Hornby Eagles are back!

[badger]

oh, that is great news!!! Hope this year will be much better than last year!

but on the other hand, it makes me sad to know that the eggs at the Delta nest are duds. They were laid a good 2 weeks before the Hornby eggs. Breaks my heart that they are still tirelessly incubating the eggs

[crazycanuck]

I thought of you bird lovers yesterday when I heard on the ABC about a bird sounds app for smart phones

http://abc.com.au/rural/telegraph/co...1/s3200496.htm

[PamNY]

The Delta situation is sad. I've stopped watching anything but Hornby since my real-life hawk died. I know heartbreak is part of the deal in watching birds, but I can only take so much.

[badger]

The Delta situation is sad. I've stopped watching anything but Hornby since my real-life hawk died. I know heartbreak is part of the deal in watching birds, but I can only take so much.

I know. Every time I open the page to any of the live bird cameras I go to, I hold my breath to see if everyone is there and that everything's ok.

The Hornby chick still hasn't hatched... I hope it's ok?!

[badger]

it's hatched!!

[badger]

it's a busy day - Phoebe's (hummingbird) first of the latest clutch hatched pre-dawn today!



and I see that Delta's nest has finally been abandoned - there's one egg left there. Better luck next year!

[badger]

I hadn't checked on them for a while, and voila, there are 3 chicks in there!!

http://www.wildearth.tv/sidney-eagle-nest-02

[PamNY]

The Hornby family has two babies! The older one is a pistol, biting her sibling on the head during feedings.

[salsabike]

I love the names they picked, too.

[badger]

I love the names they picked, too.

what are their names? I don't have facebook and their webcam site never has any info.

[PamNY]

Hornby kids names are David and Alexandra (eldest). Named for Canadian environmentalists David Suzuki and Alexandra Morton.

Sad situation at Sidney BC nest -- one eaglet is caught in fishing line and can't get free. Intervention will be difficult because nest is in dead tree -- unsafe for climber. Would require a crane -- and ground may be too wet for that. They are looking into what can be done.

It's been a tough year for raptors. In real life the hawk nest I watch lost a father (Mom and two babies doing well with supplemental food provided by rehabber).

A hawk nesting at NYU has a swollen leg possibly caused by band. She could have been helped by our wonderful local rehabber, who is fully willing and qualified to capture, treat and return her to nest -- but bureaucrats got involved and nothing has been done.

NYU hawk cam sponsored by NY Times is here:

http://www.livestream.com/nytnestcam

The Times' coverage is spotty/inaccurate on the hawk story. They mis-estimated hatch date because no one knew how to watch for incubation starting; then they failed to notice she was banded.

The wonderful wildlife biologist who participates in Hornby chat helped me come up with some accurate background to send reporter. He may not care, but it makes me happy to point out some errors.

[badger]

I have to admit, every time there is a new post on this thread I'm filled with dread. I'm going to avoid watching the Sidney nest, it would break my heart to see that. I'm hoping that intervention will be successful.

A fishing line?! honestly. I fish (it's a constant internal struggle for me, I fly fish mostly and crimp all my barbs and only do catch and release). Whenever I'm out, I take everything back with me, including the really short lines I cut. And I always clean up after others, too. My boyfriend thinks I'm nuts, but it angers me so much when other fishing people are so reckless. You'd think they'd be a bit more environmentally friendly but they're awful. Grr.

[Norse]

With all of this sad news, I thought I would add an upbeat note to report that all three of the Decorah eaglets http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles are still alive and seemingly well. They are gaining their juvenile feathers and spend much time preening.

[badger]

yeah, I check on the Iowa eagles as well as the Hornby and Sidney (though not now for Sidney, I just can't bear to look). I also check on Phoebe, she lost one chick this clutch, though; it fell out of the nest

[PamNY]

With Hornby chat full of sadness and tragedy on the bird cams, someone posted this in the middle of a discussion about nature poetry:

They gave me a box of tin soldiers
I threw all the generals away.
I broke up the majors and colonels
Now I play with my privates all day.

It really is a funny group sometimes (not always).