It is almost the last of the warm weather. We are beginning to dip. It is -12 C. Next week the forecast is for -23 on Friday. I know you will be wondering how on earth we stay warm, but we do! Insulated houses, jackets, boots, warm mitts/gloves, warm hats, triple pane windows, etc. It is, of course, bloody cold! And I tend to find it much nicer to have lots of story times with the girls than go out.
As I am writing this, Hope and Hugo are chasing one another all over the place. They are the best of playmates. When you look remember that both were the kittens of strays. Baby Hope, the Calico, was born on 2 July 2023 and Hugo Yugo was born on 2 September 2023. There is only two months separating them. Hope is almost as big as her mother. Hugo is very, very tiny. You can see this better in the second image. Still, Hugo Yugo is not afraid of anything and she loves nothing better than a play fight and tumble with Missey or Hope.
Hope likes to pose. She is so beautiful.
Precious Mamma.
Awhile ago I played with names. Never did change her name from Hugo because she was a girl but I have found myself calling her Hugo Yugo and she comes running even when she is busy in the twinkle tree when she hears it.
You can get an idea of how tiny Hugo Yugo is from comparing her head to the ornament below her.
We don’t have any new snow but Baibai caught the first snow for Jackie and Shadow on Wednesday. It is so beautiful.
The eaglets are eating, sleeping, and growing at Captiva. They are really at that ‘awkward’ moment, but so cute with those full crops. ‘Oh, just have one more bite!”
Beau did not completely bury the second egg when he was incubating and aerating. Beau will learn – he is learning. Gabby is back on deck.
Here is a video of that three hour incubation shift.
There is what all the fuss is about in Fort Myers! That little fuzzy cutie-pie of an eaglet of M15 and F23—-E23. They are finishing up that rabbit on Wednesday. This chick and its first time Mum have no idea how lucky they are…’Harriet-trained M15′ as a dad and partner. Wow.
M15 feeding F23.
M15 feeding his only eaglet.
Dad and the new female at the ND-LEEF have that nest that collapsed when Little Bit ND17 went overboard in tip top shape for a new season. They are north so the eggs will come later than the ones in Florida and the other parts of the south.
The female at Duke Farms is working with the new male on their nest. There are a lot of new pairs this year, did you realise this?
Pepe and Muhlady have a beautiful nest. Will there be a second clutch?
Abby and Blaze continue incubation at Eagle Country.
Liberty is so gorgeous in the sun at the Redding nest she shares with Guardian.
Some action at the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout.
It was a good day for Gil and Brad at Port Lincoln and that was just up to early afternoon!
One of my favourite Osprey couples is Blue 33 and Maya at Rutland Water. Blue 33 is Maya’s second partner. She how now broken Osprey history at Rutland by fledgling 37 chicks. Her and Blue 33 are considered to be a Super Couple because they have also successfully raised several clutches of four!
Annie and Lou were not impressed when humans entered ‘their’ territory.
Because I see the rivalry at my bird feeders, this article coming out of Audubon on the birds that win at getting seed turned out to be very interesting. I think you will be surprised, too.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care of yourself. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’A, H, J’, Baibai, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Lady Hawk, ND-LEEF, Duke Farms, Superbeaks, Eagle Country, NCTC, Meredith Gertz, PLO, Bart M, Rutland Osprey Project, SK Hideaways, Audubon, Projeto Albatros, USFWS, Wiley Online Library, and Iberdrola.
It has been a ‘rough’ couple of days. It is going to take me a bit of time to get my head ‘cleared’. Thank you for your patience…we might expect ‘something’ to be coming, but it isn’t always easy to accept it, anyway. Darn difficult this one is!
Let us start on a positive note. I encourage everyone – and Culley would, too – to live. Just get out there in nature and find the joy that you might miss. My granddaughter always listens and today she was in one of our parks known for its chickadees. They come right up to you – was happy to supply the seed for her and her partner!
Our weather is to turn cold next week so this looks like a good thing to do before then!
Hope and Hugo have been into a lot of mischief lately. Hugo has just noticed the bird video. Hope would rather ‘pose’ – she is the only one that cooperates!
Remember. Hugo is not afraid to romp and leap on cats 10 x her size!
Calico wants a comfy duvet. And quiet. These two will eventually find her and leap on her.
Laura Culley. Falconer. Flew High on New Year’s Day 2024. She inspired me more than anyone else to follow my dream of researching avian behaviour and also studying falconry. I was not the only one, of course. Culley touched the lives of all who met her. She visited people in hospital with Mariah, she attended raptor exhibitions, and she was always willing to encourage young people to think about falconry. She was a remarkable woman whose beautiful hawk Mariah was with her for 30 years (I believe that is correct). She was a great ambassador and she always said that we are the servants to the birds. Not them to us. The birds always come first and they are of superior minds.
One of her favourite tunes. She shared it with many who came to understand falconry and her love for it and the hawks. She challenged anyone who would listen to watch the hawks and learn from them – to understand that there is so much disinformation. In fact, Culley loved the Cornell streaming cam of Big Red and Arthur for all the new aspects of the hawks life that were learned by all the citizen scientists watching. I recall one day her mentioning all of the facts that Sibley got wrong in his big book…it was easy to find them! She was brilliant.
The conversations that I had with Culley had to do with what do the raptors know. The first thing she taught me was that the raptors have been around for EONS. An EON is a billion years. They have evolved to a much more sophisticated level than humans. People asked if Big Red knew that one of her fledglings had been killed by striking the glass at Cornell and dying. Culley would say, ‘And why wouldn’t she?!’ Would Big Red know her eyases if they were in the territory. Back at you with ‘And why wouldn’t she?!’ Humans know their children – then why wouldn’t Big Red and Arthur. She delighted in how well the hawks communicated – something she observed through decades of raising her eight birds and working with others. She pulled back the curtain and helped so many to understand the minds of these amazing birds. Culley will not be forgotten! Not in EONS.
Laura took Mariah duck hunting in Wyoming. If you ever read that RTHs do not hunt ducks, that is rubbish. Laura bunked a lot of the myths associated with hawks and opened our eyes to their extraordinary powers. Mariah was a great duck hunter!
One of the chatters wrote, “And when we worried: why did Big Red leave the babies for so long; aren’t those little ones too close to the edge; isn’t that bite of food too big…….she calmed our fears. EONS, after all, taught Big Red so much we don’t know.”
Laura Culley cut through it all. She could spot ‘bs’ just like Mariah could see a rabbit a mile away. My only regret is that I did not get to help her with her manuscript – her 28 years with Mariah – due to the pandemic and then her illness. I hope – and believe – that someone else is doing this.
A reminder from Laura about life:
Rest in peace. Your work will be carried on by all those who loved you, Laura.
Did you know that there were relief carvings in the Babylonian era of hawks on fists more than 3000 years ago? If you carry your hawk on your fist while riding a horse, it is ‘falconry’ but if when walking it is called ‘hawking’. Falconry is believed to be one of the oldest sports in the world. It has endured throughout history because hawks were used to catch food for their owners. The males were originally called tiercels while the female hawks were ‘hawks’. We now think of tiercel as the third hatch which is often a male.
Seriously. E23 has been doing little wingersizers. This one is going to melt your heart into a pile of mush.
M15 is always the great provider – reminds me of some of those UK Osprey males such as Blue 33, Idris, Aran, Dylan, and Louis. Of course, Clive is, too.
The eggs is moved to the rim. Fish and Rabbit on the menu.
A fur fest. Wonder what E23 thought about all the plucking?
E23 covered in fur.
Love.
It is hard now to imagine what C10 and C11 looked like E23 a week ago! Look at their thermal down and clown feet and – wait – is one curious and pecking at that fish?!
‘J’ calls these ‘fish pillows’.
The nest is loaded with fish thanks to Clive – and C10 and C11 are now too big to fit under Connie. Good night, Captiva.
We are now about 85 days away from the first Osprey landing in the UK. hat should, if they safely return, Laddie LM12 at Loch of the Lowes (we believe his mate Blue NC0 died but we will wait and see) and Blue 33 and Maya at Rutland.
Hoping to see eggs at the NCTC nest of Bella and Scout soon.
Rosa and her new mate were at the Dulles-Greenway Bald Eagle Nest. (Is he a Beau, too?)
Beau takes good care of intruders around the territory while Gabby incubates and finds her own prey (or so it seems).
Beau injured protecting nest.
And to the shock of all, Beau is incubating Wednesday morning in The Hamlet. It is not known if the egg is viable, but let us hope that he is coming into a new mode of helping Gabby that it is!
Gil and Brad woke up to some damp weather. Waiting for breakfast. It must be grand when they are able to catch their own meals and are not dependent on Mum and Dad.
Dad came in with a fish at 1119 and Gil was all over it! Yesterday Fran and Bazz took their yacht out, and went around the barge for photos. They try to do this once a year according to the FB post. At the end of the screen captures are some of their images plus, an image of an osprey taking a dead fish from the floor of the barge that had fallen over. Another myth bunked.
Wisdom is dancing and well..an update from the Midway Atoll.
They are keeping an eye on one of the Royal cam couples and have put in a dummy egg in case the partner does not return. Fingers crossed.
Thank you everyone. Take care of yourselves. We hope to see you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, posts, music, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’E, H, J’. Laura Culley, Heather Dale, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Laura Davis Nelson, D Morningstar, Window to Wildlife, Deb Stecyk, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, NEFL-AEF, Jan Lester, PLO, SK Hideaways, Friends of Midway Atoll, and Sharon Dunne.
Before I move on, I am saddened to start with news that no one wanted to hear. Anna has died. She had to be euthanised.
Certainly not the news I wanted to lead with. My condolences to everyone at the Kisatchie National Forest – they have lost both clutches for this season at E1 and E3 and to Alex and Louis. I still recall watching Anna the first year she was a mother. This is terrible and it looks like it could be HPAI.
Gosh. 2024. Here we are. It was a gorgeous day for a walk at the nature centre (unseasonably warm with little snow) and a lovely day for a family meal to ring in 2024.
Thank you for all the notes. I am so glad that you enjoyed a walk down memory lane looking at the highlights – the wondrous and the sad – of 2023 in Bird World. It is so easy to forget – and there were so many that did not make the list but that offered tearful moments of joy with chicks fledging. Every osprey that survived in 2023 was a blessing. Every eagle that survived, every stork, falcon, hawk…each of them deserves a loud cheer. It is a remarkable feat. Decreasing habitat and prey, weather, toxins, all of those things including just humans being around with their guns and fireworks causes stress and death to our feathered friends. Let’s try to do better this year.
I needed a walk in the fresh air. It is wonderful to have friends and family over – nothing can replace those moments. It is also a lot of work! Having everything ready just getting a breather was so energising. I hope that you can get outside in the next few days. The Guardian featured an article on 100 tiny ways that you can transform your life. #13 was : “13. Walking outdoors every day. I find it hugely beneficial for my mental and physical health, which has had a domino effect on my whole life. It means that – pardon the pun – I start every day on the right foot. Dr Alex George, mental health ambassador and TV and podcast presenter.”
This is a traditional sod house built on the prairies. The Canadian Encyclopaedia gives us this background: ”Sod houses, or “soddies,” were a common style of dwelling built in the Prairies during the second half of the 19th century. Soddies were small structures cheaply built out of blocks of sod and rudimentary house fittings. Sod refers to grass and the soil beneath it that is held together by the grass’s roots. Although the term “sod house” is primarily associated with Canadian and American structures built during westward expansion, the structures found their architectural roots in Indigenous and Norse practices. Sod houses have come to symbolise the hardship of homestead life, despite shacks and log cabins being the primary form of housing.”
This sod house is at Ft Whyte Alive.
The walls are thick and offered good insulation during the long cold prairie winters.
Our meal featured black-eyed peas which are always eaten for luck – something started by my father’s family eons ago. Ah, the rest was Caribbean because I miss my son terribly and Baby Hugo and I danced to Bob Marley. LOL. That was something to see!
It is clearly evident ‘why’ females are not spayed after November 1 in Winnipeg. Baby Hope is still growing back her fur – on her tummy and her two front paws! I had no idea it took so long. Thank goodness she is inside nice and warm. It is not unusual to find Hope and Calico sleeping together on my pillow. They are precious.
Baby Hugo still loves her kitten milk more than anything. Baby Hugo has volunteered to visit some of the granddaughter’s clients (often homeless, addicts or former addicts, or those just moving into their own space) who love animals but who cannot have pets (either because of their housing or the heavy financial burden pets bring). We will start in the spring. Looking forward to sharing her so that others can feel the love.
Well, E23 has won the hearts of everyone that sees that little fuzz ball with its spikey down feathers on top of its head! Wow. We will all take a breath and move on…one healthy bright eaglet is good. So happy for M15 and F23. May their lives together be long and productive.
The first feedings.
M15 is really enjoying being a dad. He is at the nest with F23 much of the time ensuring that she is alright and so is E23. He will protect and teach as well as provide.
It turned out to be a good thing (maybe?). We worried about Anna’s health and when she was attacked by the intruder she was grounded and taken into care by Cody and Steve who went out in the dark of New Year’s Eve to find her. HeidiMc captured the attack.
Then HeidiMc got the rescue.
Beautiful Gabby.
At Port Lincoln, Mum brought in 3 fish on the 1st and Dad brought in 2. So far on the 2nd, Dad brought in a small fish at 0811. Gil got it.
Two beautiful fledglings.
This is Dad and Giliath on the old barge.
Dad had fantastic fishing yesterday. Please read the observation board. I had been worried about Brad. No need to – he is aggressive and makes certain he gets the fish and eats it all!
Happy New Year Jackie and Shadow.
C10 and C11 are turning grey – getting their thermal down.
Ospreys at Achieva. 4-5 weeks away from eggs?
The news is very short today and late. I am sad to report that the individual who started me on my research on avian behaviour died. Her name was Laura Culley. I shall miss her forever. She was also one of the first moderators on the chat during the season at Cornell when Big Red had her chicks. She was inspirational and patient and she also was a copy editor at the University of Oklahoma -. Thank you Suzanne Arnold Horning for the banner for her today.
Take care all. See you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me write this brief entry today: ’A’, KNF, SW Florida Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, HeidiMc NEFL-AEF, Window to Wildlife, and Achieva Credit Union, Suzanne Arnold Horning, and Sybil Latham.
There is news – not a huge amount – there is worry and there is hope. Between now and when the largest group of eagle eggs hatch, Bird World will be pretty quiet. So, two things before I forget. I still want to hear from you. Send me your personal best moments of 2023 in Bird World. Let me know by late on the 31st as I will post them on New Year’s Day. You can add a comment or send them as an e-mail message to maryannsteggles@icloud.com My plan is to rank them and put in some comments with only initials. The list is growing nicely and is very interesting! So please, join in. Second, New Year’s Day is the day that I host the family. In order to get ready for their arrival and to work on the list for publication, I am going to take Sunday off. I want that list ready with some illustrations if I can find them for us to welcome in 2024. So remember – I won’t be here on Sunday! But watch SW Florida. There could be a bobblehead or two.
The girls continue to be fine. I am overwhelmed. I could not pick a single highlight of the year in Cat World – getting Calico’s trust was incredible, the thought of losing her only surviving kitten was almost the death of me and then – Hope found us! There she is with Hugo playing in the conservatory on Friday. I cry every time I think of all of that. The bitter moment was the loss of dear dear Lewis.
Worries continued on Friday for Anna at the KNF-E1 nest. The hope is that the rushed request from the toxicology reports for Andria will get back in time to provide some insight into what ‘might’ be happening to Anna. Still, let us continue – if she is alive when this is published – to send her positive healing energy. It sure has been a rough start to the Bald Eagle season in the US.
Here are the laws that govern what is happening at the KNF-E1 nest:
Maybe some good news? I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up or bring them down. We just wait and see what happens with Anna.
Anna continues to fight – and she has been caught on the canopy camera flying by Baiba. Everyone lives in hope that she has overcome any ailment.
We are officially on hatch watch for M15 and F23. One egg has a pip and the shell on the other egg is crushed – we have seen these hatches before, they just take a bit longer. Humidity comes to mind but I am not an eagle expert (always remember that – my area is osprey behaviour).
Interesting activity at the NEFlorida Nest of Gabby and V3 (and V1?).
Beau cuddles with Gabby on the nest!
Issues with a sub-adult intruder at Johnson City.
Scout continues his visits to Bella at the NCTC nest.
At Port Lincoln, two fish came in before noon, Gil was the victor but never rule Brad out…there will be more fish and when he is hungry, he is going to do a good snatch!
Brad is waiting patiently to see if Gil is going to leave any of that fish.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Stay tuned to SW Florida! Take care everyone. See you on Monday!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H, J, L, SP’, KNF-E1, USFWS, James Nesta, Baiba, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Gracie Shepherd, Carol S Rifkin, AEF, Deb Stecyk, Sara A, PLO, Bart M, Bird Guides, APCH, The Guardian, and the David Suzuki Foundation.
Gosh, it is almost 2024. Wonder how long it will take me to remember to use that instead of 2023? Six months?
First up. There is extreme concern for Anna, the mate of Louis at the KNF-E1 nest this evening. Tonya Irwin has posted that she is experiencing some dizziness, drowsiness, clumsiness, and overall just not being herself since the morning of the 27th. ——- Oh, please let this not be anything. We have only lost Andria and the results of her necroscopy are not in yet. Is this the same illness that took dear Andria? And if so, why is it only impacting the females? Thanks, ‘H’ for giving me the head’s up. I am gutted to hear this.
Latest:
KNF Kisatchie Nest Cam E1 ~ ANNA IS ILL & EXPERIENCING BALANCE ISSUES! Similar To Andria 12.28.23
This is the Kisatchie E-1 nest with Anna & Louis. Their nest is located across the lake about 0.8 miles from Alex & Andria’s nest. Anna and Louis have one egg laid this season. Anna has been experiencing some balance issues today – where she has to use her wing to help balance her on the nest, she has been very drowsy – dozing off while standing on the side of the nest. She is walking very slow and with a drunken gait. Anna also had some flying issues yesterday. The USFWS has put a “Rush” status on Andria’s toxicology report and necropsy. These symptoms that Anna is experiencing seem to be similar to the ones Andria experienced three weeks ago. But it is not known if this is the same problem or something else so we really can’t speculate at this time. The rangers have been made aware of the situation and are monitoring the nest. We are all keeping Anna in our prayers that she can overcome this illness and stay strong. Thank you for watching!
Then a correction…To go from a tiny pip to a hatch seems to take forever. I wonder what it feels like for M15 and F23? Or was it a tiny pip? The egg sure looked like it, but no one is calling a pip – and it could be two more days. Hundreds of us got that wrong.
M15 – forever the amazing partner – gives F23 time for a bit of a relaxing time before hatch.
Nearer to home, Missey has ‘adopted’ Hugo. For those that follow my blog you will remember that Missey and a grey tabby named Lewis were adopted together. Lewis died in September. Those two were stitched together. Missey was so lonely. Calico had Hope and Missey was just all by herself. Then we adopted Hugo. But, they played but nothing more and then…For the past few nights, Missey and Hugo have been sleeping together. Now today, she is holding Hugo down and washing her and they are on the post together. Life is looking up for these two! I am so overjoyed I do not know what to do with myself.
Missey has Hugo wrapped so tight.
Those ears will never be dirty again!
What a wonderful Christmas present —- little Baby Hugo has someone to care for him and Missey has a baby and a friend.
Tears of Joy.
Back to the Eagles…it really has not been a good start to the year. We lost Andria and the two eggs of hers and Alex’s, now Anna is sick. Martin is no longer with us. Duke Dad is no longer with us. Gabby lost one egg. Superbeaks lost their first clutch. We just hold our breath for the next thing to come along and that could, of course, be Anna. Send positive wishes please to her and Louis.
Abby and Blaze – 2nd egg laid on time at Eagle Country! Congratulations.
A nice holiday lunch at Dulles-Greenway for Rosa and her new mate.
There is some action with Bella and Scout at the NCTC Bald Eagle nest (sadly, I need to add Smitty to the Memorial Page now).
‘R’ writes that the Hanover Eagle cam is now back on line. Here is an article about the couple!
It was wet earlier in the day on Thursday at The Hamlet. Dried off. Gabby gave the egg a bit of a break.
At Captiva, C10 is out of the egg cup and over to the edge. Gosh, it is wet in Florida. I hate damp musty nests! I think Connie does, too, after trying to dry out the nesting material yesterday. In the meantime, Clive has the whole place full of fish.
Irv and Clair were at the US Steel nest.
At Port Lincoln, the kids have found some left over fish in the nest. Nothing new has come in so far on the 29th for them but it is early hours.
Mum is going to do some feeding this time.
Have you ever seen a bird that is both a male and a female?
For those of you following Victoria Cockatoo. I have received word from ‘J’ that she died on the 20th of December. Victoria Cockatoo lived at Parrotland for 7 happy years after being rescued after her previous owner abandoned her in a dark cage. She required extensive medical care. It was just so sad to hear about the way that humans treated her – and all the other abused animals in the world.
Please send positive wishes to Anna…this is heart breaking news. Surely the Rangers will get to the bottom of what it is that is causing the female eagles to be ill at the Kisatchie National Forest. Our thoughts go out to them. Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘G, H, J, R’, KNF-E1, SW Florida Eagle Cam, SK Hideaways, Eagle Country, NCTC, Deb Stecyk, Denise W Starr, NEFL-AEF, Carol S Rifkin, Dulles-Greenway, WNEP, Window to Wildlife, PIX Cams, PLO, Bart M, Meteored and Victoria’s Playground.
We are so happy to have you with us today! You will have a wonderful walk through memory lane on 1 January when the list of events that brought happiness to my readers is revealed. Your notes have brought tears to my cheeks and made me laugh – and remember things I had forgotten. You still have time for those who have not sent in what moved them in 2023. You can send me 1 or 4 (or more) moments during Bird World in 2023 that were so moving and meaningful. Please do so by late 31 December so I can compile them for New Year’s morning. I think you are going to be surprised in some cases -. You can send them as a comment or if you want to keep your list secret, send it to my e-mail: maryannsteggles@icloud.com Thanks so much!
Oh, I can tell you these girls must had some party Tuesday night! When I woke up Wednesday morning, there were toys everywhere. The chewy dental sticks were torn apart, and half of the ornaments on the twinkling tree were scattered about the floor. Interactive toys were upside down, and a small box of mince pieces that had been on the coffee table was on the floor.
I don’t think it was Calico.
I suspect that it was Baby Hope and Hugo! As I write this, I hear them tearing around, finding something else to get into. Hugo was incredibly tired most of the day, as was Hope.
Baby Hope wound up with a winky after all that fun.
Missey is always an ‘angel’.
Now on to Bird World…
Well, the rumour that there was a pip at SW Florida was just wishful thinking and then it wasn’t…there is a definite pip in one of those eggs Wednesday night.
Here is the video of the pip.
Wet morning at SW Florida. F23 not giving us any hints.
If you did tune in to the Captiva nest of Connie and Clive and could not see C10 and C11 – they did not fall out of the nest. Connie buried them! ’H’ sent me a note to warn me.
The mods think it is so the nesting material could dry out a bit. Great idea on the part of the eagles if that is the case – it will keep those kids form getting a chill in a damp nest.
That could have given someone a heart attack!
Everything turned out fine.
It was a bit breezy at Port Lincoln today. Sure going to miss these two. What a fantastic year it has been and it was all done to the fortitude of Janet, Bazz, and Fran to supply the fish for the family to see them through to fledge. It made all the difference in the world. I hope they go to sleep at night with a smile on their face! They certainly deserve it.
Dad was in with a small fish at 0813 and Brad got it! Way to go – we don’t need to worry about you anymore. You got this.
Bradley is certainly a looker.
Well, way to go Bradley. Mum came in with a nice fish at 1329 and Bradley took that one, too. Wow. I am impressed.
No doubt there will be more to add to the observation board…Bart still has to highlight that 1329 arrival. I am up and off early in the morning. You can check for later deliveries – and to see if Gil gets anything – by going to the YT live stream and look under the images for the observation board link.
SE31 still going strong. Just makes your heart beat a little faster to see one of those eaglets survive to be taught how to be an eagle by Lady and Dad down at the river. I wish our dear friend Phyllis – who loved these sea eagles so much- had lived to see this day!
Gabby continues to care for that egg. She’s got it back in a nest cup now.
Sue Dumas caught Akecheta and Thunder having a successful mating on Wednesday.
The eggs of Alex and Andria were buried today by one of the female visitors at the KNF-E3 nest. We all miss Andria and we will wish Alex well as he reorganises his life without her.
Dad and new female were both seen near the ND-LEEF eagle nest in St Patrick’s Park, South Bend, Indiana. Nice.
The eggs of the Royal cam couples at Taiaroa Head were candled today.
Here is the video and the thumbs up:
Holly Parsons posted a great little video clip of Marri chasing Xavier with Diamond watching from inside the scrape.
Since the arrival of the little book on the art and photography of Roger Tory Peterson, I have taken a keen interest in just how influential he was on all of us who love birds. Today, another used volume arrived in the post. Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behaviour. Written in 2020 by John Richer, this richly illustrated volume covers most aspects of avian behaviour. There may be aspects that are out od date – the streaming cams are providing us with new information daily -, but still it will be a valuable addition to your library if you would like to understand more about the social life of birds, their brain and their senses, territory guarding and mating, etc. I know you are curious about all of those things!
If you do not know who Roger Tory Peterson is, please check out this YT video. Loaded with lots of information, it is 13 years old and might appear a little dated, but he was such an influence it is good to know who he was and his contributions to birding.
The sheer decline in bird numbers and the state of our planet can, most often, be bewildering, frightening, and overwhelming. I am grateful to ‘SP’ for sending me the following article with special mention of the closing lines, “The last paragraph really says it all “’This is how I personally cope with having these big imminent issues hanging over my head all the time, like climate change and destruction of the biosphere,” he says. “The more you zoom out, the more powerless you feel. So I think the best way for me to engage in life as an activist is just to influence things within the sphere of my control.’”
Thank you so very much for being with us today. Take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ‘H, J, SP’, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Amanda Lake, Toni Hoover, Window to Wildlife, PLO, Bart M, Chang Li-Dong, Jerinelle Wray, NEFL-AEF, Sue Dumas, KNF-E3, Kim Weinenger, Roz Young, Lady Hawk, Mercury News, Holly Parsons, Amazon, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels, and The Wandering Rook.
Thank you for being with us. There is ‘some’ news coming in from Bird World and a note from ‘J’ who found a YT video of a young woman reading to an Eagle! She said that she had never heard of reading to animals til she discovered I was reading to the cats. If you have animals, read to them, especially if they are young and frightened. Let them get used to your voice. The tone of the words in the book is important, too. Calico will walk out if they are ‘loud or gruff’. Seriously. Otherwise, she sits and listens intently from my grandmother’s quilt or my lap. The girls have all had story time more than once today. It is a lovely time together, and they listen, just like this eagle.
The kittens are tuckered. They played, going around in circles and up through the ‘catservatory,’ over the table, through the kitchen, leaping to the island and down to the floor before scurrying as fast as they could tree in the con into the sitting room. Hope liked to take an ornament off the twinkling tree, and away she would return to the cat tree. As a consequence, today has been quiet. Quiet as a mouse wanting to get into the mince pies on the counter. They have slept all day. Even Hugo has not been crying for food. Incredible.
Thank you to those who have sent in their uplifting moments from 2023. For those that haven’t, there is still time. Send them in by the end of the day on 31 December. I will be posting them on the 1st of January. You can add them in the comments or send me an e-mail. I won’t mention your name! E-mail is: maryannsteggles@icloud.com
The big news in Bird World is a possible pip at the SW Florida nest of M15 and F23. I have not seen this or any official notification by the Pritchett family, so it could be simply someone being optimistic. That is easy to do – I have been there once or twice.
F23 and M15 should be able to hear their eaglets soon (if not now).
Clive and Connie -along with C10 and C11 -survived that soaking storm that went through Captiva. The eaglets look a little ragged but everyone is alright. Just look at that pantry! What I wouldn’t give if V3 had Clive’s instincts! These two are going to be nibbling on those fish before we know it. Just look at all of them!!!!!! A nestful.
Did your hair look like this in the 80s? (Thanks, J). And where did those pin feathers come from!!!!!! Stop growing you two.
Gabby rolling the egg at NE Florida.
Eggs are completely unviable. Alex off the nest at KNF-E3.
One egg for Abby and Blazer at Eagle Country on 25 December. Second should arrive on the 28th – that is Thursday.
Both eagles working on the nest at Duke Farms.
A foggy Christmas at the Dulles-Greenway Nest.
They are busy at the Johnson City Bald Eagle nest.
Dad brought in a small fish at 0744 to the Port Lincoln Osprey barge nest. Gil got it and Brad stole it and ate it! Way to go Brad. That was a really good steal.
SE31 rumoured to have caught another fish.
Marri’s Christmas set to music by Cilla Kinross.
Ospreys at Achieva in St Petersburg. Normally eggs are laid in early February.
We had hedgehogs in our garden when we lived in the UK. One even made its way into the house by way of a seven-year-old who thought it adorable til the fleas started flying off in the gazillions! The hedgehogs feasted on the fruit from the orchard at the back of the garden and from the food we left them: water, cat food, and mealworms. While this note is for people with hedgehogs, think also of the community cats in your neighbourhood and leave food and water out for them and the birds – if you can. A bowl of water can be a lifesaving thing!
Thank you so much for being with us. Please take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams, videos, articles, poems, and posts that helped me to write my blog this morning: ’H, J’, Bird TLC, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Elfruler, Window to Wildlife, NEFL-AEF, Carol Shores Rifkin, KNF-E3, Pat Burke, Eagle Country, Duke Farms, Dulles-Greenway, Sara A, PLO, Bart M, Cilla Kinross, Achieva Credit Union, BirdGuides, Audubon, and Al-liance.
The best of the holiday season to those who are celebrating Christmas. We hope that you have a wonderful, wonderful day.
There was a light dusting of snow on Friday morning. When I went out to feed the birds, I looked up to the sky, and let a few of the falling flakes dance across my face. It was glorious. A single simple moment brings such joy.
‘The Girls Thought for the Day’: Any ordinary day can become extraordinary – stop, breathe, and look for the beauty.
Late Thursday night, I put out a ‘Bug and Nut’ suet cylinder, hoping to entice any Blue Jay in the neighbourhood. I was not quick enough with my camera this morning, but one deep in the lilacs took a nut and flew off. I didn’t scream for joy because Hugo was nestled in my arms, but oh, how wonderful it was to see the flick of those beautiful Indigo feathers. Dyson was there, too, eating peanuts along with both Little Reds. About 75 sparrows came for some festive seed, and various community cats, including ‘The Boyfriend’, had roast chicken and dry kibble. It is a lot of work and I am behind in my shovelling of shells, but the happiness that these animals bring cannot be measured.
The girls will have a table set just for them. Now will they really perch on the chairs and eat their chicken like nice little male osprey chicks? Or will they snarl and fuss? We will see.
The toy of the season has been this interactive one. It has a rotating laser light, a feather toy at the top that moves and little balls they can move with their paws. By far they have played with it the most.
Baby Hugo would rather play with Baby Hope sometimes.
I have mentioned that Hugo is fearless, right? She is so tiny compared to the others but playing rough is just what she wants to do. She is like a little orange tiger.
Now she has decided it is time to play with Missey!
Calico gets out of the way quickly when Baby Hugo is tearing around the sitting room.
Calico was so thin at the end of the summer after raising the kitten/s. She did an amazing job with Baby Hope compared to other stray cats and kittens I have seen. Calico is always worried about food, having lived on the streets, and I am afraid she is the ‘clean up’ kitty. She has gotten a little ‘pear-shaped’ since August when she moved into the house, and we are now working on a bit of a diet plan.
The girls enjoyed their little party. First up to check it out was Missey followed by Hugo. Calico and Hope opted to eat in their usual spots. Each got their favourite treats along with some ‘dental toys’ and another new toy to alternate – keeping them active and away from ‘boredom’. Did we worry about cats being bored decades ago? or that their nails required trimming? or their teeth brushed?
Around the table are their bowls and favourite treats. Missey prefers the Churu Pops while Calico loves anything to do with Catnip. Baby Hope gets the Wilderness Salmon and Cranberries while Baby Hugo loves the Greenies Dental (I have to break them up for her). Sardines all around, dental chews, gnomes big and small to drag on the floor and a cat toy. All in all I would say that Santa did quite well by the girls.
They will have roast chicken in the pink dishes later. For now it is tinned food.
See that package of sticks with tassels? They are supposed to help keep their teeth clean. They have certainly chewed on them all evening. Fingers crossed. The cleaning of teeth has been one of the biggest expenses for families with felines I am told by the vet techs.
As the end of the year approaches, it is good to reflect on all the extraordinary events in our lives and Bird World. What were the 2 or 3 events with our feathered friends that touched you this year? If you feel like it, drop me a line and tell me so that I can share. I want to see how many overlap so I will also rank the top 5. I plan to publish them on the 1st of January to kick off the year. You can add them as a comment or send them to me as an e-mail – thanks, ever, for sharing: maryannsteggles@icloud.com
At NE Florida. Gabby. Will she have to do it all? This nest concerns me. I adore both of them and would like nothing more than to see Gabby become a mum again, but…she cannot do it alone.
The learning curve is high. Instinctual does not mean parents (raptor or otherwise) get it right. Stop and think about the males that have either done something accidentally to harm their chicks or something silly. Tom and the first hatch for him and Angel, the Leucistic RTH, this year. The feeding of so many eggs, including that at the scrape of Monty and Hartley. Many females prefer to eat and not feed their chicks. We will never know what drove V3 to bury the first egg, and we will sit at home and scream at the screen for him to bring prey to Gabby. I would prefer that this egg fails than to see an eaglet starve. Again, Gabby cannot do it alone – she might be a super Mamma, but she will still require help. — Please prove me wrong! You can all throw rotten tomatoes at me!
‘H’ sent me the most recent news on Gabby: ”Gabby was not in the nest for a while, and Beau flew to the Wallenda. He stayed there for a long time, finally going to the nest at 165025. He started pulling up moss again, and looked like he may have intended to perhaps do what he did to egg #1…but every time he started to do something, Gabby hollered at him from a nearby tree. So, he eventually flew to the Sunset branch. The egg was inadvertently moved to the edge of the bowl (not that there is much of a bowl) from Beau’s actions. Now, Gabby just returned to the nest….she resumed incubating the egg from its current location. 550 people were holding their breath.”
Thanks so much, ‘H’.
It is raining at the nest of Alex in the Kisatchie National Forest. Alex is trying to keep those eggs dry tonight. Just ache for him…gosh, I wish I could send you Gabby and her egg!
The John Bunker Sands Eagles are incubating two eggs and the area has already had over two inches of rain.
Now that it is the 25th of December, you can start getting excited because we are going to be on hatch watch at the nest of M15 and F23 in Fort Myers soon. There has been great success at Captiva with Connie and Clive and I am looking forward to M15 and his new mate raising their first clutch together.
Great photos coming out of the Parramatta River from Chang-Le Dong of SE31. Thank you!
‘A’ gives us a good report on the sea eagles: ”December 25: Early, all three eagles were down on the river and SE31 was eating a fish. Around 7am, the parents were duetting with the juvenile squeeing a ‘Happy Christmas’. Again, after 8am, when our juvenile had finished eating, there was another chorus. Then she seemed to stay out of sight, with no more views. Late in the afternoon, at 5:30pm, the storm was approaching and only one adult was to be seen. There was a great sighting of the critically endangered Eastern Curlew earlier, flying over the wetlands. Very exciting.”
‘A’ also says “At Orange, all three of our falcons have been sighted today, with both parents visiting the scrape (Diamond several times during the day, and she is there now, while Xavier visited for a bonding session at 18:26). Marri was sighted (and heard!!) atop the tower more than once, chasing poor Xavier off the roof on one occasion. There was a big storm, with hail, in the middle of the day, but it fined up later on and all falcons were sighted after the storm, so none of our precious falcons was harmed. “
Checking on Port Lincoln:
Gil and then Brad share in the last fish delivery that is recorded before I call it night’s out. It was a nice big fish to complement an earlier delivery by Dad.
The Arno Bay Ospreys in South Australia have been given names!
At Redding, Guardian is bringing in the prey and building up Liberty’s strength for eggs!
At the Royal Albatross Colony:
Scary times for Anna and Louis?
Monty and Hartley have a brand new scrape box. Listen to them discuss its potential!
Some images today from the Captiva nest:
The nest is sure nice at Eagle Country. Waiting for eggs.
Jackie was hard at work Sunday morning moving some sticks around on her nest at Big Bear.
Occasionally, I see a posting about an extraordinary young person getting involved to help save the birds and their habitat. I know that there are lots more out there, but kudos to this young man on his second fundraising project for the albatross.
On Christmas Eve, the girls and I slowed down. My friend in Paris suggested I take a nice chunk of chocolate and put it into a mug with heated 10% cream. Stir. Drink. Just like one of the stalls makes in Shakespeare and Company. It was lovely. Try it! And if you want to give it a hint of Mexico – stir with a cinnamon stick. Then, we wrapped ourselves in my grandmother’s quilts and continued reading about Red-tails in Love – the story of Pale Male – in the quiet of the conservatory with the full moon hovering overhead. Blissful. Truly one of the nicest moments of the year.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care of yourself. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, videos, articles, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H’, NEFL-AEF, KNF-E3, Tom Fleming, SW Florida Eagle Cam, Brandy Adams, Chang-Le Dong, PLO, Fran Solly, FORE, Sharon Dunne, Tonya in NO, SK Hideaways, Window to Wildlife, FOBBV, Holly Parsons, and Eagle Country.
To those celebrating Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – and Boxing Day – have a wonderful holiday. Have lots of laughs, good food, make memories!
As we near the end of the year, I also want to thank everyone for your empathy, interest, and dedication to the planet’s wildlife (and domesticated pets). Pictures of your fur babies or birds visiting your feeders are always welcome, and I am so grateful for your letters and comments. It is heartwarming to know that a huge community of caring souls exists. Together, we have wept, and we have celebrated. Most of all, we have marvelled at this wonderful world we are a part of. So, here is to 2024 – may it be a blessed year for our birds and our families- no matter how many legs they have!
My year has been full of joy and utter sadness. I am so grateful to the girls that have enriched my life well beyond anything that I could have even dreamed about. There will, however, always be a tear shed and a little hole in the heart because of Lewis. What a great guy he was. Each one of them is their own person – their own character with their story. I feel lucky to be a part of that journey with them.
Dear little Hugo decided to confront Calico head on. Seriously. Confronting Calico?! Calico normally takes off to get out of Hugo’s path. It is simply too funny. Notice how her eyes are so much better. And her face is getting a little round. It looks like we will make it!
In the garden, the squirrels are thriving in the warm weather. They have some treats, too – in the form of a big bag of in-the-shell peanuts. Dyson could not be happier! The Blue Jays have not returned and so it must be assumed that they have made their way to warmer climates south of here. I cannot fathom all of them having an untimely demise. Today, there were five Black-capped Chickadees in the apple tree in the front garden. Tomorrow they will get a special ball of seeds just for them. Oh, it would be grand if they made their nest in their in the spring! It is away from where the community cats normally visit so should be safe.
In Osprey World, it is about 83 days until the first birds begin returning to the UK from West Africa or the Iberian Peninsula. Keep them in your thoughts as they make this perilous journey.
‘H’ sent me to a posting by Elfruler that is truly a good read and a great way to sit down and contemplate what is happening over at the nest of Gabby and V3. Thanks, ‘H’.
I am not an eagle expert. But, if Ospreys know who the eggs belong to and if the male even twitches that they arrived a little too early since the pair’s mating, you will see that Osprey kick those eggs over to the next lach! So if Ospreys know, then why wouldn’t Bald Eagles?
Around 17:13 Gabby went into labour and laid the second egg. She was sooooo tired after. Beau was on a branch looking down. He could hear her. Now. Let us see how this plays out.
Quick reveal – white spot under feathers near centre.
Tired Mamma. 525 people watching and excited for Beau and Gabby.
I have missed several of the Ferris Akel tours on Saturday and today was a reminder that we really need to slow down and enjoy life. I miss those tours! Ferris found both Big Red and Arthur, Mourning Doves, and some geese and ducks today along with Bald Eagles!
Beautiful Big Red hunting.
Arthur on the throne.
So many Doves and they kept flying in!
Sandhill Cranes flying in and landing.
And then after gathering at their stop, they left.
Kids still being fed well by Connie and Clive. The pantry is absolutely full thanks to Clive’s amazing hunting skills. No need for C10 to be intimidating C11 but it is – dominance.
I love in when Clive comes in to check on the eaglets and when he feeds them while Connie is away like now.
Connie returns.
‘A’ comments on the activities at Connie and Clive’s nest: ”Meanwhile, at Captiva, yesterday’s feeding record was broken today, with 13 feedings. Yes, you read that right. Thirteen. Here are the time stamps: 6:57:55 Feed1, 8:19:14 Feed2[CE10], 8:52:45 Feed3, 9:47:42 Feed4, 10:57:05 Feed5, 11:37:15 Feed6, 12:33:50 Feed7.1:51:25 Feed8,3:33:15 Feed9 [Clive]. 3:59:34Feed10[CE10] 4:29:25 Feed11, 5:11:15 Feed12, 5:55;20 Feed13.
These two are so adorable, though the bonking has definitely begun. You will note that at feed 2, for example, little CE11 puts its head up to participate, gets bonked once, and is down for the count. That happens at another feeding later in the day too (feed 10). But both are getting more than enough to eat, with Clive keeping fish scattered about the nest and around a dozen feedings a day. I would so love it if there was no bonking, but then I remember that’s why we watch peregrines and RTHs.”
SE31 and family at the river.
A look at Gil and Brad from the egg to the fledge. Thank you Fish Fairies for ensuring that these two were well fed and fledged!
Can the Black-footed Albatross be saved? And is this island free of cats? and rats? A good read from Audubon. Please cut and paste the link to Audubon for the article below the photo credit.
Thank you so much for being with us today. Please take care. See you soon!
I am so grateful to the following for their notes, articles, videos, posts, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, H, J’, NEFL-AEF, Elfruler, Paul K, Ferris Akel Tours, Window to Wildlife, Chang-Le Dong, PLO, Bart M. Openverse, and Audubon.
Friday was a day of ‘hoar’ frost in Southern Manitoba. It was foggy and beautiful – and again, sadly warm for this time of year. It is nearing midnight and it is -1 C. It was a nice day for a brisk walk through the park, but it felt cold to the bones because everything was melting and damp. Oh, how I am longing for winter! Or Spring! But not this.
It was an interesting morning with Calico. She perched on the new cat tree and watched ‘The Boyfriend’ eat at the close feeder. It was eerie. I often wonder if he wasn’t a litter mate of hers instead of just being her friend outside when she was living rough. He has come to the garden door when the bowls needed replenishing, but he shows no signs of wanting to be friendly like Calico did so that he might work his way to joining us in the house.
Beautiful Calico.
Baby Hope (yes, she will always be a ‘baby’ just like Hugo) watched him as he went under the back gate.
Missey looks lovely in that soft morning light filtering through the garden door. She loves watches the birds flit in and out of the vines dangling down from the gutter.
Baby Hugo is so much better. The antibiotics have helped. She is no longer sneezing, and her eyes are hardly drooling. We also had a major milestone – she ate her Royal Canin Kitten Kibble. What a relief. So, she is eating well – her kitten tinned food and now the kibble and water. She had some sardines today as well. She is more than 14 weeks old and is considerably small for her age – about the size of an 8-week-old kitten. She is lively- what a character. I keep saying she is fearless, and she is. She is unafraid to lunge at any of her sisters, and she will leap on Calico without thinking. Calico is normally shy, shocked she doesn’t know how to respond. She is always ready for a good game of hide and chase! She is also very curious about food. Tonight, her interest was on a samosa, then a cup of pomegranate tea – and finally, oh boy, she found a small individual butter dish that did not have its top. She is getting very long, and I expect she is now more than three times the size she was when she arrived. We will know how well she is doing on the 4th of January when she goes in for her check. She is too wild to sit on the scales now!!!!!!!!
I am hoping to get a decent photo of her for you! Saturday morning. These are better. I have not cleaned Baby Hugo’s face yet – there is only a little muck from the night. Yippeeeee. Calico wanted her photo taken and everyone is happen. It is 0 degrees C and it is so nice and toasty in the conservatory! They love it out there – watching the entire outdoor world around them.
Hugo having a look at Calico!
Hope looking at Hugo taking her toy.
Missey getting ready to leap to the top of the post before Hugo and Hope come roaring around again.
In Bird World, only a singular event today caught people’s attention. Gabby left the nest, and V3 came and buried the egg deep into the cavity. Gabby returned and tried to make things right to no avail. Of course, the big question on everyone’s mind is why did V3 do this.
When male Ospreys come to the nest and find eggs, believing them not to be their own, they kick them like crazy out of the nest in a rage. So, do Bald Eagles bury their eggs? Was this egg not V3’s? Or is V3 just confused by the egg because he is so young? That is an interesting proposition, but I return to some very young male eagles (younger than V3) who became excellent mates and fathers like Harry at MN-DNR. He was probably between 4 and 5 years old when he fathered his clutch, and he did magnificently. Others did not do so well. ’J’ reminded me that it took Akecheta three seasons to get ‘fatherhood’ right! And then he turned out to be brilliant. So we wait to see what will happen.
‘J’ sent this note from Naturechat: ”Debra NatureChat: It took Akecheta the mate of Thunder on the West End Eagle nest… 1 season of failure because he wouldn’t incubate…Ist season no incubating at all, 2nd season he did incubate up until the day of hatch, and then flew off the nest, and the ravens came and got all 3 eggs. The 3rd season he incubated throughout the time and did a Great job, feeding the hatchlings was all new to him but he got the hang of it. “
Beau and Gabby returned to the nest and were making some restorations and being affection, but not mating. V3 might have been interested, but Gabby wasn’t.
Friday night and Gabby is in the nest – is she in labour with a second egg?
The only bobbleheads to hatch are C10 and C11, Connie and Clive’s kids over at Captiva. They are doing well and despite some bonks, C11 seems to be able to hold its own.
The pantry is full and brimming over. and these are two very strong beautiful eaglets. Such a blessing in a year that has gone sideways for our eagle families. There is some beaking. C11 goes into submission pretty quick sometimes. There is a daily activity log for the nest. Check on the link within the chat for the Google Spreadsheet. Both ate well on Friday.
Was so pleased to see that Alex has moved on from incubation duties at KNF-E3. He is recovering.
Beautiful Jackie looking out over Big Bear Lake.
Hope and Chandler were doing some nest work at Port Tobacco.
Guess what? There is another Beau! At Denton Homes. So – MN-DNR and NEFL-AEF and Denton Homes. Any more that you can think of?
Pepe and Muhlady are thinking about a second clutch!
At Port Lincoln, the lads have been flying around and the parents have been delivering fish to their lads. It was a good day at the barge.
There was a prey transfer at Orange!
Jack and Diane are bringing in bark for their nest on the grounds of the Achieva Credit Union in St Petersburg.
OK Owl People. Hoots was in the new nest Friday morning!
Here is the link to their live camera:
I know some of you missed it. Geemeff sent me the link to the latest video of “at least 73 year old” Wisdom, the oldest banded Laysan Albatross in the world, dancing on Midway Island.
Sunnie Day posted the link to a PBS video on the impact of Lead poisoning.
Thank you so much for being with me today. Take care – there are lots of cases of flu and Covid out there. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, articles, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write my blog today: ’A, Geemeff, H, J’, NEFL-AEF, Mary B.L. Tung, Window to Wildlife, KNF-E3, FOBBV, Port Tobacco Eagle Cam, Denton Homes, Superbeaks, PLO, Bart M, Falcon Cam Project, Angela Edwards, USFWS Midway Atoll Sunnie Day, and Live Science.
