Nesting Diaries
We have babies for sure! I spotted two tiny heads popping up today during a feeding. I suspect a third may be in there, as it looked like a third was being fed low in the nest while the other two sat up and looked around. It's fun to see the babies after the disappointing nest failure they had last year.
It was quite a hot day today with temperatures nearing 100 F. Mamma was doing a good job of shielding the little ones with her wings spread out, blocking them from the sun's rays.
I feel certain there is a baby in the nest now. The timing is right, and I have seen the mother stay low in the nest while she keeps putting her head down, perhaps to nuzzle a little one? Yesterday a third osprey showed up at the nest site soaring above. Could have been an osprey born at this nest in previous years coming back for a visit. Last year the the pair had an unexpected osprey visitor after their nest failure who decided he wanted to sit in the nest until the parents were able to chase him off. That took awhile. With this visitor yesterday, the male from the pair sprang into action, flew into the nest and formed an umbrella with his wings over the female who was staying low. They seem awfully protective. I think there has to be a baby there now.
Activity at the nest today! I believe we either have a hatchling or else an egg is piping. Both parents are at the platform and seem quite interested in looking down into the nest.
Ospreys are still going strong, being faithful incubators! Won't be long now before babies arrive.
I'm feeling very confident there's an egg now. For two days in a row now, the female hasn't left the nest and has been spending long periods of time in the incubation pose. Today I didn't see her out of the pose once. I suspect the egg was laid on the 17th as she seemed to...trying to think how to explain it...she just kind of had that egg laying stance, I guess I want to say.
I keep waiting to see her sitting on eggs, but it hasn't happened yet! A few times I have caught her testing it out, and they have done an incredible job of building it up with nest materials in the last few weeks. But I'm not convinced there are eggs yet. Today for quite awhile I saw the male and female sitting together on a nearby telephone pole, staring at each other. Couples bonding, perhaps?
I have been watching ospreys nest at this platform for the last 3 years. 2012 is year no. 4. Year no. 1 yielded no successful babies raised, though I am not sure why. Years 2 and 3 each yielded 3 babies, and now for year no. 4, both ospreys are back at the nest, mating and building up the nest materials.