Two Harbors Eaglets Rescued by Harbor Patrol

The Two Harbors Eaglets decided to go swimming yesterday. They were rescued by Harbor Patrol. One was found a half mile offshore -- I don't think it would have survived on its own. Youngsters do get into trouble sometimes. One of our Norfolk Eaglets took a dunk in the canal one year. Here's a link to a forum post with some sketchy details about yesterday's rescue.

There are some questions in this post about an Eagle's ability to take off from the water. Bald Eagles catch fish by flying low to the water and grabbing them from the surface. (Sick fish will float near the top of the water, making them easy to spot and catch.) If a Bald Eagle ends up in the water, it can't get enough lift to become airborne and has to swim to shore. There are several videos on YouTube of swimming Bald Eagles. They are actually very good swimmers. But I would still think that a half mile would be a bit much, for even an experienced Bald Eagle. I don't think a newly fledged Eaglet would make it. 

Osprey are different hunters than Bald Eagles. They will hover in place, spot a fish, and plunge into the water. Their wings have more 'cup' so they can then take off from the water.

I have no idea how these Eaglets ended up in the water. I'll post again if I find out more...

A Nesting Season in 10 Minutes, Giant Panda Twins, Natural History Museums, Deep Sea Exploration, Purple Squirrel, Lucky Puppy

George Lepp observed a Bald Eagle nest at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon. He spent 80 hours over 12 weeks taking pictures and video of the nest. The result is this great 10 minute video! I wish that videos like this wouldn't end...

A couple of weeks ago, a Giant Panda at the Atlanta zoo gave birth to twins. Right now, they are just little pink, naked babies.

Here's a slide show on 7 less-famous natural history museums that are worth visiting.

I think that deep sea exploration is so interesting. So little is known about the ocean's depths. Check out this article.

Purple squirrel. Enough said!

Here's a story about a lucky puppy that didn't stay for dinner.

Bunnies Playing, Animal Police Blotter, Prairie Falcons on Feathered Photography, Documentary "Return Flight"

Here's a short video of two bunnies playing. So cute...

I found these recent entries in the Unalaska Police Blotter... I wonder if this is the usual kind of things that the local police have to deal with. See the three entries for 'animal'...

Rod Dudley has an interesting post on his Feathered Photography blog about Prairie Falcons eating grasshoppers. He posted lots of great pictures.

There is a documentary Return Flight available on YouTube about the restoration of Bald Eagles to the Channel Islands. It's kinda long, almost 14 minutes. But it's really good! I've seen it and posted about it before on the forum. But it's so good I wanted to post about it again on here.

Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, James River Bald Eagle Pairs, Eagle Watching, Raptors On Feathered Photography Blog

Camellia checked in late last night. He's near the intersection of Princess Anne Rd and Kempsville Rd.

I zoomed in and it looks like he's in a neighborhood on Belingham Rd:

My friend Diane pointed out this story about Bald Eagle pairs in the James River region. CCB conducted aerial surveys in March and May and have announced their findings. I poked around and found a blog post by Dr Watts that I had missed. He discusses their findings and presents a graph and picture.

Here's a story about relocating an eagle nest so it would be away from power lines. I'd like to see a follow-up story once the resident eagles return to their nest for the next nesting season... See how the eagles react and if they take to the new location. This could have some implications on what's happening with the Norfolk Botanical Garden (NBG) eagles.

I found this story about a bunch of people coming together watching a bald eagle nest. It reminds me of that magical time, watching the NBG nest...

I haven't looked at Ron Dudley's Feathered Photography blog recently. Check out these four posts: Red-tailed Hawk -- Northern Harrier -- Prairie Falcon -- American Kestral. Amazing pictures of beautiful birds!

Bald Eagles Camellia and KW, Duluth Airport Bald Eagle Update and The Dangers of Improperly Disposing of Fishing Line, Chesapeake Bald Eagle, Video of Bald Eagles In The Snow, How to Hold Two Bald Eagles, "Earthflight" PBS Miniseries

Reese has posted a new location map for Bald Eagle Camellia. He hasn't gone very far. Reese also posted about a local Eagle that got into trouble -- but was able to be released back into the wild the next day. He is banded KW.

I found this facebook page of Bald Eagle photos (and videos). It's pretty good. Well, I haven't finished exploring it. But what I've seen is pretty good...

Remember the Bald Eagles that crashed to the ground at the Duluth Airport? One flew off while it was being taken for treatment. The other was treated, banded, and released. Here is an update. If you fish, please be careful to not leave any fishing line behind after you leave. Injuries and deaths to wildlife occur too frequently due to improper disposal of fishing line.

And more sad news, this time regarding the Chesapeake Bald Eagle #12-001.

This page has a pretty video of Bald Eagles in the snow. I think it's a promotional video for a company that does workshops and tours. But it's still a pretty video.

If you ever need to hold two Bald Eagles at the same time, I guess this is how it's done!

There is a six-part miniseries coming soon to PBS. "Earthflight" presents the world from the perspective of various birds, including Bald Eagles. The air dates are six consecutive Wednesdays: Sep 4, 11, 18, 25, Oct 2 and 9. It comes on at 8:00PM. After each episodes airs, it will be available for streaming online at pbs.org/nature. It sounds interesting -- I'm gong to mark my calendar!

Locations for Bald Eagles Camellia and KE, Neat Picture, Hog Island Maine Osprey Cam

Reese's last location for Camellia was on 7/20, and our boy hadn't gone very far since then. Since today is 7/23, I checked the tracker for his most recent check-in and it still says 7/20. I guess that's why Reese hasn't posted a location today. Camellia got his transmitter on May 5, 2010. I hope he isn't running out of juice!

There is also an update posted by Reese for KE's location. She hasn't gone too far either. Maybe it's too hot for flying and our babies are spending a lot of time perching in a shady spot.

Check out this picture I found. Do you see it? (Darn it. I always double check my links and it opened a different picture. So, I've updated the link. But if it doesn't open a picture of a purple flower with a surprise, try moving a few pictures one way or the other. This morning it was picture 23, now it's picture 26. Grrr.)

I have found a fantastic Osprey Nest Cam. The picture is as crystal clear as the NBG Eagle Cam used to be. The nest is on Hog Island, Maine. There are two youngsters that are doing a lot of wingercizing. I look at it on a page where it's embedded, but you may do better by googling it. This is a fantastic cam: beautiful scenes and a great picture. And look at all the stuff in this nest. Osprey are the biggest collectors of junk! Check out these screen captures!

Something has caught their attention.

 This picture shows the buff colors of the babies, front and back:

Nice close-ups with this cam:

I think it's pretty universal. Hot babies seek whatever shade they can find. And Mommas are happy to oblige.

They take turns wingercizing:

And sit quietly enjoying the view:

Feeding time for one of the babies:

Until the other comes forward to be fed:

Here's the whole family. You have to be quick to catch Dad on the nest. He will drop off a fish and leave. I tried for a better s'cap, but he flew away:

Training Update for Bald Eagle Buddy, Local Wildlife, Rat Trap Mishap, Finally: A Cicada In My Yard, Hallie Art

Yesterday, I asked if anyone was reading my blog and I got 4 responses. I really appreciate everyone that follows my blog. I had considered just going back to posting on the forum. But I like the blog because I don't have to be as "pc" as I do on the forum. Plus, if people click on my ads, I get money that I then donate to various charities that support wildlife conservation. (I have to put in a disclaimer here: I'm not encouraging anyone to click on my ads in order to increase my revenue from them. The program can tell if I'm getting bogus clicks and I can be banned from the program! So, please don't do that! However, if you really do see something that interests you, I'd appreciate it if you navigate to it by clicking on my ad!) Bottom line: I'm happy that people find my posts interesting. Please keep coming back! I'd burst if I didn't have a way to share all the neat stuff I find!

There is a training update for Bald Eagle Buddy. He is still in vacation mode while some of his flight feathers finish growing in. But he is still being trained -- for now, they are working on his manners!

I have some observations from my yard:

 I live on wetlands. Half of my property is wetlands. And it's the same for the two neighbors to my left and the two neighbors to my right. If you continue one way, it's water. If you continue the other way, there's maybe an acre of woods. You wouldn't think we'd have a lot of wildlife. But we've got a family of deer. I see ducks and egrets out back occasionally. There's a tree down by the water where Bald Eagles and Osprey like to perch. In the fall I've got raccoons and possum in my yard all the time because of my persimmon tree. The two big nuisance animals are muskrats and rats. And the other night, surprise! A fox!

Speaking of rats... (I'm going to start by saying that I really thought I was being careful. I was mindful of the potential problem and thought I was careful enough...) I'd spotted a rat on my back deck a couple of times. I try to peacefully coexist with wildlife here. But I can't have rats on my back deck. (I have three dogs and rats carry diseases...) So, I bought one of those spring loaded rat traps and baited it with a lump of cheese. I'm not talking about some little mouse trap. I got a big ol honkin' rat trap. And I caught a rat. Then I baited it again and tonight when I checked it. Darn it. I got a bird. (I'm really upset that I killed a bird. It died instantly -- at least it didn't suffer.) I really thought I had placed it where birds wouldn't be interested in going and it's one of the places I'd seen the rat. How do you place a rat trap so it will be accessible to a rat but not a bird? Seriously. Any suggestions?

Tonight I spotted a Cicada in my yard. Finally! On May 28th, I blogged about the Cicadas in Fredericksburg, VA. There were so many! And finally tonight is the first one I've seen here. Another notable thing, this is the first time I've seen one before shedding its skin. It had a slight crack along its back. I just went out and checked on it and took the following picture (isn't it pretty!) If I'd known it was going to shed its skin that fast, I would have stayed out there and watched it: 

The other day, I blogged about Hallie Art. Well, I have to admit that I bought one of the paintings... I feel like it's really an over-the-top indulgence. But I love three things about it: It's original artwork. It's done by a (blind) dog. And it benefits a good cause. This is the one I bought. It's called, "song birds." It arrived in the mail today and it's so pretty! I'm happy I bought it -- I've been interested in buying some original art... And I think this counts!

Wondering

I'm wondering if anyone is reading my blog. I do show traffic, but I don't know if it's bots or real people. There are hardly ever any comments to let me know there are real people out there. If you are a real person reading my blog, please leave a comment so I'll know I'm not just talking to myself! Thanks!

Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, Maddie On Things, Great Horned Owl on Feathered Photography, Smart Osprey, Seeing Eye Horse, Hallie Art

New post for Bald Eagle Camellia's location. He hasn't been very adventurous lately. Probably too hot to do much exploring!

I found a new dog website: Maddie On Things. Theron Humphrey rescued a coon hound and discovered that she has an incredible sense of balance. So, he takes pictures of her balancing on things. There's a story with a few pictures and then another site with pages of pictures.

Here's a great picture of a young Great Horned Owl on Ron Dudley's Feathered Photography blog.

I found an interesting story about an exhausted Osprey that hitched a ride during migration. I really am starting to think that these birds are super smart...

Have you ever heard of a guide horse helping the blind? The horse has really helped this woman retain her independence.

I learned today about a little blind Dachshund named Hallie. She paints pictures. You can watch a video of her painting at this link and you can see her paintings that are for sale at this link. Proceeds go to a dog rescue group. Pretty pictures and a good cause!

Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, Free Fun Fridays at Stone Zoo

Reese has posted an update for Bald Eagle Camellia. He is in the kempsville area.

August 2 is "Free Fun Fridays" at the Stone Zoo, in Stoneham, Massachusettes, waiving the admission fee for all guests. Among their attractions is the "Masters of Flight: Birds of Prey" show, which features a Bald Eagle, a Red-legged Seriema, a King Vulture and a Eurasian Eagle Owl.

Educational Program "For The Birds" at the Virginia Living Museum, Osprey Family Rescue

The Virginia Living Museum is hosting an educational program For The Birds. It will be held at the James City County Library at 1:30PM Thursday.

Here's a story with video about the rescue of an Osprey family after a big storm knocked down their nest.

Bald Eagle Camellia's Location, Sex Lives of Birds, Momo, Thresher Sharks, Bald Eagle #13-0174 Did Not Survive, Well-preserved Woolly Mammoth, People Bond at a Connecticut Bald Eagle Nest, Bald Eagles in Southern Maryland

Camellia is back at Kemps Lake.

Here's an interesting article about the sex lives of birds. And FYI: If you answer the question, it really does show the rest of the article...

The Find Momo from 7/11 made me laugh out loud when I finally spotted Momo. He really does blend in!

New research has figured out that Thresher Sharks use their tails to slap a school of fish, killing their prey. There's video on the page, but I got more out of the series of stills further down the page... 

On 7/7, I wrote about Bald Eagle #13-1740 that was admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia. This eagle had been covered in a sticky substance and was emaciated. Sadly, WCV announced that the eagle did not survive. A necropsy revealed several problems, but couldn't say which caused its death.

A well-preserved Woolly Mammoth has been found.

Here's a story of a Bald Eagle nest in Connecticut. The article discusses how a variety of people, who would have never otherwise met, have come together while watching this nest. That's what happened with the nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. I became friends with so many people that I wouldn't have ever known if not for that nest. What a wonderful, life-changing experience!

I was happy to find an article: Bald Eagles Thriving in Southern Maryland. I am from Southern Maryland and plan to move back there soon. I hope I can find a nest or two to watch. This article gives me some ideas on where to look!

A Huge Bald Eagle Carving, Wolves at Yellowstone

A woman is getting a huge Bald Eagle carved into a tree on her property. The tree was dying and she didn't want to just cut it down. I wonder how much something like that costs... It's a beauty!

Yellowstone is the best place to see wolves in the wild. By the looks of this article, there are people that are as crazy about wolves as I am about Bald Eagles!

Lawsuit to Stop The Removal of the Bald Eagle Nest at Norfolk Botanical Garden, Locations for Bald Eagles Camellia and NX, Video of Bald Eagle Banding in Michigan

Here's a comprehensive article about the lawsuit to stop the remove of the Bald Eagle nest at the Norfolk Botanical Garden.

There are new locations for Camellia and NX. Camellia is back at Brown Cove. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up nesting there. NX is still hanging around in the same general area as her last check-in.

I found this video of a recent Eaglet banding in Michigan. This is an interesting look at what happens during the process, from removal from the nest, through measuring and banding, to the return of the eaglet to the nest.

Locations for Camellia and KE,

There are new locations for Camellia and KE. Camellia has actually gone a little distance from his last location. KE seems to have a one-track mind. MagInAlex went looking for KE, but came up empty. Better luckl!

The Baton Rouge Zoo's Bald Eagle is still on the loose. They have gotten over 100 calls, but still need help if you are in the area and spot him. Call 225 775 3877 if you see an eagle in the area.

A Bald Eagle covered in a sticky, tarry substance has been admitted to the Wildlife Center of Virginia. Bald Eagle #13-1740 has had several (successive) baths and will likely need another round of successive baths to remove all of the subsance. The bird is also emaciated. I imagine it will need some time to recover.

There is a new book out. "Bald Eagle Nest: A story of survival in photos" by Kate Davis documents with pictures and anecdotes a nest that fledged four chicks. There is also a 'play' button at the above link where you can listen to a half hour interview where Kate recounts the year she spent observing this nest. It's interesting to listen to...

Here's a beautiful picture of two Bald Eagles. I'm not sure what they are standing on... Any guesses?

Alcoa Osprey Nest

The Alcoa Osprey nest has been fun to watch over the past week. The three young have all fledged, but are returning to the nest routinely to eat the fish that the adults bring in.

One fledged last week. Then when I brought up the camera Monday morning I found only one of the young in the nest with Mom. One had fledged over the weekend:

It was eating while Mom kept watch. Then one of the fledglings flew in and was crying for the food that the other one was eating. The nestling mantled over the food, the first time I've seen one of the Osprey do this.

At one point, Dad brought in a fish. Mom tried to take it from him by stepping on it, but Dad couldn't shake it loose. At one point, he even tried to fly away while Mom still had ahold of it:

After I saved the above s'cap and turned back to the cam, Dad was gone and so was the fish... But there has been plenty of fish at this nest. Here are two of the offspring eating:

Later in the day I pulled up the cam and found this. I was hoping to see the last one fledge, but I missed it:

I have seen all three fledglings in the nest. They are all well fed and in good shape. Here's one of the fledglings, with a fat crop and tired, resting on one foot. It stayed like this for about 10 minutes:

I saw an interesting interaction at the nest today. Mom came into the nest with a fish. She wanted one of the fledglings to take it. She flap/bumped him to try to get his attention. He didn't understand what was going on and kept his back turned and head down, in a subsurvient posture. He seemed to think he was in trouble. After about the 8th bump, he flew. One of the other fledglings then grabbed the fish in its beak and pulled, but it wouldn't come free off of Mom's foot. But Mom rewarded the effort by feeding the fledgling. Eventually, the other fledgling returned to the nest and was fed by Mom. The third just stayed on the "branch" and watched. Probably still learning.

Another thing I've noticed about the Osprey are how gently they land. Bald Eagles "stick the landing" or they don't. They come in fast and try to use their wings to slow them down as their feet stretch out to the branch for the landing. The Osprey use their ability to hover to gently float down when they land. I've only seen one bad landing at the nest, when the fledgling came down with a foot on a sibling's back. At the Norfolk Bald Eagle nest, we'd see a Bald Eagle fledgling hanging upside down at least once per nesting season.

Eagle On Alliance Sues The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Help Find an Escaped Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle Excursion, Outside My Window Blog, Find Momo, Osprey on Feathered Photography, Location for NX

The Eagle On Alliance petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to stop allowing the destruction of the Bald Eagle nests at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. They had asked to be notified by 7/1 whether it intends to continue allowing these nests to be destroyed. It is reported today that EOA has brought suit against the agency to halt the removal of these nests. I wish them luck. It is idiotic to think that you will ever get the Bald Eagles out of the Garden. And it's idiotic to even try when there are measures that can be taken at the airport to reduce the threat of all wildlife to aviation in the area. The airport has plans to expand. Which will bring in more revenue to the city. And the Bald Eagles at the Garden complicate those plans. Does anyone else smell a rotten deal?

Baton Rouge zoo officials need help finding an escaped Bald Eagle. The eagle has limited flight capabilities. Call 225-775-3877 if you have any information.

The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is hosting a Bald Eagle Excursion in Hays tomorrow, 7/4.

I found a neat blog. Outside My Window is mainly a bird blog. I found very informative entries about bird anatomy and behavior.

It took me about 5 minutes to find Momo today!

Check out this Osprey on Ron Dudley's Feathered Photography Blog.

There is a new location for NX for 7/2. Of course, she hasn't gone far...

Bald Eagles Camellia and KE Locations,

Bald Eagle Camellia is still hanging out in Virginia Beach.

Bald Eagle KE is still a dumpster diver.

Ron Dudley has a nice post about Great Horned Owls on his Feathered Photography Blog.