We had another beautiful, albeit slightly cooler day, today. There is still beautiful white fluffy snow in the garden and the birds were so busy eating tonight it made us wonder if there was another storm coming. Nothing predicted.
Quick nest news:
A wonderful video link sent to me by ‘L’ about the Laysan Albatross, Wisdom, and her legacy. This is the video caption: “Earlier this year, we shared that N333, Wisdom’s son from 2011, had welcomed a chick of his own. Thanks to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer Dan Rapp, we now get an up-close look at this newest member of Wisdom’s remarkable family tree. N333 has an incredible story himself—he survived the 2011 tsunami as a chick and has since returned to Midway to raise the next generation. Seeing his journey come full circle is a powerful reminder of the resilience of these birds and the importance of protecting their home. 👉 Read more about N333’s journey here: https://friendsofmidway.org/wisdoms-l…
Stella and Irvin have their first egg at the US Steel nest in PA. Congratulations!
Andor and Cruz have their first egg at the Fraser Point nest in the Channel Islands, California.
Little Miami Conservancy now has two eggs as of Thursday.
Pip watch continues for egg 1 and 2 at Duke Farms. It is doubtful if the first egg is viable (IMHO).
Decorah should have its second egg today. I haven’t see anything to indicate that another egg has been laid yet (It is 1945 CDT).
At the Two Harbours nest, Chase has been supplying Cholyn with some nice fish. SK Hideaways has it on video: https://youtu.be/O7Spi_nane4?
Now you see it, now you don’t. The thick cord with the bobber is still in the KNF E1 nest of Anna and Louis II. The eaglets so far have not gotten tangled again. Let’s hope this good news continues.
Lots of fish and nice big crops on both eaglets at the E3 nest of Alex and Andria at the KNF forest. This is lovely to see. Let us hope that fish delivery and good feedings by both parents continue.
Willow and Gus at Eagle Country had some trouble with their egg when it got caught on Willow’s leg. The egg is well past hatching but Willow continues to incubate. Androcat has the incident on video: https://youtu.be/VtVxoIDTyWM?
Fridays are cake day at our house. It is a way to end the week and get to spend some time with Ann. This was today’s offering from the Lilac Bakery – almost too beautiful to cut.
Everyone is well. We have had a good week. In fact, it has been a brilliant week. Knock on wood, this continues. I do not know if it is the warmer weather, my arthritis not bothering me so much, or Don’s new medications taking hold. The warm weather makes our walks so much nicer! I cannot tell you how much being outside lifts one’s soul. If you are feeling challenged for any reason, please spend some time outside. I promise it can be life-changing.
Toby wishes you a wonderful weekend!
Thank you so much for being with us this evening.
Thank you to ‘L’ for her link to the story about Wisdom’s son, to the authors of the FB posts, the owners of the streaming cams that let us look into the lives of the birds, to SK Hideaways, Androcat, and Friends of Midway Atoll for the videos I have included this evening.
We spent the day wringing our hands over Calico. She has not been herself for a few days, and off she went to the vet this morning. She is home and fine, but she is on a diet to lose 3 lbs and has to eat high-fibre foods. The others might not be keen, but they will also have their food dishes put out and removed when they are finished – even if they did not eat their entire portion. This should stop Calico from filling herself up with their extras!!!!!!
Thank you to ‘L’ who alerted me to the news of the day. Wisdom, the oldest banded albatross in the world has returned to the Midway Atoll for another breeding season. Tears of happiness are flowing around the world for this grand lady.
Here is the USFWS post on Instagram:
“At an approximate age of 75, Wisdom the albatross returned this week to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge for nesting season.
Like other Laysan albatross, or mōlī in Hawaiian, Wisdom returns to the same nesting site each year to reunite with her mate, and if able, lay one egg. Last year, the world’s oldest known wild bird successfully laid an egg for the first time in four years.
Wisdom’s arrival to the refuge in the central Pacific Ocean is slightly earlier than prior years. Her new mate from last year has not been seen yet, according to staff.
Biologists first identified and banded Wisdom in 1956 after she laid an egg, and the large seabirds aren’t known to breed before age 5.
It is estimated that Wisdom has produced 50-60 eggs and as many as 30 chicks that fledged in her lifetime.
Each year, millions of seabirds return to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge on the northwestern edge of the Hawaiian Archipelago to nest and raise their young. Wisdom, specifically, has been doing this since the Eisenhower administration.
Today is Thanksgiving in the US. (We had ours eons ago). My calendar tells me that I got the date correct this time. We will make a special pumpkin pie to celebrate with our American readers. It doesn’t take a special day for me to be thankful for each of you for opening your hearts and lives to me throughout the years. I always enjoy hearing from you, seeing the images of your faithful pets or the birds in your gardens, and hearing about the wonders of your holidays, road trips, or just the musings of your day. That you have allowed me into your life is so precious, and I am very grateful and touched.
I am also grateful for my life, no matter how challenging. Every day I enjoy with my husband is a real gift. Each minute is treasured. I urge you to cherish all the beautiful moments – they are fleeting like the delicate snowflakes that fall. I wondered what life might be like, but that no longer happens. We have not allowed Lewy Body Dementia to destroy us. We travel, see birds daily, play with and read to our girls, have dinner with friends and family, watch movies and laugh hysterically. We are even starting back on writing the children’s book about garden birds. What more would I want?
I am also grateful to The Girls. They are huge characters who bring so much comfort and laughter. Of course, there is also Brock, Dyson and her family, Junior and the Missus, and the two Crows. Sadly, I cannot tell one sparrow from the other, but their presence is huge. You can hear the bird song from our garden a half block away, where there is nothing but silence.
I am also grateful to all of the writers who have brought the most amazing stories – real and not – into our lives this year. We are reading Chloe Dalton’s book, Raising Hare, for the second time. It is the story of how caring for a leveret changed Dalton’s life. It is writers like her that give me hope. We have just finished reading The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The Saskatoon or Serviceberry is a metaphor for the gift economy and how each of us can, through simple grassroots, ways help change the type of rampant consumerism that lies at the heart of our climate crisis. Public libraries, free farm stands where surplus produce is left for anyone to take and use, The Little Free Libraries doting the neighbourhoods where you live, clothing depots for people who need something to wear to a job they thought they would never get — free gifts that trickle through society. We can all take part!
So thank you to all of you, to my husband struggling with Lewy Body Dementia, my children and close friends, to my girls and the garden animals who make my life worth living.
Now for something fun related to Thanksgiving, Audubon published 10 Fun Facts about Wild Turkeys. See how many you know!
Today, we were scheduled to take Missey and Calico to the vet. However, I have been concerned about Hugo Yugo’s teeth since we adopted her, so at the last minute, I decided to bring Hugo Yugo instead of Calico. It turned out to be a good decision. My fear of dental issues stems from losing Lewis last year. Unfortunately, Hugo Yugo does have dental problems, but thankfully, her condition is not as severe as Lewis’s was.
We have been using dental wipes and brushing her teeth every day, which has helped keep the issue manageable. However, she will need professional cleanings every six months. Hugo Yugo is scheduled to have a cleaning and surgery to remove her incisors. Our vet has offered to come in during her holiday if Hugo Yugo stops eating, but we are hoping to secure an appointment within the next two months.
Please send your warmest wishes to little Hugo Yugo, as she is in considerable pain but is not showing any signs of it.
The pair really looked over that office. They even had a chance for play fighting and at the end of the day they both wanted to come home together in the same cat carrier, not separately. Enjoy.
Missey is well-behaved, gentle, and extremely healthy. She has only gained 300 grams in a year. No teeth problems! No gum problems. Maine Coon. How lucky were we to get this loving motherly cat? Someone found her under a truck only a couple of days old.
Hugo Yugo was into everything – on every shelf!
Getting acquainted with the room.
Missey knew there were some squeezy treats on that counter somewhere.
It was nice to be home. Hugo Yugo had a double dinner and has been asleep since her return.
Today, I want to introduce you to the work of Emma Buck. I found Emma through a friend in the UK and was instantly taken by the intricate stitching she uses to create her birds. I had been looking for birds for a ‘tree’ in my living room and, also as holiday gifts for friends. They fit both of my loves – our feathered friends and having beautiful handmade objects.
Emma Buck describes herself as a “Norfolk birder and ringer but have spent a lot of time in Canada and wannabe wildlife artist.” Emma has recently moved from the UK to Canada, and this year – for the next few months – her only income is derived from the gorgeous handmade birds she makes. There is no comparison to the birds made in China by a machine!
Emma did not think she could master a Blue Jay, but she tried, and this is the result. It is now her favourite, and I think she captured Junior rather well. I sure love the result!!!!!!
I hope to eventually have one of Emma’s birds for each of the species that visits our garden.
And the three altogether:
These are some of the examples of past birds and animals that Emma has created. You can see the size by comparing the bird with her hand.
These handmade gems are $45 CDN each plus shipping and handling. If you have questions or are interested in commissioning a bird or animal, here is Emma’s contact information: emmarosebuck@gmail.com
Emma also has an Instagram account, too: emmas_wildlifeart
The shock of Hugo Yugo’s need for surgery is sinking in, even though I knew there was going to be a problem early on. She does not have the underlying conditions like feline leukaemia that Lewis had, thank goodness. She has slept since coming home, but did eat well. I need to watch to make sure she continues to eat. Right now, all I want to do is cuddle up with her and a warm blanket – hoping that we can make a miracle happen overnight.
So, I had little time to check on the birds today. I constantly checked Port Lincoln because it is the only active nest. Thank goodness the rest of Bird World is relatively quiet.
The morning started off pretty rough at Port Lincoln with wind gusts and damp conditions.
Dad came through with a fish that he had eaten quite bit from. Still, it is better than nothing. It is a good day for the Fish Fairy.
By 1213, there had been no other deliveries – Mum, Dad, or Fairy. Fingers crossed.
The Fish Fairy came and delivered 10 fish. Wilko is right there and it isn’t going to be long til he is claiming one of those and unzipping it. Kasse time to figure this out! Dad claimed one. Mum and the kids got the rest. Fantastic.
I will continue to advocate that providing supplementary fish to this family in Port Lincoln ensures that the chicks not only survive to fledge, but are also healthy and strong. Thank you Fran, Janet, and Bazz.
I didn’t see any activity at the NE Florida nest of Gabby and Beau.
Holly Parsons posted a moving video of a peregrine falcon that became blind and was raised in captivity. Thanks, Holly. Wildlife are so resilient. https://youtu.be/wJCl-U6ena4?
Do you remember the only eyas raised in the flower pot in Sydney, Australia? Well, the Crawley fledgling returned to her balcony and nest after two weeks on the wing!
News from Ranger Judy on the Olympic Park Eagles. I am hoping that we will have some pictures of SE33 in rehab soon!
Wisdom has returned to Midway Island in search for a mate!!!!!!!!!!! This is amazing news. The entire staff and Laysan osprey lovers of this 74 year old albatross are giving thanks for her health and return. Let us all be grateful. She is the one with the red band on her right leg.
It’s Rita’s History Monday and ‘J’ sent me the link!
If you have been following the issues surrounding the cutting down of a Bald Eagle nest by a developer in Alabama, here is a summary that was posted of a meeting where the issues were discussed.
The Kakapo Recovery still has some adoptions open! We adopted Ralph’s father, Rangi, a couple of years ago. It is another great organization – like so many others – reaching out for help this season.
‘J’ reports that the 2024 Raptor Day at WINORR raised over $20,000 to help with Bobby Horvath’s rescue and rehabilitation efforts for raptors on Long Island.
Calico’s Tip of the Day: Ignore all of the Black Friday Week Sales. Delete the ads in your inbox. Close your eyes to the stores. Put the flyers in the recycling bin. Instead of buying a huge TV, another purse, more tools for the garage, or the temptation of a new phone or big fancy camera, pause. Think of the birds and the people who rescue and care for them, and if you can, give – a little or a lot on or before Giving Tuesday so your donation is doubled.
We wish all of you celebrating Thanksgiving a day of laughter and love with those near and dear. To everyone else, take time to be grateful for something little or big that makes your life worth getting up for. If it is a person, tell them! We all need to know we are valued. Enjoy your dinner – lots of love, effort, and expense went into it!
Thank you for being with us. Please take care. We look forward to seeing you soon.
Thank you to the following for their notes, posts, videos, and streaming cams that helped me to write this short blog today: ‘J’, Audubon, Emma Buck, SK Hideaways, Port Lincoln Ospreys, Judy Harrington, Hob Osterlund, Rita the Eagle, Holly Parsons, Untamed, Orange Australia Peregrine Falcons and Crawley Falcons, FORE, Dulles-Greenway Eagle Cam, Wings of Whimsy, Kakapo Recovery
Dr Sharpe has posted that he will arrive at the Fraser Point nest between 12-2 nest time. We wait.
It is always a hard day when a chick dies on a nest but to lose a beautiful little Osprey to starvation/siblicide is very difficult. I am speaking of the third hatch at the Janakkdan nest in Finland. There is various speculation about what is going on at the nest. Is the female injured in some way? Another chick is lethargic on that nest and it is feared that all three will be lost and then, also, perhaps the breeding female if the injury is acute. Some are asking if this is H5N1, the highly pathogenic Avian Flu. That could only be determined by testing and so far it is believed that Ospreys would be more immune because they eat fish almost exclusively. Whatever is happening it is very sad and it causes one to feel helpless.
There was also Victor with his injury wanting to jump and fly with Lillibet to only go tumbling to the ground, well…gosh. It can take the wind out of your sails. It will be a long wait for Dr Sharpe to get to the nest. He will have to get to the boat, get to the island and then get to the nest. Will this require a very difficult climb? I do not know the terrain he will be going through but, I trust Dr Sharpe. If anything at all can be done to give Victor a second chance, Dr Sharpe is the person who will pull this off. But, for now we wait and it is going to be agony until we know that he is on the ground and has Victor. Then we wait again. You can be assured that Dr Sharpe will give Victor an exceptional meal and maybe some fluids – Victor cannot help but be dehydrated.
There is sadness across the Manitoba Peregrine community this morning. The resident male, Hart, was found dead. He was 10 years old. The Manitoba Peregrine Recovery Project works diligently to return the numbers of these beautiful falcons in our community.
Here is the link to the blog with information about Hart and the falcons that live in my community. the text narration gives you an idea of the struggles that happen with all our feathered friends. Condolences go out to everyone associated with the MB Falcon Recovery Project.
Most of the birds that I write about are big birds of prey. I love them. At the same time, the Albatross pull at my heart strings, ducks make me laugh out loud, and well, I have really come to adore storks. Today Hob Osterlund posted a really touching image of a Laysan Albatross male and his chick.
Continuing with the mantra of Margaret Mead, “Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” – Hob Osterlund works tirelessly for the Laysan Albatross. Osterlund had a dream and because of it she moved to the island of Kauai. She was overcome with the love of the Laysan Albatross on her arrival. Osterlund is the author of Holi Moli: Albatross and other Ancestors, is the Founder of the Kauai’ Albatross Network, has worked to relocate albatross from Midway Atoll to Kauai’, is an artist, and many more things to thousands of people. She did the illustrations for A Perfect Day for an Albatross by Caren Loebel-Fried.
Moli is the word for Laysan Albatross. They are revered spirits on the island of Kauai’. For the people of Hawaii, their ancestors can take the form of birds or animals. This is ‘aumakua’. Laysan Albatross are among the aumakua.
Do you know who Wisdom is? Wisdom is the oldest known banded bird in the world. She still raises a chick and she is now at least 71 or 72 years old. She laid an egg and raised a chick in 2021. (Albatross often take a year off between laying eggs so that their body can be in good shape).
Wisdom’s breeding grounds are the Midway Atoll. Wisdom and her mate, Akeakami, return every year to the same nest site. This behaviour is known as nest fidelity. Millions of birds have nest fidelity at the Midway Atoll and there is a race on to figure out what to do with rising sea levels. Wisdom has hatched 40 eggs and outlived many mates. Albatross normally return and find mates at 5 or 6 years and return later to make a nest. Her 2011 chick – banded N333 – that survived the tsunami on the island, has returned and Wisdom now has a grandchick. How special. That year 110,000 chicks were killed by the raging waters of the tsunami covering over the shore. Wisdom’s chick survived because her nest was located inside a protected dune area.
Invasive species such as rats and mice that were killing the birds were dealt with in 2020. It is a problem around the world on small islands where birds nest – particularly albatross. Teams of scientists and volunteers work tirelessly to try and rid the islands of rats and mice that humans have brought on to the land. Climate change is another extremely serious issue with rising seas. Some translocation work has been done between the Midway Atoll and the island of Kauai.
Wisdom and her wee little moli.
This is Wisdom’s 40th chick Kukini hatched in 2016. Kukini means ‘Messenger’.
Here is a lovely article on this magnificent Laysan Albatross – Z333.
To clear my head, I went to sit with the ducks. I came away delighted. There are ducklings of every age!
Before I begin, there are goose eggs bobbing about all over the water. The spring floods that hit our region made the water level in the park pond rise and rise covering all of the nests of the Canada geese, the Mallards, and the Wood Ducks. It was a very, very sad time. The birds laid more eggs and it rained and rained and rained again. What I am seeing is that at this particular pond, the majority of survivors or second clutches are ducklings.
This Mallard mother seemed to be in charge of about eleven little ducklings.
It is incredible how well behaved the ducklings are. There they go – right behind Mama Mallard. They have really grown since I first saw these four about 8 days ago.
Mama Mallard is incredibly beautiful.
It was equally sad not seeing one gosling today. The reflections from the trees on the water was very painterly and this Canada Goose really stood out with all that chartreuse.
Because the male Wood Ducks get all the attention, I tend to take more photographs of the females. They are incredibly gorgeous but so overshadowed by the bright colouring of their mates.
Wee Mallard keeping an eye on me but not giving up his spot!
Mother Duck has all the little ones – and they are tiny – hiding in this type of clover grass on the edge of the pond. You can just see their wee heads.
This one looks like he has had a great feed. There are so many insects darting over the water and to see these little ones just quick as a flash grabbing and eating them – it is amazing.
This wood duckling is getting her ‘pin’ feathers. You can see them pushing out of the shaft or the quill.
This is Mama Wood Duck. You can tell the female by her white tear drop eye patch.
To my delight there were Wood Ducks everywhere around the island – on it, around the shores but, always on the north side. At the start of the season there were no Wood Ducks at this park and I was truly heart broken.
Are you a fan of Mrs G and Aran at the Glaslyn?
Raptor Persecution UK wrote a blog about the history of Mrs G today. She is the oldest breeding Osprey in Wales. She has raised 41 chicks to fledge. At least 5 are breeding in the UK and she has 3 grandchicks. I will post a link to that blog if you are interested. There is also a fascinating family tree included.
I am extremely grateful for ‘S’ who has supplied me with links to various cameras, wonderful historical and current videos, and all information to keep me learning about the Finnish nests. One of the fun things I learned is that the Finnish word for Ospreys ‘saaksi’ , when translated by Google, means ‘mosquito’. We have so many mosquitoes in Manitoba – I wish they were Ospreys. I will be including some of these for you if you are also not as familiar with the Ospreys of Finland. What beautiful countryside to have a nest! Yesterday I needed some laughs – like everyone and there was that chick on nest #3. What a character. ‘S’ describes him as a teenager without brothers and sisters to fight with so he has to fight with Mum. I am not sure you saw this video the other day when I posted it but this will give you some insights into this little character! Thank you ‘S’ for your kindness.
This little video shows the chicks in nest 4 having received their rings and some fish being left on the nest. The female returns and stares at the two nice fish wondering where in the world they came from! Enjoy.
I will bring a round up of the nests this evening. For right now, however, all eyes are on Fraser Point and Janakkdan nest. Please send all your positive wishes for Dr Sharpe, his team and Victor and for the Osprey family in Finland for the Mum to recover and the surviving two chicks to get healthy.
Thank you for joining me this morning in my attempt to move your attention elsewhere. Take care. See you soon!
Thank you to the following for their streaming cams and/or blogs or FB pages where I took my screen captures: Hob Osterlund, USFWS, The Peregrine Chick, and the Finnish Osprey Foundation.
