Writer, Conservationist, Activist, Bird Lover
13 July 2022
The following announcement was posted by the Ojai Raptor Centre. Our dear Victor is quite the trooper. He had a full body CT Scan – it must be stressful for him but the vets are going to try and find out why he cannot stand.
Please send your positive energy to Victor.
12 July 2022
Ervie. Bazza Hockaday caught Ervie fishing with Dad! He posted images of the two of them together on the FB Page of the Port Lincoln Osprey Group. Now, how wonderful is that? I am so excited. Ervie can fish with dad and not feel so rejected..he just can’t go on the nest near Mum! Remember how Ervie and Dad used to sit in the ‘shed’ and chat? Seriously, tears of joy!
Dad above and Ervie below with the tracker.
The newsletter that I get from the Cornell Bird Lab is carrying an article on neonics, a pesticide, that is having a deadly impact on our songbirds. Have a read. Also consider, however, the fact that the ‘Green’ herbicides and pesticides used on lawns are toxic. Take, for example, the neighbour who wants the weeds killed so that they can put down a matt and then put on wood mulch — the ‘Green’ spray was toxic — it killed the weeds. They did not know that they could simply use vinegar.
The three Ls (L3 is in care) are flying as almost as good as Big Red and Arthur. They are learning more and more about catching their own prey and in 2-4 weeks they will leave the territory of Big Red and Arthur and find their own place in the world of hawks. So thankful for Suzanne Arnold Horning who takes her camera to the campus each day and allows me to share her images of Big Red and Arthur’s family with you.
One of the Ls hunting in the pine trees. Big Red and Arthur have been moving them around to various parts of the campus for prey drops and hunting. Everything they do are lessons for the kids -. Once the Ls leave the territory, Big Red and Arthur are going to enjoy a much needed rest. We will then see them back on the nest checking things in the late fall or early November. Time definitely passes too quickly!
L4 – we worried and worried and it turns out he loved to climb over his siblings to get to Big Red’s beak – totally unafraid – and was one of the first two to catch prey and become an official juvenile. Here he is on top of a small shed stalking something and stretching.
L4 – cutie pie.
Ferris Akel just uploaded his tour of the Red-tail hawks at Cornell from last weekend. Here you go!
The storklets on the Mlade Buky nest of Bukacek and Betty are big! No wonder Bukacek was working on a second nest. No room for him and Betty!
Urmas and Dr Madis V’s experiment to raise the storklets of Jan and Janika continues to go very smoothly. Karl II has brought food in. Bonus watches the others and begins the same ritual to cause Karl II to be able to regurgitate the fish. Everyone looks nice and healthy on this nest and we know from the postings that both Karl II and Kaia have found the fish basket left for them by Urmas.
The storklets are losing their white natal down and those lovely black feathers are coming in. Bonus is in the front with the two metal rings.
At 13:30 ‘H’ reports that one of the ospreys on the Mispillion Harbour nest fledged. It was a beautiful first flight returning in about a minute and a half. Congratulations to everyone and to you ‘H’ who has watched this nest like a wonderful auntie and kept us informed. Now…when will the next one fledge?
There he goes!
Louis and Dorcha’s two osplets are being ringed at Loch Arkaig at this very moment! There is the proud mama Dorcha with the two before the banders arrived. Dorcha flew around at the arrival of the humans and her and Louis are now perched on a tree waiting for everything to be finished so they can get their chicks back! Will there be one big girl??? and a boy?
The camera is turned off and will come back on line when the ringers are finished.
The chicks of Louis and Dorcha have been ringed but no word about gender, weight, etc. Will post tomorrow when I hear.
Fledgling 554 is enjoying her freedom as she stares at us from the perch at the Llyn Clywedog Osprey nest of Dylan and Seren. 554 was the first osprey to fledge in Wales for the 2022 season – yesterday.
554’s other siblings are flapping their wings now, too….will there be a rush on fledging?
Idris has brought in 3 fish in three hours. Those three big girls will each have their own fish at the Dyfi Nest this evening.
It was a gorgeous day in the Glaslyn Valley. Mrs G looking over her nest full of osplets no doubt so happy that this season went superbly.
Since last year many of us have wondered what the fate of CJ7 would be. Would Blue 022 return? would they bond? would they have chicks? They did bond, they did have chicks….the nest was so deep that we could only get a glimpse of them. Now, here they are staring at us. Just gorgeous osplets. Congratulations – you two are famous. Right, you don’t care. Just clean up the environment so that Ospreys can have lots of non-toxic delicious fish, clean air, safe migration, and wonderful nests. Oh, right..and stop the shooting of Ospreys. Gotcha. We are gonna work on that.
Dory watches over three sleeping little ones on the Boathouse Osprey nest on Hog Island. Just look at how well their plumage camouflages them and how much copper/orange they are getting on the nape of their necks. So lovely and content.
Meanwhile, in California, Rosie continues to supply Brooks and Molate with goldfish. This is number 8!
To the delight of everyone Annie and Alden continue to pair bond in the scrape at The Campanile every other day it seems. This was yesterday.
If you missed it, Mama Thunder made quick work of that juvenile intruder yesterday. Here is a 40 second clip of the action at the West End Bald Eagle nest:
Lillibet wondering where Victor is in the middle of the night at the Fraser Point nest of Andor and Mama Cruz.
It is going to take a few days for the blood work to come back on Victor and for all other tests to determine what is causing him to lose his balance and not be able to fly. Here is an edited post by Dr Sharpe.
Thank you so much for joining me today. Both Little Bit 17 and Victor are getting fantastic care and as someone joked – “There will be a run on Costco trout, I want to eat what Victor is having!” Cute. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cam and/or FB pages or blogs where I took my screen captures: Suzanne Arnold Horning, Ferris Akel Tours, Mlade Buky Storks, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys, Friends of Loch Arkaig and the Woodland Trust, CarnyXWild, Dyfi Osprey Project, Bywyd Gwyllt Glaslyn, Poole Harbour Ospreys, Audubon Explore.org, SF Ospreys and Golden Gate Audubon, Cal Falcons, Port Lincoln Osprey Project, Bazza Hockaday, Explore.org and The Institute for Wildlife Studies.
10 July 2022
I want to start by putting a smile on everyone’s face. Ervie. The photo was taken yesterday around the North Shore where you will see that Ervie has caught a really nice sized fish – not a puffer! Thank you ‘B’ – I have been so preoccupied with Victor and a couple of osprey nests that I missed checking on Ervie since they posted his last tracking. — Good things happen to talons. They grow!
That is a beautiful fish and good form, Ervie! Does everyone realize that Ervie could be the best thing that happened to Port Lincoln tourism? Maybe, as a male, he will just hang around til he can take over the barge from Dad. Why not? There is lots of fish and he will not bother Mum and Dad – house rules.
Update on Victor, Sunday morning: Victor was active around 0619. He was doing some wing flapping and some hopping. He stood for a short while. He appeared to sleep better during the night.
This is the latest posting from Dr Sharpe about 42 minutes ago- 9am PST.
These are the images from this morning.
Andor and Mama Cruz are bringing in bedding for Victor. He was more alert. I understand that Dr Sharpe has approved a banner with a link for donations. If you have been wanting to donate, this is a great chance to support the wonderful work that Dr Sharpe does for these eagles on the Channel Islands. as ‘B’ and I were discussing, the only person we know that would work so hard to save this eaglet is Dr Sharpe. — I will also add that donations are tax deductible and you can give $100 and have it spread out over 12 months at $8.96 a month. You will get a beautiful thank you and a gift. Mine was an embroidered T-shirt and a super digital image of the nestlings of Thunder and Akecheta.
The information below on Victor comes from late Saturday.
Some close up images of Victor’s left leg and talons and a reminder of the many challenges and obstacles that need to be cleared away before Dr Sharpe can get the fledgling help.
Lillibet stayed with her brother – these two have always been close. They remind me of E17/18 and E19/20. It would be comforting for Victor to have his sister beside him. It has been a hard day to watch Victor. He has clearly appeared to be in pain. Hoping that Andor or Mama Cruz will feed him tomorrow.
Dr Sharpe is not the only person that is having trouble getting volunteers. Around the world it is the same – fewer and fewer people are stepping up to assist in the rescue of our wildlife. The high rise in the cost for everything has placed many who have helped in a situation where they cannot – fuel is one of those issues. I do not know a wildlife rehabilitation centre that is not overwhelmed in the middle of the summer. Every one relies on donations. It has been mentioned twice that Victor will need a place to go to get the care and treatment he requires. Will there be someone answer Dr Sharpe’s call for help if he gets permission to retrieve the eaglet. Will someone provide a boat? Is there a motel that will allow Victor in its rooms? Each leg of the rescue of eaglets in the Channel Islands has its many challenges and its costs.
I am actually starting Sunday’s blog Saturday night. It has been a roller coaster day in Bird World. The Osprey expert who is my go to -if I do not know the answer about an issue or who fills me in on the back story to everything happening in Osprey Land -sent me a letter. It said: “Isn’t it amazing how people are in denial about what is happening to juvenile ospreys?” It was ‘just the other day’ that ‘A’ wrote and said she will never look at an adult raptor the same – she now appreciates the struggle that they went through to live beyond their first year never mind to 8 or 10 years! As everyone reading my blog knows, ‘that list’ grows but, at the same time, I told my friend that there is a silent army out there working for the betterment of our birds and I meant all of you! Thank you for what you do for the birds – the smallest gesture can have the most impact.
Case in point. Just look at the Osprey nest below. The original one kept being destroyed in high winds. It was decided to consult some experts on design in order to shore up the nest and make it safer for the Ospreys on the Sunshine Coast in Australia. There is information in the posting below the image – but everyone there deserves a huge shout out. Well done.
Iris is, of course, a miracle. At the age of 28 or 29 she is as fit as they come. She is an excellent fisher and she continues to work on her nest in Missoula, Montana. and what a nest that is! Iris is an example that we should all follow – she eats well, has lots of exercise, and keeps herself busy. Iris is truly amazing and we are so glad that she is spending so much time this summer on this ever growing penthouse of hers because we get to watch. Beautiful wings, fabulous legs. By every measure she is a real senior but she looks like a fit youngster.
Mr President and Lotus teach Takoda life lessons since he is an ‘only’. They are doing a great job showing him how easy it is to steal his fish!
The four storklets are waiting for either Kaia or Karl II (or both) to bring some nice fish for breakfast. Frogs would be OK, too.
Bonus is squatted down on the left, facing right. He is fully transitioned into the family. The intervention appears to have been very successful – a rare Black Storklets life is saved by two people taking a chance on an idea – Urmas and Dr Madis V.
The climate is changing and it is having an impact on our feathered friends around the world. Warming seas, a shortage of fish, high day time temperatures. You name it. It is harming the bird’s ability to thrive. They are not birds but those cute little penguins that visit the Royal Cam chick on occasion are not the only New Zealand wildlife that could be having trouble.
‘H’ has reported that all three have fledged from the Carthage Tennessee Osprey nest. Congratulations everyone! That is fantastic news. ‘H’ also reports that there is really good hovering going on at the Mispillion Harbour Osprey nest. The kids are 52 days old and they were doing some super hovering as well as being nice to one another and trying self-feeding. Thanks, ‘H’. Like Ervie these two got forgotten with Victor’s injury.
All eyes are on that egg in the Chesapeake Conservancy nest of Tom and Audrey. The first hatch is doing fab…
So far it looks like at least 2 fish have come to the Osoyoos Osprey nest this morning. 07:28 and 08:11.
Dory and Skiff’s trio are doing fine as well. Lots of fish come to this nest. I would like to give one of them to Osoyoos sometimes. The chicks at both Osoyoos and Hog Island are getting feathers coming out of those shafts. Lovely.
That is a hop skip and a jump through the nests. Great news on Ervie. Always makes my heart stop – that Osprey! Thank you Dr Sharpe for all you do – this man needs to be given an award with a huge prize for all he does. Everyone else seems to be holding and doing good.
Thank you for joining me today. Take care everyone. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and or F/B or web sites where I took my screen captures: Port Lincoln Osprey FB, Institute for Wildlife Studies, Explore.org and The Institute for Wildlife Studies, Bald Eagles Live Nest and News, Sunshine Coast Council, Montana Osprey Project, NADC-AEF, Eagle Club of Estonia, Mispillion Harbour Ospreys, Chesapeake Bay Conservancy, Osoyoos Ospreys, and Audubon Explore.
8 July 2022
Since this morning when Victor at the Fraser Point Bald Eagles nest could not stand, he is much improved. He has gone after Lillibet who took the prey and he has been fed by Mama Cruz. He is holding his head up as well. It all looks good and I thought you should know. Was Victor just worn out from fighting with the bushes? Oh, let’s hope so. I is about 8 hours after he arrived and could not stand.
Look at Mama Cruz looking down at Victor wondering what has happened. Lillibet is on the perch.
Victor looks so good. He is holding his head up nicely.
Thank you for every positive wish you sent this beautiful fledgling. Let us all continue to wish him good health, a long life, and lots of prey.
Thank you to Explore.org and The Institute for Wildlife Studies for their streaming dam where I took my screen captures.
