Nickname
Pam and Jim's Place
Coordinates
(36.8699, -76.0768)
Substrate
Osprey Nest Platform
Description
Gill's Cove
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
| 2019 - Reese | 2019 - Lissa | 2018 - Reese | 2018 - Lissa | 2017 - Lissa | 2016 - Lissa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 3/16/19 | 3/30/18 | 3/27/17 | 4/20/16 | ||
| aOccupied | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| aActive | ||||||
| bEgg Laying | 4/1/19 | 4/19/18 | 5/10/17 | |||
| bIncubation Initiation | 4/2/19 | 4/19/18 | 5/12/17 | |||
| cClutch Hatching | 5/2/19 | 5/30/18 | ||||
| dNestlings | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| eFledglings | 2 | |||||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | 7/11/19 | 7/23/18 | ||||
| fChicks Last Observed | 10/10/18 | |||||
| xNest Failure | ||||||
| xReason For Nest Failure |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2019 2018 2017 2016
Activity reports
2016 Nest Activity Report by Lissa
| Adult arrival | 04/20/2016 | 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 |
2017 Nest Activity Report by Lissa
| Adult arrival | 03/27/2017 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | 05/10/2017 | Chicks last observed | |
| Incubation initiation | 05/12/2017 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2018 Nest Activity Report by Reese
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Reese
| Adult arrival | Nestlings | 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| 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 Lissa
| Adult arrival | 03/30/2018 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/23/2018 | |
| Egg laying | 04/19/2018 | Chicks last observed | 10/10/2018 |
| Incubation initiation | 04/19/2018 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 05/30/2018 | Reason for nest failure |
2019 Nest Activity Report by Lissa
| Adult arrival | 03/16/2019 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/11/2019 | |
| Egg laying | 04/01/2019 | Chicks last observed | |
| Incubation initiation | 04/02/2019 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 05/02/2019 | Reason for nest failure |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
07/11/2019 by Lissa
As with last year, the initial osprey had a fight for the nest (March 18). 3 eggs were laid. Only two chicks made it. Both appear to be females. Reese Banded them...See note below.
06/07/2018 by Lissa
June 7th, mom feeding two chicks. Can barely see their bobble heads above the nest.
05/23/2018 by Lissa
About March 25 there appeared to be a pair on the nest. But they didn’t seem happy with one another. On March 28th an osprey dove down and attached one on the nest, throwing it into the water and tried repeatedly to drown it. This went on for about a half hour. Finally, the downed bird flew away and immediately a pair sat on the nest. My March 30th it appeared they were ready to lay eggs.
06/10/2017 by Lissa
Reese Lukei and his team came by yesterday and confirmed eggs, two, on this nest.
05/24/2017 by Lissa
No activity for weeks since the duck and the previous osprey both gave up. Now a new pair, maybe subadults, are hanging out. Female is missing a few wing feathers so is easy to ID. Male hangs in a tree close by. He brings here fish. We think they may have mated and she's sitting on eggs, but we're not sure.
03/28/2017 by Lissa
March 27th-Mallard hen on the nest in the AM. 4 osprey circling for hours. Hen snapped at them but eventually left. Pair of osprey now settling in. Some mating behavior yestday.
March 28-both osprey are on the nest this morning.
05/22/2016 by Lissa
Sub adult pair spending a lot of time at the platform, especially the female. She continues to squawk a lot, trying to get the male to bring sticks and fish. Today he got a big stick but dropped it well before the platform.Occasionally, a pair of mallards land and the osprey scare them away.
05/08/2016 by Lissa
Probably a sub-adult pair. Female at the platform a lot. Male comes and goes. Very little nest building happened. Interlopers seem to have moved on.
04/26/2016 by Lissa
Noticed a pair for 6 days in a row. Then finally the male bringing sticks and fish to the female. Now we have 1-3 interlopers.