Nesting Diaries
moving out of area next month, will be unable to complete my osprey nest monitoring :-(
mom standing on side of nest, two chicks visible
mom standing on side of nest, one chick's head visible. i'm not ready to say we've lost still another chick to an owl/other predator
mom feeding - one chick already full, 2nd chick got full while i was watching, mom finished fish. didn't see a 3rd chick
mombrella plus two squirmy chicks. i almost think i saw a 3rd head, but i hope not
mombrella plus top of one little head visible
mombrella, saw two bobbleheads today!
mom feeding, still only see one chick
mom standing in nest, looks like she's eating the last of a fish
mom feeding, can't see chick/s yet
mom feeding, dad perched on nearby telephone pole
mom incubating, dad on nearby pole
pretty sure that's mom incubating
i think i see mom's head in nest. big hailstorm last night, worried that it might have destroyed eggs in some of my nests.
both standing in nest bowl, intruder overhead, the pair defends nest as one!
mom incubating, dad on pole
mom incubating, dad on nearby telephone pole
mom definitely incubating now, dad standing next to her in nest
mom laying in nest, looks like egg may be on its way?
osprey bringing in nesting material today!
goose gone but no sign of returning osprey yet
another chick i never saw back at its nest after fledging, don't know the story
empty nest, am anxious to see him back on the nest at some point in the next month
yep, the lone chick has finally fledged! hope to see him back to the nest later this week.
chick standing in nest, mom standing on nearby power pole
Chick standing in nest, home alone
mom and chick both standing in nest
mom standing in nest, chick under her wing
mom standing in nest, her chick laying down, it's cool and rainy
mom standing in nest, dozing on and off. chick sleeping next to her
mom on nest perch, food calling, then dozing, then food calling, then dozing. chick moving around the nest bowl, finally laid down.
mom feeding her baby this morning
mom laying in nest, then stood up, food calling, followed by her chick doing the same. dad never did come to the nest, but i saw him eating a fish on his favorite telephone pole nearby when i left, so breakfast is on the way!
mom standing in nest, one fairly active chick moving around the bowl
mom laying in nest, finally see one bobblehead pop up briefly! no sign of dad, certainly out fishing, it's 7:00 am
definite feeding this morning! dad on his favorite telephone pole while mom serves breakfast. unable to see chick heads yet...
another of my uncooperative moms at this nest - she appears to be laying higher in nest than usual, but cannot confirm a hatch. dad not around this morning
still cannot confirm any nestlings here. mom standing on side of nest while dad is on his favorite telephone pole nearby
mom still appears to be sitting higher than normal in nest, but cannot confirm a hatch here yet...
mom still sitting high in nest, on 2nd drive by an hour later, mom standing in nest, i think i saw movement in nest bowl, but not 100% sure, will do a re-check on 6/17
mom incubating, although she appears to be sitting higher than normal. dad is on favorite nearby telephone pole. need to watch this nest closely, incubation initiation date was something of a mystery due to all the drama at the beginning of the season.
got back from 2-week vacation to find mom blissfully incubating and dad standing guard from nearby telephone pole.
mom incubating, dad eating fish on nearby telephone pole
what do you know, we might have a hatch in this nest after all. on 5/16 it looked like female was incubating, and today she is definitely incubating; nest activity updated, fingers crossed for this pair.
male and female standing in nest. i don't think we are going to have any chicks at this nest again this year, for whatever reason. all other nests are status quo.
all incubating nests are status quo today. female standing alone in nest again today. i looked at last year's data; this nest failed last year, which i blamed on a horrible, freezing june, but now i wonder if a mate wasn't lost instead. this year's turmoil, with at least 6 ospreys in the air over this nest a couple weeks ago, makes me wonder if it wasn't a bunch of males duking it out for the female here. in any event, she is still not on eggs as of today.
this nest was disrupted by intruders last week, and it looks like it still hasn't recovered. female standing in nest, male on nearby telephone pole, no sign of any eggs.
both standing in nest, which looks like it still needs spiffing up. one of (3) nests still not incubating
female standing in nest, fighting with a big crooked stick. the nest needs lots of work, but there are still a number of ospreys flying around nearby causing her and her mate stress...
strange activity here today. first the pair was both on the nest, then they were both off the nest, then there were 6 ospreys flying around the nest harassing each other. 1/2 hour later, the pair was back on the nest, but the nest appears half-done, and no indication of any eggs at this time.
both standing in nest this morning
well, we have one in the nest this morning. the riverbank nest is definitely a new pair, not from any other nest that i'm monitoring
ok, i'm starting to wonder if the pair on the riverbank nest are this pair, since i have not observed an osprey here for almost a week, and the new pair setting up shop on the nest just recently vacated by mama goose is only a few hundred yards up the road and right on the river. the riverbank pair seemed to arrive together, which makes me think they are an established pair from somewhere. will keep an eye on things, of course :-)
copulation day! it appears this should be my first nest with chicks :-)
the pair was on the nest today - the first returnees of the season!!
one adult osprey standing in nest
lone osprey guarding nest
lone osprey standing guard on nest
lone osprey standing guard on nest
one lonely osprey standing on side of the nest
one lonely osprey on nest, calling; it looks like the female. no movement in the nest itself. very sad :-(
after a full week of heavy rain, winds, and just-above freezing temps, i ventured out to check my nests. alas, this nest has been abandoned. it looks pretty intact, but no adults around at all; i wonder what happened... :-(
one incubating, the other eating a fish on telephone pole nearby
mom incubating, dad on platform bar
female on the egg, male standing guard on nearby power line insulator!
first the female fly into the nest, followed closely by the male, and yep, mating occurred...
one in nest, the other eating a fish one power pole over
both parents on the nest last night!
nobody home on 4/9, but today was a big arrival day at different nests around the valley. will be going out to check again tomorrow! the osprey nest across the road has a goose mama in it...uh oh...
empty nest. hope to find time to check again later this week, but no one home again today!
no one in nest on first pass, on way back, both Fs and one adult (must be dad?) all flew into the nest simultaneously! dad had fish, Fs were in a race to get it. one F flew very low across the highway right in front of me and another car going in the opposite direction - both of us slowed, thank goodness!
on way past the first time, both in nest eating. on way back, empty nest - finally!!
one in nest eating. darn, was hoping to find both of them gone so i could change fledglings from '1' to '2'. i'm sure this one's fledged, but won't record it until i see it with my own eyes
fledgling perched on next pole over from nest, other chick is out on the nest's perch bar - either he's fledged and returned or is going to go today, i'm sure! most of nest intact after severe wind storm last night
hoping to see empty nest, instead both chicks in nest
we have a fledge! only one chick left in nest, and i saw an osprey two poles down that looked like it might be the fledger (couldn't get close enough to be sure).
both standing up on edge of nest, looks like they're getting ready to test their wings, either mom or dad on nearby pole observing.
mom on guard, both chicks laying in nest
mom in nest with her chicks
mom standing in nest, only saw one chick today
mom in nest w/both chicks; still a noticeable size difference between them.
observed both chicks standing in nest - one still has his skunk stripe, the other is larger and has lost his skunk stripe. mom calling for food, both chicks look good.
mombrella time, couldn't see chicks
saw two head under mom, hot day
mombrella, didn't see the chicks
both parents in nest, mom feeding two chicks!
i do believe i witnessed dad's first glimpse of his new baby! mom was in nest when i first arrived, a few minutes later dad flew in, mom got up and moved out of the nest bowl, both m/d gazed "lovingly" down at the nest bowl, and a few seconds later, i saw some movement in the nest (and so did mom and dad). congrats!!
mom and dad both in nest, mom still fussing a bit, i think a chick is imminent
mom fussing in nest, looking down into bowl, don't see a chick, but maybe one's on its way!
mom standing up in nest on first pass by, then appeared to be incubating again on next pass by.
mom acting a bit fidgety in nest this morning, maybe she hears something i don't?
mom incubating, then standing in nest
dad standing on nest bar, mom standing over nest
big hail & wind storm last night, this nest appears OK, one osprey standing in it
now just one standing in nest. this is my only nest without an egg yet.
two osprey standing in nest! oh boy, another nest to watch. this will be the first year for this platform (at least in the past three years)
well i might have to get a picture of this nest. there is still one osprey in the nest today (at the same time the #1171 pair were in theirs), PLUS another osprey eating a fish one power pole down. is this a new pair actually planning on using this nest??? stay tuned...
no osprey in this nest - i really think they are now in their nest across the highway (#1171).
one osprey in this nest at the same time nest #1171 had been vacated by goose. interesting to see if this nest is indeed used by another pair - or what!
a pair of osprey in this nest, PLUS a single osprey hanging around the goose nest at #1171. still think this pair belongs to #1171, and the single osprey does not - will know soon!
hmm, no osprey on the "watchtower" today
osprey on this nest today, but i believe it's the male from nest #1171 watching the goose in his nest across the highway. will keep an eye on this nest again this season, just in case we do have a new pair decide to use it. i'll know in a week whether my theory is correct or not.
lone osprey still playing house...
lone osprey in this nest again today - hopefully he/she will have a mate next year!
osprey are everywhere today - even one in this nest, probably practicing nest building skills for next year!
nope, this nest is officially a no-go this season
again, no sign of birds or nest building. i would say this nest was not used this year after all
now we have no osprey in this nest for over an hour. joan/wally didn't think this nest was being used this season, i thought a pair was using it, i'd bet on joan/wally right about now.
my theory is shot. one osprey in nest today, although not incubating. since both osprey were at the sliter's nest at the same time i observed this osprey on this platform, guess the sliter pair came from somewhere else...
knowing the local interaction between canada geese and osprey, i believe the pair hanging around this nest the past two weeks has now moved into the osprey nest on sliter's road, which was previously also being used by a goose. joan and wally also report no activity at this nest for about 5 days (this platform was used by a gho the past two years, not osprey). i will keep my eyes on this nest, but my theory is the pair i saw here is the pair i saw today on the platform on sliter's (the two platforms are about 1/4 mile apart).
spartanmt: appears to be more nest material, only saw female in the nest
spartanmt: male and female in nest, more nest material has been added
male and female both on platform, nest material is new