed over the past four years into a fantastic Mum.

The sea eaglets jumping and flapping at 0644 in anticipation of breakfast arriving.

Look at how clean the eaglets feet and talons are compared to those of Lady.

Attempts at self-feeding will continue until these two will remarkable appear that they have always been able to hold the fish down and pull with their bodies to get the flakes off. Early days of training.

SE30 waits very patiently. Remarkably civil these two. Both females? Both males?

Lady lets SE29 try and then feeds both of her babies so that each gets a good start to the day.

The second male at the 367 Collins Street Peregrine Falcon nest in Melbourne continues to make his presence felt by continuing to land on the ledge but, is he actively wanting to be involved in the raising of these eyases? or is his presence going to harm? It remains unclear as we are now 11 days from hatch watch.

His presence is clearly causing the older male whose scrape box this was to be reluctant to incubate the eggs. So what will happen when prey is needed for the eyases and Mum needs a break in feeding them? Who is actually protecting this Mum and the scrape box?

This is an image posted on 367 Collins Falcon Watchers of the two males. The original male – father of the clutch we believe – and the visitor on the right. Don’t worry! It is the camera angle that makes the one on the right appear larger.

Our cute little dad has very large yellow circles around the eye. The oneon the right does not and has a line on the right of black on white. Note: Most male Peregrine Falcons have a prominent yellow eye line like Dad 1 here and Xavier.

A close up of beautiful Mum has been posted accompanying a link to the tracking data for the nest if you are interested.

Let us all hope this works out well.

It is raining and about 11 degrees C in Port Lincoln. Rain is good but let us all hope it dries up before hatch watch on Monday!

Diamond was busy rolling the eggs before the IR camera came on Friday evening. Less than 2 weeks!

The Bald Eagles in Florida and the SE US are working on their nests – Pa Berry and Missy have been doing so for over a week now, Samson is happy Gabby is home – and those on the Channel Islands are busy, too. Oh, and I thought we would have a break after all the Ospreys migrated. BUT not all the Ospreys have migrated. ‘H’ caught Dory on the Hog Island nest in Maine! So Dory, Skiff, and at least Sloop are all still at home with no hint of starting their flight south!

‘H’ and I both think Sloop is a female from all her behaviour over the year. She can join the club of being kept home and fed well so that she is fully developed like Sarafina, Blue 497, and Padarn.

In the image below, Dory has flown onto the nest in the late afternoon on 15 August. Sloop has also been fishing – seen returning to the nest empty taloned but wet twice. Thanks ‘H’ for keeping us up to date on this nest. Much appreciated.

Migration News:

One of the Finnish Ospreys has spent a week in Ukraine and has safely departed. This is a good sign. Warm thoughts for Karl II and his family who continue to be feeding at various parts of the country.

Bonus remains in Belarus near the Pripyat River. He must really be getting a lot of nice fish and frogs there.

This is an image of the area that Bonus is fishing.

Kaia remains near the Desna River in Ukraine. No word from Karl II.

From the Archive:

I am ‘the most’ famous Red-tail Hawk in the world. Who am I? Where is my nest? Who is my current mate? and do you know how old I will be in 2023?

Thank you so very much for joining me today. I hope that each of you is well. Please take care. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you to the following for their posts and streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Ospreys, Ojai Raptor Centre, Dyfi Ospreys, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, People’s Postcode Lottery, Friends of Loch of the Lowes and the Wildlife Trust, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, 367 Collins Street Falcon Watchers, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Audubon and Explore.org, LAJI-FI, Looduskalender, and Cornell Bird Lab.

I am Big Red. My nest is on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. My original mate was Ezra and my current mate is Arthur. I will be 20 years old in 2023. I was banded as a juvenile at Brooktondale, New York only 7.5 miles away form my nest now in the fall of 2003.

QT will get a name, photos of Victor and more in Bird World

7 September 2022

Good Morning Everyone. The first part of the week has flown by. I hope that you had a lovely long weekend (if you had a holiday) and that Tuesday was good.

The Crows continue to alarm every time “THE cat” comes into the garden and, in particular, when the rabbit is visiting and eating under he bird feeder. Today it happened twice. That bunny doesn’t know he has three guardian angels! How lucky.

Meanwhile Junior, the male Blue Jay, is moulting. Poor thing. He has lost his beautiful crest and he looks so out of proportion. He has finished up all of the peanuts and has decided to try some of the seed spilled when filling the feeders.

At sunset, hundreds if not a thousand gulls flew low to the ground looking for their evening resting area. The sky was simply full of them in every direction moving and looking like a swarm of mosquitoes. Several ‘V’s of Canada Geese could also be seen. The expectation is that the majority of duck and geese migration will take place starting the third week in September. If so, I hope to get some great images for you.

In the Mailbox:

‘G’ wonders how on earth an osplet could get salmonella poison and die? The necroscopy tests have revealed that the Loch Garten chick died of salmonella poisoning. The chick was lethargic several days before dying on the nest. A number of studies and several reports and articles such as “Incidence of Salmonella in fish and seafood” published in 2000 states, “Field laboratories of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration collected and tested 11,312 import and 768 domestic seafood samples over a 9-year period (1990 to 1998) for the presence of Salmonella. The overall incidence of Salmonella was 7.2% for import and 1.3% for domestic seafood. Nearly 10% of import and 2.8% of domestic raw seafood were positive for Salmonella”.

The study was, of course, related to the risk of food poisoning in humans but this would be the same way that osplets would get salmonella is by eating raw seafood that contains the bacteria.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10826714/#:~:text=Nearly%2010%25%20of%20import%20and,and%20one%20shark%20cartilage%20powder.

Making News:

The NZ DOC has done an 180 degree turn and has decided to hold a naming competition for the Royal Cam Quarry Track chick. QT, instead of leaving her with her code name. Here is the announcement:

Some additional images of Victor in the large flight area have been posted by the Ojai Raptor Centre. Oh. Victor is doing so well. I wonder if he is still rejecting the Trout and only wanting to eat Whiting??

Victor is getting stronger every day! Oh, how lucky this beautiful juvenile is to have such good care.

If you are intending to donate and/or purchase some items from the Ojai Raptor Centre’s shop, remember to include that it is for Victor! I might have mentioned that they have included a shopping option for Canada in addition to the US. If you live elsewhere, send them a note and they will set up the shipping. I received the two t-shirts and the tote bag today. They are super!

There is a wildfire in the Big Bear Valley. It is being called the Radford Fire. Many were concerned that it might bring harm to Jackie and Shadow and their nest but they are safe. The fire is on the SE part of the lake. We all love Jackie and Shadow and many of you might have heard about the fire and were worried. Here is that confirmation:

University of Louisiana grounds keepers saw the hawk tangled in fishing line and acted quickly in order to save its life. Remember and spread the word – be responsible. Clean up monofilament line both yours and that of others if you see it. Make the shores, lakes, and rivers safe for the birds and fish.

Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister for Scotland has announced a draft bill on grouse moor licensing to be introduced in this year’s parliamentary legislation. Many like Mark Avery and Chris Packham have lobbied to end the senseless killing of the raptors on the driven grouse moors. This is a huge step forward and is coming none too soon.

https://raptorpersecutionuk.org/2022/09/06/scottish-government-announces-draft-bill-on-grouse-moor-licensing-to-be-introduced-this-parliamentary-year/

The Guardian carried an article, “Dark matter and lithium water: 15 big issues poised to affect oceans and coastlines” today. You will already be aware of some of the concerning actions and issues including the dumping of toxic chemicals into the oceans. The example came from Senegal but it could easily have come from large westernized countries! My biggest disappointment was the glossing over – no, not just glossing over – not even acknowledging what will ultimately happen to the sea birds that depend on the oceans for food.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/06/water-issues-oceans-coastlines-marine-coastal-biodiversity

Nest News:

Mrs G and the three fledglings remain at the Glaslyn nest with the male, Aran. They are the only ‘full family nest’ still resident in the UK.

All three siblings lined up waiting for Aran and fish.

Mrs G is hiding!

News coming out of the Dyfi nest other than Idris continuing to feed Padarn is that Pedran, the first fledgling, did not fly straight south from the nest to begin migration but, rather hung around the UK and has been spotted! So remember this – the birds do not always fly directly south but can spend time flying and perfecting their fishing while getting strong! (Note- all three were deemed to be female. Disregard the use of the words he/him below).

Bella has arrived at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest waiting for her mate, Smitty.

An unknown female Peregrine Falcon interrupted Alden’s ‘loafing time’. Let us hope that this is not the female intruder that Grinnell had chased away from The Campanile scrape.

After an encounter with a female intruder at The Campanile, Annie and Alden renew their bond in the scrape.

All is well at the Australian nests. The only one with chicks is, of course, the Sydney Sea Eagles and SE29 and 30 are growing and changing and, like clockwork on the development chart, getting all of their juvenile feathers. It may be difficult to tell them apart soon!

It is incubation duties at the other three nests – the two Peregrine Falcon scrapes at Orange and Melbourne and the Port Lincoln Osprey barge.

Sunny in Melbourne.

Beautiful Diamond.

The sunshine gave way to rain later in the day at Port Lincoln.

Dad eating his portion of fish before taking it to Mum. Thanks, Dad. We don’t want any more flapping fish on those precious eggs!!!!!!

Migration News:

No tracking news for Karl II or Kaia. Karl II is in the most dangerous area of Ukraine at the moment. Their transmitters could be jammed. The only news is of Waba and he is doing fine and has found a small area to fish. We wait.

Memory Lane:

Do you remember these two cutie pies? Who are they? what is their natal nest? and what are the names of their parents?

Thank you so much for joining me today. I will be pulling out photos from the archives for the next week or so to see if we can tell who is who! Take care everyone. See you soon!

Answer to Memory Lane: This is E17 and E18 from the SWFlorida Bald Eagle nest. They were removed to CROW for conjunctivitis and safely returned to Harriet and M15 after a successful treatment. Known for their early sparring the twins became best buddies.

Thank you to the following for their posts, their streaming cams and videos that make up my screen captures: Cornell Bird Lab and the NZ DOC,, Ojai Raptor Centre, Friends of Big Bear Valley, Bald Eagles 101, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Dyfi Ospreys, NCTC, Cal Falcons, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, 367 Collins Street by Mirvac, Charles Sturt Falcon Cam, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and SWFlorida Bald Eagles and CROW.

4 eggs for Melbourne, Victor is moved outside and other news in Bird World…Monday morning

30 August 2022

What happened to August? It seems as if we blinked and it flew by. Despite the heat there is a look about the leaves on the trees and the wilting of the tomato plants despite their being well watered that is alerting us to the end of summer, not just the calendar. There is another 9 or 10 days before the teachers and students are back to their classrooms in Manitoba. It is a reminder that it is time to get a small delivery of firewood. There is something so cosy about a wood fire on a crisp autumn morning and if August is any indication, autumn will be here in two blinks.

The colour of the light and the water of the pond seemed to be taking on the hues of autumn.

The rain started in the early morning hours of Monday and everything has turned green in the garden again…it is raining so hard! And for once, I am so glad to see it! Monday will be a good day for reading the small pile of books accumulating on my desk.

In the Mailbox:

‘N’ writes: “Do all falcons incubate the eggs the same no matter where they live? Do all ospreys?” Oh, what an interesting question! I am not a specialist on incubation, the term used for the behaviour whereby adult birds keep the eggs warm until they hatch. My experience watching the nests of different species is that birds are very individualistic and even within a single species, the attention that they give to their incubation duties varies. I found a paper that actually discusses the different approaches to this important task. It is not a recent one but it is quite interesting. The author covers some birds that are unknown to me but, I believe the findings and the data can enlighten us as to the full answer to your question, ‘N’.

Click to access p0115-p0152.pdf

In the News:

RSPB created an extremely short video about Avian Flu killing the White-tail Eagle chicks on the island of Mull. What is so intriguing is the landscape of the island and the beautiful chicks so alive in the nest. It is clearly not the be all- end all informative presentation but it was nice to see where these eagles live.

Just a couple of months before Avian Flu began killing the White-tailed Eagles on Mull, this beautiful 7 minute video was made showing them on their island setting. Have a watch:

The attempt to rid Gough Island of its House Mouse problem has hit a wall. The eradication of the mice that were biting and killing Tristan Albatross chicks and adults is now being viewed as a failure. Everyone had such high hopes that the island would be rid of these invasive mice but an unknown problem presented itself – the slug. Have a read:

https://www.acap.aq/latest-news/4427-alien-slugs-thought-to-be-the-cause-of-failure-of-the-house-mouse-eradication-on-gough-island

I found an excellent story dealing with the tragedy of the mice and the Tristan Albatross and why the eradication attempt is so important.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2022/june/invasive-mice-are-pushing-tristan-albatross-to-brink-extinction.html#:~:text=Invasive%20mice%20are%20pushing%20the%20Tristan%20albatross%20to%20the%20brink%20of%20extinction,-By%20James%20Ashworth&text=Mice%20that%20are%20eating%20the,rodent%20eradication%20programme%20is%20successful.

In his newsletter, David Hancock of Hancock Wildlife just posted the following information about the Delta 2 nest in British Columbia, Canada: “Firstly, both Ma and DM have gone on their migration. Ma was last seen at the Delta 2 nest/territory on July 25th. DM (taking his new role as Ma’s mate very seriously) hung around for another week keeping an eye on things. He was last seen there on August 1st. Thanks to all who donated to the GoFundMe campaign, as well we received a a few private donations which are greatly appreciated. These donations are going to cover the costs associated with the installation of a sturdy new nest pole and two (2) new cameras at Delta 2.”

Nest News:

It is egg 4 for the Melbourne Peregrine Falcon couple on the ledge of 367 Collins Street! Oh, my goodness. Dad you are going to so hope that the pigeon population of the city is very plentiful!

Here is a video of that last egg being laid:

It was a prey drop and a chance for Dad to get himself acquainted with how you have to wiggle around to get 4 big falcon eggs under so they can stay warm.

It is a lot easier for Mum to get those four eggs tucked in tight. Do you think there will be a 5th?

We have a ways to go before hatch for Melbourne and Diamond might not be finished laying eggs. Incubation is a time for the females to rest. It is going to be very hectic if all the hatch at Melbourne! And exciting.

The Sydney Sea Eagles are developing right to schedule. Their plumage continues to come in and they are picking up sticks in the nest and preening. SE29 is standing and walking better each step. They really are gorgeous. The Monday morning feeding saw both 29 and 30 with nice crops full of fish. I have seen no concerning aggressive behaviour on the part of 29 to 30 that would cause me to worry.

We are about 3 weeks away from hatch watch at Port Lincoln. Mum and Dad continue to take turns incubating. That said, Mum will always have night duty and Dad will provide Mum with her meals.

You would think that Mum would be very stiff incubating the eggs all night. Dad has arrived and is nudging her off so he can have a turn. Mum goes away for her breakfast and a break, returning in about half an hour.

You are doin’ good, Dad.

There has been an unknown male visit Annie in the tower.

There is a notable change in the behaviour of the female Ospreys in the UK this year. Normally they would depart the nest about 10-14 days prior to the fledglings leaving on their migration. This year it appears the majority are choosing to remain on the nest while some or all of the fledglings depart. While we will not know the specific reason, I wonder if it is, in part, due to the raising of these large female chicks and the Mums needing more time to get in top shape. Or could it be that prey is plentiful, the weather is nice in the UK, and they just want to be home for a little longer?

Idris, Telyn, Padarn and Paith are still at the Dyfi Osprey nest in Wales as of Sunday the 28th. Idris has stayed on the perch all night. Pedran was last seen on the 11th of August at 0905.

If you follow Tweed Valley, the three fledglings are going in very diverse directions including Glen who remains on the nest. Kirk is in Ireland having flown south and turning back to the land. Tweed is nearing land in Portugal.

Ruthland is updating us on their second hatch at Manton Bay, 1H2:

Tiger Mozone says that the fledglings need good DNA and luck. 1H2 certainly has great DNA. Let us all hope she has some awfully good luck, too.

1H2’s parents, Blue 33 and Maya, along with older sibling 1H1 were all still at the Manton Bay Nest at Rutland on the 27th and there is no news of either 1H1 or Maya departing since.

Seren was on the Llyn Clywedog nest early this morning and Dylan even popped in for a few minutes to join her later.

It is just incredible. Bonus continues to prove that he is a very special Black Stork! He flew from the nest in Estonia and spent the night in Latvia on the 27th. He has now flown through Lithuania and is in Belarus near Minsk. That was a total of 279 km.

Kaia, Bonus’s foster mother, remains in Belarus in the Prypjat Wetlands near Shestovicy.

So what intrigues me is this. If Kaia remains where she has been for the last several days since she flew north out of the Ukraine, is it possible that Bonus might also wind up in the same wetlands? Or will Bonus fly into the Ukraine? and remain there? or turn back north like Kaia? We should have our answer in a day or two.

Here is the distance shown by Google Maps:

Waba has begun the journey also and the tracker shows that he crossed into Latvia from Estonia on 28 August. He then flew a short distance.

I have received word that Karl II has left the nesting area in the Karula National Forest and has begun his migration. More on that to come tomorrow.

Victor has done so well since Dr Sharpe travelled to the Two Harbours nest on the Channel Islands to take him to be treated for zinc toxicity at the Ojai Raptor Centre. He has now been moved out to the big flight area! It just doesn’t get too much better than this until he is released. Wow. Victor. Way to go!

Looking forward to Lena and Andy at Captiva next year? or Connie and her mate? Window to Wildlife posted a 7 minute video about updates changes to the cameras, etc with some lovely pictures of Lena feeding the wee nestlings last year.

Thank you so much for joining me today. Please take care of yourselves. See you soon.

Thank you so much to the following for their streaming cams, their videos, and their posts that make up my screen captures: RSPB, 367 Collins Street Falcons and Mirvac, Charles Sturt Orange Falcon Cam, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Cal Falcons, Dyfi Osprey Project, Tweed Valley Ospreys, Rutland Osprey Project, LWRT, CarnyxWild, Looduskalender, CIEL, and Window on Wildlife.

Victor is a picky eater, Little Bit Soars, and Ervie tests out spikes – early Thursday in Bird World

18 August 2022

I have started writing this with the news of Wednesday the 17th that some of you might not have seen. It has been raining and raining with tornado warnings for a couple of days now and it is expected to continue. As a result I am scooting out to the nature centre and local ponds to continue the duckling and gosling counts whenever I can. Good thing. The skies opened up in the middle of the night – many friends had pets who were frightened by the fierceness of it all.

It always puts a smile on my face when I go out and all the waterfowl families are where they normally are. It is true that they develop an area to their liking and it is equally true that some wander from one place to another. I hope that some images might brighten your day, too. I did not do any colour adjustments. The water looks like pea soup – the surface is made up of tiny little leaf like bits.

This Mallard family lives in a particular spot. I have been following them since June.

I always know which pond to find them. Today, I saw them coming around a bend. Ducks paddle fast. The female kept a watchful eye but seemed not to be bothered by my presence. She has seen me so many times that it seems she just goes on about her business as if I am not there.

You can see the leafy bits easier in the image of the Mallard below. It is clearly a different surface from the much-needed-to-be-cleaned-full-of- human-debris pond at one of our other parks.

I found this bunch lounging under one of the benches in the shade trying to stay cool.

What has been most interesting to me is that the Mallards are thriving – what ones that survived – at the Nature Centre with their ever growing ducklings while the Wood Ducks have taken over a park and there are only 5 or 6 Mallards. I do know that they do not like one another!

The Ojai Raptor Centre has given us an ‘excellent progress’ update on our dear Victor.

Look how tall and handsome Victor is – remember when he could not stand and he required physiotherapy by being held by a towel with holes for his legs? What an amazing transformation! (At this point, it is perfectly permissible to shed a tear or two).

I wonder if Victor is yelling for fish?

Now, it turns out that Victor is a very picky eater!!!!!! He only likes Whitefish so the Ojai Raptor Centre has sent out a call for the fishermen to bring in fresh Whitefish. It is costly. If you have been thinking about donating or making a shop purchase in aid of Victor, maybe now is a good time to do this. He has really made fabulous progress with their great care.

There is very sad news coming out of the Arboretum in Minneapolis. The only osplet on the nest was near fledge. It had leapt off of the nest – and survived a couple of times – due to human activity below the platform. Two days ago the little one jumped off again in fright. Searchers have not found the youngster and it is assumed that it was predated. #85 on the list of feathered friends departed. I will happily delete that entry if the osplet turns up!

This was the announcement:

Of course, I have an opinion! (And I am certain you do, too) It won’t help this osplet but protocols need to be developed and put into best practices everywhere there is a raptor nest. Areas near Osprey platforms need some separation from human activity. This chick was known to leap out of the nest due to its fear of humans below. It was nearing fledge. Two options: Once a near fledgling has leapt out of a nest due to the fear of human activity, Kept the chick in care til it could fly OR stop the human activity around the platform until such time as the chick fledges. It really is that simple. When do non-emergency human activities take precedent over the safety and concern for wildlife?

Little Bit ND17 has been caught perched on ‘his’ branch and soaring over the St Joseph River near to the natal nest in St Patrick’s park. Oh, he is doing so well. Just brilliant. What a role model Little Bit is for all of us. He ate anything he could find on the nest to stay alive. I will never forget him scurrying back to the part we couldn’t see to eat something – normally the pelt of a squirrel or a raccoon so 16 could not come after him. It didn’t matter to him – it was food and it kept him alive. He kept his wits about him even when he did not have food for a couple of days…and he never gave up! Little Bit wanted to live and to soar like a big eagle — and he is doing just that. Look at him go!

Suzanne Arnold Horning found L2, the first of Big Red and Arthur’s 2022 clutch to fledge and the second to catch its own prey (L4 was first), today after there had been a brief storm. L2 is incredibly beautiful. He is out by the fields and it looks like he is sitting on a pole like a good hawk watching for voles and chipmunks. Red-tail hawks are gorgeous. Like the hawks that visit my garden on occasion during the fall and winter, they are capable of sitting like a statue for extreme periods of time waiting for prey.

Sadly we are entering a period where the raptors will be going into care because of lead poisoning or from being hit by cars. Those that eat carrion are especially at risk as many people will not stop and remove a dead animal from the road and place it safely away from the cars. — If you do see a dead animal, you need to think quickly on your toes because you do not want to be a casualty either. Not everyone carries a shovel and a collapsible pet carrier or cardboard box in their car but it really helps if you have a shovel or piece of wood to remove the carrion to the side of the road. Put your flashers on. Watch so you do not open the door when there is oncoming traffic. Then be bold. Wave your arms to stop cars. Most will but be darn quick to get out of the way if they don’t. Then scoop up the animal and put it away from the road in the ditch — we do not want it close to any cars. Thank you! Tonight, however, the culprit is monofilament line. None of the children at our nature centre, when questioned, realized that ‘fishing line’ was dangerous to wildlife. Education is key.

This little Osprey fledgling was lucky that people were willing to work after hours to give it a second chance when it was found tangled in fishing line.

Oh, what a sweet little thing. It looks like it is feeling better already.

Even the fish get caught up in line – many break the line leaving the hook inside of them. A kind person living in my city found this fish near the shore wrapped in monofilament line. They stopped, cut it off, and worked with the fish for 5 minutes to get the life back in it. That fish got a second chance, too.

Every living thing deserves our kindness.

The Sea Eaglets 29 and 20 continue to thrive. Lady fed them both a nice breakfast – not a crop buster but, a good start to the day.

30 is really starting to have a growth spurt. We can still tell them apart because 29 is just that little bit ahead. you can see the down gone from its entire head to the nape. There are more back and wing feathers.

The feathers are really developing. In a wink these two are going to look so different…and look, hardly any down bits left on those heads.

Cooper’s Hawk

Most of us know Dr Eric Greene from his work with the Montana Ospreys and, in particular, his love of dear Iris, the oldest Osprey in the world. Yesterday he posted a video on the University of Montana website about a very special raptor family on the grounds of the campus.

Our City is home to numerous Cooper Hawk families and I am hoping to get out to see one of them at a park called Bunn’s Creek this weekend with a group. You might recall that a large female Cooper’s Hawk took up residence on my deck early this spring. It appears that they have ousted the little Sharp-shinned Hawk from the territory.

‘H’ sent some great images of Sloop. He doesn’t have his landings perfected — or does he mean to buzz those siblings???? Congratulations to Dory and Skiff – they fledged three beautiful ospreys this year who have ample time to get in form for migration.

The take off – wings up, Sloop!

The buzz. Thanks ‘H’. Great screen captures. Too funny.

The Black Stork, Kaia, continues to stay in Belarus travelling only a few kilometres to find food. Her battery is operating at 99%. Here is her current position.

Mama Cruz has visited the Fraser Point nest this morning. She is showing concern – there is a ‘stranger’ in her territory. It is Trey, her 2019 daughter with Spirit. Trey is under the natal nest in the bushes.

How do I know this is not Andor? There is no wing tag. Mama Cruz shed that tag in April 2021 and she has only one band, a federal silver band on her right leg because when she was ringed Dr Sharpe believed she was a male.

Has something happened to Trey? It is not clear why she is in the bush under the nest and not flying.

Migration is under way and you can go to this link to find an interactive map.

Live bird migration maps

Emyr Evans has posted an image of Pedran, Idris and Telyn’s daughter, who is today 84 days old. She has not been seen at the nest for the last 7 days. Did she undertake the earliest migration in Welsh Osprey history? or will she return to the nest from some adventure? or, sadly, is she lost? No one can answer that question yet.

News coming out of Port Lincoln Osprey is really good. Dear Ervie has demonstrated that certain approaches to keeping birds off poles simply do not work!

And there is a great article about Mum and Dad’s three eggs this season. Osprey are so rare in South Australia.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-18/osprey-breeding-eggs-conservationists-thrilled-port-lincoln/101343128?fbclid=IwAR1rd-z0ZeS_zBQQtmLIlTzoPIcoxvN1SWX8X8V-TdZH6claZLhTEBgwV2g

Thank you so very much for joining me today. Please take care of yourselves! We are expecting more and more rain but I hope to get out into nature somewhere — you sleep better. Your mind is refreshed. I hope that you will make an effort, no matter how small, to take in nature’s beauty today.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB posts where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Dyfi Osprey Project, BirdCast, Explore and IWS, Looduskalender, University of Montana, Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park, Bobby Horvath, Suzanne Arnold Horning, Notre-Dame Eagles FB, Twin Cities Metro Osprey Watch, and the Ojai Raptor Centre.

Ervie, fledges and more – early Tuesday in Bird World

9 August 2022

First a correction! Shame on me for saying we know where Telyn winters. It is not Telyn but, the beautiful Seren from Llyn Clywedog that spends her winters in The Gambia. I knew that and wrote Telyn. Thanks, ‘C’ for alerting me. Much appreciated!

One other clarification that ‘CE’ caught that needs explaining. Osprey fledglings are the raptors that do not require their parents to teach them to hunt or fish. Others do. You will have seen the eagles and hawks showing their fledglings how to hunt prey! I bet Ervie did chase Dad around in his efforts to find some good fishing spots, though!

Ervie, dear Ervie. Port Lincoln posted images after I had sent out my blog last evening so our dear Ervie is up first. Thanks to ‘B’ for alerting me to these.

As so many of you are aware, Port Lincoln Ospreys is working hard to introduce our fish eagles to Southern Australia. They are getting attention from government agencies and, of course, the population is growing to love these birds – many because of our dear Ervie. Here are the latest postings from Port Lincoln and the beautiful pictures of Ervie out fishing with Dad by Fran Solly. There are more on the Port Lincoln Osprey FB page. Head over and have a look. This is the place to continue checking on Ervie and his antics with Dad — or alone.

It is always good to see you, Ervie.

Is there room for you, Ervie??????!!!!!!

Remember when we worried that Ervie would only be able to catch puffers? Well, he has certainly adjusted to fishing without that other talon (I have not seen it fully grown in on the pictures but I would love to be corrected!). That is a beautiful fish. Well done, Ervie.

At the Black Stork nest in the Karula National Forest of Karl II and Kaia, Bonus, the adopted storklet of Jan and Janika, Bonus, fledged first today. He was followed by Volks who hears Bonus in the forest and flies off to the left.

Both returned to the nest. Ilks is looking at his reflection in the camera. Will you fly next? So funny when they find themselves. After fledging the Black Storks will stay at least a week around the nest being fed. If the food is plentiful they may stay longer before venturing out to find food for themselves and beginning migration.

As ‘B’ says, it is hard to beat the WBSE for cuteness. SE30 is a bit of a corker. When it was 2 days old, 30 beaked at 29. Not a good thing to do. We have all worried about 30 but unless there is an unexpected ‘something’, they should both be fine. SE30 gives as good as it gets and they both fool around with one another and then seem to stop before it gets too rough.

Chubby little bottoms. Their soft down on the head is giving way to pin feathers and the feathers are coming in nicely along the wings. They will begin to do a lot more preening as things get itchy. You can see their black talons and those big clown feet getting started. So cute.

Of the streaming cams in Australia, we now have the WBSE eaglets and the first egg at the Port Lincoln Osprey barge for Mum and Dad as of yesterday. We are awaiting the beginning of the season for Peregrine falcons Xavier and Diamond and the Melbourne CBD – 367 Collins Street. Xavier and Diamond are amping up the bonding in the scrape! Eggs before the end of the month?

The only chick on the Landscape Arboretum platform at the University of Minnesota fell off yesterday. It has not fledged. Here is the video of that incident. This could have turned out badly – and would have if not for the quick actions at finding the chick and getting it back on the nest. Thanks to all involved!

Boris and Titi (yet to fly) on the Janakkalan nest in Finland. 9 August 2022. Handsome!

All of the White Storklings of Betty and Bukacek have fledged. They seem to spend their time finding the parents and following them back to the nest for good feedings.

Look carefully. Bukacek is flying into the nest from the left (right above the grassy area at 930 on the nest).

All of the storklings came to the nest quickly so as not to miss a meal.

All of the UK chicks have fledged. This year the three at Foulshaw Moss did not get the best attention from me – in terms of publicizing the nest activities here on the blog. Last year I followed every move because of the third hatch – Blue 463 who survived and did extremely well. Waiting for her return next year! The Cumbrian Wildlife Trust have put out a very nice blog with an overview of the nest activities including some links to videos.

https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/blog/alasdair-mckee/there-were-three-nest-and-littlest-fledged?fbclid=IwAR3EmfM6q7y1XNIqdvENXGlh8x4VhZve9AwmrsA4vAFcs_XRrvXubF76BhM

There appears to have been a fledge this morning at the Fortis Exshaw Osprey platform near Canmore Alberta. Thanks ‘H’ for the tip off! They seem to all be relatively equal – perhaps the others will fly today. You can see Mum looking on over the nest at her three beautiful chicks from the perch.

The fledge was a quick take off, fly around the nest and return landing on the right side.

I am counting a fledge as a flight off the nest and a return. In my mind, the chicks jumping up or getting to the many perches is equivalent to branching for Eagles, not a full blown official fledge. The real question is how far away is the perch? It is too difficult to tell. Mum certainly looks small and if it is a distance, then it might be counted as a fledge. If that is the case, then there were two fledges at Canmore this morning so far.

Big Red, Arthur, and L2 have all been accounted for by Suzanne Arnold Horning this week. Excellent news. Still no recent updates on L3 or L4.

L2 in the top picture screaming for a prey item and Big Red and Arthur calmly relaxing in the second.

Everyone remains curious as to how Victor got so much zinc in his system that he almost died. The Institute for Wildlife Studies has indicated that there are fishing lures coated with zinc. Thanks ‘B’. Here is the posting on the chat at the IWS. The question still remains: how much zinc does a fledgling eagle have to ingest to almost kill it? I do not know the answer to that question but I hope to find out.

The posting of the images of Little Bit 17 prompted a lot of mail. Everyone is thrilled and so very reassured that it is our little tenacious eagle. So grateful to the boots on the ground for chasing after this family and sharing their photos and videos with us on the Notre Dame Eagles FB.

‘CE’ had a very interesting analogy that seems quite fitting given the sponsors of the camera and the university that they are associated with – Notre-Dame. CE noted that the image of Little Bit looks like a Franciscan Friar with his friar’s crown. He said, “In the 5th century, the tonsure was introduced as a distinctive sign. In the East, the Pauli tonsure was used (all hair was cut), in the West, the Petri tonsure (only the top of the head was shaved). This was also called Corona Christi (Crown of Christ). Since the 16th century, the tonsure of regular clerics has been reduced to a small circle.” Friar Little Bit. It sounds nice.

Thank you so much for joining me today. It is lovely to have you with us and the birds. I will continue to monitor the nests during the day. Tomorrow I am heading north for two days to count and enter the GPS for the Bald Eagle nests in and around Hecla Island. That information will be sent to David Hancock whose foundation monitors bald eagle nests in Canada. I hope to get some good images of the adults and juveniles before they leave for their winter homes. There will not be a newsletter tomorrow morning but I will try my best to get some images out to you tomorrow evening. Please take dare. I look forward to seeing you again soon.

I want to thank everyone who wrote in and sent me news. I still have some of your images to post! Much appreciated. I want to also thank the following for their streaming cams and/or posts or their photographs that I used for my screen captures: Fran Solly and the Port Lincoln Ospreys, Suzanne Arnold Horning, the Notre-Dame Eagles FB, the Eagle Club of Estonia and Looduskalender, Mlade Buky White Storks, Fortis Exshaw, the Finnish Osprey Foundation, the IWS, Charles Sturt University Falcon Cam, Landscape Arboretum Ospreys, and Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.

Super Good News in Bird World

4 August 2022

It is a very early good morning to everyone- just past midnight. I am posting this newsletter early so that everyone will get to read the great news that is coming in – in case you do not already know. In the case of Victor and Little Bit, continued thanks to the wildlife rehabilitation staff that intervened and gave them a second chance on life.

My goodness, it is such a wonderful feeling as if you are floating on a cotton candy cloud when there is great news in Bird World. If you get emotional, I suggest you get the tissues out before reading further.

I want to thank ‘B’ and ‘L’ for alerting me to the special news about Victor in my inbox.

The Ojai Raptor Centre posted this announcement about Victor. When all of us were worrying he might not get well or he might not be able to feed himself ——– well, he is self-feeding and doing a grand job of it, too. He is in an outside enclosure not inside the clinic. Oh,, Victor, you have worked so hard to get well and all the staff at ORC have just being doing the best for you. Tears of joy, tears of joy.

Video of Victor self-feeding:

Video of Victor’s outdoor enclosure:

The other good news is, of course, Little Bit ND17. Images were taken and studied by several who go to the park on a daily basis to watch and photograph the Notre-Dame eagle family – Mum, Dad, ND15, ND16, and ND17 Little Bit. They have longed to get a good clear picture of 17 but wanted to be sure it was him. Here is the announcement in the Notre-Dame FB postings for today:

I was so skeptical when Little Bit was returned to the park without the ability to hunt his own prey. I am joyful to have been proven wrong! Notice the top right image. See how the hair kind of goes around in a partial donut shape. It reminds me of my late father-in-law who was bald but that circular band. It appears that some of the top is flat like strands of longer feathers covering up the places where feathers are missing. At the onset, I did not think he had a crop but, yes, that top right image appears to show that he has recently eaten. What a wonderful relief to see him looking and doing well. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to ensure Little Bit got a second chance on life and those birders on the ground who tried desperately to get images to reassure all of us. Thank you.

The Sea Eaglets are doing just fine, too. The crops of both of them are simply about to pop!!!!!!!

An hour later, Lady is urging them to have ‘just one more bite’! They are growing and will have a rapid growth spurt. Full crops will be the order of the day. Look at how the wings are forming and each has a cute little tail.

The two osplets on the Osoyoos Nest are looking good this evening. The forecast was correct and it has cooled down some – of course, it is still hot, just not as blistery. The chat for the streaming cams appears to be down. Not sure why unless it is all the spam.

Soo had a big crop at 10:46.

Another delivery.

Looks like one of the chicks got the last delivery and is self-feeding.

One crop fuller than the other chick who is fish crying.

I cannot give you a fish count but it appears that both chicks ate today and so did Soo. Fantastic.

Ervie is out flying about and finding nice fish for dinner. He must miss hanging out with Dad on the barge and going to the nest to eat his fish. I wonder if he will try to return to the barge after this breeding season?

It is good to know he is safe – GPS trackers certainly help with that.

In the case of each of these nests or particular fledglings, it is so good to know that they are either improving in care or are doing splendidly on their own. There has been no word on L3 or L4. We wait.

I want to mention a book called Beauty and the Beak. How Science, Technology, and a 3D-printed Beak rescued a Bald Eagle. It is by a pair of talented women – writer Deborah Rose and wildlife rehabilitator, Jane Veltkamp. I first heard of the efforts to save this particular Bald Eagle when I was looking for information about the McEuen Park eagles in Idaho. The intended audience would be children ages 8-12 (I think) but I also enjoyed the gorgeous photos and learning about how science and new technology saved Beauty’s life. It is another fantastic book about positive interventions. If you teach science or know someone who does, I would highly recommend this book. (Cost in Canada is $11.46 for the glossy paperback).

It is a beautiful story of compassion and the commitment of Jane Veltkamp to help Beauty the Bald Eagle.

My regular newsletter that normally appears around noon CDT during the month of August will appear in the early evening on 4 August.

Thank you so much for joining me with all these good news stories. Take care everyone. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their postings and/or streaming cams where I took my screen captures: Notre Dame Eagles, Ojai Raptor Centre, Port Lincoln Ospreys and Sea Eagles@Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre Sydney Olympic Park.

Sarafina flies, Too many fish at Osoyoos, and other good news in Bird World

31 August 2022

Good Morning! I hope this finds all of you well. For those of you waiting to see Sarafina fledge, she did it at 0655 Sunday morning, 31 July. Congratulations to Louis and Dorcha and to all at Loch Arkaig!

I am so glad that Saturday is over! This means that if the forecast is correct, the nests in the Pacific Northwest that are broiling will begin to get some relief from the heat in two days. Gosh, that seems like such a long time but they have weathered extreme heat for nearly a week and all are still with us.

Olsen and Soo have really done an amazing job keeping the two osplets in the shade on Saturday and, well, anyone who has ever fished know that the fish go down deep to get into cooler water. Ospreys are only able to dive 1m or 3 feet below the surface of the water – so they need those fish swimming around near the top not going deep to get cooler. By 0930 Olsen had delivered quite a number of fish, apparently some better sized than others. I did not count them. There was one delivery around around 19:30ish. It appeared that the two chicks were super full and Soo got some nice fish, too. — They look good at the end of today. Such a relief.

‘H’ sent this image of the ‘unwanted’ fish.

At 08:55 Sunday morning, One chick is sleeping on a fish piece, the unwanted is still there, and Soo has a super nice crop. I sure hope Olsen got some good fish, too. This family is depending on him! And Olsen, you get the gold star for the week. You and Soo are doing amazing.

On Saturday, Ferris Akel ended his tour, as always, with a stop at the Cornell Campus home to Big Red and Arthur. He found L4 prey calling to Mum and Dad. Big Red was also located.

Oh, my goodness, what a handsome fledgling. L4 has lovely light grey-blue eyes that will get darker and darker turning into an exquisite espresso colour in adulthood. He will also get his red tail when he is a year old.

L4
L4
L4
Big Red

The White-Bellied Sea Eagle nest in the Sydney Olympic Forest is becoming much calmer. There is plenty of prey. Lady feeds SE29 and 30 still about every hour. I noticed that the feedings are getting a little longer and that both chicks have nice crops at the end. It will not be long until there are fewer feedings with the chicks consuming much more prey.

What to expect as we end week 2 and prepare for week 3? The chicks will have doubled their size. You might also notice that their shape is changing – they are getting longer and so is their beak! We will begin to see them climb out of the nest or egg cup exploring their surroundings and pecking at leaves. By week 4, some pin feathers on the wings will begin to show.

The last feeding before night fall in the forest. If you look carefully you can see how the down is ‘looking different’. There will be little ‘black dots’ soon.

If you love White-tail Eagles then you will be excited to know that the oldest WTE couple on Mull Island just fledged their 25th chick! Skye is 28 and Frisa is 30. Look at that beautiful baby!

https://www.birdguides.com/news/uks-oldest-known-white-tailed-eagle-pair-fledge-25th-chick/?fbclid=IwAR2VaicG4ZgKYXqWASf-x4qjwOstyti3NUx0uEiQnEJ51PY8waezLbHO-ig

Another article about our dear Victor’s recovery.

Please note that Victor is not standing on a towel but has moved to a low perch. Lovely.

https://www.ojaivalleynews.com/news/sick-bald-eagle-recovering-at-orc/article_c4540a4a-0f08-11ed-91fc-4ba35f94378b.html?fbclid=IwAR1dT0-m8dw_Q5mF4p4ZyPyaGIuZ6Wo_9uuVq1-WpQ4PLlLe3CI0LF-Fs3Q

I am certain that everyone will agree that you can see the improvements in Victor. The top image is a couple of days ago- the lower one is when Victor began his physio.

I saw no images but on thee Notre Dame chat, Little Bit ND17 was seen by someone at the park. That is good news.

Our other lad, Ervie, really flew about Port Lincoln yesterday!

You may recall that the Port Lincoln Osprey Project carried in parts of a new tower platform nest for the couple at Turnby Island. Previously their eggs had been predated by foxes on the island. The new tower was to stop that predation with a plan in place to rid the island of its invasive fox population. The time for egg laying is near – and look what is causing the ospreys to alert.

Port Lincoln says this foxes’ days are numbered. He cannot, however, get to the eggs which were previously laid on the ground. Thank you Port Lincoln!

The two Ospreys at the Janakkalan nest are safe from the Goshawk again. They eat and sleep, sleep and eat…

Eating..

Dad with another delivery.

Last but he could never be least – one of our ‘saviours’ of the year – Alden. Alden who insured that Annie’s eggs and the last of Grinnell’s chicks would hatch – with maybe a contribution of his own! (No word on that yet). Alden finally found a little time to ‘loaf’.

Thank you so much for joining me today. It is a little wet on the Canadian Prairies – again. My garden is like a jungle. The three fledgling Blue Jays and the three fledgling Crows continue to visit. Images to follow tomorrow. I hope that all of you are well and enjoying some time in nature today. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, FB postings, etc which have become my screen captures: Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, Osoyoos Ospreys and ‘H’, Sydney Sea Eagles @Birdlife Australia Sydney Olympic Forest, BirdGuides, Ojai Raptor Centre, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Port Lincoln Ospreys, and Cal Falcons.

Ervie, Victor, and Little Bit ND17

30 July 2022

I was not going to do another posting today but, in case you did not see the update on Victor or the posting of Ervie, I wanted to share them with you.

First, yesterday Dad had a terrible day. It is not clear what happened to him on the nest but he flipped over, his eyes looked terrified, and Mum thought it best to beak him to get him to come out of it. I was worried. Dad, we need you! Dad was later caught fishing with Ervie and he looks good.

Christine Georgiou took these great shots of the pair of them and posted them on the Port Lincoln FB. Ervie on top and Dad below sans transmitter. Look at that nice fish Ervie has! I do not know if anyone has realized what a treat it is to watch Ervie mature and how lucky ‘we’ were that he lost his talon and stayed home. He has had a good start on life…Dad certainly taught him where to fish and served as a great example.

If you look closely I believe you can see Ervie’s missing talon on ‘the right foot’. Ervie has learned to carry the fish with only three talons and the fish is backwards!

If you did not see the most up to date posting about Victor, here it is again. The good news he is getting better. Notice that he is standing quite well. Victor is such a young eaglet – where in the world would he have gotten so much zinc?

Several have written to ask about Little Bit NC17. The biggest question is: has anyone seen him eat? Little Bit was released at St Patrick’s Park near the nest and treed area by the nest on 20 July. That was ten days ago. This image was 25 July and it is the three fledglings from the Notre-Dame nest flying together over the nest and the trees. There are lots of people who love Little Bit and who are making a point to go and check on the eagle family. Little Bit has pulled that tenacious resourcefulness out and he has had to have eaten ——–he could not live for ten days without food! Little Bit ate everything that came to the nest. Fledglings normally exist on carrion – dead animals – their first year. We know he can eat fur pelts!!!!! The fledglings have been seen down by the river with the adults. I am extremely hopeful that he is doing well.

Send good wishes to Victor as he continues to go through all the therapies. Let us hope that just has he has been able to stand he will be able to eat by himself soon. Send good wishes for Little Bit to have a nice fish supper – and for Ervie and Dad to be safe.

Take care everyone. Enjoy your Saturday evening. Thank you for being with me this evening.

Thanks to the Ojai Raptor Centre, the Notre-Dame Eagles FB and Port Lincoln Osprey Project FB where I took my screen captures.

Victor, Love is in the air in Australia…and did Dad really go head over heels?

30 July 2022

Good Morning everyone! I hope that your Saturday will be a good one and is already off to a nice start.

Bless their hearts. Friday hit 103 F in Osoyoos or 39.44 C. It had to be hotter on top of that Osprey platform. Gold stars go to Soo and Olsen who did the best they could in dire circumstances. Soo shaded the kids – she went for dips in the lake and came back to cool them. Olsen brought in one last fish for the day at 2031. They are alive- but the heat is not going to let up until Monday night.

It got me to thinking. If the chicks were flying they could go to the lake and cool off like the ones at McEuen Park in Idaho. Will the ospreys in this region adapt by arriving earlier – say a month? Even two weeks earlier for the dates the eggs would hatch would make the world of difference. It wasn’t the heat that caused Lena and Andy to adjust their breeding season on Captiva in Florida. For years the Crows predated their eggs, so this year Andy and Lena laid their eggs one month earlier than they had ever done before. The osplets were too big by the time the Crows came to do any harm. It was brilliant.

Soo trying so hard to keep her osplets cool.

No worse for wear – they seem to be watching something happening below on the grass.

Olsen has delivered nine fish at the Osoyoos nest before 0800. Loud cheers around the world. It is another scorcher there. Thanks to ‘AM’ – the 0753 delivery wasn’t wanted and Olsen got to enjoy it all to himself. Oh, keep this wonderful family in your thoughts.

It was equally as hot at the McEuen Park Osprey Platform in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Poor Mum. She is trying desperately to keep those big chicks shaded. Just look at them! Dedication.

There were some very unfortunate incidents on nest #4 in Finland yesterday. The cause is unknown by the female, the mother, turned on her osplets. One was on the nest and the other had fledged and returned. It was a frantic, crazed series of attacks that left you wondering if the female had gone crazy? did she think they were intruders and not her chicks? No one seems to have any answers. What is known is that fish is much needed on this nest. It does not have the level of deliveries as the Janakkalan nest does. Is this part of the issue? I was told by someone that I trust that he had seen a couple of these ferocious attacks in the past at other nests. The cause was never known and the nest settled down. — This is such a rare occurrence – an adult attacking their offspring at the fledge or near fledge state that it really does make you wonder what motivated the behaviour.

That is precisely what seems to have happened. Everything is much calmer.

Life appears to have returned to normal. Nuppu is an excellent mother. Positive wishes everyone – for fish and for calm.

Life is much calmer at the Janakkalan Nest since the intruding female that wanted to play at being a Mum left the area some days ago. Dad continues bringing in really good sized fish. One chick has fledged and the other continues to do some flapping. It is interesting that the one that can fly tends to stay on the nest with the other – eating and sleeping. They occasionally look around. So far they have been safe from the goshawk in the area. Unfortunately, we cannot see when Dad has to go into high alert as the nest’s security guard.

‘H’ sent a video showing another fantastic tug -o-war at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey platform in Delaware. This time the chick that missed out earlier got the fish on Friday. Well done. These two are really preparing for the real world of fledglings. Thank you, ‘H’.

Life on the Sydney Sea Eagles nest appears to be settling down. There is lots of food and Lady continues to feed the two at least every hour. You can almost set your alarm to the feedings. This really eases the issue of food insecurity and SE29 is clearly beginning to relax about any issues of dominance. I did not take a clip of every feeding but my goodness, there was sure a lot of harmony on this nest – most welcome! The eaglets are nothing short of adorable and it is an amazing nest to watch – the only sea eagle cam in the world.

Mum and Dad have been on the nest on the Port Lincoln barge most of the day. No Ervie in sight.

There was a very strange incident on the nest today. I made a video clip because – well, you will know when you watch it why it was difficult to figure out what was going on. Dad is in the nest digging out the nest cup. Mum flies in. Just watch…I promise you that you have never seen Dad in either of the two positions!

I wonder if Mum beaked him to see if he was alive? or to get him to turn over? Dad flies away fine. Here the pair are later in the afternoon.

On their FB page, Port Lincoln posted the following map of Ervie’s travels. I thought it quite intriguing that they say Ervie returned to the barge. Was he on the wheelhouse? I could not see him but, gosh, if he was there would love a photo!

Now that the Ospreys are mostly fledged and gaining fat for their first migrations which will begin sooner than we wish in the Northern Hemisphere, you can switch your attention to this nest in Port Lincoln Australia. I will not call it an easy nest to watch. Last year was marvellous – three lads no female – . Bazza, Falky, and our dear Ervie. There is a history of siblicide which you can read about and 2020 was rather difficult but still, I would give it a chance. There is a loyal group of chatters that are simply marvellous. The owners of the barge and Fran Solly, Take2Photography, provide loads of information and photographs. The chicks are always ringed and for the last two seasons one has received a GPS transmitter.

There is certainly love in the air at the scrape on the water tower at Sturt University in Orange. Xavier has been upping the treats for Diamond including an Eastern Rosella today. In the image below, you can see Diamond quick on his heels — a lovely treat. After watching Diamond for some years, you learn that she really does have her favourite prey items and sometimes if a European Starling appears, she just looks at Xavier and flies out disgusted. It is too funny.

I adore these two. For the past couple of years they have had only one egg hatch. In 2020 it was the ever adorable Izzi who got to fledge/fledge 3 times – he fludged and was brought back to the box, he fledged but hit a window and went to rehab and was returned to the box, and then he flew. But he loved being taken care of and everyone began to wonder if he would ever leave. Eventually Diamond put her talons down and he did. We all miss him terribly. Sadly, Little Yurruga did not survive after fledgling last year. She got caught in a horrific storm and is believed to have perished because of it. Her body was never found.

Xavier has been doing some rather dynamic scraping in the scrape creating the indentation where Diamond will lay her eggs.

There are several cameras – two in the scrape box and one so that you can follow the adults and fledglings flying around the water tower. Here is the link to one of them. There is a great chat group here as well.

This is an Eastern Rosella -the bird that Xavier brought to Diamond for her treat.

“Eastern Rosella” by zosterops is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.

An update on Victor who is doing well. It appears that he had elevated zinc levels. He is still being hand fed but is improving. Lovely article. Have a read:

https://www.ojaivalleynews.com/news/sick-bald-eagle-recovering-at-orc/article_c4540a4a-0f08-11ed-91fc-4ba35f94378b.html?fs=e&s=cl&fbclid=IwAR28lytEaUpA_unXQj25EAjSUQviHMiJA2PqlvG-w4plvstQXGlsJtinRJE

Please keep these amazing bird families in your thoughts today – especially those in the Pacific NW that are struggling with horrifically hot weather and those in care like our dear Victor. Thank you for joining me this morning. Please do take care of yourselves also – if you live in the extreme heat areas drink lots of fluids. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, postings, etc. which have become my screen captures and videos: Osoyoos Ospreys, McEuen Park, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Sydney Sea Eagles @Birdlife Australia Discovery Centre, Sydney Olympic Park, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Sturt Falcon Cam, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys and ‘H’.

Victor is doing physical therapy and other brief news in Bird World

16 July 2022

Oh, everyone is watching for news about Victor so you will already have seen what I posted below – but, oh, Physical Therapy for Eagles. Makes me smile. All of us are hoping beyond hope that they can find what is wrong with Victor so he can be ‘fixed’. That is the key isn’t it: what is wrong with Victor?

What a great little video clip. Chase teaches Lancer to work for that fish!

The Mum at the Jannakadan Osprey nest in Finland was eating a morning fish and appeared to be much better at swallowing. What a wonderful sight. Could it possibly be that the fright for the health of the Mum is over? Oh, goodness,. wouldn’t that just be a blessing!

Thank you ‘B’ for sending me the latest update on Victor that was posted on the Ojai Raptor Centre’s FB page below the image.

Look at Victor having to work those legs.

Victor being held up so that he can work his legs.

“Physical therapy time! ORC staff Veterinarian Dr. Stephany Lewis uses this technique for physical therapy for our raptor patients, as well as an assessment and monitoring tool for animals with neurological diseases. Spinal trauma is extremely difficult to diagnose on avian radiographs, but should be visible on CT scan. The CT scan on this eagle performed at VMSG did not show any evidence of spinal trauma, though further review of the CT is still pending. A West Nile Virus PCR test and a toxic heavy metal blood panel are still pending and we will update as we know more about this case.”

Did you notice that old clean towel with the holes cut through to support Victor? Do not discard your old towels that are clean. Keep them, gather others from friends, family, and neighbours. I kid you not – they are used so much in the wildlife rehab clinics. Then deliver them to your local clinic. They will be ever so grateful!

Dear Victor. So many people are sending you love and support. You can do this little buddy! If you go to the Ojai Raptor Centre FB page they also have some videos of Victor working those legs. Please watch. He is working so hard.

There was also a posting by Humane Indiana Wildlife – not specifically about Little Bit ND17 but all the animals in their care. Take the time to read down closely. I am going to take a giant leap of faith and presume that Little Bit will also be required to have hunting skills and be independent before he is released. That is just terrific news. The staff had never mentioned this but surely it is their intention. Here is their statement on their FB page:

This morning I have another video of that teenage osprey with attitude. It is nest #3 — thanks, ‘S’. I am not sure whether to feel sorry for Mum or just roll in laughter.

Small fish continue to come to the Osoyoos nest – both chicks are eating and Mum got the tail but this nest has to be ‘hungry’. Thanks Dad for all your hard work trying to find fish in this hot weather.

There have been intruders around the Hog Island Osprey platform of Dory and Skiff. The three kids really know how to pancake when someone is around.

It is fish deliveries and practice eating at Mispillion as the two fledglings continue to have some fun flying. This nest has done well. It has been fun to watch Mum decorate. I wish I could send her the sunflower the birds planted for me. I think she would love the yellow.

If you love the Llyn Clywedog nest of Dylan and Seren in Wales, then you know the name John Williams. Last year he did a lot of spotting and driving and figuring to find out where Dylan was getting the Brown Trout if he wasn’t catching them at the Reservoir. He is the person who also gives us some great images of Dylan out fishing sometimes. Here is some more information on John but also the history of the nest if you want to keep a record.

https://johnwilliamswildlifeandlandscapephotography.wordpress.com/about/?fbclid=IwAR1gpSBBWh22EKlt6_9CewQAzz6O-Yc99307P5AmsmVxSZb-l7uihqa1wkw

That is brief news this morning. Will be watching for a pip at the WBSE nest in Sydney. It looks like the little one at Chesapeake Bay will be it for Tom and Audrey this year! Grow fast..you are the youngest of all the babies of 2022. Take care everyone. Have a wonderful Saturday. See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Ojai Raptor Centre, Finnish Osprey Foundation, Humane Indiana Wildlife, Osoyoos Ospreys, Explore.org and Audubon, Mispillion Harbour, and Explore.org and IWS.