NEWS FROM OTHER NESTS - 2022

Captiva has a bird sanctuary, and if you are on Sanibel, you can drive to Captiva Bird Sanctuary and the rest of the island. Lots of wildlife! The sanctuary has a wonderful tour, in an open vehicle which stops every now and then so people can get out and take pictures in certain places. Many older folks with disabilities appreciate the ride. Sanibel is residential as well as a winter resort. I remember seeing an osprey nest but no one on it. However, there are osprey around, if I remember correctly!

Unknown said:

I remember seeing an osprey nest but no one on it. However, there are osprey around, if I remember correctly!

The Sanibel Osprey nest was probably the very first non-UK nest that I followed.  It was a very harrowing nest to follow - very, very flaky cam, constant intrusions - by corvids especially, they destroyed eggs.  After a couple of years the nearby Bald Eagles used the nest for a lunch table, then Ocean's Reach stopped transimitting.

2012 there were Belle (who'd had history there before my  time) and Ripply (I caled him that because the cam rippled), a year or two later there were Frida and Iceman, but there was never success.  An American lady Lin Lawson was following at the same time and she started up the Facebook page Osprey Friends, which has grown to be very successful, covering Bald Eagles as well as Ospreys and other bird life.

Captiva 08 February

Everything seems to be goiing as it should.  It was reported on Chat that something made Andy jump up off the eggs, so here's the event and the fish delivery that preceded it:

Captiva

Lena waiting to take over after her meal:

It's coming up to pipping time at Captiva Island - nothing seen this morning tho, but others have reported Lena and Andy listening

Yesterday morning there were other fishers out there - I think one was a Pelican (???) and definitely a Dolphin:

Oh dear, this little stick seems to be firmly fixed, intruding into the nestcup:

That is a nuisance stick right in front if the eggs, hope is does not become a problem.

14 February

Andy's often bringing in an early breakfish @ morning relief time, what a good boy!

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Mod Renie's fish reports:

​Fish delivery today so far..7:05:36, Trout [whole], 7:54:57 headless needlefish, 8:53:03 headless needlefish. 10:14:32 headless needlefish. 12:54:40 headless needlefish. Andy sure loves those heads.

I have to be elsewhere for a while, will do at least some fish snaps if I get time.

A significant lady who lives or has property in the area posted a pic in Chat y'day and has given me permission to post it here (it will enlarge if you click on it), and here's the info she provided:

​I took this morning at near low tide....so you can see that the mudflats are exposed right across the bay. Our tide here is about 3ft.

​Also, the small palm tree to the right of the nest is where Andy usually perches when Lena is on the nest. Sometimes one or both of them will perch in the mangrove branch sticking out ono the left but they are hidden from the camera by the greenery.

And finally, a new nest has appeared across the bay since we were here in November. If you're able to zoom in you can see a small clump ​sticking up above the mangrove. A new pair have just built that nest and they seem to be the ones that frequently buzzing around Andy and Lena's nest.

On a side note, Connie and Clive (the eagles at our nest) have been spending quite a bit of time in around their nest since we have arrived and they are also staying very close to our house. The mangrove tree is visible. Off to the left, just right of the large palm tree. They perch in the greenery at the top so you cannot see them on the cam when they perch there.

Apparently the eagles don't take much notice of Lena and Andy but the opposite is quite the opposite  

Nearly all morning and continuing as I type, it's one intrusion reaction after another!

NO PIP YET.