More Eagles

UPDATE July 23

Jackie, of the Big Bear Eagle Nest, was involved in an altercation with 2 other Eagles, Friday July 17. A short video below describes the situation.

My take on this ... After reviewing many of the media reports on this incident, it seems that Jackie may have been sick even before the attack. The good news is, she has been taken to a professional raptor recovery facility and is receiving good care. In the meantime, Shadow has continued to deliver food to Sandy and Luna at the nest. We are still waiting for evidence that the little birds are learning to hunt and feed themselves.

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In February I started watching 2 Bald Eagle eggs in a nest in California where activity is streamed on YouTube 24/7. Those of you who’ve been with me in my posts this year will know the story. For others, the eggs were laid on February 24^th and 27^th, and hatched on April 4^th and 5^th, and the two chicks, Luna and Sandy, fledged the nest on June 28^th and 29^th.  So, here is an update on what’s still going on at the nest, some 2+ weeks later.

Here is a short video showing a July 16^th dinner feed for Luna and Sandy. The little birds have continued to visit the nest daily and the parent birds, known as Shadow (the dad) and Jackie (the mom) have been bringing fish to the nest to feed the little ones. APPARENTLY (I capitalize as it is my assumption) the chicks have not learned how to hunt and fish for themselves and are still dependent on the parents. We shall see how long this continues to be the case … my hunch is they will be trained soon as all of the documentation I’ve read about Bald Eagles has said they abandon the nest after fledging and establish their own new territory so as not to be competitors to their parents. I would love your comments on the video. By the way, the YouTube stream is provided by Friends of Big Bear Valley, near Big Bear Lake, California.

Daylight Time and Ships

Have you heard? The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to make Daylight Savings Time permanent. No more switching back and forth. It now needs to pass the Senate and the experts say that is up-in-the-air. We shall see. Personally, I don’t like switching back and forth but I would rather see permanent Standard Time. Scientist say it is healthier and aligns best with the human body's natural circadian rhythm. On the other hand, humans love to tinker with things and they love to see if they can make the days last longer. Of course, they can’t change daylight but they can change their clocks.

My reason for bringing up Daylight Time is early mornings are darker. I’m an early riser and I enjoy seeing the cruise ships come in early like the Virgin Brilliant Lady in the photo below. So, see … I do enjoy one aspect of DST.

I have been fascinated by the comments I get on my cruise ship photos. Well, some folks have said they are not too interested in cruising, and OK, I get that, but if you’ve never tried it … how do you know you won’t love it? Ok again, enough said on that.  The photo below shows the Oceania Riviera departing Seattle on a recent afternoon, Alki Beach (West Seattle) in the background, and Vashon Island in the distant background. Oceania Cruises claims to be "The world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused luxury cruise line.” I haven’t tried it, so I can’t confirm that.  😊

Speaking of cruising, I’ve got to mention my voyage this summer to Glacier Bay, Alaska. I sailed on the Holland America Eurodam. (Incidentally they name all their ships somethingDAM … I guess it’s a Dutch thing 😊) Anyway, as a confirmed “clickernut” I wanted to share a couple of my photos. First, Margarie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. You can read all about Margarie and see some images better than mine HERE.

Sailing into Glacier Bay National Park makes the whole 7-day voyage worth it, especially if you are lucky enough to get clear blue sunny skies!

Thanks for stopping by John’s Island. Take good care and enjoy the rest of your summer (or winter if you’re way down South! 😊)

Critter lovers be sure to check out sharing site Saturday's Critters.

The World

 

Anna's Hummingbird
July 5, 2026

Moving on from my previous post, Happy 4th, to share a happy capture of an Anna's Hummingbird just to the side of my front deck on Sunday, July 5. I believe she is one of my regular visitors, although that is truly difficult to say for sure.  Clear blue skies provided plenty of sunshine. Temps in the mid-70s, which seemed like a blessing considering the heat wave over most of the Eastern USA.

The World

In the image below you'll see 3 cruise ships here in Seattle on July 1st. The ship closest is the Virgin Brilliant Lady, then the Carnival Miracle, and further out, The World. Yes, that's the name of the ship. Turns out people on that ship own their staterooms/homes/apartments and, if they wish, they sail with the ship wherever it goes. (Excuse me for this, but, yes, it simply sails around the world.)   According to The World's website, they call the homes "residences".  There are 165 residences of various sizes. Each year, a very limited number of private residences priced from USD $3.5 million to USD $15 million become available for resale. According to the website, Residence 1106 is currently “accepting offers” above USD $4,750,000. Details are on the website. If you will be making an offer, please let me know about it in the comments. 😂

Cruise ships out front on July 1, 2026

Quick Eagle Update

If you've been with me since early this year you'll know I've been following Bald Eagles from hatch to fledge on the YouTube stream provided by Friends of Big Bear Valley.  The Eaglets, Sandy and Luna, fledged on June 28 and 29. I've continued to keep an eye on the stream and, yes, the birds have returned to the nest everyday so far. The parents are bringing food to the nest for them. Below is a brief video of food delivery to the two young Eagles on Sunday afternoon, July 5, at about 4:37PM ... this is about one week after fledge ...

Thank you for stopping by John's Island.

Happy 4th

 

I spotted the sailboat (in the image above) out in Elliott Bay a few days ago and thought it would be fitting for a Happy 4th of July post. America celebrates its 250th birthday today.

From my collection of old postcards, the card above seemed to be a good choice for year 250 which will certainly be celebrated with plenty of firecrackers. However, I don't recommend sitting on a firecracker like the young lady above.

I'm also a stamp collector and discovered the USPS has new stamps to celebrate birthday 250. The new stamps are called American Icons curated by Ralph Lauren. There are 12 new stamps and a special collectors edition includes 12 oversized postcards. See the images below.

USPS Forever Stamp
2026 - American Icons
The Faithful Dog

Back of the card

Enlarged Description
for
The Faithful Dog  😊

Thanks for stopping by John's Island.

I'm linking up with Saturday's Critters, the sharing site for those who love critters, like the Faithful Dog. 😊