Tag Archives: wildlife

Pip, pip, hatch…Saturday in Bird World

23 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

I had to check first thing. More below. But isn’t a day-old osplet adorable? I wish every osplet could hatch into a wonderful nest like Sally and Harry’s.

Happy Saturday everyone – from all of us. Hugo Yugo is well and there are so many pips and hatches going to happen our heads will be spinning by next week!

I haven’t been staying up as late as I used to. Last year I was still watching the cams at 0100 and back up again before 0700. This year, I am being gentle until the ospreys start hatching all over the place so, sometimes I miss things. That is what happened with the hatch at Moorings yesterday. So grateful for ‘H’ – she fills in my gaps. Thursday night was also a difficult evening when I added up how many hours little Willow had not had any food on the Bluff City nest and observed the battering that Oliver was giving it. Food shortages cause many things for both raptors and humans. Sadly, Willow was too weak to eat on Friday and Oliver continued to thrash her about. It reminded me too much of Zoe. Sometimes we all need just to step back and breathe. Life is often extremely difficult and in instances like this, we feel very helpless.

Hugo Yugo is positively fine. The onesie went into the ether somewhere and the incision is fantastic, regardless. Thank you for all your get well wishes and positive energy.

It has been an excruciatingly painful year with the Bald Eagle nests that all of us have watched. We are only beginning to have the little osplets in the nest. Indeed, the majority of the adults have yet to return from migration. We can only hope that the weather and the quantity and quality of fish will be such that the chicks can survive to fledge – and then, we must hope that the larger raptors do not predate them. It is time to show we care, not just talk about it.

I intend to observe those nests that have had predation and send the owners all the information about the proactive folks at Cowlitz PUD. Yes, that is a public utility company in Washington State that cared enough about its ospreys to put up fish grates to protect the babies from the Bald Eagles. Last year, the family lost all three of their beautiful osplets to an eagle. We have seen other nests that could have benefited and outfitted their platforms before their resident ospreys returned this year. If I seem overly critical, well, I am. The ospreys put so much energy into the eggs, incubation, and feeding that to lose the chicks, often right before or right after fledging, is devastating, especially when mitigation might have altered the outcome.

I reported below that there was to be a walk around the Achieva Credit Union nest. This was posted within the last five minutes – so at 2100 Florida time Friday night. So, please send your concerns to the St Petersburg Audubon Society quickly and coherently.

Good news. The Achieva Osprey nest will have individuals looking at it and around the area as well as trimming the tree near the platform.

Thank you Barbara Walker. This is what she found when they looked around the Achieva nest at the base:

Mother Goose at Decorah has laid another egg – the third. Don’t you love seeing those day old goslings take that leap of faith?

The John Bunker Sands surviving eaglet is doing fantastic. Self-feeding and a lot of flapping and jumping are the order of the day. Mum appears to be improving slowly. I have to imagine that standing on the metal, especially on a hot day, does nothing but put stress on that foot/talon at times. Thankfully, and regardless, the eaglet has not suffered. Dad stepped in to help both and did a fantastic job.

There is a hatch – second egg, one eaglet in nest – in progress at the Cardinal Land Conservancy.

Pip watch began at the Redding Bald Eagle nest of Liberty and Guardian on Thursday. Please let them have one successful hatch! The weather is miserable.

We are on hatch watch at Berry College. This is Pa and Missey’s second clutch. The egg is 35 days old today. Wishing both Pa and Missey luck.

Both Ospreys have arrived safe and sound at the Bridge Golf Club Osprey Nest.

At Port Lincoln, Bradley continues to show us that he can catch puffers and fish! I am so glad that he chooses to catch them on the ropes of the old Natal Nest and then barge them so we can see how well he is doing.

Bradley and Dad have been spending time at Dad’s favourite fishing spot, Delamere. You might recall that Dad and Ervie spent much time there also – as do the whole family now.

I am not sure which bird it is but Threave have one on a nest in the UK! Most will return in a week (based on historical records).

There is a new Red-tail Hawk cam at Syracuse University. The residents are Oren and Ruth and they already have two eggs. Check it out!

Here is the link:

Big Red and Arthur continue to take turns. Big Red has been busy finding bark Friday afternoon.

Arthur returns, not Big Red.

Here comes Mama with more bark.

Snow began to fall gently on Big Red, her nest and the two eggs Friday evening.

The little osplet at Moorings Park is hatched and so cute. Sally has been busy having many small fish meals for her first hatch in 2024. At one time the remaining half shell from the hatch got slipped over the ‘orange’ egg (the one closest to you), but, thankfully, it later came off. Is there a pip in one of the other eggs? We wait to see. Hopefully they will all hatch quickly! Harry is such an amazing fisher and Sally an incredible Mum, they can handle three.

‘AE’ sent this adorable screen capture. Don’t newly hatched osplets melt your heart?

We have some tracking news about Ervie.

Food was scarce, and Oliver at Bluff City realised there was currently not enough, even with a rabbit coming into the nest. S/he has continually beaten little Willow, who has not eaten. The parent will not feed a chick they perceive as dying because it is a ‘waste of food’. Willow must be strong enough to get up and open its beak. Sadly, Oliver isn’t allowing this. This is a typical example of siblicide. And it is horrible to watch. Please note that Oliver has an enormous crop when he is beating Willow. You might recall Zoe at Port Lincoln. This will not end well, and I wish the little one speed in its release.

AE reports Willow had only 2 bites of food. Poor thing.

Poor little Willow. It is raining and she is still alive this morning. I feel so sorry for this family with so little food.

It is an entirely different story at Johnson City where there is plenty of fish. Both eaglets are thriving.

Sometimes I wish the other eggs on the nest would not hatch. Ellie and Harvey’s first eaglet on Farmer Derek’s property is a cutie pie.

The first hatch at Decorah North is on its way! We are going to have so many eaglets by next week!

It appears that Archie won the lottery – Annie and him have four eggs. Wonder if she will go for five?!

Archie incubates!!!!! Those four must be awfully uncomfortable for such a little falcon.

Looks like Lisa has returned to the Spirit Bluff scrape and is bonding with Newman. (I suspect she was injured and healed and has now returned to take her place). Exciting news.

As many of you are aware, I have ranted about humans providing fish for the ospreys in times of immediate need. I wrote the following to Geemeff in a big rant, “So I continue to ask myself – what would it hurt us to put up fish ponds near the raptor platforms?  I mean John Williams has figured out the number and type of fish that come on to Llyn Clywedog – and if I recall, it is about 450-500 fish for a great feed for a family of 4-5.  Would it really break the bank to ensure fish were there?  When the rivers and streams in places such as the NE US have nothing?  Humans did, after all, scoop all the surface swimming fish for the ospreys.” Geemeff reminded me of the following:  ” I like your rant, and remind you of Horn Mill trout farm in Rutland. They estimate they were losing about £60k in fish stocks annually to the Ospreys, and netted all their ponds. Then someone had the genius idea to un-net the biggest pond and install a hide nearby. Now they make more in photographer fees than they lose to the Ospreys. Win-win! Why don’t others do similar?” Geemeff is absolutely right. There is at least one or two other hides making a good income from people wanting to photograph ospreys catching fish. Mention this to anyone you know. All those golf clubs that have osprey nests where there is a dwindling amount of fish could cash in!

At Louis’s original nest at Loch Arkaig, the buzzards fighting for the rights to nest there have locked talons and fallen over the side in this thirty second clip by Geemeff.

Happy Birthday Super Star Kakapo Sirocco!

For the love of the Eider Duck – a Norwegian community and how it protects this precious waterfowl. Who are the Eider Keepers?

The-Eider-Keepers-Hakai-MagazineDownload

What has been the reaction to the Scottish Grouse Bill?

Scottish-grouse-bill-–-reactions-latest-news-–-Raptor-Persecution-UKDownload

BirdLife International shows us how cement was turned into wetlands in Cambridgeshire, UK. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere.

Turning-cement-into-luscious-wetlands-BirdLife-InternationalDownload

Thank you so very much for being with me today. Please take care. We look forward to having you with us again very soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, screen captures, conversations, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, AE, BA, Geemeff, H, MP’, Achieva Osprey Cam, Barbara Walker, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, JB Sands Wetlands, Cardinal Land Conservancy, FORE, Berry College Eagle Cam, Bridge Golf Course Ospreys, PLO, thrive Ospreys NTS, Red-tail Hawk Cam SU, Cornell RTH Cam, Moorings Park Ospreys, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, SK Hideaways, Ashley Wilson, Geemeff, Kakapo Recover, Hakai Magazine, Raptor Persecution UK, and BirdLife International.

Hatch at Moorings Park

22 March 2024

Good Morning, again.

There were a couple of items that unintentionally got left out of my earlier posting.

Sally and Harry did have their first hatch. It was hatching when I was writing the posting. Got out of that shell around 2300.

It is raining this morning in Naples, Florida. Harry got to see the little one at breakfast.

There is a hatch in progress at Port Tobacco. Nice pip seen at 0700. Wish Hope and Chandler all the luck in the world with this little one hatching.

When I wrote my post last evening, I feared that Willow would die. She is too weak to eat today. A fish did come in at Bluff City. She would be two weeks old today. Go swiftly little one.

Take care. Thank you for being here for this quick update. Thank you to the cams at Moorings Park, Bluff City, and Tobacco Creek and to ‘H’ for alerting me to Moorings Park hatch.

Hatches and Intruders…Friday in Bird World

22 Mark 2024

Hi Everyone,

It was a gorgeous sunny day on the Canadian Prairies. There was blue sky, little wind, and it wasn’t a bad temperature.

There was a wonderful surprise in the garden – Hedwig appeared! I tried to be ever so careful as to not scare her away. Hoping for bunnies under the peony plant again.

The Little Reds continued to store peanuts while the Chickadees flitted from branch to feeder eating seed. Dyson has been at the table feeder several times a day. She is looking food. I cannot think of anything more relaxing. Calico was on my lap sleeping, Missey was on the wicker having a nap, Hugo Yugo was on top of the cat tree, and Baby Hope was on my bed. The world seems just right with itself.

As I write this there is a hatch happening at Moorings Park! How fantastic. Harry has been checking in on Sally and the progress anxious to see the first baby of 2024.

The hatch at Kansas City is with us! It feels like a really good day – full of joyful news. The little one at the Kansas City Bald Eagle nest is strong! Congratulations to Ellie, Harvey, Farmer Derek and his family.

We were concerned about the talon of the Bald Eagle female at the J Bunker Sands nest in Texas. I mentioned how raptors adapt to the events that cause them injury. One of the first that comes to mind is Ma Berry of the Berry College Eagle Nest. Today, ‘ MC reminded me of an informative article by Roy Dennis on White-tail Eagle 646, who lost a leg. It is a good read and one that provides much hope to us who worry when we see injured raptors.

The-explorer-returns-Roy-Dennis-Wildlife-FoundationDownload

Make a note that pip/hatch watch for the second clutch at Berry Eagles is this weekend.

The third egg arrived Thursday morning for Lucy and her new mate at Lake Murray. Time: 08:24.

There have been several attacks on Osprey females. Edie at the Captiva Nest – she is incubating four eggs – was attacked by another Osprey. (more images later in the blog)

Blue NCO was attacked by a Tawny Owl. She returned to the nest seemingly unharmed. Sorry Laddie. I don’t think you are going to come home…can someone please send Blue NCO a nice great fishing young male?

Here she is later working on her nest and looking beyond the horizon for her mate.

For the fans of Glacier Gardens Bald Eagles, Liberty and Freedom, they are home!

At Rutland, Maya and Blue 33 both have the old snake eye on Friday. Is Maya getting a little eggy?

No one at Glaslyn yet.

Llyn Brenig. They will make quick work out of those sticks. No one home as yet.

I would like to have some of the rain that is falling at Llyn Brenig and at Llyn Clywedog. No sign of Dylan or Seren 5F yet.

No one has checked in at Alyth.

Windy up at Loch Arkaig with precipitation during the night. Waiting for Dorcha and Louis.

The Osprey nests in the UK have the most beautiful natural settings. Poole Harbour is no exception. Waiting for CJ7 and Blue 022 to return.

One of the big differences—besides the sheer number of Ospreys—is how many in the UK get to enjoy the landscape and the rivers away from urban settings. So many of the ospreys on the streaming cams in the US live in towns, villages, and cities with pavement under them instead of rolling hills and trees.

Pip watch starts for Chase and Cholyn on the 29th at Two Harbours.

The Thunder babies are doing very well, indeed. Akecheta is an incredible Dad that takes part in the feedings more often than not. Some varied prey and well, Mama Thunder is one of the best.

The little one crawls out of the nest bowl hoping to get some of that nice fish before its siblings!

‘A’ adores this nest like I do. “

At West End, I really didn’t need the long shot of the nest on the face of a cliff that we were given at 16:21 yesterday – I am now absolutely terrified of what might happen when those three become mobile because it’s a long, long fall down that sheer cliff face. Very scary indeed. Now, when they go near the edge, I’ll know exactly what they’re looking down at!!! I do hope it scares them as much as it did me. 

Hopefully, Akecheta and Thunder will keep that nest as full of fish and those chicks as stuffed to the gills as they have been thus far. These three are just gorgeous fluffy little bundles. The older two have their moments, but wee WE tends to steer clear of them and manages not to antagonise its older siblings. Somehow, it always seems to end up in the middle of the line at feedings, waiting back until the others have eaten a bit and then pushing forward and stretching for some bites. All three are getting fed. 

At about 16:20, with the older pair in food comas, Akecheta takes the opportunity to give the youngest a private feeding. The little one is bold, and even when one of the others wakes up and dad tries feeding it too, baby stands up and grabs for the bites (and gets them). By the time its siblings fully wake up around 16:28, wee WE has a good crop (though continues to eat, maintaining front position and reaching for bites without any fear whatsoever of its older siblings behind. It never looks either in the eye, and this largely seems to keep the wee one out of any trouble. 

These two parents are able to fledge three chicks because they are dedicated in the extreme. They don’t get bored with feeding. They feed until there are no beaks left open (or the fish is gone). They feed frequently to ensure that if one misses out a bit at a feeding, it makes up for it at the next. And Akecheta definitely keeps an eye out for wee WE. I know we keep saying it, but in general, a lot of these males definitely DO take special care to look after the youngest eaglet more than the mums do, though of course there are some exceptions). “

E23 was high in the nest tree overlooking the Pritchett Property in a beautiful heraldic pose. Mum and Dad continue to provide lots of different prey and still enjoy feeding their only eaglet of 2024. What a precious one s/he is to them.

Sadly, the food deliveries at Bluff City have been few and far between. On Thursday late there had been nothing but a small fish and that arrived on Wednesday morning. Oliver continually attacks Willow. Hunger is a terrible thing. I am concerned that Willow will not survive.

The situation at Johnson City looks alright.

Things appear to be fine and the chicks are doing well and practising flapping their wings at Duke Farms.

Pepe and Mahludy’s eaglets, Dixie and Mason, are over a month old. Both are doing exceptionally well.

Swampy and Meadow survived their early ‘play fights’. They are now good buddies, and we are all going to miss them when they fledge. What a joy it has been to watch the nest of Blaze and Abby.

Cal may look out over Captiva Island, but he still enjoys being fed by one of his parents, Connie or Clive. I can only imagine that as time nears, when Cal will go his own way for a while, they also want to spend much time with him.

At the Captiva Osprey nest, Edie and Jack have had to protect their nest repeatedly by other Ospreys attacking. They are incubating four precious eggs.

Caught an Osprey for a second on the South Cape May Meadows nest. Last year Mum lost her mate and all three osplets due to the storm and starvation. It was a sad event to watch. We hope that the situation is better for 2024.

PA Farm Country Eagles have their second hatch! Seems like they just had the first. This is good news.

Bonnie and Clyde of Cardinal Land Conservancy have their first hatch! Gosh, there will be a lot of little eaglets in the nests by the end of the month. They are hatching fast and furious now. Let us hope for nest success.

A lovely image by Lloyd Brown of Rita in her new home. Grateful she will have a life of fish and clean baths, but wish she was flying free.

Darling Shadow continues to bring Jackie her breakfast in bed at Big Bear.

Big Red and Arthur continued to do a lot of incubation shift changes on Thursday.

There will now be legal safeguards for the birds of prey in Scotland – an attempt to protect them from the killing and shooting of the grouse moors. But will it be enough? I tend to think that the archaic practice of beaten grouse hunting should be obliterated altogether.

Scottish-grouse-moors-to-be-licensed-in-attempt-to-protect-birds-of-prey-Birds-The-GuardianDownload

The weather will play a significant factor in the lives of our beloved feathered friends this year. It is dry in Winnipeg. We had little snow compared to some years and we desperately need rain. There could be many more wildfires across my country this summer and record-breaking temperatures that will test even the best raptor families.

Weatherwatch-record-winter-warmth-may-not-be-good-news-for-birds-Climate-crisis-The-GuardianDownload

Our raptors would be in the funeral line, too. Not enough trees, not enough platforms, not enough fish in some regions. They need our help. The Earth needs our help.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Please take care. We hope to see you again soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, MC’, Moorings Park Ospreys, Farmer Derek Bald Eagles (Kansas City Bald Eagles), Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation, SPO, Lake Murray Ospreys, Heidi McGrue, Geemeff, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Glacier Gardens, LRWT, Bywyd Gwylld Glaslyn, Llyn Brenig, Llyn Clywedog, Alyth SS, Woodland Trust, Poole Harbour, IWS/Explore.org, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, Duke Farms, Superbeaks, Eagle Country, Window to Wildlife, SCMM, PA Farm Country Eagles, HDonTap, Lloyd Brown, SK Hideaways, Cornell RTH Cam, and The Guardian.

R6 branches…eagle hatches…Thursday in Bird World

21 March 2024

Good Morning,

Hugo Yugo was in at 0800 and ready to come home at 1200. She is wobbly and quite ‘out of it’ actually. She had to have a larger incision than normal as, according to her marvellous vet Dr Green, “the ovaries were elastic and didn’t just pop out.” I am used to picking them up much later in the day so I have begun to have sympathy pains with Hugo Yugo. She will have a quiet time in the ‘Big Dog Bed of Missey and Lewis’ in the big bedroom this afternoon. Thank you for all of your good wishes for her. She feels loved!

Well, two hours later. Hugo Yugo escaped and can walk very well in her little pink onesie, but she is certainly not going to win any beauty contests in that thing. This little one is the sunshine in my day. She is going to be fine!

2100. Hugo Yugo is tearing through the play tunnels with Calico Kitty Kitty. She is fine. The onesie is nowhere to be seen. I didn’t take it off – did Calico, Calico Kitty Kitty, and Missey help her? She is her insatiable self leaping over couches and running from one end of the house to the other. I know. Dr Green said to keep her still. Well, that isn’t working.

Thursday morning, Hugo Yugo is eating like a 17-hand Quarterhorse. She is perfectly fine!!!! Tears of joy. Here she is.

I sent my post out early on Wednesday because of Hugo Yugo’s surgery and missed including some events – we will start with those.

The first one is a happy one. The first egg hatched at PA County Farms.

The second one is also happy. Annie and Archie now have three eggs at The Campanile Falcon scrape in San Francisco on the UC-Berkeley Campus. Will Annie and Archie stop at three or continue to four eggs?

Archie thinks three is enough!

The third is very happy. R6 branched! Just look at his face. He knows precisely the great milestone he just crossed! Congratulations Ron and Rose.

More good news. The Venice Golf and Country Club had their third hatch before the camera went down. They have easily raised three in the past with lots of sources for fish in the area.

There is some good news coming from the NCTC nest. Fellow Canadian, Deb Stecyk monitors the NCTC nest. She writes of the broken egg of Scout and Bella (If you did not see it), “March 18, 2024 With the arrival of spring it was a sad day at the nest with the loss of one egg. Both Scout and Bella were observed moving the broken egg shell and nibbling on the contents and egg shell. It tugged at our hearts watching Scout when he first noticed the broken egg shell, his concern and uncertainty seemed apparent. Of note Scout incubated the eggs for about 3 hours yesterday (2 shifts) with Bella taking on the balance. Perhaps the loss of one of her eggs, prompted Bella to be more protective and stay close to home. When we finally got a better look at the broken shell it did appear to have grey material inside the shell, although it may be a collection of nesting materials trapped inside the egg shell. If the egg contained liquid anything that it came in contact with after it broke would definitely stick to the inside of the shell. The egg shell was buried beneath the adults for some time before it was finally moved out and onto the nest. We will keep our fingers crossed that it was the non viable egg that broke. After the incident we had good views of the remaining two eggs all positive signs of things to come. We will continue to hope that Bella and Scout are blessed with two healthy eaglets. With each passing day we are one day closer to hatch watch, it is now after midnight so we have 15 sleeps to go 😘“.

Trudi Kron has been monitoring the JB Sands Eagle nest. You will remember that there has been concern for Mum. Trudi notes that the middle talon of Mum’s right foot is swollen. The swelling goes up and down during the day. Is it broken? the toe? It does not appear that the leg is the issue. Eagles adapt, thankfully. We wish Mum a speedy recovery. Dad has done an incredible job.

Trudi made a lovely video of a day in the life of JBS20.

Sadly, Dahlgren has now confirmed what ‘H’ reported a week ago – that is not Harriet on the Dahlgren Nest with Jack.

The three eaglets of Thunder and Akecheta are doing splendidly. They are all growing and all being fed. It is difficult to see them as they are in the back of the nest, but what a wonderful family.

‘A’ reports: “

At West End, those three are adorable. Akecheta was on afternoon duty today, with the eaglets lined up nicely at the table, and though wee WE was at the back, it was in the middle and pushed forward to get its turn. These three have been behaving so nicely for so many days now that I am forced to believe we have three boys here. The size discrepancies at this stage appear to me to relate to their hatch order and their pecking order rather than to gender, but of course it’s way too early to know. He is a wonderful dad. He does a lot of the brooding and general kid watching in the afternoons. Thunder always does the night shift. 

How funny is that? Just as I type that, I see the first bonking in days – number one chick bonked number two (Nessy), who immediately retaliated with determination, leaving the older one down for the count! TOO funny. At the next feeding, with mum, around 5.27pm, all three are again lined up nicely, and all three eat. Wee WE is a feisty little thing, reaching for food and even eating from out of its sibing’s beak if there is an overflow situation within reach!! They are all active and appear to be very healthy. The aggression is negligible and the youngest is not at all afraid of its siblings or of getting to the table. It doesn’t have Nessy’s reach, and usually has to wait its turn, but it always gets fed. There is always plenty of fish on the nest. “

Food appears to me to have been scarce for the past couple of days at Bluff City. Franklin dug around for awhile and found some leftover squirrel for the two eaglets. Fingers crossed for a big prey drop on Thursday.

Jolene saved the day at Johnson City when she brought in part of a big fish. Anyone know what is happening in this area at the moment to see a prey decline? or is it my imagination?

The two eaglets at Duke Farms are eating well.

Synchronised eagle dancing at Eagle Country with Swampy and Meadow. Life is good in Central Florida.

And now the mystery is over and it is also good. Mrs DNF (Decorah North Female) was not injured. It was a cow placenta that was brought in to the nest and it stained her feathers and beak as well as the eggs and nesting material.

At 14:12 on Wednesday, there was a pip confirmed on one of Ellie and Harvey’s eggs. They are the eagles on Farmer Derek’s property. It is also known as the Kansas City Bald Eagles if you get confused.

And this morning the eaglet has hatched!

We are four days away form pip watch at Little Miami Conservancy in Ohio. The couple are incubating three eggs.

At Loch of the Lowes, Blue NCO waits for Laddie to arrive. I want to be hopeful, but I have feared since Laddie migrated in less than good condition that he might not return this year. If he does, I hope his health is good. If he doesn’t, I hope an energetic young lad appears on the scene.

The Foulshaw Moss Osprey nest of White YW and Blue 35 in Cumbria is now live. The Ospreys are expected back in a week.

Big Red and Arthur had snow on Wednesday. She is keeping those eggs warm and dry. Yes, there are now two. Right on time!

Arthur helped.

If you watch the Leicester Peregrine Falcons, they have their first egg!

First-eggs-of-2024-laid-by-Leicester-Cathedral-peregrine-falcon-BBC-NewsDownload

We will wait and see if Osprey eggs hatch in Florida’s Barrier Islands late in the season. Pip/hatch watch for the four that Edie and Jack are incubating is 24 April.

One of many articles I will be posting now and again on osprey nest success and what factors help.

Predictors-of-Osprey-Nest-Success-in-a-Highly-Urbanized-EnvironmentDownload

‘A’ reports on Top Flat chick. “At Taiaroa Head, there was some concern about TF chick and supplementary feeding was considered when his weight dropped from a massive 5kg last week to 3.3kg this week. His last feeding had been on 14 March from LGL. A reweigh after LGK came in and fed TF on 20 March showed TF at a very healthy 4.4kg today (21 March). TF was 58 days old today. At 17:18 this afternoon, TF was visited (briefly) by the famous Henry the Heron.  He’s a very impressive heron. And very curious about the toroa chicks every season. He always visits the Royal Cam chick throughout the season, and this year is no exception. Meanwhile, TFT chick was fed this afternoon by dad WYL, meaning both chicks have happy tummies right now. They are such fluff balls. It’s lovely that our gorgeous chicks have not had any reason to spill, so their gorgeous plumage has not been marred by oil and remains snowy white. Absolutely beautiful. “

The German Ospreys are arriving home.

Reports coming from the Strait of Gibraltar report ospreys, numbering at least 30, flew across on Wednesday. They are on their way. Many will be stopping off to take on food and water before reaching their final destinations -their spring and summer breeding nests.

For those of us who love the songbirds and who doesn’t, do you ever wonder about their song. ‘R’ found this for us today!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/03/20/what-makes-birdsong-beautiful-scientists-are-using-ai-figure-it-out

And last, what we might all be wondering is said by ‘A’: “At Big Bear, the question is being asked, if Jackie is still incubating her obviously failed eggs, why are she and Shadow mating in March? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw5d1P1xSyY&list=TLPQMjEwMzIwMjQLv1nCV0k5Nw&index=11. Dare we hope? I believe I wondered about this 10 days or so ago, having witnessed similar behaviour then. Is there any chance whatsoever of a replacement clutch for these two? It’s not as though the temperatures are likely to endanger a successful second clutch, is it? What a turn-up for the books that would be!!”

Thank you for being with me today. Please take care. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you to ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, L, R, Trudi Kron’, PA Country Farms, SK Hideaways, WRDC, Diane Lambertson, Deb Stecyk, NCTC, Trudi Kron, IWS/Explore, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, Duke Farms, Sharon Lee, Farmer Derek, Little Miami Conservancy, Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL) Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Cornell RTH, BBC News, bioone, NZ DOC, The Washington Post, Gregorius Joris Toonen, and FOBBV.

Wednesday in Bird World

20 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Thank you so much for your good wishes for Hugo Yugo. She is at the vet and we will be waiting for the news that the surgery went well – and then she will be home around 1700. Mind you. She is supposed to be still. Not sure about that!

We will start off again with the sadness because it is always so much better to end with joy.

Many keep their own lists of the eagle nests like ‘H’ and I do for the Ospreys. ‘J’ keeps a running quite detailed account of many nests including some not on streaming came. This year the following Bald Eagle nests laid their first clutch and it failed: Berry College (they reclutched and we are waiting for hatch), Big Bear (still incubating 3 non-viable eggs), Dulles-Greenway (abandoned), KNF-E1 (abandoned due to Anna’s death), KNF-E3 (abandoned due to Andria’s death), NEFL (one lost in nest, one abandoned), Pittsburgh-Hayes (crushed egg), Sauces (crushed egg), and Superbeaks (they reclutched and hatched Dixie and Mason).

Of the following ten nests that have had eaglets hatch (Captiva, SWFL, WRDC, John Bunker Sands, Eagle Country, Superbeaks, Johnson City, Duke Farms, Bluff City, and West End), seventeen have survived so far, while two have died, Lusa and JBS21.

Sadly, Mum and the new Dad at Pittsburgh-Hayes had their only egg crush on Tuesday. Like so many, I am also frustrated by the failure of so many Bald Eagle nests this breeding season. There are lots of reasons and I will repost the article by Elfruler for any who missed it at the end of the post today. It just feels more overwhelming this year than other years on the eagle cams. ‘H’ and I do not keep data forms on eagle nests so I cannot say with any certainty if this is the case, but it does seem that there is a higher % of failures this year.

At Pittsburgh-Hayes is it possible that the intruder yesterday had anything to do with the crushed egg today? I don’t know the answer. Just asking a question.

So sad. Always a good nest. Some feisty eaglets fledged from here.

HM2 returns to the nest with talon wounds to examine the broken egg.

DNF (Decorah North Female) has blood over the right side of her face. It is unclear if this is blood from a prey item or she is injured. Her beak looks awfully clean for it to be blood from a prey item. But I am going to hope it is! Let’s see if has a bath and it all comes off. Finger’s crossed.

Southern Australian Osprey Charlie has died. If you were following the messages from Port Lincoln, you will know that they had trouble with the transmissions from the sat pak. Condolences to all who are working so hard to increase the population of Ospreys in the region.

I don’t know if this should go in the sad or happy space. Edie laid her fourth osprey egg at Captiva Tuesday morning.

It will be late when these osplets hatch. Eagles on the mainland of Florida have been known to hatch eggs in May. I looked to try and find information on late Osprey hatches in Florida and the Barrier Islands and have not found anything satisfactory, yet. I am sure they are there. I did find this one about an osprey couple at the James River in Virginia that was nearly two months late in having their family.

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The weather during this period of time on average is:

I wonder how the fishing is because these Ospreys will need lots of fish if all of those eggs hatch! The fishing charters will tell you that the fishing is great year-round in the waters surrounding Captiva Island. It depends on the species of fish that you wish to catch.

So we are clearly going to have to wait to see if Edie and Jack defy all odds and have four healthy osplets very late in the season. My calculations indicate that we will be looking for pip/hatch around the 24th of April.

Big Red. Not sure whether to worry or not. It is decidedly not her typical behaviour to have Arthur incubate the egg/s for the entire night but that is precisely what she did on Monday. She has been on and off the nest during the day on Tuesday with Arthur doing a lot of incubation. She is, however, on the nest Tuesday night. Let us all hope that I am simply worrying for nothing.

As Port Lincoln says, ‘While they are mourning the death of Charlie, they are thankful for Bradley who showed up on the barge with his fish.”

The two eaglets with their juvenile plumage, Swampy and Meadow, are precious. Abby and Blaze have done an amazing job with these two. With so few nests having two eaglets, fingers and talons crossed for these two to fledge.

The nests having two surviving eaglets this season, so far, are: Eagle Country (first clutch), Superbeaks (second clutch), Johnson City, Fluff City, and Duke Farms. There is currently only one nest with three eaglets – the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta.

‘A’ gives us a lovely narrative of part of a day at the West End nest: “The camera finally came back on at West End, and the chicks seem to have been moved back against the cliff face, into a protected nook, which is great but it makes it hard to watch feedings closely. Mum was feeding so early this morning (from 06:29) that all I could see were three little sets of glowing eyes – it took me a while to count three chicks. Watch the three of them lined up so nicely at the table at the 11am feeding (dad is doing the feeding). TOO adorable. Covered in saliva and fish juice that somehow still does nothing to take that bed head the youngest sports. Oh they are cute. The oldest is very chill. The middle one is pushier and has the neck to go with it. And wee WE (that’s what I call the baby of the bunch) is a jumper like Rubus. Such a sweetie. These parents are fabulous. I love the way Akecheta comes and stands on the nest near Thunder for an hour or two at a time while the babies nap in the afternoon sunshine. They seem to really enjoy simply being in each other’s company. Some of these bonded pairs are just ‘in love’, quite obviously, whatever the bird equivalent for that is. And just let somebody try to convince me that Beau does not absolutely adore Gabby.” 

The squirrel at Bluff City seems to be almost gone. BC24 still seems to get the most of the meals. The pin feathers are beginning to come in on JC.

Boone and Jolene’s kids are well behaved at Johnson City. They are both eating well and their thermal down is coming in nicely.

There is a lot of fish on the Central Florida Eagle nest of Pepe and Muhlady. Dixie and Mason are eating, sleeping, and growing.

Trudi Kron reports that the female’s leg (she was limping and appeared to be in much pain for the past weeks) at the John Bunker Sands Wetlands nest in Texas appears to be improving. Mum is up on the top railings. She often stays here and allows Dad to bring in the prey and feed their eaglet. JBS20 hatched on the 26th of January. He is 54 days old today.

Everything seems fine at Duke Farms with the two eaglets. Leaper and Jersey are growing so fast. It was like they were little fluff balls a few days ago.

At the Venice Golf and Country Club, the third egg is hatching as I write this. The other two are doing great.

An update from Kielder Forest on where their ospreys are today.

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Jean-Marie Dupart reports that the number of Ospreys counted in Senegal is going down slowly.

Wisdom always makes me happy.

Annie is loving spring!

Eve and her mate M are also feeling like it is spring in Montreal.

The Loch Garten Osprey cam is now live.

At Loch Arkaig on nest 1, not a Buzzard but a Tawny Owl!

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Thank you for being with me today. Please take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J’, PIX Cams, Raptor Resource Project/Explore, Heidi McGrue, Discover the James, Cornell RTH, Eagle Country, IWS/Explore, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, Superbeaks, JB Sands Wetlands, Duke Farms, VGCCO, Kielder Ospreys, Friends of Midway Atoll, SK Hideaways, RSPB Loch Garten, Faucons UdeM, and Geemeff.

Tuesday in Bird World

19 March 2024

Hello Everyone,

My report today is very short. I was out and about on Monday and came home not feeling well. The late morning wind was blowing at a rather brisk rate, and the dust, sand, and salt blasted through the air on the street where I was. It has caused me to have some difficulty with my breathing. It wasn’t like the sand storms in Harbin, PRC, in the spring, but for those of us with even minor breathing problems, these days – until the rain comes – can be debilitating. But today is officially the first day of spring and that is a wonderful thing. The Canada Geese that arrived earlier have sure had a mix of weather from warm to a blizzard, to a thaw and then a freeze. Hopefully today will be nice for them so they can find something to eat other than dead grass and dirt. It is -5 C and will dip to -13 C tonight. Doesn’t sound like spring!

‘H’ did a great cartoon of Hugo Yugo. She still fits in a small shoe box with room left over. She will have her surgery on Wednesday and I will keep you posted. I am more than hopeful that everything will go well.

She is certainly feeling feisty today! Hope might be quite happy if Hugo Yugo is out of commission for a couple of days.

Calico is like Missey. She tries to stay out of the way and watches. I often wonder what she thinks.

Just something that got overlooked yesterday. Dahlgren’s Harriet is missing, she has not been seen since 3/13, and Jack is with a new female.

I have decided to start off with the traumatic news that happened or began to happen on Monday and then move to the joyous.

It was a very sad day for those cheering for Port Tobacco. The little eaglet died during a low-humidity hatch. We have seen a few of those during the last twelve months. A few survive. This poor little one didn’t. Condolences to all.

Here is a good article on why Bald Eagle eggs do not hatch by Elfruler.

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This article is about eggs in incubators but it does discuss the issue of humidity.

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One of the eggs has broken at Pittsburgh-Hayes. This is Mum and her new mate. This is the report from Pix Cams this morning:

Jackie and Shadow continue to incubate their three eggs. Their hope is strong. There are articles all over the Internet about this dedicated couple.

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Yesterday I mentioned that there continues to be a move to build housing near Jackie and Shadow’s nest. This could have a serious impact on our beloved eagles.

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As you know, Jak and Audacity’s only egg of the season broke and appeared to not be viable. I was so grateful that someone posted us a happy time at their nest.

As of Monday afternoon we are waiting to see about any pips at PA Country Farms. It appears that the first egg might not be viable.

Ospreys continue to visit the Achieva Credit Union nest after eggs and chick go missing.

It is not clear what is happening at the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle nest. The last news – the camera was not operating after 1200 on Monday – was that two eagles were locked in a fight on the nest. This was posted by the Dulles-Greenway FB.

Oh, this has been such a sad year in the world of the Bald Eagles. Let us hope that they all recover next year.

In the good news, Archie got to see his second egg! Archie was delighted to help Annie incubate the eggs. What a great mate! Hoping he is around for many years to come.

Mother Goose now has six eggs in the Decorah Goose nest.

Waiting for pip/hatch at Two Harbours in about ten days. The egg was laid on 22 February making it 26 days old today. Cholyn is 25 years old this year. She is the mother of Thunder at the West End nest if you did not know.

Fingers Crossed.

There is a lot of fish piled up in the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta. All eaglets have eaten well.

Fraser Point looks good. Hopeful for Andor and Cruz to have a full clutch hatch.

The two eaglets on the Duke Farms nest appear to be doing fine. There is a lot of fish. There is, however, a large precarious stick that has come onto the nest, and Mum was feeding, leaning over it and at least for a while, one eaglet slept with its head under it. Hopefully, it will not cause any injury.

Big Red and Arthur taking turns incubating that first egg that was laid on St Patrick’s Day at Cornell. We will be expecting a second tomorrow.

The three osplets at Fisherman’s Creek seem to be doing alright. The camera is not clear all the time but they are growing and the little one seems to be holding its own.

At Loch Arkaig, that Buzzard is intent on taking over the nest before the ospreys arrive. There has not been an osprey hatch on the nest associated with Cam 1 since Louis and Aila fledged JJ 5, JJ6, and JJ7. We were hopeful last year and continue to wish that an osprey pair will return. But what to make of this situation?

Blue NCO continues to catch some whoppers. Poor thing. She keeps calling for her mate, Laddie LM12. I do hope he makes it back this year.

Blue 33 and Maya are determined to get eggs on their nest first!

For those checking on the Loch Garten Osprey cam, it should be on shortly. The Llyn Clywedog cameras are now live as we await the arrival of Dylan and Seren!

Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, cartoons, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, L’, Elfruler, Mississippi State University Extension, Pix Cams, Forbes, Audubon Centre for Birds of Prey, Lolita Ozolina, Achieva Credit Union, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, Raptor Resource Project/Explore.org, IWS/Explore.org, Duke Farms, Cornell RTH Cam, Fisherman’s Creek Ospreys, Geemeff, The Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL), LRWT, and Llyn Clywedog.

Annie lays 2nd egg…Monday in Bird World

18 March 2024

Hello Everyone,

Sunday was quiet. After Saturday that was a good thing. As far as I can tell all of the eagle nests are doing well and there have been no new arrivals at Osprey nests at the time I am writing this, Sunday evening.

It was a good day to spend time with the girls. Calico did not enjoy the dip in temperatures and spent a lot of time in front of the small portable heater in the conservatory. She likes her creature comforts and that little heater is one of them. I figure she deserves it having had to live outside in the winter last year.

Hugo Yugo spent her time in the basket spinning before settling down to sleep behind Calico. She is either on or off – there is no in-between. I wonder what Dr Green will think about her on Wednesday. She is very tiny but getting ‘long’ lime a limousine.

Baby Hope took advantage of everyone’s absence to play the game of finding treats in little green tubes. She is very good at it!

Missey decided to stay out of everyone’s way most of the day!

Oh, I am so glad to have these four! And it was so nice to just stop everything and pay some really good attention to them before osprey season kicks in.

At Cal Falcons, Annie laid her second egg this morning.

Can you please help? Write, research, contact others to help. Once again the developers want to build near Jackie and Shadow’s nest in Big Bear. Please read the following and – because we all love Jackie and Shadow so much and owe them so much (the DDT problems), then we need to fight to protect their pristine home. It is the least that we can do!

The following appeal is from Sandy Steer:
“…Update on Moon Camp…this nearby parcel, proposed for development is so close to Jackie and Shadow, it can be seen from the nest camera. Any development in that area would greatly impact their nesting site and could make them leave the area. FOBBV won an environmental lawsuit in 2022 against the County’s approval of this project. That put the project on hold, but now the County has released a new partial environmental impact report to move toward another approval. We will, of course, be submitting public comments (due 3/18) on this new, but still inadequate study. And when it comes before the County for another approval, we will be asking all of you for letters or calls to assist in stopping it. In the meantime, we are also pursuing getting this 62-acre parcel purchased for conservation, by the Forest Service, or by anyone else willing to conserve it as open space. If you happen to know any superheroes who might like to step up and buy this parcel to save Jackie and Shadow’s habitat plus more than 17 acres of endangered plants on the property, please contact us at fobbvinfo@gmail.com. We’d love to talk with you!”

Everyone continues speculating on what made Diane and Jack’s two eggs and chick disappear. One FB group noted that this happened in 2022 also and there was a second clutch. It was assumed they went down the hole made by the squirrel in the nest. Many would like to see work done on the nest so the couple does not lose more eggs and chicks in the future. Some note how restless Diane was that evening, and it is hoped that security camera footage shed some light on what happened. We know that the nest shook quite a bit at one point. I had one individual contact me, thinking it was possible that a person or persons shook that nest and caused the damage. If that were to be the case – and I am not saying it is – hopefully, their faces will be seen on the security cameras. Regardless of the cause – and I will suggest we will never fully know unless someone excavates that nest – there needs to be substantial work done on the nest itself to fix the hole that everyone knows about and a baffle for any future predators trying to climb up. An IR light would be great.

The big news in Bird World on Sunday was, for me anyway, the first egg of the season for Big Red and Arthur.

Arthur seemed quite delighted as Big Red flew off and let him take over incubation duties.

SK Hideaways has it on video.

Angel and Tom have an impressive nest. Wonder if we will have their first egg this week? Many think that will be the case!

E23 recovered from the GHO hit, but it was quite scary. I hope that this will be the end of it, but probably not. It is, as so many of you have pointed out, ‘that time of year’ – the annual occurrence when we hold our breath and wish that GHOs and eagles got along.

We are still 7-8 days away from pip watch at Berry College for Pa and Missey’s second clutch.

Swampy and Meadow. Gorgeous. Aren’t they wonderful? They look like they are wearing Morning Suits.

Dixie and Mason have their thermal down. Before we know it, they will look like Swampy and Meadow.

No worries about food at the Johnson City nest. Boone certainly had a great day fishing on Sunday! The kids have eaten so much and their crops are so big – old coma.

The snow is melting at Big Bear. Jackie and Shadow have not give up on the eggs yet.

The kids at Bluff City had squirrel for Sunday’s meals. They both seem to be hanging in there.

The Dukies are fine. Mum just keeps feeding them and feeding them. That is one good way to stop the worry about food.

The camera is back up and running at Redding for Liberty and Guardian.

A beautiful day at Captiva’s Osprey platform. Edie and Jack are incubating three eggs.

At the Captiva Eagle nest, Connie and Clive continue to feed Cal well after his fledge. A nice Sheepskin came in during the afternoon.

They are flying into Winnipeg and they are laying eggs at Decorah – Canada Geese. There are five eggs so far. Dad is up there helping keep guard as one of the Decorah eagles has been landing in the branches of the tree near the top.

The two hatches at Venice Golf and Country Club appear to be doing quite well. Waiting to see if third egg will hatch.

We are waiting for Dylan and Seren 5F to arrive at Llyn Clywedog Reservoir in Wales.

Blue 33 and Maya continue to work on their nest at Rutland. As far as I am aware, at the time of this writing, they are the only couple to have reunited at the UK streaming cam nests.

Next news from ‘H’:

I first saw the female from previous seasons on 3/7, but now have not seen her since 3/13.  I first saw the male from previous seasons on 3/9, and I have seen him at the nest every day except 3/14.  A new female first showed up at the nest on 3/17.  She and Dad were in the nest together quite a bit on 3/17, but each time Dad seemed to be giving her the cold shoulder.

Carthage Mum is now back on the nest after having been MIA for a few days.

I am a great fan of Isabella Tree who is the author of several books on rewinding including Rewinding. Knepp Farm took a leap of faith and decided to change from traditional agricultural practices and begin rewinding and reintroducing species to their property in Sussex. White Storks were one of the goals – to being them back. You can read about the history of the White Stork in the region and how Knepp worked to establish the breeding pairs on their property.

Visiting their property is on my Bucket List.

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Knepp White Stork camera can be found here:

In Belgium, at the nature park there are six occupied stork nests. Can you find them?

Storks have arrived at some of the Germany nests including Lindheim.

Waiting for Bette and Bukacek to arrive in Mlady Buky.

Milda. One year she laid her first egg on my birthday…I am hoping she is early this year. Mr H is adorable. Hoping he is a good father. Their nest in Durbe County is looking fantastic.

For those that have life lists, you will be very impressed by this gentleman who has recorded 10,000 birds.

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That is just a hop, skip, and jump checking on some of the nests. We are now on pip watch for Port Tobacco Bald Eagles. Eggs are 38 and 35 days old as of Sunday the 17th so it looks like egg 1 might not be viable. Meanwhile egg two is hatching Monday morning fast!

Thank you for being with me today. Take care! See you soon.

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, discussions, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, J, L, SP’, Cal Falcons, FOBBV, Achieva Credit Union, Cornell RTH Cam, SK Hideaways, Window to Wildlife, Lady Hawk, Berry College Eagle Cam, Eagle Country, Superbeaks, Johnson City-ETSU, FOBBV, Bluff City-ETSU, Duke Farms, FORE, Raptor Research Project/Explore, VGCC, Llyn Clywedog Osprey Cam, LRWT, Dahlgren Ospreys, Carthage Ospreys, Knepp, ZWIN, Lindheim Stork Nest, Mlady Buky, Biruta Lupa, The New York Times, and Port Tobacco Eagle Cam.

The Joy and Sadness…Saturday in Bird World

16 March 2024

Hello Again!

Amidst the sadness and confusion over what happened to the two eggs and the only chick at Achieva and the egg of Jak and Audacity breaking, there is joy.

Annie was looking eggie yesterday and she laid that first egg in the wee hours of the morning. Something wonderful to look forward to!

Thanks for the alert ‘B’ and thank you, SK Hideaways for capturing the moment on video!

It’s raining Ospreys…Achieva chick demise…Saturday in Bird World

16 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Before I begin, the little chick at Achieva is no longer with us. It remains unclear as to what happened. No eggs, no chick. Some predator during the night. So sad. jack was so excited about this baby.

Friday was quite the day. Every time I turned around, something new happened with the Ospreys. It was wonderful but, at times, a little overwhelming. Ospreys will populate the news as they arrive and lay eggs, and things will go quiet for a month before everyone begins to hatch. Thank goodness for incubation.

So, we are fully into migration for all the species. As so many have noted, the ‘spring up’ in terms of Daylight Savings Time seems to have caused spring – which was not expected in some places for a few weeks now – to jumpstart. Things to remember about migration: Get your city to turn its lights off. Turn your lights off. Gives the birds a chance. BirdCast says there are 5.5 million birds on the move Friday night. Put up the Feather Friendly stickers on your window. Fill the feeders. Get the water bowls and baths clean. Stock up on seed. Welcome them home! or boost their energy as they fly through. Here are 10 ways in which you can help:

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If you don’t know BirdCast, check it out. You can input your location if you live in the US and see what species are arriving and in what numbers. It is a lot of fun and you will learn something.

‘The Girls’ and ‘The Boyfriend’ are all fine, as are the garden animals. Everyone has been seen, which is such a relief this time of year. The squirrels think another winter blizzard is coming as they haul away peanut after peanut. There are now four Blue Jays, which means two have arrived to join the two who stayed during the winter.

Hugo Yugo will go for her ‘operation’ on Wednesday. Dr Green, the vet who has cared for her all along, will have the honours. The primary issue with all voluntary kitten adoption organisations is that they are overwhelmed and have to rely on the vets having space for their kittens. They never know what is available. Dear darling Hugo Yugo, the tiniest 6-month-old kitten I have ever seen, went into heat last Tuesday. It is unimaginable to me that something so tiny would be ready to breed. Her very loud meow turned into a horrifically loud mating call that brought endless feral males to the deck! Poor thing. So glad she was in the house! So, we decided to try to see if there was any possibility of getting her into our vet before the end of May or September. Luckily, they had a cancellation today. I couldn’t believe our luck. So send her good wishes – she will be sleeping on warm blankets and having good pain meds on the 20th.

I learn something valuable every day. Dr Peter Bloom, who banded Black 61, is also responsible for something extraordinary. Steve Schubert of Morro Audubon says, “Pete Bloom captured and brought in the last remaining wild California Condor on Easter Sunday in 1987, contributing to the captive breeding program . The species was absent from the wild until reintroduction began several years later, in 1992.”

Friday was a bit of a day – . Ospreys were landing in their nests, Ospreys were laying eggs, and a chick was hatching at Venice Golf and Country Club. Thank you so much to ‘H, J, and M’ who helped me stay on top of it all! Very seriously, there is no way that a single individual can monitor 150+ osprey nests, so I appreciate all your sightings! You are amazing.

Lucy laid her first egg at Lake Murray. I so hope the GHOs leave this nest alone this year. She has a new mate having lost Ricky and all three of her chicks in 2023.

It looks like both Mum and Dad have arrived at the Patchogue Osprey platform on Long Island. These two did what most only dreamed of last year—they raised four osplets to fledge!

The first egg has hatched at Venice Golf and Country Club! Congratulations. In 2023, their first egg hatched on the 13th of March – so very close this year.

‘H’ also reminds us, “Olivia arrived at Severna Park on 3/8, Oscar on 3/10. Edie at Captiva laid her second egg on 3/13, expect a possible 3rd egg tomorrow. Opal at Forsythe arrived this morning.”

At Dahlgren, Jack brought in his first ‘stuffie’ of the season on Friday. There might be some difficulty deciphering which female is which, but we will never mistake Jack.

Looks like that stuffed animal is gone.

Ospreys arriving in Europe and getting right to the action.

The first arrival at River Gwash, and the fishing looks good.

At Port Lincoln, Ervie and Giliath are fishing buddies.

In the UK, it looks like Blue 33 and Maya will be the first to lay eggs. Laddie has yet to return to Loch of the Lowes. Blue NCO waits.

That is definitely not an Osprey on Loch Arkaig’s nest 1 that used to belong to Louis and Aila. (Louis and Dorcha are on nest 2).

‘A’ has been watching the West End nest and notes, “I watched a late afternoon feeding from Akecheta where the two older chicks were very well behaved (probably stuffed) and dad concentrated on the youngest for several minutes. It was bonked just once throughout the event. It’s a strong, feisty wee one and it gets itself to the table when it can. I have my fingers crossed for it, but if the food supply remains as good as it usually is with these parents, I am cautiously optimistic. In fact, a lot of our two-eaglet nests with young chicks are doing well, with relatively little bonking, although there is the worry you noted with possible intruders at one nest. Of course, we all know that losing a parent is the worst thing that can befall a nest with young chicks, followed by a food shortage or prolonged rain. So, while we cannot control any of those things, I am still hoping this season has turned a corner.” 

Proud Dad Akecheta with fantastic Mum, Thunder.

Cali Condor caught Thunder giving a private feeding to eaglet 3 at the West End.

‘A’ was watching when Akecheta fed the wee one and says, “Watch Akecheta feeding the baby some lunch from 13:12. The wee one is eating well and getting enough food. It waits its turn – but these parents are diligent enough to ensure that the older two are sufficiently stuffed to let the youngest have its turn at the table. And the size of some of the fish Akecheta in particular is bringing in is awesome! With each day that passes, as the baby of the bunch gets stronger and more agile, I am more hopeful about this nest. The older two have calmed down slightly – Nessie has a long neck!!!!!”

The two eaglets at Bluff City are eating squirrel. Is it just me or is that first hatch twice as big as the second?

Just look at the eaglets at Johnson City. Jolene and Boone have chicks with the ‘fattest little bottoms’ and their thermal down is really coming in….big clown feet. I blinked. Must have.

Dixie and Mason continue to do great at Superbeaks.

Leaper and Jersey had a fabulous feeding. The new male is keeping nice sized fish in the pantry for Mum and the kids. Their crops were popping several times today. No worries at this nest!

Jack arrived at 0921 on Friday with a fish for Diane and the new baby at Achieva.

The last feeding that I saw on Friday was late afternoon. Jack came to the nest empty-taloned but wet later.

The Crows are the only ones at Oyster Bay so far.

Oh, empty platform at Chesapeake Bay. There is confirmation that the ospreys are flooding the area as they arrive from their winter migration.

Let us all hope that it is a much better year for the Osprey couple that find this nest in Cape May Meadows.

There was an osprey on the MNSA platform on Friday.

The Estonian Golden Eagle Helju has laid the first egg of the season!

In Florida, R6 is now learning about having to defend a nest against intruders!

E23 continues his flapping and flying…we are so near fledge.

Sharon Lee captured Gabby and Beau and isn’t it a gorgeous image of the pair at NE Florida?

Jackie and Shadow are so hopeful. More snow. We need to be more like them. I still wish for a fairy to delivery them a baby eaglet.

Big Red and Arthur were working away on their nest at Cornell. I am expecting eggs to be laid here and at the nest of Angel and Tom any day.

Annie almost had me thinking she was laying her first egg on Friday. Archie was in the scrape calling her when she wasn’t there. Gosh, isn’t he cute? And look at those deep chrome-yellow legs. This guy is healthy!

Annie.

Archie.

Monty and Hartley were both at the San Jose City Hall scrape on Friday.

It’s not siblicide in Ospreys. Geemeff sends us an article out of Science that discusses the Eurasian Hoopoe and siblicide.

Watch-out-This-colorful-bird-raises-a-nest-of-cannibals-Science-AAASDownload

YOU can make a difference. Do not give up…the Nightingales won because people stood up for their habitat!

Nightingale-habitat-saved-after-public-outcry-BirdGuidesDownload

That’s a crazy round-up of some of the nests that everyone is following. Don’t be shy! Send me any osprey news that you see – landing on a nest, laying an egg, hatching. Everything is appreciated and welcome. Take care all. Thank you for being with me today. Send good energy to the Achieva nest – there is lots of food competition there for Jack!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, images, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘A, Geemeff, H, M, SS’, National Wildlife Federation, Spectrum News, BirdCast, Lake Murray Ospreys, PSEG, Isak, Forsythe Osprey Cam, Dahlgren Osprey Cam, Jane Dell, River Gwash Ospreys, PLO, Mary Kerr, Geemeff, IWS/Explore.org, Cali Condor, Bluff City-ETSU, Johnson City-ETSU, Superbeaks. Duke Farms, Achieva Credit Union, Chesapeake Conservancy/Explore.org, SCMM, MNSA, Eagle Club of Estonia, WRDC, SK Hideaways, Sharon Lee, FOBBV, Cornell RTH Cam, Cal Falcons, San Jose City Hall Falcon Cam, Science, and BirdGuides.

Friday in Bird World

15 March 2024

Good Morning Everyone,

Spring is coming and with it the arrival of Canada Geese, songbirds, and Ospreys amongst other raptors.

Today, more than a thousand Canada Geese turned the sky black at Fort Whyte Alive in Winnipeg. Most landed on the Bison fields while a few went to the open water on Devonian Lake and others decided to peck at the ice inside the nature centre.

As the Ospreys arrive at their nests around the world, laying eggs, and hatching osplets, I begin to be a ‘little more scattered’ than I might normally be. Last year, the total number of eggs that ‘H’ and I observed was 338. This year we hope to bring that total to 500. It is an enormous task. I am extremely grateful to those who have reached out to me, offering to send me information on the nests that they are watching. So, as a reminder, if you watch a particular osprey nest, please feel free to send me the date the eggs were laid and the dates of the hatch, and please do tell me if you are observing the chicks bashing the daylights out of one another. This could be ‘dominance play’, or it could be serious and result in siblicide. Even if you miss all of the major events but tune in to a nest and notice aggressive behaviour or something worrisome, do let me know. I appreciate any and all messages!

Let us go back to Dr Alan Poole’s talk. In my last blog, I talked about his first main topic—issues related to fish and the problems that the Ospreys face with the Chinese fishing trawlers taking huge nets of surface fish such as Manhadan and Mullet along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the US and West Africa. The other three topics were Problem Nests, Restoring Osprey Populations, and Streaming cams.

Problem Nests: Dr Poole pointed out that not having enough nests for ospreys is a ‘positive’ problem when you have too many ospreys. He notes that Greece has not a single osprey. Poland is shooting all of theirs, the Balkans have none, etc. There are 8-10,000 Osprey pairs in the Chesapeake Bay Area of the US alone. Imagine. There are 5000 nesting pairs in Florida. So, what do they use? Ospreys have adapted to use human-made structures because there are not enough good trees. In fact, this is becoming a serious problem for Bald Eagles. One human-made structure that Ospreys use are the hydro or power poles. The power companies don’t like this. They try to kick them off. It is, in fact, easy for the power companies to add an auxiliary appendage or put up an additional pole for the birds. But it takes time, employees, and money – something the companies either don’t have or don’t want to use. So when you see a power company that actually helps the ospreys, thank them! Poole is trying to find ways to get the power companies on board. In Florida, a lot of ospreys are using cell towers. So far, there has not been a problem. Of those 8-10,000 pairs in the Chesapeake Bay region, 20-30% use channel markers. The Coast Guard needs an award, according to Poole, because they allow the birds to have their nests there as long as they do not interfere with the markers. Some people put up very short poles with predator guards in salt marshes. It was pointed out that salt marshes might be a good place to try and locate some of the birds. In Finland, there are very few suitable trees for the ospreys, so the Finns cut off the top of the conifer trees and put up human-made platforms for them. It is brilliant. This could be done for the eagles and ospreys in various parts of North America, too. In the UK, we know that artificial platforms are being built, which is also happening in France.

Restoring Osprey Populations: Poole calls Ospreys “the stay-at-home birds”. Most of the time they stay within a region around the nest where they fledged. We know that this is especially true for the males. But this behaviour causes issues with overpopulation, especially where there is a lack of fish, bad storms, etc. So what do you do? You try to relocate some of the population to places without food and birds. The Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation is well known in England for translocating ospreys to places like Italy, Spain, and the UK. Poole mentioned that Massachusetts ospreys are now being flown to Illinois to try and get them to populate along the Mississippi Flyway. If you move ospreys where you want them, you must provide them with nesting platforms. This is imperative. Switzerland is currently trying to reintroduce the raptors. They have released 50 young in the last five years. Starting a breeding population in a new area takes at least a decade.

There was a slight move off topic before looking at streaming cams but it was an important one – one of the most important in my mind. That is getting people knowledgeable about the history, the persecution of ospreys, their behaviour, what makes me different from other birds, etc. Poole noted that various places have set up visitor centres where people can watch the ospreys on a monitor or at hides. One is Loch Garten in Scotland, which had 2 million visitors look at their birds. These visitors paid to see the raptors. In Finland, the visitor centre, which is quite small compared to Loch Garten, had enough visitors that it paid for all of the Osprey research. One way to create awareness is through education. Tim Mackrill was not mentioned, but he has set up the Osprey Leadership Foundation and, like Sacha Dench and The Flight of the Osprey, they have forged links between individuals in the UK and West Africa. It is fundamental to have the youngsters in both countries (their parents and teachers) appreciate the birds they share. Poole also noted that some places have fairs and events and there are osprey mascots to encourage interest.

The last topic was streaming cams, and I felt that while quite knowledgeable, Poole knew less about the current number of streaming cams and the amount of research that is going on using them. Perhaps I am wrong. He suggested that one way to understand the ‘fish problem’ was to monitor the fish species brought to a nest, the number, how those fish were divided up in terms of feeding the little ospreys, etc. ——– I sighed because I knew that so many of you have counted the fish, the bites, have cried, pulled your hair out, etc at many of the nests including Achieva and Patchogue – just two examples from 2023. Citizen scientists are doing it every day. Your work – meaning each of you -needs to find a way to channel itself to the researchers who need more time, the funds, or the staff to monitor enough nests. I know this from personal experience. Various other species have individuals watching, and we now have observation boards set up at several Osprey cam sites thanks to Bart Molenaar. I can think of three he has established – Rutland Manton Bay, Seaside, and Port Lincoln. Every aspect of the life of the nest was recorded through observations and the chat. It’s a really valuable archive.

At Loch of the Lowes, Blue NC0 is eating well and working on her nest. She awaits the arrival of Laddie, her mate (LM12).

At Achieva Credit Union’s osprey platform in St Petersburg, Florida, Jack brought in a nice fish and Diane gently fed the wee babe often. Jack was also kept busy being security guard for the nest.

Dad was so excited. ‘MP’ observed Dad listening and walking around Diane. Part of the shell was out from under Mum, but the little one was still partially in the shell, with Mum being very secretive. You could tell Dad was quite happy to have a wee babe in that nest.

Mary Kerr put in some interesting notes about Maya and Blue 33 on FB today. As you know, Maya arrived a couple of days ago with Blue 33 returning Wednesday on Rutland’s Manton Bay platform. On Thursday, Blue 25 came to the nest and Maya sent her packing.

Blue 25 does cause some mischief. However, Geemeff reminds me that she is the mother of Blue 4K, the subject of Simon Curtis’s book, If you build it, he will come, the story of waiting 200 years to have ospreys at Belvoir.

First Osprey sighting at Forsythe! Thanks, ‘H’,

Was there an Osprey at Patchogue? There was!!!!!!!! They have a lot of work to do but thankfully much of the harmful debris is ‘under’ the nest.

It is extremely difficult to watch the West End nest of Thunder and Akecheta today because he wind was really whipping it about. The majority of the time I could only see two heads getting fed. That said right after 1106 you can see the blur of the third and it appears to have eaten.

That 1106 feeding.

Others.

There is plenty of food and Thunder and Akecheta are experienced adults.

Dixie and Mason are scooting all over the Superbeaks nest. It won’t be long til they are walking on those big clown feet.

The kids at Johnson City are both eating well. Boone has lots of fish in the nest and Jolene is a great Mum to these two.

Leaper and Jersey both had crops at Duke Farms today. At one point, Leaper was so full she looked like she would burst!

Swampy and Blaze are huge compared to these bobbleheads.

At Captiva, Cal flew off the nest on Wednesday. He flew around the area constantly observed by Clive and Connie. Today, he flew back to his natal nest. Well done, Cal!

Nothing like a lot of flying to make you want to go home to your bed and sleep duckling style.

Ron brought R6 a fish in the early afternoon. So cute. R6 had been working his wings Thursday morning. Not ready for fledge yet and still working on the self-feeding. No hurry, R6.

A lot of people thought E23 had fledged but he was up above the camera on Thursday. He could fly anytime!

Caught Gabby at the NE Florida nest today. She’s a beauty. We adore her and I am so glad that her and Beau are so bonded. Next year!

Chase and Cholyn’s only egg at Two Harbours was laid on February 22nd, making itay. In a fortnight, we should be expecting a pip/hatch on March 28th. 22 days old todMark your calendars.

Liberty and Guardian had three eggs. One was broken in the nest and it is unknown which of the three was lost. Those eggs were laid on Feb 15, 18, and 21. That would make them: Egg #1, 29 days, #2 26 days, and #3 would be 23 days old. We have at least a week to find out if egg #1 is alright.

It is now officially confirmed that Frederick and Betsy are back at the Carova Beach, North Carolina Outerbanks Osprey platform. — Don’t get me started. Look at those plastic carrier bags on the nest and around the foot of one of the adults!

I thought Annie might be ready to lay her first egg today. She was napping in the scrape when Archie, Daddy Door-Dash, came in with dinner.

There are currently three Peregrine Falcon eggs at the scrape in Eden, Netherlands. The third was laid on the 13th of March.

Waiting for Duke and Daisy to return to Barnegat Light in New Jersey. The couple lost 2 out of 3 chicks to starvation/siblicide during the Nor’easter of June 2023 and it was feared, for some time, that Duke might have died also. His return some weeks later was such a great relief for everyone.

Lucy was on the Lake Murray platform on Thursday.

Did Spirit visit her natal nest at Big Bear on Thursday? Cali Condor thinks it could have been her.

I am so looking forward to the Cornell RTH season. Big Red and Arthur were both checking and tweaking the nest and spending time on the light stand. Eggs could come any time.

Thank you so much for being with me today. Remember to go outside and smell spring! It will lift your spirits more than you ever will know. Take care. See you soon!

Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, presentations, and streaming cams that helped me to write my post today: ‘H, J, MP’, Alan Poole, Scottish Wildlife Trust (LOTL), Achieva Credit Union, Mary Kerr, LRWT, Forsythe Osprey Cam, PSEG, IWS/Explore.org, Superbeaks, Johnson City-ETSU, Duke Farms, Eagle Country, Window to Wildlife, WRDC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, FORE, Carova Beach Osprey Cam, SK Hideaways, EDE Peregrine Falcon Cam, Lake Murray Ospreys, and Cali Condor.