Nesting Diaries
male arrived 3-10-22, female at nest today, male bringing in gifts of nest material
massive storm yesterday and i see both chicks fledged successfully today, both on docks
3 good looking osprey chicks being shaded today. Been a few years since this senior pair has done this well, i like to think its the new platform we gave them this winter!
feeding observed even with a jet ski using the pole as a race course turn around
happy to see both a nest, one feeding
incubation continues even with heavy jet ski action
confirmed incubation at 4pm today
no incubation as of 5 pm today
both on nest at 4 pm, hot 78, S 20 mph winds
5:15 today, both ospreys on nest, not incubating yet, 64, S 7 mph, suns and some clouds
female was quite fussy in the nest today, i expect incubation early. nest looks high
Both at nest. female confirmed on nest yesterday, did not confirm male until today, he was on nest then flew to his guard tree west side of waterway. SSW 18 mph, clear skies, 3:30 pm. Platform has much more nest material today, they have been busy. Both were likely here since yesterday. They are on schedule!
rebuild nesting platform today. used 2 boats and a recycled smaller platform from james farm eco preserve. adult male did a few fly overs as we were finishing the project.
i believe the adult male has migrated as I have not seen him in a few weeks but today, an immature bald eagle was perched on the ospreys fave spot
adult male still in tree near nest, platform must be rebuilt this coming winter as its broken into pieces
adults remain in trees to west of nest site, platform is falling apart and must be rebuilt this fall
adults remain at nearby woods and one soaring over the nest today
saw no activity at nest today
female standing on side of nest for over 30 minutes this evening, did not see feeding behavior or mate, there should be hatchlings, this nesting may have failed.
female still deep in the nest, have not confirmed hatchlings
should see feeding behavior any day now
one incubating today, platform is falling apart, side board and perch hanging off the side of the structure. I pray the platform holds thru this nest season.
one still incubating after yesterdays intense storm
3 huge chicks in the nest this evening along with momma on the platform t perch, did not see papa. i suspect they will fly soon if they havent snuck in a first flight already.
the weeds are starting to grow again in this nest, and it crowds the chicks. but otherwise they look great
thought there was just 2 chicks until today when surprise, there are 3 and they all look to be about same size!
looks like just the 2 chicks, and they are growing fast now
seeing 2 chicks past 2 days as i go by in my boat, may still be a 3rd....
with so much wind and rain, i think the hatch date may be a few days late but confident there are hatchlings
saw both at nest and i believe they were feeding but when i got closer the second had flown off, one was very deep as it was raining
incubating, mate not seen
could not confirm a bird in the nest today, very misty foggy day, sure hope they are still incubating, past few years has been tough for this pair
probably started incubation a few days earlier but this is first i confirmed it
both on nest, one digging deep, may be eggs soon...
digging deep in nest today, i expect incubation soon
digging deep in nest today, i expect incubation soon
both osprey at nest today, one bringing in nest material
adult male in his fave tree alone today
both adults together in their tree
one eating in the trees across from the nest today.i saw both eating a few days ago but i suspect now that this female may have left....
one adult in far tree eating fish today
2 adults were finishing eating on the nest and as my boat approached they both flew off and dragged their talons along the waters surface to clean and then they went to their fave trees to perch.
both adults still spending time perched in their favorite trees along the creek
female flew to the nest and landed briefly today before a jetski flushed her off the nest and she flew back over to the trees.
Adult pair is continuing to spend most of their time in the trees on the west side of the creek. The adult female takes a spin around the nest from time to time and will perch on the nest but with increasing boat and jet-ski traffic she doesn't stay there long.
Heavy boat traffic day on the water and both adults in the shade of their favorite pine trees along the creek bank.
rarely seeing either of the osprey on the nest platform, did see one on the t perch briefly today, they are normally perched in the pine tree grove to the west of the water.
rarely seeing either of the osprey on the nest platform, did see one on the t perch briefly today, they are normally perched in the pine tree grove to the west of the water.
the morning of may 13th, following a very heavy night storm. just the female was on the nest perch. since then the pair has been at the nest but no signs of incubation. I believe they abandoned the nest during the storm and the eggs were lost.
pair continues to incubate and with the less than perfect weather the boats and crabbers have stayed away.
this pair continues to incubate without too much disturbance. so far no crab pots at the channel marker pole and few boats passing the platform. however we are having some warm weather and this may bring in more boaters over the weekend. some rain is forecast so that may keep the large numbers of boats and jetskiis away for another week. I expect this pair should have chicks in that time.
I check this nest pair frequently as they have had seasons with commercial crabbing boats disturb them but so far they are incubating apparently with no issue as I see no crab pots at the channel marker. yet
incubation most likely a bit earlier than i noted...visibility was not in my favor.but behavior showed it was probable. this is a senior pair, they get right down to business as long as they don't have commercial crabbers bothering them.
possibly this pair is incubating.. i will try to confirm with my spotting scope tmr but today i think i saw the white head very low in the nest and the male was guarding in a pine tree across the creek. 2 days ago I watched the female digging deep and fussing alot deep in the nest usually a sign she is getting ready to lay eggs.
Today was the first day I confirmed both adult osprey on nest. Yesterday one was on the nest and then flew up to chase an immature eagle out of the territory. Today the smaller lighter male osprey was in the shallow water bathing near the nest platform and the female was in the nest eating. I assume he had brought her a fish as this is usually a very mature pair at this site and with such an early arrival I can assume its the same pair from 2017 season.Not long after he finished his bath he returned and sat in the nest with his mate.
end of season: adult male last seen in the trees on8-26-17. this was a fun group to watch by boat, the juveniles often would play fight over the nest area. they did really well this year inspite of all the boat and jet ski activity, and crab pots at their pole.
morning boat ride past the nest and tree line where this family hangs out and there are still at least 2 fledglings coming and going and one adult male.
Late day boat ride past the platform and I was delighted to watch 2 of the 3 fledglings play fight in the sky over my head. They swooped and charged one another for about 10 minutes, each one practicing both offensive and defensive maneuvers. It is starting to feel like osprey season 2017 is winding down except I have 5 nest sites with chicks still not flying, maybe its the strangely cool weather and north winds...the adult females at some older nests may have left for migration and it isn't August yet...
all 3 show up on the nest once and awhile, the adults are mostly in the west trees across the creek as are the fledged young. they are getting very dark in color and harder to see from parents.
only seeing 1 chick lately but the bush that grows on this nest is getting huge again this season, rarely see the male, he sits deep in trees across creek
3 large chicks visible on nest with adult female last evening, this evening at sunset just one chick visible with the adult female. I have not seen the adult male in a few days
June 2, 3 chicks visible. June 9, 2 chicks visible, June 17, 2 chicks visible, June 20 1 chick visible. The plant material that grows in this nest every year is getting thicker and it makes it hard to see the chicks but I wonder if it may be a hazard for them also.
2 chicks visible today as I passed CM 11 in my boat.
female on edge of nest when I arrived and suddenly another osprey flew onto her and they scuffled briefly into the air, she came back to nest and another osprey flew over her. she sat on guard for a few minutes while the offending pair went to a new nearby duck blind. doesn't appear they have a nest but they are just harassing. soon her mate flew in with a big fish and I watched her begin feeding. for sure I saw 2 little heads, possibly 3 chicks!
on the 19th I watched adult feeding chicks and did not see second adult, on the 21st I saw just one adult at the nest. heavy rains today and for the next 2-3 days may be a concern for the newly hatched chicks along the creek
I watched the male bring fish and the female feeding today and by the amount of time she was feeding and not deep in the nest I am now certain she had at least one hatchling yesterday as I previously wrote. Now my concern is once again the numerous crab pots anchored right at the platform/piling. one appears to be tied to the piling and if it is this is illegal and would indicate a boater is using the piling to stabilize the boat while the crab pots are being emptied and refilled with bait. this is the disturbance this pair experienced in 2016 and why I believe they abandoned their eggs. so with a busy holiday approaching I hope people will not disturb this nesting pair. heat wave is approaching and these chicks will not be able to tolerate long periods without shade or feeding by adults. the coast guard and marine police need to discourage and educate about this frequent problem on the creek. there is plenty of water available to place crab pots away from nesting migratory birds.
I am checking this site daily but have not seen any feeding behavior, the ospreys are still deep in nest. There is some fussiness with nest material, may be one hatchling...just need to keep my eyes on these 2. If no chicks soon then my incubation date was not correct.
so far so good on this platform. I expect to see chick feeding behavior by May 13th, at least I sure hope so that the chicks have 2 weeks before the onslaught of jet skiis, clammers and water ski traffic swarms this platform on a channel marker in a ridiculously busy narrow creek.
could see the female in the nest today and the male was across the creek perched in his fave pine tree
I think all is well at this nest but with the lean, the perch and the growing nest substrate it can be hard to confirm. we are having driving rains today, second day of rain with a few more days to come, I hope all the incubating osprey can keep their eggs dry. this constant rain is an egg killer for sure!
lots of crab traps but still incubating.
well after seeing a few other pairs off their eggs I am not too confident but for now it appears all is well and incubating continues. however I am starting to see the crab traps extremely close to their channel marker nest that I believe caused the pair to abandon their nest in 2016.
I waited to confirm incubation because sometimes in windy weather the females will lay deep in the nest, and I believe they do this very close to egg laying time. Its possible this pair started incubating a few days ago but they are my second pair already on eggs. This pair incubated fairly early in 2016 too and were off their eggs in mid April- I believe due to people crabbing at their nest site. Hope they can incubate in peace this year.
2 birds on the nest today, after south winds seem to have brought many osprey to the area. today one was on the nest perch and second bird brought nest material.
One osprey on the nest again today, 12:30, S winds at 11mph, temp 55...could be a visitor or perhaps one of the pair has been here and just not spending a lot of time on the nest. today the osprey appeared to be laying down..maybe a resting migrator???
5:20 pm today the first osprey seen on this platform.Temp 52,NE 4 mph,sunny and great visibility.Osprey standing on the ever leaning nest platform t-perch.
This pair remained through August but the perched mainly in the tree line across the west side of the creek. Once I saw them come by with nest material but they didn't place it on their platform nest, they just flew it to the trees. The area remained full of crab traps, jet skis, kayakers and general vacationers craziness all season. I wonder how they can settle down to nest in the future with yet another Schell Brothers Community named Solitude (ha!) coming further down the creek. More large boats with powerful engines flying past this channel marker nest. No one should ever build a platform on a channel marker, it is not safe for the birds, period!
Today as I passed on my boat both ospreys were on the nest T perch, side by side, just hanging out. they have been copulating once in awhile and fluffing nest material but I doubt they will attempt to renest. I am certain this is a very mature pair that unfortunately had a person drop crab traps, numerous crab traps, right alongside their platform. And the crab traps are still there. why not put the traps a few hundred feet away? There certainly is plenty of water space to give the ospreys space! sad that this had to happen but better before the chicks hatched I guess.
Again today there was one osprey on the nest perch. I imagine the pair will hang around the remainder of the season as most failed nest pairs often do this and especially to guard territory with all the extra pairs looking for nest sites nearby.
One osprey hanging out on the nest perch.
Beautiful warm sunny day on the water and the pair was on the nest with the male giving chase to the interloping osprey pair that is now hanging out nearby. In fact there were quite a few ospreys kettling up above. The creek has more osprey attempting to nest on boat roofs and just soaring through the area than I can ever remember seeing in past seasons. White Creek could become an osprey sanctuary if people cared to study and protect them.
Well just when I count this pair out they return to the nest...or some pair was on the nest today. And they were copulating on the nest perch and bringing nest material. Maybe the original pair will re-nest!!! It is getting late but there have been chicks fledged in late August in seasons past. It can't be good for the fledglings but I suppose if both adults stay later into the season and the fall weather holds up maybe the young can migrate successfully. Lets see what happens on this busy location.
I waited till now to list the nest as failed because there was time for the pair to re-nest. However there has been little activity at the platform and someone is tending crab pots directly at the nest site and the weather has been poor so I now doubt they will re-nest this season. I also wonder if they may not have a second nest site as I have seen them flying into a wooded area west of the creek. Maybe it is time to consider taking the osprey platforms off the channel markers at White Creek. The area is developing at a rapid rate causing increasing boat, jetski and recreational activities. It is a very narrow creek at this area, as well as this channel marker is the stopping place for waterskiing and there are not any no wake signs so the water-craft are traveling at higher speeds than the birds may tolerate.There is adequate marsh areas to rehome this colony.
No osprey, crab pots remain in water by platform.
No osprey, crab pots remain
One on nest perch and crab pots remaining nearby. More boat and jetski traffic.
One on the nest perch and crab pots still surrounding the platform
Just one bird on the attached perch.
Once in awhile I see a bird or two on the platform but rarely. Usually there are crows or gulls and that is never a good sign at this time of year. I believe the pair has abandoned this platform. They may be a bit further west in the tree area, perhaps even building a second nest, but I can not confirm. I do believe the reason for the nest failure is the 8 crab pots surrounding the channel marker and platform. They have been in the same location for days.If someone is tending that many traps at a time and or tying onto the platform, it would definitely cause the incubating birds to abandon the eggs. This pair was one of the earliest to arrive and incubate and thus I am certain it is the same senior pair who has occupied this site for many years. Normally they can handle human disturbance but no birds will tolerate someone right at the nest for long periods during incubation. I wish there was a state program to educate the public about the birds vulnerability. I see it getting worse each year as the population swells and the shoreline is increasingly developed. Jet skis are not following speed laws or no wake laws near shore and enjoy running White's Creek as a race course for hours each day.People use the channel markers with osprey platforms to tie onto for fishing and crabbing.Delaware could really create a fine platform adoption and stewardship program. NJ has been doing it for years.
Oh no, I think the nest has failed but will check it again tomorrow. I see only one bird on the perch, no birds in the nest. Another osprey flew onto the nest carrying nest material and the bird on the nest didn't fight it off, and then the nest carrying bird flew off towards the nearby tree area followed in about 1 minute by the perch bird. Then about 5 minutes later one bird returned and perched on the platform t perch once again. I can only imagine what could have occurred. there has been many eagles, both adult and youngsters, and newly arriving sub adult osprey, plus more boaters etc. on the water. I hope they re-nest, there is still time....
Pair has tolerated occasional boats and kayakers and continues to incubate and eat fish nearby.
First nest pair on White's creek to begin incubating! Their nesting platform is very old and always overgrown with weeds. It did not take them long to clean house and get down to business!