Nesting Diaries
both at nest together today with rt leg banded male taking nest material to his old platform location on the channel marker pole and the nest. the pair seems a bit stressed from the new home build closest to the nest with pilings shaking the earth. hope they can settle down soon.
2 juvies sitting quietly on nest today
one deep in nest, other on the waters edge perch
61, overcast, ENE 12 mph, late afternoon one very deep in nest
80, S 20 mph, sun, 3:30, did not see any osprey!
pair on nest platform today at 4:15. 64, S 7 mph, sun and clouds
NE wind 13 mph, 45 at 7:45 this morning, arrived to see both osprey taking nest material to their old Channel marker pole... arghhhh. I saw them at their platform until yesterday when both were in the trees behind the nest. Today they want to move back to their old nest site that won't sustain a nest. As the sticks fell in the water they dove down and retrieved and tried again. what were they doing? i didn't see any thing that might be disturbing them but perhaps blackbirds, owls, construction activity? Then this evening they shifted back to their platform, fingers crossed.
continue checking this pair, both coming and going, today each on different branches near nest
WNW 15 mph with gusts, 54, sun, both ospreys standing in the shallows of tiny cove north of nest, bracing into the wind
48, w 8 mph, clear skies, 1pm male on channel marker eating fish, then took it to female at nest, hope to confirm rt leg band on the male
SW 18 mph, clear skies, 3:30 pm, adult male on CM9A, unable to confirm rt leg band
one male juvenile on nest at 3:30 pm today, no ad m seen
3 healthy looking approx 5 week old chicks vis with adult female as we passed in boat late this afternoon
2 chicks visible today at 4pm boat ride
rt leg banded adult male still at nest site
began seeing 3 chicks on 6-18, and all 3 are visible most days when i pass the nest, they look about the same size.
mombrella and 2 chicks very visible today
have confirmed male is rt leg banded as in past few years
one deep in the nest in heavy rain and wind
one deep in the nest in heavy rain and wind
today both on tree near Toll Bros White creek community
one on channel marker pole one in nest digging
female on nest, male on the new satellite perch at waters edge
pair is nest building, i watched the male struggle with a large branch, flying low across the creek around 1 pm today in wnw 35 mph winds
adult male on fave tree perch
adult male flew to back tree he loves so much, could see his leg band
both adults, each with a fish, in the snag behind the normal juvenile dining snag. no juveniles seen or heard
one juvenile on the nest today around 5 pm. second juvenile crying on the pine branch the family loves, then adult male flew to nest and gave that juv the fish, youngster took it to the pine branch and flaunted it at the crying juv. both juveniles are getting so dark you have to really look to see they are not the adults. after dropping the fish the adult male flew over to the far wooded area he loves so much, i could see his leg band. have not seen the adult female in some time.
past the nest by boat this evening and one fledge was in the nest eating with the other 2 fledges perched together on the large branch of the nearby pine tree favored by the adult female. I did not see either adult today.
just one fledgling off and on the nest today with the other 2 circling over the immediate marsh and adult female in the tree. one fledgling made repeated attempts to land near the adult female but kept doing touch and go's on the fluffy light pine branches and it couldnt quite get the hang of it so it went back to the nest.
3 chicks with adult female today, did not see male
3 big chicks very alert and active with mom shading today during busy water ski etc day on the creek
3 beautiful healthy looking chicks, very active and watching the water traffic with mom shading
1:00 today, out on the boat and finally a head count, 3 good looking chicks clearly visible. mombrella was shading. looks like the male is providing well this season. he has no stress since the snag nearby that attracted the interlopers fell over the winter and no interlopers have returned. fingers crossed this nest is safe from owls this season.
i have confirmed the male is indeed rt leg banded so pretty certain the same pair as last season and so far the male seems more relaxed and bringing fish in regularly. i am seeing consistent feeding and shading at the nest
observed quite a bit of fussing deep in the nest yesterday with the female never leaving the nest. i have been watching closely but I think she had hatchlings a few days earlier tho today i could be certain when i saw the male bring a fish directly to the nest just before sunset and the female was eating and feeding as the male watched. thats confirmation!
darn, still not seeing any signs of a hatchling or 2... but sure is nice to see this pair not being bothered by the increasing boat and jetski traffic.
female was standing on the nest rim when i pulled the boat alongside the marsh today. she was fluffing her wings and talking to her mate who was incubating. after a few minutes she flew over to the tall pine tree and preened. in about 15 minutes she flew back to the nest and took over incubating. the male rearranged some nest material, took off for the pine and returned with a pine cone that he presented to the nest. He placed it and then flew to the tiny snag next to the platform and perched up on the very spindly tip of the branch. amazing it can hold his 3-4 lbs. And finally I was able to confirm his rt leg band, this is no doubt the male from last season. I sure hope he will be a better fish provider and take care of his female and chicks.
we have had 7 days of rain, often very heavy downpours for all night long. today the osprey in this nest was very active, fussing around under its chest, repositioning and possible showing signs of at least one egg hatched...I will check again tmr as I do suspect its time for chicks.
one incubating today, did not see mate
around noon today, following and overnight storm, one osprey was still deep in nest with one on the t perch.
during a heavy rainstorm and winds ENE 14 mph I clearly saw the white head low in the nest braving the rain. This tells me there is incubation. I did not see the other osprey but with rain they usually get somewhere with a bit of either wind or rain reduction.
one deeper in the nest today but with high winds at gusts over 20 mph out of the SW it may just be bracing. will confirm if incubation tmr.
Nest looks nice and fat, the pair is usually at the nest or the female is and the male sits on CM 9A, site of their old nest.
I am seeing the telling just prior to egg laying deep digging in the nest by the female but so far no incubation. both were sitting quietly at the nest today as I monitored the group in their area. All pairs are now accounted for and there is not any territorial squabbles, at least I did not see any today. Yesterday the male from this nest was back on his old channel marker pole eating a fish.
Today is the first day I can confirm the pair has arrived to the nest as both were in the nest today with one eating and one preening. It is too windy to tell if it is the same rt leg banded male from 2017 season. WNW wind 20 mph with gust above 35 mph, 44, sunny with clouds. Yesterday one osprey was in the nest and appeared to be fixing nest material. I see that the nearby large snag where another pair stayed all last season has fallen down. This may be interesting should that pair return because i believe they were part of the reason this nesting pair did so poorly last year.
end of season: last female sighting was on 9-11-17. banded male was on 9A channel marker on 9-22-17. once all the other surrounding pairs moved out he seemed to go back to his old habits from the original location of the platform. I guess he never really adjusted to the new nest location. hoping for a better season in 2018.
1st day without the chicks in the nest. both adults perched side by side in the nest. the male clearly showing his rt leg band. nothing to guard now, just the 2 of them once again. Sure hope the 2018 season is kinder. no owls, no people, no foster chicks, just a blessed nesting season.
I begin getting text message that only 1 adult is seen on the nest all morning. At 11:00 I take my scope to check from a good vantage point and do not see the foster chick. I take boat up to the marsh area near the platform and see the adult female perched on the platform's tall T perch, she is facing outward, unusual for her, and then she peers down into the marsh about 20 feet from the platform. I immediately see the foster chick laying belly side up in the marsh, decapitated in the same way as other chicks I have seen this season. The 6 week Foster chick is yet another victim of a great horned owl, perhaps the same that took the 2 chicks near my home. This nest site, where we worked so hard to place one foster chick, only to lose the 2 natural siblings, and then the foster, was just another negative experience in a season of many failed osprey nestings. I feel worn out by nature. We tried and we failed. Was the GHO in the area all along and spooked the male weeks ago? Resident reported seeing 2 owls on occasion not far from this nest.Maybe this is why biologists at Poplar place foster chicks on nests and don't monitor them very often. watching day by day is intense and maybe too eye opening for me. Maybe I should just stick to helping Tri-State rescue with pickup and release. Maybe...but maybe not. It may save other chicks lives in the future if we can learn a bit more about fostering.Did we place the foster too close to its natal nest site? did its parents attack the foster female? We can not know without color banding. Goodbye foster girl... just a note- following the boat ride to find the dead foster, I watched a fledged youngster practice diving into the bay as its parents watched, sitting together on a dock perch. The fledgling dove repeatedly into the water, submerging a bit further each time. The adults looked pleased...anthropomorphically speaking. Collateral beauty is everywhere we look.
8am female feeds foster that she got herself. 6:30 pm female feeding foster. I saw male fly to his far tree area at 5;30 with fish but he did not share.
Reports of foster getting fed by female in the morning, by evening I still don't see male and no feeding again. back to old poor routine?
the foster is exercising its wings and getting a tiny lift off the nest. male brought fish to far trees and then 20 minutes later brought rest of fish to female and foster chick. it finally seems like normal osprey nesting behavior....
adult female chased off fledged youngster from the area of nearby nest 6232, the adult female is very apprehensive about any birds coming near her nest.
getting reports both adults on nest with foster in morning.
first day to see rt leg banded male fly to old favorite guard tree and bring fish, female has been going off for fish and caring for chick alone, or so it appears.
reports of aggression at nest by another adult osprey. female off and on nest, 2 osprey fighting, contact with one another at nest. at 11:00 I watched the adult eat, appears to be female, and 2 chicks visible but not fed. at 12:15 reports of aggression and 'fish stolen"... I take spotting scope to a better vantage point about 5:30 pm and observe the nest, see foster chick clearly then briefly see second white head pop up. the female flies in from tree with part of a fish. she drops it and the foster grabs it and begins self feeding! foster is only 5-6 weeks old. it eats the fish including the tail. I have never seen a young chick do this before, the adult still feeds at this age. Most alarming I see a puncture wound on the lower left abdomen of the adult female.I go home and contact US F&W biologist working with me on the foster nest. He says go check the nest to see what is happening. As I approach the nest from water I see a dead chick in the marsh grass under the platform. Use mirror to look into nest and see foster chick looks healthy and one other chick appears to be dead and covered slightly by nest material. I email the biologist. He says "lots of drama at that nest"...sure is. We are wondering if the natural parents of the foster chick are causing the aggression as they may hear it call for fish, or is there something else, other osprey or other airborn predators?
unable to count 3 chicks today. report is the runt is now very inactive, rarely see, I did not see it at all. and not much feeding by adult female with no male seen today.
3 chicks left alone off and on all day today. no male seen, just occasional female flies over and then back to tree. it is very hot.
6 pm no adult on nest again, then male flew over with fish, landed briefly then took fish to far pines. eagle flew overhead which brought the female from somewhere.
The foster continues to do well while the runt is beginning to catch up in size to its natural sibling. The entire group looks so young in comparison to the many other osprey chicks along the creek. The runt is very spunky and is often seen getting fed now directly in the middle of the 3 chicks all lined up for fish. I have not seen nest aggression recently. I rarely see the adult male though and I believe he is a younger male as he does not seem to bring as much fish and he does not guard near the nest site.In fact he is rarely visible. Hopefully he is not attempting to care for 2 nest sites but I do see him fly off through some thick pine growth and head up creek in the evening after he occasionally drops of fish. It appears the chicks are hungry but they are growing and so far dealing with the extreme heat. The adult female is very attentive and shades as best as she can. Last night she was off the nest for about 15 minutes just at sunset. She flew to the nest from the same area of thick pines I saw the male sitting in today. Dangerous for the adults to be so far from the nest.
This nesting pair was chosen to foster a single chick from Power Point (6453). Chicks ages are a bit younger with one clearly a runt but at 1pm foster was introduced into nest, female was back on nest in a minute and began shading. At 3 pm I checked nest via boat and saw male with fish on favorite tree and female was calling for fish. Another osprey dive bombed the nest causing the male to fly over with fish and start defending and as the interloper left the area the male brought fish in nest and female began feeding. I was able to see all 3 chicks. The foster was not begging for food and was very active and hanging near the male, very alert. It appeared that he was fed earlier because with his larger size he could dominate.. The 2 original chicks were also very alert, including the runt, and female was feeding both. A few minutes later another or same interloper dived the nest once again and perhaps coincidently flew away and over to Power Point area. I can not help wondering if this might be a parent of the foster and could it have heard its own chick calling for food? Just before sunset I drove to a spot to watch the nest again and the female was feeding. No male was around but in a few minutes he flew to his tree with another fish. I am hoping this is a good sign and this male will be a good provider for all 3 chicks.
both adults very attentive on the nest
I was pretty sure there were chicks on the 17 of June because the female was so fussy on the nest but finally today I was able to confirm it when both adults were at the nest and female was feeding young.
Hatchlings are due in a week or so and the female is deep in the nest with what seems like no disturbance even with the weekend jet ski highway...yay!
incubating quietly with no disturbance from the boats and jet skis! the busy weekend is upon us and although this pair is a little behind I am super happy they are off the water!
one brought seaweed while one sat in the pines
I am starting to see some digging deep in the nest and both spending more time on the nest. hoping they incubate soon as otherwise any chicks will be at a huge disadvantage. most female adult osprey head south from our area in late August.
I have been checking this pair daily and they are on the new platform, occasionally bringing nest material and getting acclimated. today both were at the nest at sunset, one on the t perch and one in the nest. I still have not seen them digging into the nest material, a sign I usually see just before incubating.
both on nest today, one was in the nest and one on the tall t perch.
I watched both osprey on the platform perches today, one was on the t-perch and the other on a new shorter thicker type perch I am trying out for first time. then one, I think it was the male but not 100% certain, flew over to the waters edge and grabbed a large mess of seaweed and took it to nest, then off again for a branch. so they are getting more serious about nest building, I hope they start incubating soon but I am glad they are at least settled on their new much safer home for the 2017 crazy hordes of boating/skiing don't care about the environment onslaught.
the pair is on the nest, continuing to bring nest material and spending time on their favorite nearby pine tree perch. no signs of incubating.
this morning between 11:00-noon we placed a new osprey, DE design, platform in the marsh west of CM 9A. The homeless osprey circled as we completed the construction. about 30 minutes later we went back via boat to check on the pair and both were on the new platform. the male is rt . leg banded. I watched him make 4 trips with new nest material and touch and go bonding on his mates back. I went back from 4:00 till 5:00 and the female was on the nest. the male flew in with a fish and perched in a pine tree very close to me. close enough that I could see one number on his leg band, the number 8...if the darn pine branch wasn't in the way I believe I could have read his band number! He ate about 3/4 of the fish while the female called to him. eventually she flew to a different pine tree grove and he flew over to the channel marker piling and ate the rest of the fish. he did not share with his mate! when he finished he flew along the water line, dipping and cleaning his talons, then he returned to the new nest. by then I had to leave but I clearly saw his leg band each time and there were no other osprey challenging for the piling or new nesting platform. a very successful day. finally this pair can nest in peace free of jet ski hell. for anyone who might actually read these diaries I beg of you, do not place osprey platforms on top of channel markers, especially where the water way is busy with recreational activities. people do not respect these amazing birds. people mistakenly believe ospreys are immune to stress or harassment. I see the effects of human ignorance. the chicks suffer. if you can not place a platform in a safe location, one that is nearby a channel marker, then place an excluder on the channel marker. it is better the osprey move elsewhere to nest. osprey are not entertainment. they are magnificent water warriors who deserve respect and privacy. end of sermon.
both osprey are still perching on top of the bare piling. it looks like they have tried to place nest material and it is hanging on the CM sign. I am heartened they are still guarding the marsh territory adjacent to their old nest. we are ready to place a platform tomorrow, all received all necessary permissions and red cedar DE design platform is build and ready for installation.
April 13 at 1:45 I was monitoring this nesting platform that is on a channel marker on White Creek. Both osprey were on the platform and I noticed the nest was getting very large. I thought well that could be good because as they incubate they will be so deep they wont be bothered by the constant roar of jet skis and boats passing so close to them. I decided to drive around to see CM 11 which is the platform just past them and arrived there at 2 pm because I spent a few minutes checking another nest (171) along the way. As soon as I pulled up to look at CM 11 I saw that the CM9A platform was gone and one osprey was sitting on the bare piling. I saw the platform floating down the creek!!! It was unbelievable. I had just missed seeing it fall. I called the man who built the platform, went home, got my kayak and retrieved the fallen platform as we wanted to see why it broke. The collar was split and the braces are still hanging on the piling. the nest debris field was about 1'2 mile along the creek. The osprey pair, male is rt. leg banded, has remained on the piling and they are trying to rebuild a nest. the female cries a lot. the male is stuffing nest material down along the broken braces but no nest material has stuck to the top of the piling. We have secured permission to place a new platform directly across the narrow channel from the marker, this new platform will be safely set back in the marsh, in this pairs territory. We hope to get it up in the next few days and will hope the pair relocates off the piling. This could be a blessing in disguise for this beleaguered pair.
still not settled down, one eating fish on the nest today and did not see the mate.
did not see any osprey at the nest today
one osprey was on the nest around 5 pm when a second osprey flew onto its back and they tumbled off the nest taking sticks with them. they proceeded to battle in the air along with 2 other osprey. the other pair may be from Power point nest next door as no birds were on that nest but I can not be sure. eventually one osprey went to the favorite guard snag used each year by the 9A osprey and the other 3 spreys flew off to places unknown. the creek nest sites are now almost 100% full of spreys. the only nest platforms remaining are BM#3 and WPT 180. both platforms are very close to others and may be just too tight for new arrivals but lets see how the sub adults shake things up when they arrive...
no incubating as of today....lots of new nest material
I can confirm both osprey on the nest. Later one flew off toward the bay.
2:15 pm, two ospreys on 9A nest site, both facing into the wind as if bracing against it..super windy day on the water. 1 osprey eating fish, temp 39, NNW 20mph, sunshine. The birds body language was one of comfort so I am starting the nest activity report. usually if an interloper lands on a nest with a female that belongs on the nest the interloper shows submissive behavior, bowed head and very still. these 2 osprey were "home" :)
First I have seen the osprey on the nest. today at 5:20 osprey was on t-perch of platform. I suspected it was 9A bird on 3-17 because of the tendency for this nest pair to use the nearby snag as a guard perch.Bird was calling over to the osprey at nearby channel marker 11.
First clear day following a nor'easter storm. 6pm I see one osprey, appears to be female, perched in the snag commonly used by 9A osprey nesting pair.
I continue to see a few fledglings on the snag or pine near the nest and then on 8-15-16 I see a fledgling bring a fish to the snag as the adult male looks on. And that's the last I see the youngsters but the adult pair remains on the snag perch at sunset until the last sighting from my boat on 9-10-16. The 9A adult female was one of the final females to migrate. Her male left around 9-14-16 and he was one of the male group that enjoyed quiet sunsets guarding territories together. This is my last log for the 2016 osprey nesting season. I monitored 42 nest sites this year, my fourth year of monitoring for DE Fish and Wildlife, my sixth year of enjoying them in large numbers just outside my home windows and I am now a full time osprey advocate. Those of us that truly see these spectacular raptors must do whatever we can to help them thrive in a world that appears to value the environment and wildlife less with each passing generation. This nesting family, 122 IB, CM 9A, #6232 nest on this osprey watch site, is a perfect example of the stresses ospreys are facing in growing degrees each season. We can not assume that because osprey nest close to human activity that they are immune to it. As an indicator species they show us more than just where fresh healthy fish are. If we really see them we will see they teach us so much more. Please help to spread the word for ethical wildlife viewing. Use a scope, binoculars or a zoom lens on your cameras. Love the "Spreys", but stay back and give them some room to soar.
Empty nest!!! all 3 have fledged! Freedom from harassment!!! Congratulations, what an achievement..they perservered and can soar now.
At sunset I saw 1 fledgling on the top of a nearby snag, both adults in the closer lollibolly pine tree and 2 chicks on the nest.
so here I am watching the 3 chicks on the nest and then it starts to rain and I see a bird fly off the nest and do some touch and go's over the water. Meanwhile I notice the adult female is over at the water's edge soaking her talons and the adult male is perched on his favorite tree and I say wait a minute...that is a fledgling and not a newbie by the looks of those touch and go's! That babe is play fishing! So surprise surprise we have a young osprey finally free of the jet ski harassment!! But the other 2 still stayed on the nest when the harassment started- even in the rain. I am assuming only one has fledged but its still too early to say for sure.
I will need to add a condensed dairy of this nest at a later time because its quite miraculous that these 3 chicks are about ready to fledge. They just might make it in spite of the jet-ski race course that is their waterway. All 3 chicks are doing well and seemingly well fed by their often stressed and flushed mother. Female adult was in the nearby tree and 3 chicks in nest after sunset with illegal jet-skis (no lights, no spotters for slalom, continuously circling the nest platform) and the beat goes on for this osprey family. Where is the marine police?
This pair is still feeding and shading chicks. I have seen 2 heads at various times. It was a tough weekend for the pair and I will show the reasons why the odds are stacked against them raising their young to fledge.
5/28/16: Throughout the day today this area is under assault from continuous jet skis rocketing at high speeds past the nesting platform. The birds repeatedly fly off and on the nest. At 7 pm I drive to a parking lot where I have direct view of the nest and the creek cove where the majority of jet ski people reside/vacation. 7:03 The male osprey brings a fish to the nest and begins to tear at the fish and then gives it to the female who is down in the nest with the chicks. She doesn't eat. She is nervously looking up and down the creek. 7:04 a large 3 person jet ski exits the Piney Point lagoon and heads straight for the nest platform on channel marker 9A, circles it once and then begins making large circles next to the platform. Then it goes back and circles the platform again spraying the platform and causing one of the ospreys to fly off the nest but the bird returns to the nest immediately. The jet ski passes again and heads out the creek. 7:07 the jet ski is back and circles the nest again causing one osprey to fly off the nest taking the fish with it. Jet ski then starts making large circles next to the platform but not around it. 7:08 the jet ski flies past the nest again and then cuts in front of an approaching boat. the jet ski has 2 kids along with the adult driver. the jet ski spins continuously near the nest. This is a very large loud jet ski with the high "Rooster tail" water spray out the back. 7:09 The second osprey with the fish returns to the nest. 2 more jet skis approach and fly by the nest while the large jet ski continues spinning in circles nearby. I wonder at this point if the ospreys can eat this evening and can they feed and thus hydrate the chicks before night fall? How can they thermo-regulate these tiny chicks in their care with all this non stop commotion. And this is a relatively quiet day for a weekend and holiday! But back to jet ski timeline- Now it is 7:14, the birds still have not eaten and here comes the large jet ski again, this time jumping a wake behind a boat, speeding within 10 feet of the marsh and it is low tide, extremely low tide! 7:16 its is back and making circles at the nest platform. 7:18 it flies past the platform and sprays the nest with it's high Rooster Tail. Both birds flinch but they do not fly off the nest. I am amazed! 7:20 the jet ski is back roaring past the nest and this time one osprey flies off. 7:22 the jet ski heads back into the lagoon at Piney Point. The male osprey flies over to the edge of the marsh to wash his feet and I finally see the female osprey begin to eat and feed the chicks. It took her 19 minutes to start to feed her chicks before dark, a critical time of the day for the chicks to get nourishment. And as I mentioned, this is a slower day on the water! But wait, now it is 7:28 and just as I finish my notes here comes the large jet ski again!!! It heads straight for the nest platform once more and roars past as the female jerks her head up and begins to lift off the nest but she quickly lands and starts to ravenously tear at the fish just as the large jet ski flies by again and this time with 2 new passengers. Its almost sunset and I must leave but I know the jet ski will be illegally out after dark because its summer time on White's Creek.
Jet-skis passing the nest repeatedly today. Birds off the nest.
The jetski disturbance has started. Late this afternoon I visited the site via boat and watched the female who was shading chicks on the nest let out a warning call to every boat that passed. Her mate was in the nearby marsh tree line.In the evening 3 jet-skis made repeated passes close to the platform and both osprey were flying around excitedly. Just before sunset I checked the nest again and both were on the nest. Tomorrow starts the Memorial Day rush of water recreaters. I hope this year the female will be tougher as other nearby ospreys nesting on channel markers usually are. It is possible that the more seasoned and mature pairs acclimate to the activity but for some reason, most likely the narrow area of the channel to marsh where this nest is creates a stress response when motorized water craft approach so closely at such a high speed and emit high decible of noise and tall water spray that occasionally hits the platform.
One osprey on the nest perch and one shading chicks in the middle of the nest. Pretty quiet on the water channel today with just a few pontoon boats and jet skis passing the nest. So far the pair has not been flushed too often but a busy weekend is looming. fingers crossed that the pair nurtures the chicks through the Memorial Day crush of water traffic.
Took the boat by this platform and the female was in the nest and did not fly out when I passed in the channel nor did she fly when another boat passed. The pair has a very high nest this season that may afford them more security. It was mid 70's today so the female was shading chicks.
Today the pair was feeding chicks! He brought fish twice while I watched from the shoreline. She ate and fed chicks and then settled back deep into the substantial nest material. I hope its deep enough to keep her feeling safe when the jetskis arrive later this week!
Chicks are due and they have been fussing in the nest more than usual. But today it is pouring rain and the female is deep in the nest while the male either sits on the nest perch or as hard as it was for me to believe, he decided to search for nest material in a downpour. Maybe he knows the chicks are imminent and must keep busy:)
Pair continues to incubate but they will fly off nest with any boat or other water recreational traffic. Last year they abandoned chicks about one week after they hatched.
One incubating and one guarding on nearby tree perch.
Today I witnessed the female off the eggs and perched on the T-perch and along came her mate and they copulated. Then he flew off and she hung out on the perch for a minute or two and then appeared to settle back onto the eggs. I have never seen this behavior once the birds are incubating so who knows what may be happening in the nest. Last season she could not tolerate all the jet ski action and perhaps this year she may not have eggs..stay tuned.
So far this pair continues to incubate with the occasional boat and kayak traffic. They will leave eggs for short periods of time as the boat passes but return back to the nest quickly.
Warm day and first day to witness a jet ski flush one of the pair off nest. I am actually hoping they do not nest this year as it is very sad to see them abandon chicks.
High risk channel marker platform nest that is frequently disturbed by boats, crabbers and especially circling jet ski traffic. Chicks were abandoned during 2015 nesting season.