Nickname
Henry's Nest/Oldenburg Road
Coordinates
(48.0869, -114.118)
Substrate
Osprey Nest Platform
Description
Nest on Henry Oldenberg's property
Followers
None
What to look for
Review All Observations
2016 - spartanmt2015 - spartanmt2014 - spartanmt2013 - spartanmt2012 - spartanmt
aAdult Arrival4/17/164/16/154/16/144/12/134/12/12
aOccupiedNoNoYesYesNo
aActive
bEgg Laying
bIncubation Initiation5/11/165/4/155/14/145/22/135/6/12
cClutch Hatching6/10/156/19/147/4/136/14/12
dNestlings2222
eFledglings222
eFirst Chick Fledging8/16/148/21/138/10/12
fChicks Last Observed9/22/149/26/139/17/12
xNest Failure5/27/167/21/15
xReason For Nest Failureotherunknown reason

Select Seasons

Show reports, diaries, and photos from:Current 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012

Activity reports

2012 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
Adult arrival04/12/2012Nestlings2
Nest OccupiedNoFledglings2
Nest Active First chick fledging08/10/2012
Egg layingChicks last observed09/17/2012
Incubation initiation05/06/2012Nest failure
Clutch hatching06/14/2012Reason for nest failure
2013 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
Adult arrival04/12/2013Nestlings2
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings2
Nest Active First chick fledging08/21/2013
Egg layingChicks last observed09/26/2013
Incubation initiation05/22/2013Nest failure
Clutch hatching07/04/2013Reason for nest failure
2014 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
Adult arrival04/16/2014Nestlings2
Nest OccupiedYesFledglings2
Nest Active First chick fledging08/16/2014
Egg layingChicks last observed09/22/2014
Incubation initiation05/14/2014Nest failure
Clutch hatching06/19/2014Reason for nest failure
2015 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
Adult arrival04/16/2015Nestlings2
Nest OccupiedNoFledglings
Nest Active First chick fledging
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiation05/04/2015Nest failure07/21/2015
Clutch hatching06/10/2015Reason for nest failureunknown reason
2016 Nest Activity Report by spartanmt
Adult arrival04/17/2016Nestlings
Nest OccupiedNoFledglings
Nest Active First chick fledging
Egg layingChicks last observed
Incubation initiation05/11/2016Nest failure05/27/2016
Clutch hatchingReason for nest failurebelieve it was a fierce hailstorm on 5/26 that may have destroyed the eggs, but not sure

Photos of this nest

Nesting Diaries

07/28/2016 by spartanmt
moving out of area next month, will be unable to complete my osprey nest monitoring :-(

07/21/2016 by spartanmt
empty

07/17/2016 by spartanmt
one osprey standing on nest

07/10/2016 by spartanmt
empty, single osprey across road eating a fish

07/07/2016 by spartanmt
empty, although an osprey is perched across the road watching the river, may belong here

06/26/2016 by spartanmt
empty

06/23/2016 by spartanmt
empty

06/19/2016 by spartanmt
one osprey eating fish on telephone pole across road from nest

06/17/2016 by spartanmt
one osprey standing on nest

06/13/2016 by spartanmt
one osprey standing on nest, looks like a male

06/10/2016 by spartanmt
no one around

06/06/2016 by spartanmt
empty nest. guess i'm going to have to mark this one as a failed nest this year :-(

06/04/2016 by spartanmt
nest looks empty, no one around

05/29/2016 by spartanmt
dad on platform perch, cannot see mom in the nest bowl, hopefully she's just low, but i don't know...

05/27/2016 by spartanmt
one standing in nest, calling. big hailstorm last night, worried that it might have destroyed eggs in some of my nests.

05/17/2016 by spartanmt
male on nearby telephone pole, could not locate mom in the nest

05/15/2016 by spartanmt
mom incubating

05/12/2016 by spartanmt
mom incubating, dad flies in w/stick, followed closely by 3rd osprey, dad drops stick on nest, mom stands up squawking, dad and 3rd osprey fly off somewhere, mom still standing in nest when i left

05/08/2016 by spartanmt
mom fussing in nest, then appears to squat, egg on the way?

05/06/2016 by spartanmt
one standing in nest

05/04/2016 by spartanmt
both at nest, whew

05/02/2016 by spartanmt
female in nest, an osprey sky dancing above the nest

04/29/2016 by spartanmt
finally, the pair is on the nest!

04/27/2016 by spartanmt
goose gone but no osprey around

04/26/2016 by spartanmt
goose standing up in nest, no osprey around

04/22/2016 by spartanmt
mama goose still on nest, no sign of an osprey nearby today

04/20/2016 by spartanmt
goose still in nest, no sign of osprey around it today

04/17/2016 by spartanmt
goose still in nest, but one adult osprey nearby, glaring - definitely the pops of this pair

04/15/2016 by spartanmt
two osprey flying around the goose still incubating in this nest. hard to tell if they are the resident pair, or ospreys from nearby nests that also have geese in them right now; however, i think at least one of them belongs with this nest.

09/06/2015 by spartanmt
empty

08/31/2015 by spartanmt
nobody around nest today

08/24/2015 by spartanmt
interesting, we have a pair on the nest this morning! no way of knowing if these two are the established pair, or if the established pair has given up/split up, and this is a new couple scoping out the nest for next year. it is nice to see activity either way.

08/19/2015 by spartanmt
sadly vacant

08/12/2015 by spartanmt
No one around

08/06/2015 by spartanmt
empty

08/02/2015 by spartanmt
mom was in this nest today, only briefly, saw us get out of vehicle and took off. couldn't see any part of a chick today

07/27/2015 by spartanmt
very sad, i could see the top of one chick's head in the nest this morning.

07/24/2015 by spartanmt
no activity around the nest; 2nd failed nest of the year - about 300 yards as the crow flies from my 1st failed nest. nest itself is intact, no chicks

07/21/2015 by spartanmt
something is wrong here. doug maccarter observed it yesterday and saw no action; i went out today twice and so no action either time. one adult was on power pole by fishing access and did start squawking when he/she saw me walk under the nest, but she never came over to chase me away, and i did not see any indication of nestlings during either visit. will try one more visit before marking this as a failed nest - would be my second of the season, don't have a clue what happened, nest itself is intact

07/16/2015 by spartanmt
both parents gone, one chick moving around nest

07/12/2015 by spartanmt
mom feeding the bigger chick, other chick laying low the entire time, did move a little closer once and got beak bonked

07/08/2015 by spartanmt
mom standing in nest, 2 nestlings moving around the bowl, preening. a very pesty tree swallow kept dive bombing mom for some reason, she just kept ducking...

07/01/2015 by spartanmt
mom and dad both in nest when i arrived, dad left shortly thereafter, mom is finishing a fish, one chick is up and moving around the nest bowl, no sign of 2nd chick. last week's record heat w/no rain has me worried for all the chicks...

06/27/2015 by spartanmt
looks like i missed breakfast again, and i'm here before 7:30! oh, well - mom finishing the fish, dad gone back to the river, chicks laying down/did not see

06/24/2015 by spartanmt
mom and dad both in nest, mom took off to stretch her wings, dad remained standing on nest - he has a full crop, chicks are most likely in food comas

06/21/2015 by spartanmt
finally observed two chicks, one quite large, at least a week old, probably more. mom was laying in nest when i arrived, didn't see bobbleheads until dad flew in with a stick, at which time mom got up, and the 2 chicks showed that they were laying together to the right of mom, not under her at all, very independent already...

06/19/2015 by spartanmt
doggone it, can't catch a glimpse of any chicks yet again today. tried a different angle with scope, mom left nest and circled around me, complaining. dad flew in a few moments later to assist. mom returned to nest and settled back down, not an incubation posture, but chick/s are not showing themselves again today...

06/15/2015 by spartanmt
it appears that i once again just missed a food drop. dad is on nest pole, mom is standing in nest, preening. i searched in vain for a bobblehead, i know there's got to be at least one in there, but still cannot confirm.

06/12/2015 by spartanmt
mom incubating, although observed her getting up and peering into nest bowl a couple of times. we have an osprey w/fish flying over this nest and the riverbank nest right now, creating quite the disturbance. male from this nest was flying around after him for quite some time before landing on his favorite post nearby. mom never got up, so apparently not too worried.

06/08/2015 by spartanmt
nest appeared empty when i first arrived, no movement detected. after a few minutes, got out of car and walked towards nest, still no sound. continued on driveway until i was directly under nest, still no warning call from above, but then a male osprey flew in from the west and started circling me, still not making any sounds. dad went and perched in nearby tree, i started walking back towards car, that's when i finally saw mom's head pop up out of a very deep nest cup. relief.

05/21/2015 by spartanmt
mom incubating, dad fussing with nest bowl

05/09/2015 by spartanmt
mom incubating, dad eating fish on side of nest

05/07/2015 by spartanmt
female incubating

05/04/2015 by spartanmt
female incubating today, with male standing on the nest perch

05/03/2015 by spartanmt
male eating fish on favorite pole, female was laying in nest, but then she eventually flew off, so i don't think we have eggs here yet.

05/01/2015 by spartanmt
male on nest perch; female laying in nest, then standing in nest, then off to fish.

04/25/2015 by spartanmt
female in nest calling for a fish

04/23/2015 by spartanmt
everything seems calm and peaceful here today - female in nest, nest looks ready for some eggs.

04/18/2015 by spartanmt
yoo-hoo, the mate arrived and both are on the nest this morning - geese gone! i'm sure this was not a goose nest yet, as yesterday was the first day i'd seen a goose up there, so no loss of goose eggs, i'm sure...

04/16/2015 by spartanmt
male osprey has returned but is unable to bring his sticks to the nest due to a pair of geese who have decided to move in! appears male knows better than to take them on and is hopefully just waiting for his mate to arrive to drive them out...

04/12/2015 by spartanmt
there were 3 ospreys flying over the channel at the end of oldenberg road, but none of them came to this nest during the time i observed.

09/26/2014 by spartanmt
empty again today, i'm pretty certain they are gone

09/24/2014 by spartanmt
empty nest today

09/22/2014 by spartanmt
nest is empty. an osprey flew over me and towards this nest, i was unable to tell if it was an adult or a fledgling, but it didn't stop at the nest, kept going towards the river. it was flying low like a youngster, though i don't know if it was this nest's chick or not.

09/16/2014 by spartanmt
empty nest today!

09/11/2014 by spartanmt
one chick on the telephone pole by the river, and DAD in the nest, looking around for his kids :-)

09/07/2014 by spartanmt
one chick perched in favorite spot on telephone pole overlooking the river, the other chick squawking in the nest but flew off with a piece of fish clutched in its talon when i got out of the car.

09/04/2014 by spartanmt
same chick that was eating a dried-up fish on the old barn roof had a freshly caught one today; he was perched on the telephone pole near the river and couldn't stop bragging about it to his sib, who was food begging in the nest.

08/30/2014 by spartanmt
female fledgling on barn roof with what looks like a pretty dried-up fish; male fledgling in nest but took off when he saw me and did some nice circles around my head.

08/29/2014 by spartanmt
male fledgling in nest, when he saw me approach, he flew off very nicely, then returned to nest a short time later. didn't see anyone else around

08/24/2014 by spartanmt
one fledgling in the nest, took off when i got out of my car, flew wonderfully, landed back on the platform with ease

08/23/2014 by spartanmt
bit of a scare at this nest last night. parent dropped fish early afternoon, two chicks fought over it, one fell over the edge and was dangling by what henry thought looked like twine. electric company called, by the time they came out w/bucket truck, the chick had managed to get back in nest. henry observed it trying to hop up and down but appeared snagged. went out myself at dusk, both in nest, the chick with more speckles appears to have a droopy wing. henry called to report when he went down to check on them about an hour before my arrival, they both flew off fine; he didn't see any foreign material wrapped around legs/talons.

08/17/2014 by spartanmt
one chick home alone

08/09/2014 by spartanmt
mom busy feeding both chicks (pics posted)

08/02/2014 by spartanmt
both chicks looking good, home alone

07/26/2014 by spartanmt
once again there is drama at this nest. when i arrived, mom was perched in a nearby tree, observed just the eyeballs of two chicks peeking over the crib rails. mom started alarm calling, here comes an osprey followed by another osprey, i'm guessing dad is the one giving chase. mom returns to the nest, all the while squawking at the aerial battle in the air. this went on for a good 10 minutes; at one point, mom returned to her tree after doing a couple loops of the nest. dad and intruder continued their battle down the road as i left. never any real fisticuffs, mainly just dad escorting the intruder farther and farther from the nest while mom yelled encouragement and the chicks stayed low.

07/20/2014 by spartanmt
mom laying in nest. kind of strange not to see her standing up, but it's the first cool day in 3 weeks, no need for a mombrella, maybe she's just tired. no sign of any chicks today - hopefully they are just sleeping?

07/13/2014 by spartanmt
mom standing on side of nest, two chicks moving around the nest bowl. for a brief moment i thought i saw a 3rd head, but i hope not

07/06/2014 by spartanmt
two chicks in nest, appear to be about 2-3 weeks old, mom preening on side of nest.

06/28/2014 by spartanmt
mom laying in nest, sitting higher than normal incubation posture, looking down into nest bowl quite frequently. i'm pretty certain she has a chick under her but never saw it. making note of this day as a probable hatch date, but will confirm before creating activity report - who knows, could be a HUGE chick under her that i just haven't caught sight of yet.

06/21/2014 by spartanmt
after a full week of heavy rain, winds, and just-above freezing temps, i ventured out to check my nests. here we find mom incubating, dad perched on side of nest bowl, nest in fairly good shape considering...

06/07/2014 by spartanmt
mom incubating

06/01/2014 by spartanmt
mom incubating, dad circling overhead, both chirping

05/26/2014 by spartanmt
female incubating, male on his favorite telephone pole perch. two other osprey are on the riverside platform, so maybe they are a male and female that have found each other? i hope so...

05/18/2014 by spartanmt
mom incubating; is that dad using the riverside nest platform to fish, or just another lone osprey hoping to find a mate? haven't figure this out yet...

05/15/2014 by spartanmt
finally, the female is incubating! male not around, unless that's him hanging out at the river's edge nest that had a goose in it (across the road and down a bit from this nest)

05/10/2014 by spartanmt
male in his favorite spot on the top of pole near nest; female not around. i noticed some nice, fresh greenery has been added to the nest since the last time i was here.

05/03/2014 by spartanmt
observed the male enjoying a nice fish on his favorite pole near the nest; female not around this morning

04/25/2014 by spartanmt
oh, thank goodness, two osprey on the platform this afternoon!

04/21/2014 by spartanmt
still one lonely male sitting on platform

04/16/2014 by spartanmt
finally, my 3rd flathead valley osprey has arrived - only 23 more to go!

04/11/2014 by spartanmt
no bird on the nest as of 4/9, but the birds have begun to return as of today, so i'll be checking daily from now on!

09/30/2013 by spartanmt
adult male eating a fish on pole across road from this nest - not sure if it's oldenburg dad looking to feed his last chick, or nest #4075's dad, taking an opportunity to eat a fish far from his remaining chick? this dad had an errant white feather on his back, and a fleck in front of his left pupil, almost perfectly centered. i am going to try to start recognizing my parents next season! the nest itself is still empty. i did see an osprey fishing high over the river nearby, couldn't tell if it was an adult or juvenile.

09/27/2013 by spartanmt
chick was observed on nest yesterday, but i checked twice today, and the nest is empty. she is also not sitting on the dead tree across the road by the river where i'd seen her before. fingers crossed that she is on her way south as of yesterday, but will check again tomorrow.

09/24/2013 by spartanmt
mr. oldenburg concerned that chick is entangled in nest, went out early a.m. to observe, it was in nest calling but eventually tired of me looking at her and flew away. did not see any material on her legs or wings, she flew great! now if she would only catch herself a fish and be on her way; she is one of only 2 chicks still here.

09/24/2013 by spartanmt
mr. oldenburg concerned that chick is entangled in nest, went out early a.m. to observe, it was in nest calling but eventually tired of me looking at her and flew away. did not see any material on her legs or wings, she flew great! now if she would only catch herself a fish and be on her way; she is one of only 2 chicks still here.

09/22/2013 by spartanmt
still here, on nest platform this morning, calling

09/20/2013 by spartanmt
chick on dead snag overlooking channel, same place i saw him a few days ago. he is 1 of 3 fledgers who have yet to leave.

09/17/2013 by spartanmt
chick in nest, food begging. crop didn't look too flat, but getting there...

09/16/2013 by spartanmt
chick on snag by river fishing, then a few minutes later s/he returned to nest. i am so worried about this fledger; it was one of only two ospreys i saw in my rounds today - everyone else has left.

09/09/2013 by spartanmt
one F in nest, calling for attention, i.e., fish

09/05/2013 by spartanmt
one F in nest. of course i'm worrying about it being ready for migration in time.

08/31/2013 by spartanmt
both fledgers in nest, one eating a fish

08/29/2013 by spartanmt
finally, an empty nest!! no sign of either fledgling around the nest, though i could hear plenty of osprey calling from the river

08/26/2013 by spartanmt
doggone, one chick still in nest, the other perched on pole in field. the worry continues...

08/24/2013 by spartanmt
hoping to see empty nest, instead i see both chicks in nest, waiting for food delivery. one chick laying down, i'm sure that's the non-fledger that is making me sick with worry.

08/21/2013 by spartanmt
got VERY lucky here, arrived in time to see mom fly into nest with a big stick, followed closely by her first fledgling! he flew in like nobody's business, so i'm thinking it wasn't his first flight. chick in the nest scolded both of them. i'm thinking #1 chick probably hatched a few days earlier than 7/4, since this would only be day 49 for the oldest, which is pretty early for fledging. now i just have to worry about #2 chick and parents sticking around long enough to teach them what they'll need to know to survive.

08/16/2013 by spartanmt
both chicks standing up in nest, one wingercizing vigorously, with parent in nearby tree. posted pic of these two, who i worry about every day. lots of wasps/hornets in the nest, maybe they will bother the chicks enough to convince them to get it in gear and fledge asap!

08/12/2013 by spartanmt
definitely only two chicks in the nest, no parents around. i recalled that mom fooled me last year into thinking she was one of the chicks, but i really thought i saw speckles on all three back on 8/8. i might change my data back to 2 chicks on the very real possibility i was just blind that day.

08/09/2013 by spartanmt
ok, today mom was down in the nest with her two chicks, here comes dad with a fish drop, he leaves a split second later, mom and two chicks up and chirping. i'm wondering if what i thought was 3 chicks on 8/3 was really mom and 2 chicks, with dad flying in briefly when they raised the alarm. no sign of 3rd chick again today, so maybe this is just wishful thinking on my part that i was wrong last week...

08/07/2013 by spartanmt
mom and 2 chicks at nest, never saw 3rd chick, hate when that happens.

08/03/2013 by spartanmt
crapola - 3 chicks in this nest!! mom was out fishing (and now i see why) but returned to the nest soon after i arrived. all 3 nestlings look pretty close in size, can't believe i didn't notice all of them prior to today.

07/29/2013 by spartanmt
mom feeding chicks. one chick still appears quite a big bigger than the other. lots of bees swarming around the nest today!

07/21/2013 by spartanmt
mombrella over both chicks

07/14/2013 by spartanmt
saw a 2nd bobblehead in the nest today, oh boy. both must have just been fed, mom had some fish leftovers while they showed no interest.

07/09/2013 by spartanmt
we have a chick! mom was laying down in the nest but not in that incubating position, and then a head popped up in front of her! i'd guess the chick is about 5 days old at least! i hope this is the only hatch, as it's getting too late in the season.

07/05/2013 by spartanmt
checked on our incubating mom again today, she's still doing her thing, on what's appearing more and more to be a nonviable egg

07/02/2013 by spartanmt
oh, boy, this is the only mom still incubating an egg. i hope there's no more than one chick, it's getting so late...

06/30/2013 by spartanmt
mom observed peering into the nest bowl frequently during the 10 minutes i observed, but she never stood up. unidentified sparrow is making a nest under the osprey nest material - looks like a harris's sparrow, but there not supposed to be on this side of the mountains, i don't believe.

06/27/2013 by spartanmt
my late nest this year, mom still incubating

06/26/2013 by spartanmt
mom still incubating, no sign of dad

06/21/2013 by spartanmt
ok, mom still incubating, but mr. oldenberg told me today that this is the 2nd pair of the season, that something happened to the original pair due to the trespassers he ran off around 5/13. he says the original male always ate his fish on top of the telephone pole, while this one doesn't do that, which is how he knows this is a different pair that has taken over the nest. not sure how to record this data. i guess this is still the oldenburg nest, if not the same pair as i started the season with, and the incubation date is correct for this female, so we'll just go from there. and who knows, maybe it's the same female w/a different male (if the property owner is correct in his conclusion)

06/17/2013 by spartanmt
almost didn't see mom today; she's quite low in the nest bowl, still incubating.

06/16/2013 by spartanmt
dad on perch bar, mom incubating, dad flew away off to get a fish, at least mom didn't squawk at me this time.

06/15/2013 by spartanmt
couldn't get down this road today due to dust abatement activity, will drive out again tomorrow

06/06/2013 by spartanmt
mom incubating, dad probably out fishing

06/02/2013 by spartanmt
mom incubating, dad on top of telephone pole about 50 feet away

05/31/2013 by spartanmt
mom incubating

05/27/2013 by spartanmt
mom incubating for sure...

05/23/2013 by spartanmt
i think they have an egg! changed incubation date from 5/12 to 5/22, since i believe the 1st clutch was lost and this is a 2nd clutch. i don't know if this is true, just my best guess at this point. if i see a chick 5 weeks from 5/12, i'll know i'm wrong about this...

05/21/2013 by spartanmt
both on nest platform, a few more sticks have been added. the latest incubation date on any of my 2012 nests was 5/20, so i'm losing hope that this pair will fledge chicks this year. i'm kind of worried about a late hatch if they do have eggs...

05/18/2013 by spartanmt
one standing in the nest, i think the female. appears that the nest has a few more branches since wednesday, but there is no incubation going on right now.

05/15/2013 by spartanmt
both adults standing on nest platform, no sign of any egg in nest; in fact, the nest looks like it's nothing but a few twigs and lots of holes. i'm thinking this pair might be out of luck this year :-(

05/14/2013 by spartanmt
big wind & hail storm last night, i was shocked to even see an osprey on this nest, let alone both of them! one flew off the nest w/a fish after a few minutes. the nest looks just like last year, i.e., hardly anything to it right now! no incubation noted. i wonder if there will be any chicks at all this year...

05/13/2013 by spartanmt
ran into mr. oldenburg, who advised me that he had to run off some trespassers a couple nights ago who'd actually been shooting at or around the osprey nest. there's only one osprey on the perch bar today, the nest looks disheveled, if there ever was an egg, there might not be now. i'm hoping they will be ok, but it doesn't sound good...

05/12/2013 by spartanmt
mom was incubating, with dad on fence post down below (you can barely see him in the new pic), but when i came back through, she was no longer in the nest but rather perched on the bar. it's a hot day, so i'm thinking she was just giving the egg some fresh air. i do believe there's an egg in there, though!

05/12/2013 by spartanmt
went back this evening, neither parent around the nest or in it. i wonder if i wasn't a bit overeager to record an egg? tomorrow is supposed to be heavy winds and rain, so if there's an egg, i should see it being protected then.

05/10/2013 by spartanmt
both standing on nest bar, looking like a sweet osprey couple - so where's the egg??

05/07/2013 by spartanmt
mom in nest and dad eating fish on bar - i think! both have very white chests; mom appears to have a single, dark speckle shaped like a heart (in my eyes, anyway). both were on guard against a hungry fish thief that bothered both this nest and the dad eating on the power pole down the road. nest really is a mess, but if it's good enough for mom, it's good enough for me!

05/07/2013 by spartanmt
or it could be dad in the nest with the heart speckle - i won't know for sure until i see some incubation!

05/05/2013 by spartanmt
yay, we have major nest building since friday! mom on perching bar, dad hopefully out getting more sticks and/or a fish

05/03/2013 by spartanmt
a few more sticks appear to have been added since tuesday, mom is perched on platform (waiting for dad to make her a better bed)

04/29/2013 by spartanmt
gosh, still only a few twigs in this nest, mom standing in nest, big wind storm earlier today, so perhaps dad is waiting to rebuild nest for when this weather system passes....

04/28/2013 by spartanmt
female was so low in nest i thought she might be incubating, but after watching 2 males fly into the nest, the 2nd chasing away the first, i think she was just mantling over the few sticks they've managed to collect!

04/26/2013 by spartanmt
fun nest, as usual. both on nest when i arrived, appeared to be guarding it, saw another osprey flying around nearby, as well as what appeared to be a larger bird, possibly bald eagle. still not many sticks on this platform. watched the male leave the nest, circle around, and return to mate. splendid!

04/22/2013 by spartanmt
no progress on this nest, no osprey working on it while i was there. we had a very hard wind/snow storm on 4/20, and this nest seems to suffer the most wind damage of any of my nests, so it's possible m/d had a nice start, and then it got blown away.

04/17/2013 by spartanmt
watched male bring a pretty small stick into the nest; photo shows how much work he's got left to do. in the meantime, female was fishing in nearby channel - witnessed my first osprey dive of the season (unsuccessful, though).

04/12/2013 by spartanmt
the hollywood stars have returned! both on nest platform, dad mantling over what i assume is a fish, mom sneaking up behind and trying to peek around his wing. interesting behavior that i've seen on some osprey cams - the male does not share his fish w/the female in the beginning of their courtship!

09/21/2012 by spartanmt
saw kestrel, dark morph redtail hawk, kingfisher, no osprey chicks. they are gone, i can tell...

09/17/2012 by spartanmt
no female chick perched in nest for the first time in months! the older chick was on his favorite pole perch by the river; he squawked and flew a few circles around me before settling down again.

09/13/2012 by spartanmt
oldenberg delivers once again! arrived just in time to see female lagger perched on platform as she always is, then here comes dad with a fish! flies over, lands briefly on platform, daughter grabs fish, he leaves. she mantled for quite some time without tearing into her dinner, so i hope that means she's not that hungry. then i walked down towards #1's favorite "fishing pole"; he wasn't there. a few minutes later, here he comes - with a fish of his own! lands in his favorite spot, sees me, starts squawking, i begin walking away, apparently not fast enough, so he decides to take his fish dinner elsewhere.

09/10/2012 by spartanmt
broken record time - female perched on nest platform, older male ? on his favorite power pole overlooking the river. no parent in sight

09/08/2012 by spartanmt
it's groundhog day! female fledger squawking from the platform perch, older fledger sitting on his favorite pole overlooking the river, could hear osprey calling in the distance but couldn't locate them.

08/31/2012 by spartanmt
deja vu all over again. female chick on platform, older chick on power pole observing river, at least 3 osprey circling in the sky looking for dinner. didn't see any fish deliveries while i was there. i think i need to start going earlier in the morning...

08/27/2012 by spartanmt
this nest continues to instruct and entertain. today when i arrived, my female fledger was in her favorite spot, perched on the nest platform alone. on the power pole next to the river was the other fledgling, staring into the water. about 5 minutes later, fishing fledger got all excited, and here comes two adult osprey, one with a fish. chick goes over to grab the fish, a scuffle ensues, they all fly out of sight behind some trees. a few seconds later, here comes the fledgling being chased by one of the adults! neither of them have the fish. adult chases chick around the sky for at least 5 minutes, then the kid finally gets a chance to return to his pole perch. he's definitely winded, one wing being held cock-eyed and droopy, hopefully just exhausted. what did i just witness? was it the parents giving him a lesson in what could happen if he steals from another osprey in the near future? i'm sure this pair was mom and dad - or was it just dad trying to feed his fledgling, and another adult trying to steal the fish? i have no idea where the fish went - i'm assuming the other adult not in the chase. wow!

08/25/2012 by spartanmt
as always, lots of activity around this nest today. when i arrived, my female fledger was on the platform chirping. got out of the car and started walking towards the river, heard another osprey yakking, then here comes an adult carrying a fish, with a fledgling in hot pursuit. mom/dad/adult never gave the fish to the chick, who gave up and perched on a wooden stand near the river. i never did see where the adult w/fish went, but neither baby got it during the time i was there. another great photo op missed...

08/18/2012 by spartanmt
thank goodness, my little girl has fledged! both in nest when i arrived; as i got out of the car, they both flew off the nest and did circles around me, before disappearing towards the river.

08/16/2012 by spartanmt
this little girl is starting to worry me - all alone on platform again. observed an adult and an obviously not-as-skilled fledgling flying in circles above the river - how beautiful! now if only we can get baby girl to join them!!

08/12/2012 by spartanmt
interesting nest again today. the fledgling (i think a female) had a fish in her talons and was doing her best to tear and eat it. #2 female edged closer and closer and finally went in to grab a bite, at which point big sis beaked her hard, and #2 scooted to the other end of the platform (i can't say "nest", as there is hardly any nest material left!). i wish i'd have seen if fledger brought in her own fish or it was a drop-off that she just grabbed first. was hoping to see #2 had fledged but not today...posting pic!

08/12/2012 by spartanmt
edit: not posting pic, i took fennon way photo, not oldenburg (wish there was some way to edit diary updates)

08/10/2012 by spartanmt
one lone female chick left in the nest, no other member of family to be seen. i'm pretty sure we have a girl here, as i could see a pretty distinctive necklace on her. she looked lonely :-(

08/10/2012 by spartanmt
ps: will continue to check nest for return of fledgling, parents, etc. since both chicks were actively wingercizing on 8/4, i'm assuming one has successfully flown the coop but will continue to monitor in hopes of confirming this...

08/04/2012 by spartanmt
mom in nest with two kids, made me a little crazy thinking there were three chicks all along, but when i approached, she flew off, leaving two very big chicks actively wingercizing (she was in the nest bowl, in between her babies, not perched on guard, which confused me)

07/28/2012 by spartanmt
please fledge sooner rather than later! this nest is still in a shambles; if it was rebuilt last week, it was torn apart again last night. still see two chicks in the "nest", with mom perched on the bar

07/21/2012 by spartanmt
this nest takes the brunt of every storm that passes through. i swear, the nestlings have no nest left! one was up and preening, the other was seeking shade under mom. glad they're almost ready to fledge; this nest is in shambles...

07/16/2012 by spartanmt
two fat, happy nestlings with full crops, mom eating the rest of the fish, still haven't found my reading glasses. oh, and it's canola, not mustard...

07/07/2012 by spartanmt
2 healthy babies - check!

07/04/2012 by spartanmt
so much excitement here today, i wish i had a video! so first, i saw two nestlings - both with very big, orange eyes! then mom starts calling, i look to my left, there's dad with a huge fish being chased by 2 other osprey. he does a big circle, i follow him with the bino's, he eventually lands in the nest w/the fish. lots of frenetic activity in the nest for about 5 seconds, then dad takes off JUST as a bald eagle comes swooping in from the left, already being chased by two other osprey. i watch dad join in the chase, baldie flipping over and over, showing talons. i look back at the nest in time to see mom pick up the fish and take it out of the nest and drop it!!! in the middle of a mustard field!!! this has got to be to keep the bald eagle from invading the nest, right? anyway, i went to look for the fish in the field, could not find it, lost my reading glasses climbing over a fence, headed back to the car, got buzzed by mom or dad on the way back! no warning chirp at all, just SWOOSH of wings over my head! what an exciting visit. i never saw any bird retrieve that fish from the field, but i'm hoping mom remembered where she dropped it and got it after i left the vicinity.

06/28/2012 by spartanmt
mom in nest, dad on guard, observed two little heads - they appear to be pretty close in age

06/24/2012 by spartanmt
dad has repaired the nest!!!! only saw one bobblehead pop up briefly this afternoon, but i'm not worried - the nest looks great again!

06/22/2012 by spartanmt
this nest almost broke my heart yesterday. a wicked wind/hail storm hit the area on sunday, this nest is 3/4s on the ground. mom was perched all alone on what remained of the nest, no dad in sight. i went under the nest (sorry, mom) to see if i could find eggs or chicks on the ground, but i didn't. i left to check my other nests and came back a couple hours later, at which time dad was on guard and mom was feeding two bobbleheads!!! when is dad going to do home repairs? soon, i hope!!

06/15/2012 by spartanmt
my first observed bobblehead of the season!!!! mom was fussing with nest and "something" in it (i later saw the fuzzy head), then dad brought in a huge crib rail, practically knocked mom backwards out of the nest with it, she grabbed one end, and a tug-of-war ensued. they finally got it placed and dad headed off again. that's when i saw the little head pop up between the branches!!

06/11/2012 by spartanmt
yep, think mom/dad osprey were just enjoying some time away from the eggs last week - the old goose nest is empty, mom is back on the eggs, dad is on guard in nearby tree

06/07/2012 by spartanmt
ok, i thought i saw dad sitting on the osprey platform next to the river, which the canada goose finally exited. got to nest, didn't see mom. took some photos of waxwings, headed back up the road and past the vacated goose nest. osprey still standing on the platform, with another osprey doing what i'd call an aerial display over the platform - then it would flutter down as if it was going to land next to the other osprey on the platform,but instead, ascended for some more loop de loops. is this my pair just out enjoying the day together, or is this a new, young, not-yet-established pair thinking about starting a family on this platform? it's a great location, right next to river. will check again in a few days.

06/01/2012 by spartanmt
mom in nest, dad on power line across the road next to river

05/20/2012 by spartanmt
deja vu at this nest, too.

05/11/2012 by spartanmt
one osprey incubating, no sign of the other one

05/06/2012 by spartanmt
male on fencepost in field below nest; mom is hunkered down on nest.

04/27/2012 by spartanmt
spartanmt: female standing in nest, another osprey, assume it's the male, circling above. this nest is nicely constructed!

04/20/2012 by spartanmt
spartanmt: female in nest, male hunting close by on river.

04/18/2012 by spartanmt
pair quietly roosting tonight; nest is getting bigger!

04/16/2012 by spartanmt
ok, this pair has definitely decided on this nest! watched as male brought in 3 sticks; female perched on side of platform watching him working his butt off.

04/13/2012 by spartanmt
4/12/12: male on platform, very few branches so not really a nest yet!