Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[MpMom]

Thanks so much Pera. I've been checking on 15 too. Can't stand waiting!!!!!
Good to see mum at the nest!!!

[MpMom]

Thank you Pera!! I love this little one

[baziunc]

Thanks, Pera!  I'm hoping for good things for SE15.  Glad to hear of some positive news, and I hope s/he continues to improve!

This is only my 2nd year watching the WBSE, so I am not as "in tune" to the expected post-fledge activities timeline of their fledglings.  Is it considered normal that a fledgling as newly fledged as SE16 to have aken off on its own already?  Or would it be considered problematic for SE16 not to have been seen in the area or near one of the parents at this age?  To me, it seems strange and not normal, so unless I'm told otherwise, I am thinking now that perhaps SE16 met some mishap.  I'm well aware of the tough 1st year survival statistics, so I'm thinking it's probably not good news that a fledgling of SE16's age hasn't been seen in the area or near a parent in over a week.

[dskyyksd]

I blame those stupid, evil currawongs for SE16's disappearance. I hate them!  They were never as aggressive toward S3 and S4 as they were to poor SE16.  They weren't just annoying.  They were downright malevolent.  I don't hold out much hope that she is still alive.  We'd have seen her by now. 

Did Mum or Dad kill one and feed it to the babies?  If they did, those buggers are smart enough to remember and vengeance is a concept they can grasp.

[MpMom]

Oh Pera, thanks so much for the report!!! I keep praying for our 15!!

[baziunc]

pera, thank you for posting that report.  I'm glad SE15 is doing well and will get out of quarantine soon!  Yay!    Love you, SE15!       I'm trying to keep my hopes for SE15 positive.  The lab results will tell more, I hope... and so will the status of the feathers that re-grow.  I'm still not clear from the several reports I've read if it was only feathers that were mal-formed, or if there was also a mal-formation of the underlying wing structure itself.  But even if it was only the feathers, depending on the cause, they may possibly re-grow mal-formed.  There are several feather and feather follicle abnormality disorders - some are genetic, and there are other causes, too.  Some can be resolved, but others have no known cure.  Time will tell what the future holds for SE15, but I have my talons crossed for him to continue to do well and be Eagley!

[baziunc]

baz - I am not clear on the issue of what about SE15's feathers were malformed either. The communication about the details of SE15's condition has been underwhelming. I keep hoping and praying that SE15 will have a future in the wild at some point in time.

This was posted on the public WBSE Facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/Sea.EagleCAM/posts/997731796930472?notif_t=notify_me_page
# mini UPDATE on SE15 - 8th December
We are expecting an official update from TWH but it hasn't come through yet. In the meantime, here is the latest!
SE15 is now eating properly, on his own - food is not being chopped up for him!
The blood results are not back yet. We were initially told they would take around two weeks, however we've subsequently learned, these tests normally take at least 4 weeks.
That's it for now.

It's so wonderful to hear that SE15 is strong enough to self-feed all the time now. Since SE15 is not able to fly currently it should provide some good exercise that should be beneficial for recovery.

pera, thanks for the report/update on SE15.  Yay for SE15... I'm pulling for him! 

[MpMom]

 
# UPDATE on SE15 - This media release was sent to us by TWH last week but it went astray due to a mix-up on email addresses.

**************************************************
A fledgling male White bellied Sea eagle is in care at Taronga Wildlife Hospital. He was rescued after falling to the ground when attempting to fly from the nest at Sydney Olympic Park. The bird is unable to fly as his flight feathers have developed abnormally. As a result, the sea eagle cannot be returned to the wild as he would not survive.

Taronga Wildlife Hospital Veterinary staff have conducted extensive testing. Various potential causes for the abnormal feathers are being investigated. The sea eagle?s health is improving and he is now eating well and gaining weight, however his flight feathers continue to be a concern.

Should it be necessary in the future, Taronga would be able to continue to care for the eagle at Taronga?s Bird Show, where he would become an ambassador for wildlife conservation and provide educational opportunities for thousands of visitors.

[MpMom]

I really find it sad Pera. Even though 15 would make a great ambassador, 15 will never be free to live a SE life.

[MpMom]

I'm not sure is she ever looks in this form, but just in case. I did post it in the SE forum.

FAITHYMD,

[nrstooge]

New update on SE15 - doesn't sound good - copied from FB
# UPDATE on SE15 -12th January, 2016
SE15 has been diagnosed with beak and feather disease. This condition is also referred to as:
? Non-Psittacine (meaning: not a parrot) beak and feather disease (PBFD)
? Non-Psittacine Circoviral Disease (PCD)
? Circovirus
This disease is so rare in raptors, there is almost no information available on longevity, treatment (if any), whether it is contagious or how it is contracted.
SE15?s condition has deteriorated in the last few days. New feather growth is showing greater malformation than previously noted. His beak is now showing some deformity. His condition is being closely monitored by the head vet and all the staff at TWH.

[WWJW]

Oh, no!  I was so hoping that SE15 would recover completely.   

Poor little thing.  I pray for a miracle.

[MpMom]

Thanks NR.
I am so sick & sad

[T40cfr403]

Wasn't ready for that kind of news. So hoped this season would go better. The population of WBSEs in Australia is not thriving and we're seeing that struggle for survival up close. So heartbreaking, especially since this beautiful pair has done everything right, as have the human "parents" monitoring this nest. Not fair. 

[baziunc]

New update on SE15 - doesn't sound good - copied from FB
# UPDATE on SE15 -12th January, 2016
SE15 has been diagnosed with beak and feather disease. This condition is also referred to as:
? Non-Psittacine (meaning: not a parrot) beak and feather disease (PBFD)
? Non-Psittacine Circoviral Disease (PCD)
? Circovirus
This disease is so rare in raptors, there is almost no information available on longevity, treatment (if any), whether it is contagious or how it is contracted.
SE15?s condition has deteriorated in the last few days. New feather growth is showing greater malformation than previously noted. His beak is now showing some deformity. His condition is being closely monitored by the head vet and all the staff at TWH.

nrstooge, thank you for posting the update on the diagnosis of SE15.  So sad to hear that.  I understand that little is known about the NON-psittacine form of BFD, and I hope SE15 might have a survivable acute form and will recover.    

I am very familiar with psittacine PBFD (meaning found in parrots and similar birds), and that form of PBFD is highly contagious and can be spread by psittacines who have active obvious cases and also by psittacines who are carriers of the virus who may carry it without ever developing active outbreaks or showing symptoms.  Some of them can be carriers without symptoms for years, and then develop active outbreaks.  It is a virus, and even in the psittacine form of PBFD, not that much is known.  In the psittacine form of PBFD, the test for that virus is still not reliable and has a high instance of false positive and false negative.  There is no known cure for the psittacine form of PBFD.  It causes beak and feather deformities, and often leads to death.  It is easily spread in part because that virus is hearty and lives on surfaces for a long time, up to years in tree hollows and nest sites in the wild, and can even be spread by people coming in contact with a bird with it and then carrying the virus into another bird's environment on their clothes or hands or feet, etc.  The psittacine form of PBFD can be an acute illness with sudden illness and death, or sometimes birds who contract the acute form will survive and recover.  Survivors develop immunity to it.  But some psittacines with that form of PBFD have a chronic, ongoing condition that doesn't respond to treatment.  I don't know how similar the NON-psittacine form of BFD (Beak and Feather Disease) is to the psittacine form of PBFD.  I'm sorry to hear this news for little SE15.

Here is a good link for some summary info about the Psittacine form of PBFD, and there is a link to a fact sheet on its page for more detail info:
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive-species/publications/factsheet-beak-and-feather-disease-psittacine-circoviral-disease

The Fact sheet link from that page says that the Psittacine form of that disease has been in Australia for a long time and a major epidemic is not likely to occur.  This link to that fact sheet is purely for the Psittacine form, and SE15 has the NON-psittacine form, so there may be differences in how the two viruses behave.  That fact sheet about the Psittacine form is at:
http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/a13239ba-fb01-4c31-9fa8-519dcbc593ca/files/p-c-disease.pdf