Nickname
Highway 82 Goose Nest
Coordinates
(48.0921, -114.136)
Substrate
Osprey Nest Platform
Description
wrote this in my journal on 4/30: "goose and chicks leave nest on 4/27 and on 4/30 a pair of osprey is using the nest!!! Might have to add this tidbit of info to osprey watch."
on 5/11/12, i'm finally adding this nest, because the female appears to be incubating!
Followers
None
What to look for
a
Adult Arrival
Look for 2 adults on the nest. The adult pair will show pair bonding behaviors such as vocalizations, aerial sky dances, and the male feeding the female fish. You may see the pair copulating, which typically begins 14 days before laying eggs.b
Incubation Initiation
Females will lay 1 - 4 eggs at a rate of one egg every 1 - 2 days. After laying, incubation starts. Look for adults taking turns sitting low in the nest incubating eggs. The incubation period can last 35 - 43 days.c
Clutch Hatching
Chicks hatch ~39 days after incubation begins. Look for adults bringing food to the nest and making "head bows" into the center. Chicks typically can't be seen until they are 2 - 3 weeks old, so feeding behavior is the only way to know chicks are there.d
Nestling Count
Around 4 weeks after hatching, look for the heads of chicks to show over the rim of the nest, particularly when adults bring food to the nest. Other times they lie flat and are harder to see. Count the number of chicks in the nest before they learn to flye
Fledgling Count
Chicks begin flying around 7 - 8 weeks old, and are still fed by the adults. Count the number of chicks who have successfully fledged the nest and are observed flying.f
Chick Last Observed
4 - 10 weeks after fledging, chicks begin leaving the nest area to migrate south, once they have learned to fly and feed themselves. Record the date that the last chick left the nest.x
Nest Failure
Look for signs of nest failure like adult abandonment, adults no longer incubating eggs or feeding young.Review All Observations
| 2016 - spartanmt | 2015 - spartanmt | 2014 - spartanmt | 2013 - spartanmt | 2013 - spartanmt | 2012 - spartanmt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 4/8/16 | 4/16/15 | 4/25/14 | 4/22/13 | 4/29/13 | 4/30/12 |
| aOccupied | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| aActive | ||||||
| bEgg Laying | ||||||
| bIncubation Initiation | 5/16/16 | 5/3/15 | 5/12/13 | 5/11/12 | ||
| cClutch Hatching | 6/12/15 | 6/22/12 | ||||
| dNestlings | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||
| eFledglings | 0 | 2 | ||||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | 8/10/12 | |||||
| fChicks Last Observed | 9/1/12 | |||||
| xNest Failure | 5/29/16 | 7/12/15 | 5/22/13 | |||
| xReason For Nest Failure | unknown reason | unknown reason | adult abandonment |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
Activity reports
2012 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
| Adult arrival | 04/30/2012 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 08/10/2012 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | 09/01/2012 | |
| Incubation initiation | 05/11/2012 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 06/22/2012 | Reason for nest failure |
2013 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
| Adult arrival | 04/29/2013 | Nestlings | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 0 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 05/12/2013 | Nest failure | 05/22/2013 |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | pair still hanging around nest, though |
2013 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
| Adult arrival | 04/22/2013 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2014 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
| Adult arrival | 04/25/2014 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2015 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
| Adult arrival | 04/16/2015 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 05/03/2015 | Nest failure | 07/12/2015 |
| Clutch hatching | 06/12/2015 | Reason for nest failure | unknown reason |
2016 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
| Adult arrival | 04/08/2016 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 05/16/2016 | Nest failure | 05/29/2016 |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | unknown reason |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
07/28/2016 by spartanmt
moving out of area next month, will be unable to complete my osprey nest monitoring :-(
06/04/2016 by spartanmt
pair on nest platform, then both gone on my way back. it's obvious there are no eggs, but not sure what happened. failed nest two years in a row :-(
05/29/2016 by spartanmt
one osprey *male, i think on platform perch, couldn't see any incubation going on, plus there was a pickup parked right under the nest :-(
05/27/2016 by spartanmt
no one around this nest. out of town for last 10 days, so i don't know what's going on here. big hailstorm last night, worried that it might have destroyed eggs in some of my nests.
05/17/2016 by spartanmt
ok, i'm going to say mom is finally incubating! hope i'm right. dad standing on nest perch
05/15/2016 by spartanmt
one of my two mystery nests this season. again, both mom and pops are standing on platform
07/16/2015 by spartanmt
nest is empty, no one around, my first failed nest of the year. the nest seems fairly intact (it was never very big), so my guess is either a great-horned owl got the chicks (they live in the woods behind this nest site) or maybe they died of starvation/heat. very sorry for the parents.
07/15/2015 by spartanmt
al j. observed nest for a few minutes today and pretty much saw the same thing i saw on the 12th - mom on nest pole, facing away from nest bowl, then left shortly thereafter, no movement in nest. 90% sure this is a failed nest, no known reason...
07/12/2015 by spartanmt
mom standing on nest pole when i arrived, left shortly thereafter, never saw sign of any chicks. mom was gone at least 10 minutes before i decided to move closer, got pretty much under the nest, very silent. no sign of dad or mom while i was snooping around, either. either these chicks are big enough to be left alone for long periods of time and were sleeping, or something is amiss here...
07/01/2015 by spartanmt
mom fussing in nest, one chick popped up briefly, hope the other is ok - record heat w/no rain for almost a month has me worried about the youngsters
06/27/2015 by spartanmt
mom and dad both in nest, then dad takes off, mom starts feeding, i see two - maybe three??? - bobbleheads this morning...
06/21/2015 by spartanmt
mombrella again today - she's the best at shading her chick/s!! still unable to count heads...
06/15/2015 by spartanmt
my first mombrella of the season observed today, still only see one little head in bowl
06/08/2015 by spartanmt
got back from 2-week vacation to find mom blissfully incubating today, while dad stood guard from nearby telephone pole.
05/01/2015 by spartanmt
one osprey on nearby telephone pole eating fish. on my return drive, one was standing in nest. not sure if this was the same bird both times
04/16/2015 by spartanmt
male on nest this morning. note: unable to select 'no', it always defaults to 'yes', even though i only have a single male on nest at this time
06/01/2014 by spartanmt
two ospreys, one standing in nest, the other perched on platform pole. they kind of had their backs to each other, like they weren't really interested, which is OK with me, way too late to make babies...
05/15/2014 by spartanmt
not happy with the appearance of this nest today. no female incubating eggs, no male standing guard, no new nest material, i'm beginning to think this nest isn't going to be productive again this year
05/03/2014 by spartanmt
still only one osprey observed at this nest; i'm still hopeful there will be a mate for him/her soon (looks like a male).
04/25/2014 by spartanmt
mother goose gone, i hope she had a successful breeding season and the family is now safely on the river. one osprey home!
04/25/2014 by spartanmt
mother goose gone, i hope she had a successful breeding season and the family is now safely on the river. one osprey home!
04/11/2014 by spartanmt
one of four osprey nests that have goose mamas this season. no osprey around trying to dislodge her as of 4/9, but today was first day some arrived home, so will be monitoring daily.
08/19/2013 by spartanmt
wondering why there is a 'nest active' field showing in the activity report but it's not a field we can access? took me this long to notice it...
08/12/2013 by spartanmt
solitary osprey in nest, too much traffic behind me to slow down and check if it was possibly a nearby fledgling.
07/21/2013 by spartanmt
pair standing in nest, i'm guessing the pair that belongs with this nest (at least, i hope so)
07/09/2013 by spartanmt
one lone osprey standing in nest again, probably one of the pair that should have had chicks here this month :-(
06/09/2013 by spartanmt
joan of fennon way nest confirmed that this pair has not been incubating for almost a month. i'll never know if i saw "practice" incubation or real incubation with subsequent loss of eggs. either way, this is my 2nd failed nest of the 2013 season.
06/06/2013 by spartanmt
again i observed one osprey standing on perch bar, the other down the fence line on a post. i believe this is a failed nest. reading back on my log, i wonder if they ever had an egg; if they did, i wonder if they lost it to an intruder or to that bad thunderstorm last month. i will give it one more week before editing my nest activity report.
05/31/2013 by spartanmt
this nest concerns me; it might not have eggs anymore. on first drive passed, both were standing on perch bar. on return about an hour later, one of the pair was standing in a hay field, the other still on the bar. i watched for a few minutes, looked like the osprey on the ground was hacking, i got out of my car to retrieve my scope, at which point both birds flew over to a nearby telephone pole. it's been 9 days since i last observed incubation posture at this nest.
05/27/2013 by spartanmt
one osprey standing in nest. hmm, lots of standing instead of laying down for the past two weeks.
05/22/2013 by spartanmt
mom appeared to be incubating on way past nest; on way back, both m/d were standing on platform
05/14/2013 by spartanmt
big wind & hail storm last night, nest looks ok. only one osprey on nest bar, not incubating, which surprises me a bit, as it's pretty cold this morning (50 degrees)
05/12/2013 by spartanmt
mom is on the egg! dad was standing guard when i arrived, then an intruder osprey got way too close to the nest, and i watched him chase the other guy away, then take a rest on the nearby power pole.
05/07/2013 by spartanmt
one standing in nest (i think mom), which looks built up quite nicely. the male is on a fence post down the trail a bit.
05/05/2013 by spartanmt
both standing in nest, electric company working on pole directly across from them.
05/05/2013 by spartanmt
since both are in nest today, AND we have one osprey in #1013 AND another eating a fish right near #1013, i think my theory is shot. i now think a new pair is planning on using #1013 and am going to adjust my arrival date for this nest's pair.
05/03/2013 by spartanmt
yippee, both osprey working on nest! and no osprey in nest across the highway...
04/22/2013 by spartanmt
ah-ha! remember nest #1013 last year, where i thought i was going to see some action, then all of a sudden the pair that was sitting there was gone? well, today a male osprey is on that nest again; however, it dawned on me that this is probably the male from nest #1171, waiting patiently for the goose to exit w/her goslings! the two nests are kitty-corner from each other across the highway, a perfect spot to watch the goose mom. i'm going to record arrival date as today; if my theory is wrong, i will update!
04/17/2013 by spartanmt
goose still incubating, no sign of the osprey pair that used this nest last year.
09/17/2012 by spartanmt
seems like 3 weeks between fledging and leaving is way too short, but i haven't seen any birds around this nest since 9/1/12. hope they are all well and in sunny mexico by now...
09/13/2012 by spartanmt
can't believe i haven't seen an osprey at this nest in almost 3 weeks! not ready to enter last observed dates yet - but i think this family might be gone
09/10/2012 by spartanmt
thought i saw an osprey on the power pole, but when i scoped it, i found out it was a red-tail hawk. so no sighting of an osprey around this nest!
08/31/2012 by spartanmt
observed one lone osprey on power pole in the distance; not sure if it's parent or child
08/27/2012 by spartanmt
adult on pole w/catfish, looking all around, not eating it, not calling out. no other osprey in sight.
one hour later on return trip: fledgling eating a fish in the nest, adult osprey on same pole as before, sans fish
08/25/2012 by spartanmt
one osprey on telephone pole in field, couldn't tell if it was mom, dad, or fledgling. no others in sight (sigh)
08/12/2012 by spartanmt
one fledgling in nest that flew off when i arrived. did a few circles around me, then parent showed up, and they both did circles around me. looking good!
08/10/2012 by spartanmt
one chick in nest when i got there, no other birds around. got ready to pack up when the lone chick flew off, did a circle around me, then headed across the highway and perched on the top of a power pole!! i'm guessing the other chick fledged earlier, since both were seen wingercizing on 8/4. darn relatives made me miss the exact date!!
07/28/2012 by spartanmt
only saw one chick today, plus mom feeding herself (chick had full crop). took a walk around the nest area looking for possible tragedy due to horrific wind storm that blew through the area last night, no chicks on ground. i'm going to say the other was just hunkered down, out of the heat...
07/21/2012 by spartanmt
saw two nestling heads, only one stood up. now i'm worrying about baling twine, of course
07/16/2012 by spartanmt
without question, my most nervous mom. parked plenty of distance away but she wasn't satisfied. she left the nest and took a fish with her! sat on a utility pole about 20 yards away, didn't eat the fish, just watched me. at least i got to see both chicks when they got up to see where mom went! they look good :-)
07/07/2012 by spartanmt
still only saw one baby's head, but it's hot, everyone is pretty hunkered down this afternoon.
07/04/2012 by spartanmt
one big orange-eyed beauty! pretty sure i saw another head pop up, too, but couldn't see the eyes. all is well after wicked wind storm on monday...
06/24/2012 by spartanmt
finally saw one BIG bobblehead in the nest! watched for about 20 minutes, never saw two heads at the same time, so am saying there's only one chick (for now)
06/22/2012 by spartanmt
crop dusters were agitating both highway nests this morning, so it was hard to tell if mom was upright and excited in the nest because of the plane or because she had chicks. went back a couple hours later; planes gone, mom still perched on side of nest and looking down into it. i don't know if there's been a hatch or not!!
06/15/2012 by spartanmt
mom still incubating. dad flew into nest with a fish and mom seemed to get excited, but then he flew off with it and ate it on a nearby telephone pole. he also chased off an intruder with the fish still in his talons. kind of thought there might be chicks but wouldn't dad feed them first if there were? think it's still just eggs...
06/11/2012 by spartanmt
mom low in nest, dad nowhere to be seen. nothing but heavy rain and winds for almost 2 weeks, water is very churned up, i'm sure fishing isn't easy.
06/07/2012 by spartanmt
guess i got too close today, mom was on nest, became alarmed, flew around me, calling, dad never came. returned to nest when i got back in car. i wasn't any closer than usual but this time she didn't like it. i will farther back from now on!
05/12/2012 by spartanmt
another flathead lake osprey pair that waited patiently for a goose and her chicks to get off their platform! i observed the goose/babies leave the nest on 4/27, and on 4/29 joan and wall saw the osprey pair furiously re-arranging the nest.