Nickname
Buckeye Partners Platform
Coordinates
(36.7853, -76.3015)
Substrate
Osprey Nest Platform
Description
On waterfront. Just discovered today. May be a new install as I'd never seen it before and am very familiar with the area.
Followers
None
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 - Dave Gibson | 2021 - Dave Gibson | 2020 - Dave Gibson | 2019 - Dave Gibson | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aAdult Arrival | 3/1/23 | 2/28/21 | 2/28/21 | 3/30/19 |
| aOccupied | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| aActive | ||||
| bEgg Laying | ||||
| bIncubation Initiation | 3/22/23 | |||
| cClutch Hatching | 5/1/23 | |||
| dNestlings | 2 | 1 | ||
| eFledglings | 2 | 1 | ||
| eFirst Chick Fledging | 7/2/23 | |||
| fChicks Last Observed | ||||
| xNest Failure | ||||
| xReason For Nest Failure |
Select Seasons
Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Activity reports
2019 Nest Activity Report by Dave Gibson
| Adult arrival | 03/30/2019 | Nestlings | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 1 |
| 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 Dave Gibson
| Adult arrival | 02/28/2021 | Nestlings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | No | Fledglings | |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | ||
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | Nest failure | ||
| Clutch hatching | Reason for nest failure |
2021 Nest Activity Report by Dave Gibson
| Adult arrival | 02/28/2021 | 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 |
2023 Nest Activity Report by Dave Gibson
| Adult arrival | 03/01/2023 | Nestlings | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Occupied | Yes | Fledglings | 2 |
| Nest Active | First chick fledging | 07/02/2023 | |
| Egg laying | Chicks last observed | ||
| Incubation initiation | 03/22/2023 | Nest failure | |
| Clutch hatching | 05/01/2023 | Reason for nest failure |
Photos of this nest
Nesting Diaries
07/04/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited in the a.m. One of the juveniles has fledged. When I arrived, it was perched on the unused Buckeye Partners Osprey nest platform (the one closest to Kinder Morgan). The other juvenile was still in the nest but flapped repeatedly and went airborne a few times (see photo #8). The female parent was nearby, and the male parent was in the vicinity.
07/01/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited in the a.m. The female left the nest briefly to either get some nesting material or a snake, I couldn't tell which. The male was around as were some other Ospreys. I don't think the 2 juveniles have fledged.
06/24/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited this a.m. It was hot, and because of heat distortion, I wasn't able to take good photos. The female and juveniles were in the nest. I don't think the juveniles have fledged.
06/19/2023 by Dave Gibson
Visited in a.m. Female was on a perch (part of the platform) and juveniles were in the nest. One of the juveniles did a lot of flapping but I didn't see it go airborne/hover. It's likely incubation initiation and clutch hatching occurred earlier than I thought. More likely 3/22 and 5/1.
06/11/2023 by Dave Gibson
Was able to get close enough to the nest to take some good photos. There are 2 healthy chicks there. The 5/18 clutch hatching date is a guess (as was the incubation initiation date).
04/22/2023 by Dave Gibson
The male delivered a long piece of rope to the nest, which already consists of landscape cloth and maybe a pipe. Nest building continues.
04/15/2023 by Dave Gibson
I noted in eBird on 4/15 that the female is incubating. My guess is incubation began around 4/8.
03/26/2023 by Dave Gibson
Both male and female were on the nest when I arrived this a.m. I watched the male as he hunted and brought in nesting material.
03/05/2023 by Dave Gibson
Discovered a pair on the nest this a.m. I assume they'd arrived earlier. The female stayed on the platform, while the male both hunted and brought nesting material to the nest. The nest needs to be rebuilt.
02/28/2021 by Dave Gibson
Observed a newly arrived male on the nest. It appeared he had added a few sticks.
07/27/2019 by Dave Gibson
Observed today. The nest is flat and all are gone. I assume the nestling has fledged.
07/07/2019 by Dave Gibson
Observed this a.m. There is one large chick in the nest. While I was in the Money Point marsh and well over 200 feet away, the adult female flew from the nest 3 or 4 times and buzzed me, talons down, giving those grating alarm calls. She'd spotted me and obviously considered me a threat.
05/04/2019 by Dave Gibson
Have observed a # of times since 4/08. Female is always hunkered down. One time, though, male and female switched off, and male brooded eggs. Today, observed male bring a long rope to the nest. So, nest-building continues. Hatchlings due soon, I expect.
04/08/2019 by Dave Gibson
Was showing Laura Mae around the Kinder Morgan property and Elizabeth River Project restoration site when we spotted this platform and occupied nest. We observed one of the birds bringing nesting material to same. The 2 birds we saw could be the same birds that abandoned the "boom nest" just downriver.