AEF Eagle Nest, Alcoa Osprey Nest, Hampton Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale

It was an exciting day at the AEF nest! This was the best hatch I've ever witnessed. There was a pip yesterday in one of the eggs, so I was really excited to tune in today and see that it hadn't hatched yet and that I might get to see it! Not only that, but the second egg had a pip also:

Here, you can see that the egg is cracking open:

A moment later, half of the shell is gone:

Mom checks out the baby, now emerging from the shell:

The baby is finally free of the shell:

The baby is too weak to hold its head up. This is its back with a wing toward the nest and one toward the egg shell:

Dad came to check things out:

And we finally get to see its face! It's still pretty worn out at this point... Hatching is hard work!

A few hours later and the baby is dry and is already very active -- trying to get upright and flopping around in the process:

And it looks like we will see the second one hatch tonight. The shell is just about split in half now:

I finally got a look at the Alcoa Osprey babies today. Dad brought in a fish and Mom got up and I could see two little faces looking up:

And look at the height the hungry baby gets! They are only two days old:

There is a local event in Hampton this weekend:

Hampton Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale

Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Bluebird Gap Farm, 60 Pine Chapel Road, Free. Information: 757-727-1401, *TTD 1-800-828-1120 or website

Bluebird Gap Farm is a working farm. Bring your camera and plan on spending some time looking around!

More Snow at Fort St Vrain Nest, Camellia's Location, White Rock Nest

The Eagles at the Fort St Vrain Nest just can't catch a break. Another snow storm today, on May 1st! There is some smudge on the camera. But the other camera is completely covered with snow, so this is as good as it gets. This is what I saw before I went to work:

I figured the chick was OK since the adult had obviously been sheltering the nest bowl. During the day, the snow continued to pile up -- on the nest and on the adult:

At one point, she got up to stretch and shake off the snow:

I could hear the baby cheeping and see it moving around. It seemed hungry. Around 1:00PM, Dad brought some dinner. It was something feathered. After much plucking (notice the dark feathers all over the nest) she fed her baby:

After feeding for a bit, Mom shook her feathers off one more time, then left the nest to take a break and stretch her wings.

The baby was left for a while, but you could occasionally hear an adult calling. And one of them returned to the nest long enough to drop off a stick. Around 2:00PM, there was another feeding. Then around 2:30, it looked like Mom was ready to settle in again. I'm just relieved that they seem to be doing OK. The temperature while I was watching went from 30 to 20 degrees... Hopefully, they will soon get a break from this crazy weather.

Camellia checked in on 4/30. He is in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, on the Virginia side.

I watched the White Rock nest for a couple of hours last night and no adult came to the nest. There is still one egg in the nest. But I don't know if it was damaged in the skirmish with the intruder or if an adult has been to the nest when I wasn't watching. No one is there now, just the egg... I checked some forums and it doesn't seem that the adults are spending time at the nest.

NX's Location, View at Work, Wind Farms, Lead Poisoned Eastern Shore Bald Eagles, Bald Eagle Liberty, Bald Eagle Nesting Platform, Therapy Dogs at Airports, White-Nose Syndrome in Bats, Hong Kong Apartments, Liger Cubs in Taiwan, Wild Animals are not Pets

NX checked in today. She isn't done exploring Aquia Creek!

I'd love to have this view from my window at work... I'd never go home!

This is a pretty good article about the possible affects of wind farms on Bald Eagles.

Looks like there's a total reward of $7500 available for information about the Eastern Shore Bald Eagles that recently died of lead poisoning.

The Bald Eagle Liberty is going to appear this weekend at the Montezuma Audubon Center's 7th Annual Wildlife Festival.

Here's a story about a 17-year old that built and installed a nesting platform for Bald Eagles for his Eagle Scout badge. I'd like to know if any birds build a nest on this platform...

Here's a neat story about Therapy Dogs at airports. I'd love to do something like this one day... And I would have loved to have seen a Therapy Dog last week while I was traveling!

Many bat populations are in decline due to White-Nose Syndrome. Bats are very important because they help to control the insect population -- especially mosquitoes. This problem should concern everyone. If you have available land, think about putting up a bat house! Do your research first though, they are sensitive to location and the direction they face.

Here are some pictures of apartment buildings in Hong Kong. I can only imagine what so much over-crowding does to natural resources...

Liger cubs in Taiwan! So cute! The zoo is in trouble though. They didn't anticipate the Tiger and Lion mating since they had been in the same enclosure for six years.

You should not try to raise wild animals as pets! Here's an article about the dangers. Wild animals, even if raised in captivity from birth, are still wild animals. They aren't suddenly tame because they grew up in a house. It's in their nature to be wild. I know someone that "rescued" a baby raccoon and the thing is kept in the house. It has bitten everyone. All the people that live there or have visited there have been bitten. And the raccoon is no longer fit to be released in the wild. It doesn't know how to take care of itself and it doesn't have a natural fear of humans. It sees humans as a source of food. Can you imagine how freaked out someone would be if a raccoon came up to them because it was hungry? I'd be thinking, "rabies" and trying to get away or trying to physically keep it away from me. It often happens that people think a baby in the wild is an orphan. If you think that, you should leave it alone and contact wildlife officials. Here's an article on the subject from The Wildlife Center of Virginia. This article contains links for what to do for various animals that you suspect might be orphaned.

Gloucester Bald Eagle, Eastern Shore Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle Gopro Hero2 Video, White Rock Nest Intruder

The Gloucester Bald Eagle (#13-0238) at the Wildlife Center of Virginia seems to be recovering well. Its prognosis is good and hopefully we'll see it released back into the wild soon.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia also had a recent Bald Eagle release. They announced on 4/23 that they would be releasing Bald Eagle #13-0174 on 4/25 at the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This is the Bald Eagle from the Eastern Shore that survived lead poisoning and was found with four dead Bald Eagles. I was in Las Vegas, so I couldn't attend the release or shoot video of the release. Darn it! This article says that five Bald Eagles died in this incident and announces a $5000 reward for information about these poisonings.

Here's a neat little video. A guy saw a Bald Eagle feeding on a carcass, so he hid his Gopro Hero2 camera near it and left for an hour. This is the video that he got.

Yesterday was a sad day at the White Rock nest. A four year old Bald Eagle came into the nest and ate one of the eggs. We are in the hatch window for the first egg laid and it looked like the chick was pretty well formed. One of the adults arrived at the nest before the other egg could be damaged. I think. There was a little bit of hopping around by the juvenile when the resident came into the nest. But I don't think the other egg was damaged. The White Rock eagles haven't been the most attentive parents so far. I wonder if they are inexperienced parents. Maybe they will spend more time guarding their nest and eggs now... This is probably how they learn. I'm hoping that the other egg wasn't damaged and the chick will hatch soon. In any case, one chick is easier to take care of -- and this is especially true if these are inexperienced parents. Here's a link to the video posted by Hancock Wildlife. But don't watch this if you are sensitive. The resident did eat what was left. I've heard it explained that once the egg stops being "off-spring," for whatever reason, that it then becomes "food." When the eggs in the Norfolk nest were broken back in 2008, Mom Norfolk ate them. It gave her the calcium that she needed to make new eggs. At the time, they were more "egg" than "chick" so it was easier for us to understand. But the same principle applies here... Here are some stills if you don't want to watch the video:

The four year old in the nest:

Here you can see that the adult has come into the nest and is on top of the intruder. The feet in the nest are the intruder's, and hopefully not on the egg. The white is the resident's tail. They both fell out of the nest, toward the camera.



And this is the adult back in the nest, surveying the damage:

I think we are going to see more and more intruders such as this juvenile. The available land has a maximum capacity for a territorial species. I think most of the prime real estate is now taken. There are a lot of juveniles that are out exploring (and causing trouble) and there are also a lot of floater adults (adults that don't have nests). When these Bald Eagles come across an unguarded nest, they see food, not off-spring.

Camellia's Location, Two Harbors, Harrison Bay, Sooner Lake, and Alcoa Osprey Nest Cams, Loggerhead Shrike on Feathered Photography

Camellia checked in yesterday. He is in Virginia Beach, a couple of miles west of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

A look at some cameras:
Two Harbors -- one baby and the male with wing marker 81:

A wet day at Harrison Bay -- such a good momma trying to keep her babies dry:

Sooner Lake:

And the Osprey were both at home today:

Ron Dudley has posted about the Loggerhead Shrike on his Feathered Photography blog. This bird is considered a songbird, but it hunts and eats small animals.

Happy 5th Hatchday Buddy!

Happy 5th Hatchday Buddy!

I started watching the Norfolk nest in 2008 and was so disappointed when the nesting season was cut short due to Buddy contracting avian pox. But I was hooked. My life is different and better in so many ways because I watched this nest. And it all started with Buddy!

The Wildlife Center of Virginia has a post for Buddy's Hatchday. The post includes pictures of Buddy through the years and all of the celebrations at WCV for his 5th Hatchday. There is also a picture of the staff all wearing Buddy T-Shirts. And it took me a moment to realize that Buddy is in the picture too! (You can click on the pictures to see larger versions.)

Remembering Mom Norfolk

Today is the anniversary of Mom Norfolk's death. Marianne Kleber (MVK) gave me permission to post her words from that day here. She conveys the fear, confusion, shock, and sadness that we all experienced on that day:

EAGLE TEARS

By: Marianne Kleber (MVK)


I heard the words, adult eagle, plane, dead.
I felt my stomach turn, emptiness, fear.
I heard myself say no, no, not one of ours.
I felt the need to be home, talk to my friends, close the blinds.
I heard the words, mother eagle, ours, no, no.
I felt the sting of tears, unable to breathe, complete sadness.
I heard my friends asking why, how, what now.
I felt emptiness, sadness, the need to scream.

I heard the words of thousands oh no, what now
I felt the urge to comfort, to share, to light a candle.
I heard the words he can, they will, but how
I felt endless sorrow, deep deep sorrow, pain for him
I heard the words remove, transport, survival
I felt my heart skip a beat, dread, grief.
I heard we can’t wait, best chance, today.

I watched, down they went, one by one.
Grown men – sadness, so much sadness.
They left, he returned, they were gone.
An empty nest, too soon, now what.
He left, to grieve, to mourn, to wonder.
I watched, I waited, I hoped.
They arrived, all healthy, cared for.
He flew, he soared, we watched.

I felt hope, we hoped, we shared.
A taste of happiness, sadness, memories.
I cried, I wept, I couldn’t sleep.
He was fine, flying, eating, life goes on.
They ate, they watched, they slept.
I smiled, we remembered, we planned.
They grew, he soared, we gave.
Good things, sad things, kindness.
So many felt, so many gave, so many cared.

Now we watch, we wait, we smile, we remember.
They fly, they play, they make us laugh.
New friends, old friends, friends to meet.
Goodness, happiness, teaching, learning.
Time goes by, babies grow, plans are made.
Some day, one day, they will soar, up high.
They will feel the sun, the wind, those wings.
We will watch, they will leave, we will feel emptiness.

We have learned so much, life goes on, we won’t forget
The friends made, the lessons learned, the sadness felt.
I see her fly, soaring in and out of clouds, looking, watching.
I see one, then two, three and four. They are learning.
She leads, they follow, up high, then low, gliding, rolling.
I watch, I smile, I know, they know.
Once more high, in the air, in the sun, in the clouds.
I count, one, two, three --- she knew, they knew.

This is what I posted on the forum after she died:

I don't have pictures to share except in my mind. But I’m sure many of you have the same pictures in your mind’s eye, because we have been sharing this great experience together. We may be separated by distance, but we have been brought together by a camera placed high in a tree. Here’s my walk down memory lane:

I can see Mom doing the shimmy, shimmy as she got settled on the eggs. I thought that was the cutest thing in the world and never got tired of seeing it. And I can see her taking the smallest little piece of fish for the new bobbleheads. It was so hard to connect with that moving target. But she would pick it up and try again until the little one finally got the piece of fish. She always had such patience with her little ones. Then there was the time she pecked Dad to get him out of the way because she knew an egg was on the way. Just like an old married couple. Speaking of which, I can’t help but smile when I picture Mom and Dad on a branch, side-by-side, and she is yelling in his ear. I’d love to speak eagle for a minute to know what she was saying. My favorite family memories were the feedings where Dad would tear off the piece of fish and pass it to Mom, who would feed the babies. What a touching moment. That was always a scene that I would watch in amazement until they were finished. My favorite “Mom and Dad” memory was Dad feeding Mom while she was incubating. It was unbelievably touching to see him take care of his mate like that. He was actually feeding her so she didn’t have to get up. Incredible! I only saw that happen once, but it’s an image I’ll always hold dear in my heart.

I wonder if this pair was special. Or do all eagles behave this way? I feel that they were a special pair. Their legacy of 19 eagles in 8 years is a testament to their bond with each other and the care of their offspring. These eagles have a lesson to share. To nurture your family. Take time for each other. And yes, to hold on to each other, even when your partner is yelling in your ear!

I feel for Dad right now. I don’t know if eagles can feel love. If they do, this pair was in love. If they don’t, well, they had the next best thing. I know that bald eagles will find a new mate if one dies. I have hope for our Dad. He was half of what made this nest special and he will teach his new mate well. He will be a successful father again. I hope his new mate will at least be the next best thing to what he had. And I am hopeful for the future. That they will take time for each other and nurture their family.

American Kestrel Picture, Two Harbors Eagle Cam

Ron Dudley has posted a beautiful shot of an American Kestrel on his Feathered Photography blog.

Here's a screen cap from the Two Harbors nest. I tried to include one yesterday, but the baby was pancaked in Mom's shadow and you couldn't even see that it was there. This picture still isn't great. I think it's the angle of the sun. But it's still a much better shot today than what I could get yesterday:

Speculation About How Bald Eagles pick a Mate, NX and Camellia's locations, Pictures of Buddy, Screen Caps of Harrison Bay, NCTC, and Sooner Lake Nests.

Here's speculation based upon the four Bald Eagles that I know the most about: Azalea, Camellia, NX, and HK. Azalea and NX are females and Camellia and HK are males. So far, the females are wandering around, while the males are already showing the areas that they like. Camellia has spent a lot of time at Brown's Cove and HK has already built a nest at Honey Bee Golf Course. I am venturing a guess based upon this limited sampling that the male stakes out a territory when they approach breeding age and then females find the male/territory/nest that they like. Usually in birds, the male attracts the female with his pretty plumage. Since male and female Bald Eagles have the same plumage, the males need to find another way to attract a mate. Maybe they do it with a nice nest/territory...

NX checked in yesterday. She is still on Aquia Creek.

Camellia checked in today. You've all heard of a pub crawl? He's on a landfill crawl...

Here are more pictures from the Jack Hanna Experience and Reception, where Buddy was on hand as a wildlife ambassador. He looks so good. A little dirty still for a 5 year old. And I'm still waiting for his eyes to lighten. I asked Ed Clark about this once and he said that sometimes birds in captivity don't always get the full adult plumage. Something about being in captivity...

Some screen caps! Harrison Bay nest:

NCTC nest, a little drizzle and the youngsters are trying to stay dry under Mom. But they are a little too big now!

Sooner Lake nest:

The Blackwater cam is out of commission right now.



Buddy's Second Public Appearance, NX's Location

Buddy made an appearance yesterday at the Paramount The Wildlife Center of Virginia hosted Jack Hanna. Here's a link so you can read about how it went and see a picture of Buddy hanging out at the reception. There is also a link on that page to read about Buddy's upcoming appearance at Riverfest in Waynesboro.

NX has finally checked in. She stayed out of cell tower range for a week. The cool part about not checking in for a week is that the map shows how thoroughly she checks out an area. She is going to know every nook and cranny of every creek in that area of Virginia!

Camellia's Location, Dog Wants a Kitty Video

Camellia's location has been updated today.

I found this video that I think is hilarious. I've probably watched it 10 times now. It's a talking dog. Whoever created this video is brilliant!

Eagles4Kids Nest, Valdez Alaska, Boolie's Blog

There is an announcement at the Eagles4Kids Nest Cam web site that the season is over. The egg is gone. It never hatched and now it is gone. I'm not sure what happened to the egg. It disappeared on day 42, and it should have hatched around day 35. If you remember, this is the nest with Lucy, who showed up at the nest this year with injured feet. The right one was severly injured and she lost most of the foot. Everyone was amazed and cheering for this couple when Lucy laid an egg this year. She has been an inspiration for people with disabilities. I look forward to watching Lucy and Larry next year.

Here's some pictures and videos from someone's trip to Valdez, Alaska. Bald Eagles all over the place! I hope to go to Alaska one day!

I found a photo gallery of Bald Eagles by Rick Cameron. The last Bald Eagle on this page has some very unusual coloring. I'm not sure if it's leucistic or not. The feathers on its back and wings aren't white, but they aren't dark brown either... He has an interesting blog (Boolie's Blog) and you can also look at his other pictures, ranging from wildlife to places to pets and more.

Training Update for Buddy, Location Updates for Camellia and KE, Eagle Festival at Mason Neck State Park, Feeding Liquid Diet to Raptors, Fort St Vrain Nest Loses Two Babies

There is a training update for Buddy posted today. They are working with Buddy six days a week, for several hours each day. He is going to be at the Wildlife Center's Jack Hanna Reception this weekend.

There is an update for Camellia, who is out exploring again.

And there is an update for KE from 4/11. She really seems to be enjoying the landfill... 

Mason Neck State Park is having their annual Eagle Festival this Saturday from 10:00AM - 4:00PM. This state park is located in Lorton, VA and is home to 50-60 Bald Eagles. Looks like a nice event.

There's an interesting post about a Wildlife Rehab in Utah. There is a Bald Eagle that is being fed a liquid diet. I've never seen how this is done. Having watched the video, here are my observations: I don't think it's especially a good idea to rub a Bald Eagles beak. The man seems to think he is comforting the Bald Eagle by rubbing its beak and talking to it. I don't think you should talk to wildlife in a rehab setting. The animal is already stressed enough without you adding something else foreign to the situation. And rubbing its beak? I don't think that would be much appreciated either. I hope the guy was just mugging for the camera and that he doesn't usually do those things. Anyway, I found the feeding part to be interesting. I've never seen how that's done before. The applicator goes right down into the crop -- that's a pretty efficient method... There's also a video of him feeding a Red Tailed Hawk using the same method. At one point, he's holding its lower beak and it looks like he's trying to get it to swallow. He's got part of his thumb inside the beak. He went from saying, "Go ahead and bite, I don't care" to "Yeah, that one drew blood." I thought that was kinda funny, because it was such a "duh" moment. But that was just a little bite compared to what that Bald Eagle will do once it's feeling better. A Bald Eagle on the mend is often referred to as being feisty!

The Fort St Vrain nest has had a hard few days. This nest is in Colorado. The midwest has experienced some very cold weather and snow. This pair lost their chicks last year. They were doing so good this year. But now, due to the weather, they have lost two chicks this year. Here's a picture of the two adults hunkered down in the nest overnight 4/17-4/18. It's very unusual to find both adults laying down in a nest. But the weather was that extreme and they were trying to save their last chick.

Statistically, only 50% of eagles reach one year of age. It's hard to watch eagle cams sometimes. But I think they are great to watch for the most part. This has just been a rough week for this nest. I'm hoping for happier days ahead! Here is the nest just now with one healthy baby and no sign of the snow and harsh weather that took two babies.

Dog Rescue, Momo Hides in Plain Sight, Cat Island, Reusing Silica Gel Packets

Here's a feel good story about a blind dog that was living in a trash pile. She was rescued and her vision was restored in one eye. I'm so glad that there were people who cared enough to rescue her. She looked horrible when she was rescued. But they cleaned her up and she is a little cutie! And the difference in her demeanor after she is shown some love and attention is amazing. I also found a follow-up video for her.

This guy has a dog, Momo, who hides in plain sight. So, every day, he takes a picture and uploads it. It's like the 'Where's Waldo' pictures. I swear, I can't find the dog in some of these pictures... Here's a link to the story and here's a link to the most recent pictures. Love this dog!

There is a place called Cat Island. I like the pictures of synchronized cat grooming. Pretty funny. Anyway, neat place.

You know those packets of silica that you get in a new pair of shoes or a bottle of vitamins? I've always kept them and put them in a glass jar with a lid that has a rubber seal (jelly jar, etc) along with left-over vegetable seed packets. Store in the fridge and a good percentage of the seeds can be used during the following year. And maybe even the next year... Here is a story about some other ways to reuse silica packets and how to dry the silica for reuse.

Hummingbirds Sleeping, NX Still in the News, Bald Eagle picture, DC Eagle Cam

This link contains three videos of Hummingbirds sleeping. I was so surprised. I never knew they slept like this!

For some reason, it still seems to be news that NX has been in Stafford, VA... I keep finding the same story on different web pages, as far away as San Francisco. This is not news! I wonder if it's a marketing campaign by the Wildlife Center of Virginia...

A Longmont, CO paper shows a picture of a Bald Eagle perched on a fence in someone's yard. I've not seen many pictures of Bald Eagles sitting perched so low to the ground. I've seen them on the ground in plenty of pictures -- in a clearing where they can see any threats long before they get close. This seems unusual to me...

There is a nest cam in DC that I found out about today through this article. The webcam can be seen here. I am getting a red x. But I'm having connection issues tonight, so I don't know if it's me or the cam...

Camellia's Location, History of NX's Locations, Feathered Photography

Camellia is near Honey Bee Golf Course. This golf course is very attractive to Bald Eagles. There are plenty of fish and lots of tall trees.

I heard on the news today a story about NX: That her Mom had been killed at the airport, she was raised at the Wildlife Center and that she has made a home in Stafford. I also found the story on line. I don't feel like this is news. She's been in Stafford for a while now. In fact, she hasn't explored much at all. I put together the following graphic of the important points and some other points during the time-line to connect them all together. You can see that she has really camped out at some of these locations. She will fully explore a creek before moving on... And she hasn't put much distance between her release sites and later locations.

Ron Dudley photographed one rough looking hawk for his Feathered Photography blog.

Great Horned Owls Fledge, Feathered Photography

The Great Horned Owls that I watch have fledged. These are shortly before fledging:

Got a nice wing stretch:

They were very restless, at one point they were both on the deck rail at opposite ends of the balcony:

Then a short flight to a neighboring balcony:

This left the sibling confused. Here is the crouch getting ready to leap...:

...into the window of the house. At one point, its wing knocked the other camera askew, before finding its balance and perching there for a moment:

It jumped back down, and then, another leap into the window:

This confused sibling fledged too. No screen captures from that one though. Fly safe little ones!

Ron Dudley's Feathered Photography blog entry for today is about the mating ritual of the American Avocet. Very interesting and great pictures!

Littering is Wrong!

I participated in the "Walk Hampton Clean" event today. My neighbor, her son, and I walked my street and picked up trash. I'm guessing we picked up about 20 pounds of trash in an hour and a half. I was amazed at how much we picked up. The street didn't strike me as being particularly dirty. But it all added up. 

We picked up 122 cigarette butts. According to research about cigarette butt litter:

• the toxins that leach out of discarded cigarette filters and the remnant tobacco are harmful or lethal to some wildlife
• filters take 18 months to 10 years to decompose
• discarded cigarette butts start fires along roadways (I see burned areas at least once a year)

(These facts were taken from a quit smoking page. I used to smoke and if you are interested in trying to quit by using the same method that I used, here it is: Stop putting cigarettes in your mouth and lighting them up. It sounds like I'm joking, but seriously, just don't do it. White-knuckle past the urge to smoke. And five minutes later, white-knuckle past it again. And five minutes later, white-knuckle past it again. The next day, six minutes. The next day, seven minutes. Etc. Before you know it, you are over it. You just have to be stronger than the urge!)

62.54 miles of Hampton roadways were cleaned up today through this volunteer effort. I'm not sure if they are going to post any other totals...

The Hampton Clean City Commission hosted a cookout today for the Walk Hampton Clean volunteers. There was a lady working on a neat project, "Write your wrongs." She was asking people what things are just plain wrong, and writing it on a white-board. And at the bottom of the white board it said, "LitteringIsWrongToo.org" Then she'd take your picture with your saying. These are posted on their Facebook page. Here's a picture of me 'writing my wrong." And you can look here to see other pictures from the cook-out today.

I poked around their Facebook page and came across this video. There is an island in the ocean that is at least 1200 miles away from any other coastline. You'd think it would be pristine. Watch this video to see the far reach of litter.

The Stupidity Regarding the Bald Eagles at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, Camellia's Location, Feathered Photography, Screen Captures of Eagle Cams at Sooner Lake, Harrison Bay, NCTC, Two Harbors, and Blackwater, and the Alcoa Osprey Nest, Super-sized Crabs, Sand Kittens, Wildlife Injured by Cats

First, I'm going to have to address the latest news regarding the Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagles. The Feds have endorsed the action that has been taken so far at the Garden to keep the Eagles from nesting there. These people are painfully stupid! How long is it going to take for them to realize that Bald Eagles are territorial and that they are not going to leave the Garden? They are wasting a lot of time, energy, and money trying to get the Bald Eagles out of the Norfolk Botanical Garden instead of making sure all wildlife is clear of the airport! How are they going to feel when a Great Blue Heron, Gull, or Goose takes down a plane while some idiot is shooting paint-balls at the Eagles in the Garden? Talk about a lawsuit waiting to happen! One of the worst parts about this is that our concern for safety at the airport is being written off because we are being viewed as a bunch of eagle huggers.

There is a new location for Camellia. He is still exploring Chesapeake.

Ron Dudley's post today on his Feathered Photography blog is of a Prairie Falcon. This is a beautiful bird and Ron got some amazing pictures of it. In the last picture he posted, there is incredible detail in the underside of the wing. Simply beautiful!

Screen captures! 
If you remember, Sooner Lake started with four eggs that hatched. It is very difficult to successfully raise a brood of four. The last two to hatch did not survive. The first two, that hatched on the same day 3/19, look great:

The Harrison Bay eaglets hatched on 3/19 and 3/21. So, they look similar to the Sooner Lake pair. I had to wait forever to get this screen capture. They were being fed, screen right, and I could only see the tail ends as the adult was off camera. Finally, they finished eating and made their way back to the nest bowl. Look at the crops on these chicks! They are very well fed!!

I've got a couple of pictures of the NCTC eaglets. They hatched on 3/16 and 3/17, so they are just a little older than the previous nests. These two also have bulging crops. The one in face-plant position has a crop that is visible at 1:00 position in relation to its head:

I'm including a second picture of the NCTC nest. If you've ever seen an eaglet in the nest poop, you will recognize this pose. They almost do a headstand in order to send their poop over the side of the nest. Trees containing Bald Eagle nests end up "white-washed" as the nesting season progresses. In the below picture, the eaglet that is standing has its head down at the 7:00 position and its butt is in the air at the 1:00 position. You can always tell when they are getting ready to poop because they move around and back up toward the edge of the nest. This is instinctive behavior.

The Two Harbors nest has one chick this year, hatched on 3/25, who is a little younger than the nests shown above. This chick was snuggled up to the parent for most of the time that I was watching this nest, but I was finally able to get this capture. I'm glad to see so many full crops!

The Blackwater Eagles are far older than the rest of the nests presented here. This pair hatched 2/26 and 2/27. What a difference, huh?!

I also spent some time with the Alcoa Osprey nest. At one point, the male came in with a huge fish (missing the delicious head of course!) and couldn't shake it from his talons. The female had to grab it with her mouth and pull it off of his foot. She then flew away with it. You can also see the egg in this picture. There is a picture-in-picture close-up of the nest bowl. The upper part of an egg is visible. I'm excited about this nest! I watched the VIMS Osprey Cam last year and the nest failed. Two eggs were laid, but for some reason they stopped incubating... So, I'm really excited and am hoping to see some offspring in this nest.

A recent news story about super-sized crabs caught my attention. I thought, "Yum, super-sized crabs!" But then the story reveals that they aren't very meaty. And they are so hungry that they are wiping out oyster beds. Not great news for seafood lovers.

I've never heard of sand kittens. Four were born in captivity in Israel. They have been extinct in that country since the 1990's.

Speaking of cats... Ed Clark, the president and co-founder of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, has often commented about the great number of injured wildlife they see at the center due to cats that are allowed to run free outdoors. Recent research indicates that house cats are more prolific killers than previously thought. I don't think people intend to have their free-roaming cats killing song birds and bunnies. Maybe it's something you should think about if you let your cats run free...