Nickname
Warhill Sports Complex
Coordinates
(37.3286, -76.762)
Substrate
Utility Pole
Description
Warhill Sports Complex nest. Nest located on light pole on football field next to parking lot and stadium.
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 - Rose | 2022 - Rose | 2021 - Rose | 2020 - Rose | 2019 - Rose | 2015 - Ltnickel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 3/10/23 | 3/6/22 | 3/25/21 | 4/5/15 | ||
| aOccupied | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| aActive | ||||||
| bEgg Laying | ||||||
| bIncubation Initiation | 4/19/23 | 4/8/22 | 4/15/21 | 4/16/20 | ||
| cClutch Hatching | ||||||
| dNestlings | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| eFledglings | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| eFirst Chick Fledging | 7/21/23 | 7/10/22 | 7/12/21 | 7/16/20 | ||
| fChicks Last Observed | 8/3/22 | 8/10/20 | ||||
| xNest Failure | ||||||
| xReason For Nest Failure |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2015
Activity reports
2015 Nest Activity Report by Ltnickel
| Adult arrival | 04/05/2015 | 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 |
2019 Nest Activity Report by Rose
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 3 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2020 Nest Activity Report by Rose
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 3 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/16/2020 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | 08/10/2020 | |
| Incubation initiation | 04/16/2020 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2021 Nest Activity Report by Rose
| Adult arrival | 03/25/2021 | Nestlings | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 3 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/12/2021 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 04/15/2021 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2022 Nest Activity Report by Rose
| Adult arrival | 03/06/2022 | Nestlings | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 3 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/10/2022 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | 08/03/2022 | |
| Incubation initiation | 04/08/2022 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2023 Nest Activity Report by Rose
| Adult arrival | 03/10/2023 | Nestlings | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 1 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/21/2023 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 04/19/2023 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
07/31/2023 by Rose
Fledgling and one adult both perched on light fixture next to the one with the nest today. No birds on nest.
07/23/2023 by Rose
No birds on the nest today. One fledgling perched on the closest adjacent light fixture. Two adults seen perched nearby around the football stadium. This bird has fledged within the last four days (estimating fledge date).
07/19/2023 by Rose
Nestling sitting on edge of nest flapping wings. Female on nest then flew to nearby light pole and started calling for nestling. Male also perched on a different light pole and was calling to nestling. Will check back in a few days to see if it has fledged. Saw another young Osprey flying around the Sports Complex in short distances. Suspect it is one of the fledglings from the Lafayette HS nest nearby as this Warhill nest lagged behind by a few weeks compared to others in the area and have only been seeing one nestling here for a while now.
07/14/2023 by Rose
First good look at maturing nestling today. Photo added of nestling and adult on nest.
07/10/2023 by Rose
Nestling again found sitting low in nest with just a quick glimpse of the top of one head. There are people and activity on the field below the nest.
07/07/2023 by Rose
Today I see one nestling's head and another bird lower in the nest, unable to tell if it is an adult or second nestling. Will check again in a few days. There is one adult flying in the area.
06/30/2023 by Rose
Adult bird perched on edge of nest. Can see the top of the head of one nestling today though it's sitting low in the nest and not much activity happening in the nest while I was there.
06/17/2023 by Rose
Sporting events in progress at the complex with lots of people and activity below nest. Same situation observed yesterday. One bird observed on nest with wings outstretched covering nestling(s). Second adult bird seen flying high above the area.
06/10/2023 by Rose
One parent sitting on the edge of nest reaching down inside frequently. Have not seen the heads of any nestlings yet and did not hear any chicks calling today. There is movement within the nest.
06/05/2023 by Rose
Both adults flying, circling above and around nest. Heard nestling calls from inside nest. Unable to see number of nestlings yet.
05/21/2023 by Rose
One adult bird sitting in nest today. Getting up and moving around quite a bit. Cannot tell if she is rearranging eggs or tending to nestling(s). Will recheck within the next week.
05/12/2023 by Rose
Continued incubation by female, sitting low in nest. However she is getting up to reposition and rearrange eggs fairly often. Male flew in with food and was seen around the complex fishing in both ponds.
04/19/2023 by Rose
Demonstrating incubation behavior today - female sitting low in nest with only tail feathers visible sticking out over the side. Stood up and repositioned several times. Male flew in with some food that they shared.
04/14/2023 by Rose
Female perched on edge of nest today, occasionally getting in and out of nest and rearranging some of the nesting material. Watched her for about an hour and did not see male in the vicinity until she started calling. He quickly flew in and perched on a nearby structure. Appears to still be working on nest construction and not incubating eggs yet.
04/09/2023 by Rose
Additional nesting material has been added over the past week and structure looks like a complete nest at this point. Female perched on pole next to nest. Male flying in the area. Plan to check back several times this week to see if she starts incubation behavior.
03/30/2023 by Rose
Today the female is perched on the light fixture that was their previous nest site. Nesting material has been placed in the last several days and is now a partially constructed nest. There are pieces of nesting material that have been placed on three other adjacent light fixtures as well but it appears that they have decided to rebuild at their original location.
03/21/2023 by Rose
Have checked on this nest location several times in the past week. Both birds remain in the area. A very small amount of nesting material has been placed on a different light fixture on the same field. Will check on them again by the end of the week.
03/10/2023 by Rose
Male and female perched on light fixture (previous nest site) nuzzling at each other's neck area. Nest completely destroyed from last year. I had checked two days earlier this week and today is the first time I've seen both birds here. Nesting material has not been added yet.
02/28/2023 by Rose
One Osprey observed flying over nearby pond today but did not visit old nest site while I was there. Nest from previous years has been completely removed. Will be monitoring location in upcoming weeks for pair arrival.
07/11/2022 by Rose
Went back to check on the fledglings today. One is in the parking lot, moving around on nearby structures, same as yesterday. One fledgling is on the nest picking at some food remnants. The third is perched on the same light fixture as yesterday. Watched all three for a while then both parents flew in; the male joined the one chick on the nest while the female flew back out to circle above the pond. Adding photos of each chick (the one on light fixture is further away, unable to get closer photo).
07/10/2022 by Rose
All three chicks have fledged recently. Found the three perched on separate light fixtures near their nest, each approximately 100-200 feet from the nest. One of the birds was practicing short flight distances, moving from one light fixture to the next around the soccer field and parking lot. Light to steady rain today; poor photography conditions. Did obtain phone video of the closest bird. Will check on them again tomorrow and attempt to get decent photos.
06/27/2022 by Rose
Watched nest for about an hour today. Female was perched on nearby light fixture then male flew in with a fish (Orange Carp). Female joined male on nest and picked apart fish and fed nestlings while male sat on nest facing the opposite way. I could only see two nestlings at a time today. They shuffled around a few times and the third nestling is possibly still there but did not see all three simultaneously.
06/20/2022 by Rose
Quick check on nest today. Confirmed presence of 3rd nestling. All 3 sitting inside nest, calling loudly. Do not see either parent but hear an adult osprey calling from a distance.
06/03/2022 by Rose
Mama Osprey perched on side of nest tending to nestlings. Able to see two nestlings today from available vantage points.
05/20/2022 by Rose
Female getting in and out of nest, reaching in and attending to nestlings. Able to see movement within nest but not the number of chicks yet. Did not see male during the time I was there today.
04/27/2022 by Rose
Have checked on nest several times in past month. Female continues sitting very low in nest; difficult to see until she repositions. Male flying over nearby pond.
03/18/2022 by Rose
Female perched on edge of rebuilt nest; male flying around the area and stopped briefly at nest when I went by today.
03/09/2022 by Rose
Checked on Osprey today. They have added new sticks to the nest in the last two days. One bird perched on the nest site.
03/07/2022 by Rose
Received word from a friend that the Osprey have returned and were observed yesterday 3/6/22 sitting on the light fixture at this nest site. I visited nest site today and both Osprey are here. They were not actively nest building when I was there but it appears that new sticks have been added to the existing nest location and I observed a courtship aerial display above nest site. It is a windy day with gusts 45 mph so was an impressive aerial display! Will check back in a few days.
07/12/2021 by Rose
Two chicks have fledged, seen perched on nearby structures; third chick perched on edge of nest. Neither adult seen when I briefly stopped by today.
06/17/2021 by Rose
There are at least two chicks in the nest, climbing up to the edge of nest and looking down. Have seen two at the same time but there is a lot of activity in the nest, suspect there may be a 3rd chick that I'm not able to see from available vantage points. Female perched on edge of nest. Will check again within a week.
05/21/2021 by Rose
Female tending to apparent nestlings inside nest today. Male flying around the area and periodically stopping at nest. Unable to see little heads inside nest yet.
04/29/2021 by Rose
Female continues incubation behavior, sitting low in nest; unable to see her until male flew in with food.
04/16/2021 by Rose
Female sitting low in nest; unable to see her except for brief glimpses of the top of her head when she moves. Appears to be incubating at this point. Male flew in with food for her.
04/08/2021 by Rose
Nest has been rebuilt. Female sitting inside nest with head popping up intermittently. Male perched on nearby light fixture.
03/25/2021 by Rose
Both birds have arrived and are here today! Female perched on nest site and male eating fish on adjacent light fixture. Sticks have been added to nest in the last two days.
03/18/2021 by Rose
No sign of osprey in the area yet. Fish crows continue to perch on the remains of last year's nest.
03/08/2021 by Rose
No sign of osprey in the area yet. Two crows perched on remains of nest from last year.
08/10/2020 by Rose
Two chicks observed and photographed on nest by a Master Naturalist colleague on 08/10/20. I spent considerable time walking the area the following week and did not see any osprey chicks or adults. Last date observed 08/10/20.
07/24/2020 by Rose
Three chicks sitting on nest today without adults present. Watched for a while then all three flew to nearby light poles one after the other. The third bird was more hesitant to fly but eventually followed the other two.
07/16/2020 by Rose
One chick has fledged since I last visited, perched on nearby light pole. The other two chicks perched on nest, one flapping wings and looking over the edge and one resting. Adult male flying overhead.
07/09/2020 by Rose
Three chicks still perched on nest with one adult. One of the chicks is seriously flapping wings and making little jumps like it is ready to fledge very soon, the other two were just looking around curiously.
07/03/2020 by Rose
Finally able to confirm third chick today! Updated activity report. All 3 chicks perched on edge of nest, intermittently flapping wings, with one adult sitting down low in nest.
06/25/2020 by Rose
Two chicks sitting very low in nest, initially with no adult present. Could not see them until female flew in with food. Definitely two chicks, could possibly be a third, still difficult to tell at this point.
06/21/2020 by Rose
Only able to see the head of one bird today sitting very low in nest. Watched for a while but not a lot of activity.
06/10/2020 by Rose
Female sitting on edge of nest, continuing to tend to chick(s) in nest. Have only seen one head pop up at a time though there is a lot of movement inside of nest, making me think there is more than one chick. Will keep checking on them 1-2 times/week.
05/27/2020 by Rose
Female perched on edge of nest, reaching inside, feeding and tending to nestlings. Unable to see their heads over the top of the nest at this point but there appears to be at least two nestlings inside the nest that the mother is tending to. Male flying in the area, occasionally calling.
05/02/2020 by Rose
Female continues incubation behavior, sitting very low in nest. Male flying in area. Flew over nest and circling over nearby pond.
04/16/2020 by Rose
Checked on nest after 50 mph wind gusts earlier this week. Several sticks have blown to the ground but the nest remains intact. Watched what looked like an empty nest for 30 minutes before a bird sitting very low in nest stood up and repositioned. Second bird soaring high overhead. Incubation documented this date.
04/09/2020 by Rose
Male & female sitting next to each other in nest. Observed copulation act today. Photos added.
04/06/2020 by Rose
Male & female observed sitting on nest that they have rebuilt. The nest from last year had been completely destroyed except for a single stick on top of the pole. This pair was later to arrive to this location than the other osprey in the area. Had been checking on this nest location almost daily at the beginning of March, looking for the arrival of this pair. The last date I had checked here looking for them was March 12 so they arrived sometime after that.
04/11/2015 by Ltnickel
We thought this nest was abandoned, but turns out they are just late starters!