An egg for Nuppu (and Sara!)

The Osprey pair at nest#4 of Sääksilive nests have an egg! Nuppu laid the first one of her clutch yesterday evening.

Her mate figuring out how incubation works when left in charge of the egg for the first time. It seems like this might be his first nesting season, but he did manage to shuffle on top of it eventually and keep it guarded while Nuppu was away.

At nest#5/LS Sara already laid her first egg, too, but her equally inexperienced mate (banded as a nestling in 2019. Ospreys reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years old, so this is likely his first nesting season as well) managed to kick it over the rails while arranging the nest material. Well, it happens. Learning to be a parent is hard enough with guide books for beginners, let alone without.

ETA: Sara with her second egg that she just laid this morning:

Congrats, better luck with that one!

Osprey nesting season is starting

The finnish Osprey nests I've been following for a couple of years through Sääksilive have started filling up again after spring migration. There are both returning and new individuals among the future parents.

One familiar face is Nuppu, the female Osprey whose nest I've focused on the most so far, and whose return seemed pretty uncertain considering how much uncertainty her last nesting season ended with. The whereabouts of her previous season's mate and fledged chicks aren't known, but I'm happy to find out Nuppu herself seems to be doing well. She is at nest #4 like last year (closer to camera in the above screenshot), and has a new male courting her. He is not banded, and so far doesn't have a name.

Nest #1 has the same pair as last year, Eine and Eura; nest #2 is still empty, #3 seems to also have the same pair from last year, Tiuku and Tuulos; and #5/LS has the same female, Sara, with a new and also still unnamed male, who does have a band, but the ID on it hasn't been confirmed yet to find out more about him.

Worts this?

Pink liverworts (Anemone hepatica or Hepatica nobilis, they're usually blue).

Pajunkissat

Eaglet sunrise

Screenshots from the SouthWest Florida Bald Eagle nestcam. Fledglings E21 (now 15 weeks old) and E22 (turns 15 weeks on Saturday) perching together in the morning after sleeping on a branch of the nest tree.

Snacks with dad

Screenshots from CalFalcons Peregrine nest, featuring dad falcon Lou feeding the chicks. A few screenshots show prey.

Chicks woken up from their nap. The fourth egg seems to have been inviable as it still hasn't hatched, so it's three of them. They're about a week old.

Waiting...

Sprang

Three tiny falcons now

Screenshots from CalFalcons Peregrine nest, which now has three chicks hatched! The rest of the screenshots show a feeding close-up with bloody prey in view.

Two tiny falcons

Screenshots from CalFalcons Peregrine nest. First chick still alone in the evening two days ago, but it won't be alone in the morning.

Dinos doing dino things

JWE zoopark screenshots again for a change. All mods used are linked in the first post in the tag.

Our Baryonyx pair relaxing in the shade.

Tireless grazing at the Homalocephale and Psittacosaurus enclosure.

"That's MY speck of moss!" Or whatever it is they peck at on the ground.

A Velociraptor and her impressive tailfan roaming in the dark of night.

Feed the baby

First feeding for the cute Peregrine hatchling at CalFalcons. Includes a few glimpses of bird prey, but it's mostly hidden behind the parent.

Tiny falcon

The first chick of the season has hatched at CalFalcons Peregrine nest! Annie and her new mate Lou have four eggs, one of which is a chick as of yesterday afternoon.

Eagling and owling

Screenshots from the SouthWest Florida Bald Eagle nestcam. Mostly eaglets perching at the attic, and also a glimpse of the neighbours.

E21 (front) and E22 looking around.

Pond activities

More screenshots from the SouthWest Florida Bald Eagle nestcam featuring the two fledglings.

E21 has discovered the pasture pond, and has its first bath, too.

An elegant wing dip...

Both fledglings spotted

Both eaglets have shown up at the nest at SouthWest Florida Bald Eagle nestcam! So good to see E21 (left) again. And you too, E22.

Fledgling spottings

Screenshots from the SouthWest Florida Bald Eagle nestcam. A few show fish prey.

Since E22's fledge, neither of the eaglets has returned to the nest, though at least one of them has returned to the pasture the nest is on. E21 hasn't been seen on camera since March 31st. Whether that means something has happened to it, time might tell or we might never know. The world is dangerous for young and inexperienced critters to wander in, but it's also not too unusual for fledglings to not return to their natal nest for days, or at all, even though they're fine.

The nest hasn't really been a safe place for the eaglets this season, with only one parent able to protect them, and intruder eagles and owls harassing the family. Humans not understanding to keep their distance can also be a deterrent. Could be E21 is hanging out somewhere else nearby, for now or to stay, and if so, dad M15 surely knows where his baby is, and can bring E21 food there. I hope E21 is alright, but in nature you can never know what will happen, and hoping is all I can do about it either way.

The younger eaglet E22, however, has come back in the cameras' view. E22 first returned to a branch under the nest, where it perched for most of a day. Dad had a meal in the nest, but E22 stayed put. Later the fledgling has also started to explore the pasture a bit more, and has been fed, too.

Yesterday: dad and E22 perching away from the nest together.

E22 fledges!

The younger eaglet at SouthWest Florida Bald Eagle nestcam had a similarly owl-"assisted" fledge as its older sibling did two days ago. While sleeping perched on the attic branch, E22 was hit by an owl and fell to a lower branch, then got hit again and fell to the same branch E21 fledged from. Having gotten its bearings in the morning, E22 flew for the first time just now.

E22 with its many fans in a new tree near the street (probably too many fans too close, really. Remember to give wild animals some peace and respectful distance, even if they live near human habitation).

E21 hasn't returned to the nest yet after its second flight yesterday. Stay safe out there, both of you!