West Nile Virus is Killing Bald Eagles in Utah, Bald Eagle NX's Location, Bald Eagles Killed In Montgomery County Md, Cold Weather Can Be Hard On Birds of Prey

Scientists have found that it's West Nile Virus that is killing Bald Eagles in Utah. The current count is 27 dead and many more in treatment. It's unusual for birds to get West Nile Virus this time of year because it is usually transmitted via mosquitoes. They are studying if the Bald Eagles are getting sick from eating Grebes that have died while migrating through the area. There is no cure for West Nile Virus. Rehabbers can only provide care and hope the immune system does the rest. 

Bald Eagle NX checked in on 12/28. She had flown 15 miles north of her previous location and is back in King George County.

Two Bald Eagles have been shot and killed in Montgomery County, Maryland. I hope they catch the people that did this.

Cold weather can hit birds of prey pretty hard. Having difficulty finding food can make road-kill more appealing. If you see a large bird feeding by the side of the road, slow down. Large birds can fly across the road and into the path of oncoming vehicles. It takes them a bit of distance to gain enough altitude to be out of the way.

Christmas Tree Disposal, Eagle Watch Week in Mineral Ridge Idaho, More of Duane Noblick's Pictures of Snowy Owls, Possible Bald Eagle Release in Front Royal VA

It's that time of year when people are looking to dispose of their Christmas trees. Here are some alternatives to the landfill. In Hampton, they can also be set out at the curb for recycling.

Eagle Watch Week is on in Mineral Ridge, Idaho.

Duane Noblick posted more pictures of Snowy Owls on the Norfolk Eagles Forum. He takes such awesome pictures and these owls are so pretty!
I think that a rehabilitated Bald Eagle will be released back into the wild in Front Royal, VA on New Years Day. Here's the story. Make sure you click the link for the rehabber's web site. There is conflicting release info...

Bald Eagle NX's Location, Bald Eagle HK - Mating or Bonding, NE Florida and SW Florida Nests Have Two Nestlings Each, Duane Noblick's Pictures of a Snowy Owl, Reese Lukei's Trip To Botswana, Bald Eagles Dying in Utah, Ron Dudley's Feathered Photography Blog

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Wishing blessings to all in the New Year!

Bald Eagle NX checked in on Christmas day. She is 14 miles away from her 12/14 check-in.

Pam Monahan had a visit with Bald Eagle HK and got pictures of mating or bonding... Check out her blog entry...

The Northeast Florida and Southwest Florida Bald Eagle nests both have two hatchlings now. And so it begins again!

Duane Noblick got some really great pictures of a Snowy Owl. So pretty!

Reese has a blog entry about a recent trip to Botswana.

Something is killing Bald Eagles in Utah. Scientists think it is a disease as opposed to a toxin.

I haven't looked at Ron Dudley's Feathered Photography blog recently. Here are some interesting posts:

• Female Kestrel - Twisting, Turning Take-off
• Rough-legged Hawk in a Frosty Wonderland
• Rust on Rust - Female American Kestrel
• The Phantom Pheasant
• The Menacing Talons of a Prairie Falcon
• A Barn Owl Hunting (and a Bald Eagle)
• Red-tailed Hawk Sucker-punched by a Kestrel

Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, Pam Monahan's Post About Bald Eagle HK, First Hatch of the Season at the Northeast Florida Eagle Cam Nest, Berry College Eagle Cam

I know I already posted once today. But that was another rant about the NBG nest. And there is other Bald Eagle news to blog about, so, here's a bonus post for today!

Bald Eagle Camellia checked in. His solar battery doesn't do very well when it's overcast, so we missed him during all of our recent rainy weather. As it turns out, he's close to home!

Pam Monahan had another really great visit with Bald Eagle HK out at Honey Bee Golf Course yesterday. I really enjoy getting the story along with the pictures!

Congratulations to the proud parents at the Northeast Florida Eagle Cam nest! The first egg hatched today. The second egg at this nest (and the first one at the Southwest Florida nest) should hatch in the next couple of days. Here's the scene at the Northeast Florida nest - Mom was very alert and adjusted the soft grasses several times while I watched:

I also like to check in with the Berry College Eagle Cam nest. You just never know who is going to be at home. This pair seem to be at the nest quite often. I can usually find one at home in the evening and tonight I found both at home:

Removal Of Bald Eagle Nest At The Norfolk Botanical Garden -- More Details

The Pilot Online has an article about the recent removal of the Bald Eagle nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG). This was the eighth nest removal. There is a poll with the article (on the left below the related links) asking if Norfolk should continue with the nest removal. Last night, it was at 90% for no. Today, it's up to 93% for no. (That's with 6% for yes and 1% not sure.) I don't think that the Norfolk officials are going to listen though. It seems that there are fragile egos at play. There is no reason other than pride for the Mayor and the City Council to continue with this stupidity. Hey, Norfolk officials, I'm talking to you: Set aside your pride, listen to the experts, and control the problem by intensifying efforts at the airport.

The article talks about how much membership and revenue are down at NBG. I let my membership lapse but never provided a reason why. I'm sure it's more than 8% of people that left NBG because of the treatment of the Bald Eagles.

I will not spend any money in Norfolk as long as this mistreatment of Dad Norfolk and DT continues. I refuse to pay any sales taxes to Norfolk. I use the airport in Newport News instead of Norfolk. (And that's for safety reasons as well, since I don't consider the Norfolk airport to be safe since they don't mitigate the risk of all wildlife at the airport. Just this Band-Aid to make it appear like they are doing something.) If you haven't watched my video showing all of the birds that are on Lake Whitehurst (the body of water that separates the airport from NBG), please check it out. I originally shot this video just because it's nature. But it really shows the extent of the problem.

Please support the Bald Eagles and push for safety at the airport for all concerned. I recommend that you not spend any money in Norfolk and if you are a city resident, vote out the guilty parties. (Keep in mind that Tommy Smigiel is on the City Council and is in favor of leaving the eagles alone and fixing the problem at the airport. So, don't vote him out!)

Africam Black Eagle

I had a comment about the Africam Black Eagle. I hadn't been watching this nest, but decided to check it out. The comment said that the nestling hadn't eaten in a couple of days. Sometimes nature can be harsh. But the chat said that "Ness" had eaten last night before bed and again this morning. So, all appears to be well at this nest and they are on fledge watch. This nest is located in Johannesburg, South Africa. What a beautiful scene on the camera! There's a waterfall on the right. Lots of sounds of rushing water...

The Norfolk Botanical Garden Bald Eagle Nest Is Torn Down Again, Bald Eagles NX and KE's Locations, Northeast Florida Eagle Cam on Pip/Hatch Watch, Converting Algae to Crude Oil, Multivitamins, Penguins Staying Warm, Threat to Habitat of African Lesser Flamingos

Bald Eagle Dad Norfolk's nest has been torn down again by the USDA under a permit issued to the City of Norfolk. These people want to go to the expense as few times as possible. So, what they do, is they wait until a nest is almost finished and then tear it down. The Bald Eagles will never stop trying to follow nature's imperative to reproduce. The idiots on Norfolk's city council might as well shake their fists at the sky when it rains. Idiots. The mayor too. Thomas Smigiel is the only one with a brain on the city council. It's just heartbreaking to know that this has happened again. These people, besides being incredibly stupid, are heartless and cruel. Just because you can exert your will over weaker animals doesn't mean that you should. And these people have to ignore the advice of experts to continue along this path that they have chosen. If you live in Norfolk, please vote them out!

Bald Eagle NX has finally checked in! She is near her release site. And there is an update for Bald Eagle KE as well.

The Northeast Florida Eagle Cam Bald Eagle nest is on pip/hatch watch. The Southwest Florida nest is 3 days later.

I've mentioned before how much we need to get away from foreign oil. I came across this article today about converting algae into crude oil. How awesome is that?

I take multivitamins. I think it's beneficial. But, maybe it's not...

Penguins huddle up to stay warm. Watch the video to see how the group moves as one.

African Lesser Flamingos habitat is threatened by development.

Bald Eagles Dad Norfolk and DT, Center For Conservation Biology's Eagle Nest Blog Article About Their Transmitter Program, Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, New Post About Bald Eagle HK on Pam Monahan's Notes From The Nest Blog

Quick post today. Mike Inman posted a link to his pictures of Bald Eagles Dad Norfolk and DT (Dirty Tail) on the Norfolk Eagles Forum.

There's a great item on the Center for Conservation Biology Eagle Nest Blog site about the success of the program to put transmitters on Bald Eagles. What a great article!

Bald Eagle Camellia's transmitter (solar powered) finally got enough sunshine to send a signal. See where he's at... Be sure to read the comments as well, since Reese gives some details regarding the transmitters.

Pam Monahan has a new post about Bald Eagle HK on her Notes from the Nest Blog. I like the second picture, with the fish tail hanging down... And I like the sunset pic... Oh, what the heck! I like all three of them!

Location for Bald Eagle KE, SW Florida, NE Florida, Berry College, and Eagles4kids Eagle Cams, Eagle Cam Behind the Scenes, Sink Holes, Bonobo Apes, Egg Agents, National Zoo's Baby Panda

Reese has posted a new location for Bald Eagle KE. She knows where she likes to hang out!

The Southwest Florida Eagle Cam has a 'hatch watch' clock showing 10 more days... The Southeast Florida Eagle Cam doesn't have the fancy clock, but the first egg arrived three days earlier, so... I'll let you do the math. I looked in on both of these nests tonight and it looked like business as usual. I couldn't look at the Berry College Eagle Cam tonight. Something wrong with the feed...

The Eagles4kids nest is full of snow. But I see footprints, so someone has been there. Their web page shows that it's a brisk -18 degrees there tonight...

I was looking in on the Sooner Lake Eagle Cam and saw a link for "Eagle Cam Behind the Scenes." I have a technical background and find stuff like this to be interesting. If you aren't interested in that sort of thing, at least check out the pictures!
 
A huge sinkhole opened up in Bosnia. It seems like I'd never heard of such a thing, but now it's a common occurrence. Is this a case of the world becoming smaller due to the internet, or are these happening now and they didn't used to? I looked at the accompanying slide-show and only one picture was from earlier than the year 2000.

Bonobo apes in a German zoo have gone high-tech. They can control which channel is played.

Egg agents recruit women to sell their eggs. This is interesting to me. Part of me feels these women are taking an incredible risk that they may not have any eggs left when they are ready to start their own family. Women only have as many eggs as they are born with, and once they are gone (normally at a rate of one per month) they are gone. Some can view this as incredibly generous and some can view this as putting money above all else. I'm conflicted about this one...

The National Zoo has selected a name for their baby Panda. There is also a video of her first steps at the end of the story. You can't help but cheer her on!

Bald Egle Camellia's Location, Pam Monahan's Awesome Blog Post About Bald Eagle HK, Rhoda Gerig's Awesome Bald Eagle Video, Endangered Species Act Could Be In Danger, Obese Kids, The Book "Shake"

Reese has posted a blog entry showing Bald Eagle Camellia's locations from Nov 23 to Dec 4 which shows him back in the local area at Stumpy Lake.

Pam Monahan has the most awesome post about Bald Eagle HK in her December 4th entry. She got some awesome pictures (including a bird bath) and tells a great story about her time with HK.

Rhoda Gerig has posted a great Bald Eagle video on YouTube. You can read her comments on her post on the Norfolk Eagles Forum, then click the link to see the video. Have you ever seen a Bald Eagle run? Cracks me up every time! Great video Rhoda!

Check out this local article about the Endangered Species Act being in danger. It's a great article. And as a bonus, Reese Lukei took the picture of the Bald Eagle used in the article. (Reese does the updates for Camellia's locations -- my first link above.)

There is an obesity epidemic in this country. A whopping 17% of American kids ages 2-17 are obese! A new study finds that girls that are overweight are hitting puberty at a younger age than their thinner counterparts.

There's a book "Shake" containing picture of dogs shaking. Get a preview here. I just might have to get this book!

Hawk Kills a Dog, Smoking and Aging, Are We Alone In The Universe, Dinosaur Nests in Mongolia, Feral Cows, Backyard Chickens

I've been asked if a Bald Eagle can grab a small dog and carry it away. I'm sure if a dog is small enough this can happen. But there is another cause for concern. There was an incident recently in Norfolk where a Hawk killed a dog while it was in a yard. The owner wasn't right there with it, it was a fenced yard. So, even though the dog may be too large to be carried away, it can still be killed by a bird of prey. The best advice if you have a small dog is to have it on a leash while outside.

Does smoking make you look older? Twins were in a study where one smoked and the other either didn't smoke or smoked less than the other. There are pictures of three twins -- I tried to figure out which was the smoker before reading which was which. Check it out.

Are we alone in the universe? Are we alone in the Milky Way? There are 8.8 billion habitable planets in the Milky Way alone. So, the chance that we are alone in the Milky Way is 8.8 billion to 1? I'm just saying...

Dinosaur nests were found in Mongolia. There is a picture of one of the clutches of eggs. The article is interesting to me because they reach several conclusions based upon what they found.

Feral cows are menacing hikers. This is a story that came out at the end of October. They were looking for some cowboys to go in and round them up. I was hoping to see a follow-up to this story, but I couldn't find any updates online...

I want to have backyard chickens some day. The City of Hampton has recently started allowing backyard chickens. You aren't allowed to have any roosters and can have 4 hens. If you are shopping for chickens, I found My Pet Chicken web site to be great! They sell baby chicks and you can specify that you only want females. (A lot of web sites will only sell straight-run chicks. Which means that you could end up with roosters or hens.) They also have very helpful information and a breed recommender there if you are new to keeping chickens. You have to apply for a permit at the Treasurer's Office on Franklin Street ($25) and the city has to inspect your set-up. Here's a link to the Chicken Keeping Application. They are only allowed at single-family residences. They can only be kept for domestic use (not to sell eggs or meat.) Shelters must be 25 feet away from neighboring buildings (the reason I can't have chickens.) I cant' find the ordinance online, but here's Hampton's news release with all the details. Here's a cool chicken coop that comes in two sizes. I love the snap/lock design and the low maintenance materials. Good luck if you are going to keep chickens!

Pam Monahan's Blog, Pilot Whale Stranding, Eagle Steals Video Camera, Berry College Eagle Cam

Check out Pam Monahan's blog posts for the month of November. Funny, but she's not the first Bald Eagle watcher to be quizzed by the police... Pam is doing a great job of documenting HK's time spent at Honey Bee Golf Course. If you are local and head that way to see him, please be mindful that he spooks if you get too close. You never want to do anything to cause wildlife to change their behavior. You can cause them to needlessly expend energy, abandon young, lose prey, etc... While on the subject of Pam, you can also find great pics of HK on her photography site.

A pod of Pilot Whales is in trouble. They are in shallow water and need to move out to deeper water. A group of people are working to try to save them. But some have already died and some had to be euthanized. I hope biologists can figure out what causes whales to do this. I think it might be a case of healthy whales not wanting to leave sick whales (loved ones?). It's interesting that whales might feel that kind of connection to each other...

Have you guys heard about the Eagle that stole a video camera that rangers had set up to record Crocodiles? The camera disappeared back in May and was recently found almost 70 miles away. Check out the video -- watch it to the end to see selfie footage of the thief! (The rangers plan to bolt down their cameras in the future...)

So excited when I looked in on the Berry College Eagle Cam tonight! I couldn't get the screen capture program open fast enough! I was scared something would happen to spoil the picture. But YAY! I got the picture! I wonder if the one that's standing is the female or if it just looks larger because it is in closer proximity to the camera. I would think that the female would be the one to lie down in the nest and tuck in her head, especially if her feet are still injured or permanently damaged (see write up on camera page). So I wonder, who's who?

Location Updates for Bald Eagles Camellia, KE, and NX, The Wildlife Center of Virginia's Annual Gala, Thanksgiving at WCV, Duane's Backyard Bluebirds, Rhoda Gerig's Video of The Reveal of WCV's New Bear Enclosure, Check Your Chimney and Stive Pipe Caps

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

There have been some Bald Eagle location updates posted since my last mention.
Bald Eagle Camellia's update on 11/22.
Bald Eagle KE's update on 11/23.
That's the most recent update on the CCB blog. I tried to look at the data explorer to get a more recent update on Camellia, but the site is acting funny...
There are also some recent location updates for Bald Eagle NX. She is still in the area of the Machadoc Creek.

There is an update on the training page for Bald Eagle Buddy. It's about the annual fundraiser put on by The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV). Pictures are included... I assume there are pictures of Buddy in there, but there are so many pictures and I have looked at a bunch and am nowhere near the end...

Check out this post about Thanksgiving at WCV. Talk about having a lot of mouths to feed...

Duane has posted some pics and links to videos of his back yard Bluebirds on the forum. He gets such great detail in his pics. And I love the bird bath video.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia recently had their big reveal of their new Bear Enclosures. I received a letter from them when they were trying to fund this project. So, I can say that I helped build this! Congratulations to them for getting it finished. And thanks to Rhoda Gerig for capturing the big reveal in the above link!

Here's another warning to help keep wildlife safe: A couple I know couldn't figure out what was wrong with the fan for their pellet stove. So, they took it apart and found more than 40 dead songbirds that had gotten in the stove pipe and couldn't get back out. They put a cap on their chimney pipe to prevent this from happening again. Please check your chimneys and stove pipes!

Orchid Update With Pictures, Camellia (The Plant) and Squirrel Pictures, Eagle Cam Updates

I blogged about my Orchids in previous posts. And I promised an update. Two of my Orchids are doing great! So, I'm doing pictures of them first:

This is my Cattleya:
Taken on 11/10 showing the buds just coming out of the sheath:

Taken on 11/17, using my finger to show the size of the flower buds:

Taken on 11/21 just to look pretty. This is the first time I've ever seen this orchid bloom:

Taken on 11/21 to show size of blooms:

Taken on 11/21 close-up to show detail -- pretty and fragrant. Looks like velvet:

This is my Dendrobium:
Taken on 11/10 showing flower spike with flower buds:

Taken on 11/17 with one bloom open:

Taken on 11/24 with two blooms open. Pretty, but not fragrant:

My Epidendrum taken on 11/10. Still looks the same today... Not sure what's happening here:

My Mini-Cattleya taken on 11/10. Seems like the sheath died. Not sure why. We had a hot patch of weather while it was still outside and it might have gotten too dry. The Cattleya above was in the same environment. But it might have been better able to handle it since it's a larger plant. Maybe I'll have better luck with this one next year:

And a couple of random pics that were on my camera when I downloaded it... This is one of my Camellias. I love Camellias. They bloom in the cold weather when just about nothing else is in bloom. This particular one has a fragrance too -- kinda spicy.

And this is a regular visitor on my back deck. I had a bag of bird food that was infested with moths. (So annoying.) I put the bag outside so they wouldn't infest my house... Picture is taken through window and screen. Talk about being in hog heaven:

And in Bald Eagle news, it looks like the Northeast and Southwest eagle cam nests will both have two eggs this year. If either nest was going to have a third egg, it would have been laid by now. I checked in on both cams this evening and Moms were on the nest, incubating/sleeping. Seemed really cold and windy at the Northeast nest... And I looked in on the Berry College nest -- no one was home. But that's ok, since there aren't any eggs yet...

SW and NE Florida Bald Eagle Nests Have Two Eggs Each, Pam Monahan's Blog and Pictures, Recycling or Disposing of Used Deep Fryer Oil, Keeping Wildlife Wild

The SW Florida Eagle Nest has a second egg. Now we wait to see if the NE or SW Florida Nests with have a third egg... I checked in on the two nests this evening and find similar poses. SW pic is first.

 

 

And someone is home at the Berry College Eagle Nest. (And most of the plucked feathers are gone from the nest tonight.)

Pam Monahan has a blog entry about the pictures she took on 11/18 of Bald Eagle HK. This is so cool, being able to get the explanation about what's happening in the pictures... She has also posted two new pictures on HK taken today on her photography site.
 
If you like to deep fry your Thanksgiving turkey, don't pour the used oil down the drain! If you live in Hampton or Newport News, you can turn it in for recycling. Check this link for details and for other tips to keep the sewer system free of clogs. If you live elsewhere, check with your city about a recycling program. If a recycling program is not available, then go to the above link to find proper ways to dispose of used oil.

This is a sad story about an elk that had to be put down because it was too acclimated to humans. The elk no longer showed a proper fear of humans and was willing to engage people. Unfortunately, that poses a danger to people and the elk had to be put down. Please do your part to keep wildlife wild!

Dangers of Kite String and How Birds Flap Their Wings on Feathered Photography, Berry College Eagle Cam

Ron Dudley has posted about the dangers of kite string to wildlife. Don't view this post on his Feathered Photography blog if you are sensitive.

Ron's also got a really great post about how birds flap their wings. And he's got a picture of a Bald Eagle in flight in the post.

Looks like something feathered was for dinner at the Berry College Eagle Cam Nest.

Links to Florida Eagle Cams, Bald Eagle Camellia Location, More New Pictures of Bald Eagle HK Taken By Pam Monahan -- And Her New Blog

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued the City of Norfolk a new permit to continue harassment and nest removal at NBG. These people are such idiots. I'm starting to think that they actually think they are accomplishing something. Either that or they are crazy (the definition of doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.)

I forgot to include links to the Florida Eagle Cams that I mentioned in my post last night. Here they are:

NE Florida with Mom sitting on the nest. Two eggs so far at this nest:

SW Florida with Mom showing off her egg. One egg so far at this nest:

These nests look like lights are shining on them. But that's not the case. There is an infrared light, which Bald Eagles can't see. But the camera can, which is why we can see the nest when viewed through the camera. We can't see infrared light either. If we viewed this nest in person, it would appear dark.

Location update for Bald Eagle Camellia. Can you call it an update if he hasn't gone anywhere?

Pam Monahan is so dedicated to Bald Eagle HK. She is doing a fantastic job of documenting his life at Honey Bee. She has posted six new pictures taken today. And... Exciting news! Pam has started a blog about HK. I have been wanting to know the story behind some of the pictures and am so excited to see this blog. Thanks Pam!

Eggs! NE Florida and SW Florida Bald Eagle Nests, Pam Monahan's New Pictures of Bald Eagle HK, Locations for Bald Eagles Camellia, KE, and NX, CCB's Osprey Tracking, Ferruginous Hawk Nests on Feathered Photography Blog

We have nests active! The NE Florida nest has two eggs already, laid exactly three days apart. I looked in just now and found Mom on the nest:

The SW Florida nest has an egg. I looked in just now in time to see an egg roll:

Pam Monahan has posted 37 new pictures of Bald Eagle HK taken on 11/14 and 11/16. You can see he still has a little bit of a dirty eye stripe. I wonder if he's old enough to reproduce this nesting season...

Bald Eagle Camellia is dumpster diving at his 11/15 check-in.
Bald Eagle KE isn't being very adventurous, with a check-in on 11/16.
Bald Eagle NX has been spending her time on the Upper Machadoc Creek. She's had some missing data points. I hope her transmitter isn't running down...

The Center for Conservation Biology (CCB) has tracked three Osprey this past year. It's amazing to see how far they migrate. Here's a link to the page where their migrations was tracked. Thanks to Ann for pointed out this page on the Norfolk Eagles Forum.

Ron Dudley has a post on his Feathered Photography blog about the different nests of the Ferruginous Hawk. Very neat to see the different examples. The bottom two nests look like pieces of art to me...

Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, New Pictures of Bald Eagle HK (Taken by Pam Monahan), Find Momo

Reese posted a new location for Bald Eagle Camellia today. Cammy has been sticking to more rural settings lately...

Pam Monahan has posted 49 new pictures of Bald Eagle HK that she took on 11/10, 11/11 and 11/12! All kinds of different pictures. HK carrying a fish, carrying sticks, in the nest he built, arranging sticks in the nest, in the Osprey nest, perched, eating, flying, taking off, and landing. Awesome job Pam!

Love the "Find Momo" for 11/9 and 11/11. I think the pictures on this site roll off the bottom as new pictures are added, so you need to see them before they disappear!

Eagle On Alliance News, Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, 2014 Garden Of Eagles Calendar, Pam Monahan's Pictures of Bald Eagle HK, Training Update For Bald Eagle Buddy, Bald Eagle Pictures

Been spending my evenings trying to get one of my applications to work on my new computer. I had to go back three older versions to get it to work. What a pain trying to get back to where I was...

While I was without a computer, Eagle On Alliance (EOA) filed an emergency injunction to stop the destruction of Dad Norfolk and DT's nests. Very interesting reading. EOA is really doing some good things on behalf of our Norfolk Eagles!

Bald Eagle Camellia missed a check in when his battery went really low. But then he finally had a check-in on 11/6 and another right on time on 11/9. Azalea's transmitter worked for 1,397 days. So it's too soon for Cammy's to give out. He's only at 1,284 days...

I got my Garden Of Eagles 2014 Calendar in the mail. It is awesome! Debbi (Congowings) never takes any credit for the calendar, but she puts so much work into the calendar and she does such a great job and takes no credit. If you happen upon her, and if you appreciate the beautiful Garden Of Eagles Calendars, please take a moment and thank her!

Of course, Pam Monahan took some new pictures of Bald Eagle HK over the past couple of weeks. He is looking so handsome, just like his Dad!

There is a training update for Bald Eagle Buddy posted on 10/30. He is getting additional training for a couple of upcoming events.

Someone using the name "arbitrage" posted a series of pictures of Bald Eagles on a photography forum. They named the series "Arial Acrobatics". This is an incredible series, and for some reason, the last picture makes me smile. I guess it's just the success factor...

Here's a picture of a Bald Eagle I found on flickr. Posted by Brian Kushner. Beautiful detail! Finding this picture lead me to look at his other Bald Eagle pictures. Very nice set!

Bald Eagles Camellia and KE Locations, Libby Mojica in Argentina, Sea Star Wasting Syndrome, Ice Age Fossils, Roads in the Amazon, A Late Happy Howl-O-Ween!

I'm back! Having your computer die makes you realize how much you rely upon it. My new computer is so pretty! And it arrived faster than they had promised. Happy, happy! I just hope I didn't lose any people that follow my blog...

Here are Bald Eagle Camellia's location updates:
10/22 exploring Virginia Beach lakes
10/25 Kemps Lake
10/28 does some exploring
10/31 off to a new location

And there is an update on Bald Eagle KE. She is really off on a grand adventure!

The Center for Conservation Biology's (CCB's) Eagle Nest Blog has an item about Libby Mojica attending the Raptor Research Foundation Meeting in Argentina. Libby is responsible for placing the transmitters on Bald Eagles, including Azalea and Camellia. The location data obtained from these transmitters helps to identify which areas are important habitat for Bald Eagles so that conservation efforts can be directed where it does the most good.

There is a star fish die-off happening off of both the east and west coast. They've named the problem the sea star wasting syndrome.

Ice age fossils are being excavated from LA tar pits.

30,000 miles of roads have been built in the Amazon over a three year period. I'm conflicted over this. The Amazon is such an amazing ecosystem that I hate to see the destruction necessary to put in these roads. But the roads are part of the forward progress of the people who live there. I don't feel I have a right to sit in the lap of luxury (comparatively) and demand that they not advance... Hopefully, they can find a way to elevate the standard of living while keeping conservation in mind.

I know I'm late with this. But this is my favorite picture of my girls... So, better late than never! We hope you had a Happy Howl-O-Ween! (l-r Sky, Daisy, Shannon)

An Older Video Of Bald Eagle HK, Brain Cleaning

I came across one of my older videos the other day. It's from the 2009 Norfolk Botanical Garden nest: Bald Eagles Azalea (HH), HK and HE. It's HK return to the nest after fledging. I love this video! HK is so pitiful -- so hungry. Read my comments on the video before you watch it, so it will make sense. There is also a lot of wingercizing in the second half of the video. It makes me happy to see Azalea in this video. It's been so long now since her transmitter stopped working. I miss my girl! Here's a link to the video. It's 8:22 minutes, but I enjoy the whole thing and am disappointed that it's over when it ends. (This was recorded with my old camcorder, so the quality isn't great. But this is still one of my favorite videos!)

While you sleep, your brain is cleaned of toxins. This includes the plaques that are found in the brains of people that have Alzheimer's. This cleaning process almost stops when we are awake. Read about it here.

Now for some bad news. My computer died. I have a new one on order, but it won't arrive until around November 14th. I'm picking and pecking this paragraph on my Kindle Fire. And I have no idea how to copy addresses of web pages so I can include links. (The two paragraphs above were already composed and saved in my drafts.) So, I'm going to have to experiment and see what I can figure out... 

Picture of a Male Northern Harrier on Feathered Photography, Zombie Car, Imbending Cocoa Shortage, Amazon Trees, Biggest Star Ever Found is Ripping Apart, Contageous Yawning in Chimps, Recon Roaches

Ron Dudley has a great shot of a male Northern Harrier in flight on his Feathered Photography blog. What a beauty!

If mankind were to disappear off of the face of the earth, nature would take the planet back pretty quickly. Check out this zombie car.

There is an impending cocoa shortage. Not cool...

Scientists have cataloged the trees in the Amazon.

The biggest star ever found in the universe is ripping apart. 

Yawning is contagious. Chimps also are affected by human's yawns.

So let's say that you are in a building that has collapsed. Do you really want a bunch of roaches coming in to do recon? The monitors would hear, "Get away from me!" and a squishing sound...

Location Updates for Bald Eagles Camellia and NX, New Pictures of Bald Eagles Dad Norfolk, DT, HK and His Lady Friend

There is an update for Bald Eagle Camellia's Location. He is back in Virginia Beach.

Bald Eagle NX has also checked in. She is just a few miles north of Rosier Creek at Machadoc Creek, where she was a year ago.

Mike Inman has posted a new picture of Bald Eagles Dad Norfolk and DT on the Norfolk Eagles Forum. They are looking good!

Pam Monahan has posted a bunch of new pictures of Bald Eagle HK and a lady friend. It looks like she is a dirty bird. So, I won't look for babies this year. They look really close. Included is a series where they are talking to each other. Cracked me up!

Picture of Bald Eagles Dad Norfolk and DT (Dirty Tail), Honey Bee Invasion, Giant Hornets in China, Jellyfish Causing Problems, Amazing Flight of Swifts, Do Dogs Feel Emotions, Suriname: A Tropical Eden.

Mike posted a great picture of Bald Eagles Dad Norfolk and DT! They look great and I'm so happy to see them together. Hopefully they can weather this storm that the idiots on the Norfolk City Council are throwing their way.

How about a couple of bee stories? This woman had some honey bees living in her attic. Honey bees are suffering from colony collapse, so they had to try to evict them without killing them. And then there's Hornetgeddon! Look at these giant hornets causing problems in China! These are very aggressive hornets that have killed 42 and injured at least 1600. In the video, they are referred to as the sharks of the insect world. Yikes!

Jellyfish are causing Jellypocalypse! Look at the size of the jellyfish in that first picture.

Here is an amazing story about Swifts flying non-stop for 200 days! You read that right. Non-stop for 200 days. I didn't know that birds could "rest on the wing." I think this is just incredible!

There has been research to answer this question: Do dogs feel emotions? I don't need to do any research to answer this question. But it's still an interesting article...

I like reading about places where humans haven't gone in and destroyed what nature intended. Pristine places. Wild places. Check out Suriname: A Tropical Eden. And make sure you check out the slide show of animals that live there.

Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, Bald Eagle Pictures, Update on the Bald Eagle That Was Impaled on a Tree

There is a new post for Bald Eagle Camellia on the EagleTrak blog. He has stayed in Gloucester County.

Bald Eagle Pictures!

There is an update on the Bald Eagle that was impaled on a tree. See my previous blog posts (August 25th post and August 27th post) if you missed the background about this Bald Eagle. I'm glad that she is doing well.

More Bald Eagle pictures!

New Picture of Bald Eagle Dad Norfolk, Location Updates For Bald Eagles Camellia and KE, Find Momo, Northern Harrier Pictures on Feathered Photography, Meowza!

I had a friend in town for the past couple of days. We were going to go see the ponies at Chincoteague/Assateague. But we were rained out! We still had a nice visit...

It has been raining so much here, Mike got a picture of a soggy Bald Eagle Dad Norfolk.

We have a couple of location updates. Bald Eagle Camellia is still in Gloucester. And Bald Eagle KE took a little trip into Maryland, then back to Virginia.

Check out the Find Momo from October 10th. It took me a while to find him!

Ron Dudleys Feathered Photography blog has got a male Northern Harrier hunting. He gets some really great shots of a variety of birds.

I'm going to close today's post with something pretty gross and pretty funny at the same time. I really didn't think it was possible to laugh until I was crying while being totally grossed out. Meowza!

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Buddy Day at The Wildlife Center of Virginia, Pam Monahan's Pictures of Bald Eagle HK (And His Girlfriend), Bald Eagle NX and Camellia's Locations, Bald Eagles on Feathered Photography Blog

This past weekend was Buddy Day at The Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV). Ann posted on the Norfolk Eagles Forum about her visit with Bald Eagle Buddy. Here's a link to her post. She has some pictures and a short video of Buddy. WCV also has updated their Buddy Training page to include some pictures from the day as well as the photo montage that they presented as part of the day.

Pam Monahan has a bunch of new pictures of Bald Eagle HK. (I think 14 are from today.) And it has recently come to my attention that she has posted pictures of HK's girlfriend. She is sitting on the same structure as many of HK's pictures. From what I understand, this female has a silver band on her right leg. She does not have the color band with the large letters that the eagles from the Norfolk nest got in 2009, 2010, and 2011. An interesting thing is that the eagles from the 2007 nest only got silver bands on their right legs... The oldest from the 2007 nest is a female. Makes me wonder...

What in the world is Bald Eagle NX up to? I'm not sure if she's coming or going these days. I do think that she's found a place that she likes: Rosier Creek.

Bald Eagle Camellia has checked in. He's spending some time in Gloucester County.

Check out Ron Dudley's recent Feathered Photography blog post about Bald Eagles. He's got a picture of a Bald Eagle eating while in flight. Pretty wild!

Bald Eagle Pictures: Dad Norfolk and HK (Thanks to Duane Noblick, Jim, and Pam Monahan), Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, Episode Five of Earthflight

Duane has a new post on the Norfolk Eagles Forum of Bald Eagle Dad Norfolk. He's looking good! Duane also spotted the Female (DT or Dirty Tail.)

There's also a new post on the forum by Jim of Bald Eagle HK taken out at Honey Bee Golf Course. He's just got a little bit of a dark eye streak. His tail looks completely white now. Hatched in '09 with Azalea, he should molt the last of these dark feathers and have his adult plumage in the upcoming year.

Pam Monahan has posted 3 new pictures of HK. This time he's in a nest in a tree. I believe this is the nest that he started building last year. I sure hope he finds a good woman and has a family this year!

For some reason, Bald Eagle Camellia was missing some data from on his October 3rd check-in. Here is the blog entry with partial location data that was available. There is a comment in this post about a picture of HK with a girlfriend. However, I haven't seen the picture... Then there is a post on 10/4 that was complete and shows him to be dumpster diving. The allure of a landfill...

Episode five of the Earthflight series was on this past week. This episode was filmed in Asia and Australia and features Japanese Cranes, Swallows, Swifts, Lorikeets, Cockatoos, Budgies, Pigeons and Geese. That's what they advertise. There were also many different raptors and vultures. This was another great episode! You can watch it here. It will be available until October 30th.

Pam Monahan's New Pictures Of Bald Eagle HK, Bald Eagle Camellia's Latest Location, Updates On (And Pictures Of) My Orchids

Pam Monahan has posted some new pictures of Bald Eagle HK. She's got a really neat picture where I first thought he was coming in for a landing. But he's looking up and if he was landing, his wings would be stretched out to slow him down. And he would be looking down, concentrating on sticking the landing. But with his wings in this position, he's trying to get a big stroke for some big lift. My final answer: He was taking off. Neat picture.

Bald Eagle Camellia is 32 miles away from his check-in point of three days ago. I think he's enjoying this beautiful weather!

I mentioned in my September 24th post that I've got a couple of Cattleya Orchids in sheath. It occurred to me to take some pictures! (My Orchids spend the summer outside in dappled shade. Some get more sun than others, depending on the type.)

About the two that are in sheath: I bought both of these Orchids online (years ago) and have never seen either bloom. So, I'm really excited! The sheath is that rounded bit coming up from the junction of the leaf with the stem. You can tell by the size of the sheath that a big bloom is on its way:

The other one is a Mini-Cattleya. They typically had two leaves per stem and the sheath comes from that juncture. The leaves and sheath are considerably smaller on a Mini-Catt. The bloom will also be smaller. But the blooms on both are supposed to be very fragrant, which is why I bought them. Something else to note: Each year, the leaves should get bigger than the previous year's leaves. I definately succeeded with this one! Which is why it's happy and giving me a flower!

I've also got a couple of other varieties putting up flower spikes. This is a Dendrobium, one of the easiest Orchids to get to rebloom. I've had quite a few of these rebloom. Some of them have flower spikes and some of them put out blooms along the stem, at each leaf junction. This kind has a spike. There's only one spike, but it's still a success for me!

And this is my Epidendrum with a flower spike. This is the first time I've gotten it to rebloom! 

I'll post pictures of them in bloom when they get there...

Earthflight Part 4, Bald Eagle NX's Location

I realized that I never did comment on this past Wednesday's Earthflight. I really enjoyed it. This one covers South America. There are Codors and Hummingbirds. I never realized how big Condors are! In one scene they are among Turkey Vultures and the size difference is incredible. Turkey Vultures are not small and they look tiny in comparison. There are also some pretty Macaws and Black Vultures. You can watch it here. It will be available until October 9th.

Bald Eagle NX is still hanging out at Rosier Creek.

That's it for me tonight. I've had an exhausting weekend. It was a pool tournament weekend...

Training Update for Bald Eagle Buddy, Stoney Creek Resident Bald Eagle Injured By Fishing Line, Berry College Eagle Cam, Nature Photo Gallery, Bald Eagle Nesting Pole, Locations for Bald Eagle NX and Camellia

There is a new training update for Bald Eagle Buddy. He is being more cooperative now that he's tethered.

In my September 25th post, I mentioned the upcoming clean-up of the Stony Creek Metropark. According to this article, it looks like it was the resident female that had gotten caught up in some fishing line. She is alive, but is injured. If you fish, please dispose of fishing line in trash receptacles! And if you see discarded fishing line, please pick it up and dispose of it properly!

Berry College Eagle Cam! It looks like it's a good one to watch already. It seems that every time I check that cam, someone is home:

This photo gallery looks interesting to explore. Nature stuff...

A nesting pole has been erected at Lake Waco (Texas). Make sure you go through all of the pictures that are in a slide show. It says that a cam will be included so the eagles can be monitored. And they will stream it so the public can view it. (So many cams, so little time!) I'm always interested in these stories of man-made structures for Bald Eagles. I'd like to know how well they take to them. Please leave a comment if you are aware of Bald Eagles using a nesting pole.

Bald Eagle NX went right back to Rosier Creek. She is really spending a lot of time there.

Bald Eagle Camellia has also checked in since my last post. He's really been touring around the area!

Bald Eagle NX's Location, Bald Eagle Picture, Volunteers Needed To Help Clean-up Stony Creek Metropark

Bald Eagle NX has left Rosier Creek and has really put on some miles. She was in flight for this check-in. I wonder if she was still on the move... And if so, where was she going?

Shelly would appreciate this picture of a Bald Eagle. It is a really great capture of a bald eagle with a fresh fish. And, there's an action aspect to this picture... I wandered around this site and found a lot of beautiful pictures.

Here's an opportunity to volunteer. Volunteers are needed to help clean up Stony Creek Metropark located in Shelby Township, MI. Recently, a Bald Eagle became tangled in some discarded fishing line. They are looking to do the clean-up on October 12th (with a make-up date of the 13th in case of bad weather.)

Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, Dog Heirs, Cattleya Orchid in Bloom, Berry College Eagle Cam, American Kestrel on Feathered Photography Blog

There is a new location posted for Bald Eagle Camellia. I wonder if he's wandering a bit more now that it's cooler? He does seem to be exploring more these days.

In my wanderings, I found this site called Dog Heirs. Here's a place to start, with a rescue of a Wolf. From there, click on links for whatever looks interesting to you. I've already spent about a half hour poking around and still want to look at more stories that are offered. Here's a dog rescue with a funny ending. I love stuff like that!

I grow orchids. I don't necessarily have luck getting them to re-bloom. But I love a challenge! I have orchids that I bought online years ago that I've never seen bloom. Have I ever mentioned that I'm stubborn? I attended some classes over at the Norfolk Botanical Garden and at McDonald Garden Center with Steve Urick, who takes care of the orchids at ODU. These classes were probably two and three years ago. Probably 4 classes in total. I must have finally gotten something right. I had already noticed that two of my cattleya orchids are in sheath (getting ready to bloom). Then, out of nowhere, I caught sight of purple and discovered that a completely different cattleya orchid that I hadn't even noticed was in sheath was suddenly in bloom. Just one bloom. But it's still my first cattleya to rebloom! So I'm really excited about that and I can still look forward to the two that are getting ready to bloom!

I mentioned the Berry College Eagle Cam in a previous post. I looked in on the cam last night and this is what I found!

And tonight, they've got a date/time stamp on the cam. And someone is home! This is looking like the cam to watch these days!

I think the American Kestrel is one of the prettiest birds. Ron Dudley has done a post on his Feathered Photography blog with some interesting pictures that show their hunting behavior. These pictures are neat, especially the dive-bombing picture. But I especially love the last picture in his post. It's a stunning picture of a perched American Kestrel. Just beautiful!