Nickname
Behind Hargray building on US 278
Coordinates
(32.1732, -80.7352)
Substrate
Description
Behind Hargray building on US 278 on Cell Tower
Followers
None
Monitoring groups
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
| 2023 - CarolC | 2022 - CarolC | 2021 - CarolC | 2020 - CarolC | 2019 - CarolC | 2018 - CarolC | 2013 - CarolC | 2012 - KristenM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 2/15/23 | 2/24/22 | 1/27/20 | |||||
| aOccupied | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| aActive | ||||||||
| bEgg Laying | ||||||||
| bIncubation Initiation | 4/5/21 | 4/15/20 | 5/7/19 | 3/13/18 | ||||
| cClutch Hatching | 5/1/20 | |||||||
| dNestlings | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| eFledglings | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | ||||||||
| fChicks Last Observed | ||||||||
| xNest Failure | 5/26/22 | |||||||
| xReason For Nest Failure | unknown reason | unknown reason |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
Activity reports
2012 Nest Activity Report by KristenM
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 0 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | 0 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2013 Nest Activity Report by CarolC
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2018 Nest Activity Report by CarolC
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 03/13/2018 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2019 Nest Activity Report by CarolC
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 05/07/2019 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | unknown reason |
2020 Nest Activity Report by CarolC
| Adult arrival | 01/27/2020 | Nestlings | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | 1 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 04/15/2020 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 05/01/2020 | Reason for nest failure |
2021 Nest Activity Report by CarolC
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 0 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 04/05/2021 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2022 Nest Activity Report by CarolC
| Adult arrival | 02/24/2022 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | 05/26/2022 | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure | unknown reason |
Nest Activity Report by CarolC
| Adult arrival | 02/15/2023 | 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 |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
03/14/2023 by CarolC
Michele G reports: During today’s visit I observed that the nest is complete and intact. No ospreys were seen during this visit.
03/06/2023 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Observed an osprey sitting on the nest, as well as a second osprey flying around the tower and landing on a section below the platform. Neither osprey flew away during the observation
03/01/2023 by CarolC
Michele G reports: The nest now appears to be complete. There was no activity noted today, but I observed an osprey leaving the nest this past Sunday while driving past Hargray on 278.
02/21/2023 by CarolC
Michele G reports: During yesterday's visit, I observed an osprey sitting on the nest.
02/15/2023 by CarolC
Michele G reports: There now appears to be a complete nest on top of the platform overlooking the Hargray building.
Two adult ospreys were observed - one was sitting on the nest, and the other flew out of the nest during the observation.
01/30/2023 by CarolC
Michele G reports: remnants of nesting material are there at the start of the 2023 season
05/26/2022 by CarolC
Michele G reports no activity. It appears the nest has been abandoned. We are calling it INACTIVE this season.
05/05/2022 by CarolC
Michele G reports: The nest is still intact at the top of the tower. No osprey were observed in nor coming or going from the nest.
04/22/2022 by CarolC
Michele G reports: The osprey nest has been built on the back of the platform at the top of the tower, so it’s difficult to see if there are any osprey in the nest. No osprey were observed during this visit.
04/08/2022 by CarolC
Michele G reports: The nest on the tower has been enlarged. No osprey were observed during this visit.
03/24/2022 by CarolC
Michele G reports: A single osprey was observed this afternoon sitting in the nest and looking over the edge of the completed nest. No other activity was noted.
03/10/2022 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Today I observed a single osprey sitting on the nest. No other activity was observed.
02/24/2022 by CarolC
02/24/2022 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Observed the nest for approximately 20 minutes and saw an osprey circle, then land on the nest. Shortly after, a second osprey circled the tower, then landed in the nest as well.
07/29/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Today I observed an osprey perched on the top bar of the tower near the nest.
07/22/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Today I observed an osprey circling above the nest, then flying away.
07/16/2021 by CarolC
Michele G. No osprey present. We are closing this nest off for the year. It is unlikely that there was a successful chick this year.
07/09/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: No ospreys were seen during this visit, but I could hear osprey(s) vocalizing in the nest.
06/25/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: I observed an osprey circling above the nest, then flying away.
06/17/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: During today's visit, I observed an osprey flying out of the nest and landing in a nearby grove of pine trees.
05/27/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Today I could see the top of an osprey’s head over the side of the nest. No other activity observed.
05/13/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Today I observed both ospreys fly into the nest and remain there for the remainder of my observation.
05/06/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: On 5/6 I observed the osprey sitting on the nest. No other ospreys seen.
04/30/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Today I observed an osprey sitting in the nest and turning its head to look over the edge. No other ospreys were seen.
04/22/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Observed an osprey flying above the tower, then land in the nest. A second osprey circled the tower, then flew away.
04/13/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Yesterday I observed an adult osprey perched on the side of the nest looking down into the nest. It stayed in this position for the length of the visit ( approx 20 minutes). NOTE: This could indicate that eggs were laid earlier than we guessed. This report indicates she MAY have chicks. We will adjust dates once we can verify that there are chicks.
04/05/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: I observed one adult osprey looking over the left edge of the nest
NOTE: If you zoom in on the photo you can see the osprey in the nest. We are assuming she is on eggs.
04/01/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: I visited the nest and observed for approximately 20 minutes. No ospreys were seen.
03/23/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Saw an osprey flying away from the nest during today's observation. I was unable to determine if there is another osprey in the nest.
03/09/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: I observed an osprey flying out of the completed nest. Given that the nest is at the top of the Hargray tower, it is difficult to determine if there is an additional osprey in the nest. I watched the nest for 30 minutes and noted no additional activity. Michele
03/01/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: The nest appears to be complete, and during my observation, an osprey flew from the nest.
02/23/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: The nest appears to be nearly complete. I observed an osprey flying into the nest, staying for less than a minute, then flying away again.
02/16/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: I visited again today, and there were branches and what appeared to be a partial nest visible. A single osprey was visible flying in the vicinity of, but not near, the tower.
02/09/2021 by CarolC
Michele G reports: I visited the nest on 2/2/21 and 2/9/21, but there was no evidence of a nest on the platform, nor ospreys in the vicinity.
07/24/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: There was one well developed young osprey observed in the nest during my visit today (it’s in the right front corner of the nest). It was vocalizing regularly, and an adult osprey flew around the tower, but didn’t land in the nest.
06/13/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: When I arrived at the nest, an osprey was flying around the tower, while the other adult osprey was sitting in the nest. Though it isn't possible to see into the nest, it seemed that the adults were alternately leaving the nest and returning to feed the hatchlings. This was the most activity that I've observed at the nest thus far.
06/03/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Upon arrival at the nest site, I observed an adult (probably male) osprey perched on the top of the pole to the right of the nest. After approximately 10 minutes, the other adult appeared at front of the nest, looking over the edge and turning regularly to look back into the nest. Despite observing from a number of locations at the base of the tower, I was unable to see any young.
05/26/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Visited the nest around 1:30 PM and observed one adult osprey in the back of the nest. Within 15 minutes, a second osprey flew in and landed in the nest. Both adults were sitting on the edge of the nest and leaning into the nest, so one might assume that there are young present (though it's not possible to see from below).
NOTE: This observation supports our theory that there is at least 1 chick in the nest.
05/20/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Visited the nest around 2:00 PM. Both adult osprey were on/next to the nest and were moving about within the next. (It wasn't possible to observe if there were young present.) One osprey flew out and landed below the nest on a crossbar on the tower. The second osprey also left the nest, but landed on a pipe overlooking the nest and was watching the nest. See photo showing the osprey perched on the tower. One osprey is on the vertical tower at the top on the right. The second osprey is in the middle of the 4th crossbar below the nest.
05/12/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: During today’s visit, once again an adult osprey was sitting on the edge of the nest and looking down into the nest. Nothing else was visible from my vantage point.
05/05/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: An osprey was clearly visible, sitting on the edge, looking down into the nest. Given that the nest is at the top of a tower, it was not possible to see if there were young present. However, the nest is still active.
NOTE: Based on this behavior and the estimate that incubation began about 4/15, we are assuming that the eggs have hatched and have guessed about May 1. However, we are unable to able to confirm the number of chicks.
04/24/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: During today's visit to the nest, an osprey was clearly visible looking out from the nest, moving it's head from side to side. No other activity noted.
NOTE: Based on this, we assume that incubation is underway starting sometime between the 7th and 24th. As a pure guess, we will record it as the 15th.
04/07/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Visited the nest today - complete nest on the tower, but no ospreys observed.
There was a lot of activity while the pair were building the nest. I think the problem with that location is that it's on a platform on top of a very high tower, and unless you happen to observe when they leave the nest, it's impossible to see if they are present.
03/29/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: 3/29/20. There was no visible activity on or around the osprey nest this afternoon.
03/17/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: As soon as I arrived at the Hargray tower, an osprey flew out of the nest. I stayed for 10-15 minutes, and there was no further activity visible. (Because the nest is on the center of a platform at the top of the tower, it's difficult to see if the birds are in the nest.)
03/10/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: 11:30 AM. Observed the male osprey flying around the tower, while the female was in the nest evidenced by an outstretched wing. (When I first arrived, there was no activity , until the red rescue helicopter flew over the tower. I think that disturbed the birds. and they became more active.)
02/20/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: 2/20/20 Upon arrival at the tower, observed one osprey sitting on the tower's crossbars beneath the nest. Within 10 minutes, another osprey flew into the nest, and the one previously sitting on the bar flew up into the nest to join it.
02/10/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: 2/10/20 Observed both male and female ospreys flying toward and landing on the nest at the top of the tower. They stayed in the nest for approximately 10 minutes, then both flew away.
02/03/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Neither male nor female osprey were on or near the nest. Branches are apparent overhanging the platform at the top of the tower.
01/27/2020 by CarolC
Michele G reports: Observed the female osprey perched on a pipe above the platform on the tower, and the male was perched on one of the pipes on the side of the tower below the nest. A few branches were apparent sticking out on the sides of the platform.
08/09/2019 by CarolC
Note: While this nest was active, it doesn't appear that there were any chicks this year.
08/03/2019 by CarolC
Quin F reports: I have seen no sign of any Ospreys on the Hargray Tower for at least 1 month.
06/20/2019 by CarolC
Quin F reports: At3:50 PM on 6/20/19, I saw no sign of either osprey at the nest atop the Hargray tower
06/08/2019 by CarolC
Quin F reports: At 5:30 PM 6/8, both adult ospreys were seen sitting in the nest on the Hargray tower.
02/18/2019 by CarolC
observer Quin F reports: The nest appears to be in good shape, but no activity at the nest yet.
05/21/2018 by CarolC
observer Quinn F. reports it is very hard to see the nest. No activity or adults at the nest. Observer talked to the Hargray (phone) company to see if they might consider placing a camera there next year.
04/30/2018 by CarolC
OBSERVER REPORTS: Saw an adult leave nesting area, other movement evident in nest.
Nest on tower about 200' up, hard to see or confirm evidence of young.
04/17/2018 by CarolC
observer reports: Both adults in nest at arrival at 3:30, by 3:40 both had flown away. Could not see heads of any young in nest.
04/03/2018 by CarolC
observer reports: Osprey seen returning to nest. Too high too see if anything in talons.