Nesting Diaries
moving out of area next month, will be unable to complete my osprey nest monitoring :-(
mom and chick standing in nest
went out close to nest yesterday and again today. only saw one chick in nest (mom flying around me) both times. another nest that's lost a chick to great horned owls in the vicinity, i fear
mombrella, chicks all hunkered down, one more week until i can get close enough for a good count
deja vu from 6/26. wpa opens in another two weeks, will be able to get closer to nest to count chicks then
mombrella, has her back to me, couldn't see chicks
mombrella time, chicks apparently napping
mom standing in nest, fussing, then lays down; cool and windy morning
mom standing in nest, has her back to me, couldn't see chicks
mom feeding, dad resting on platform perch
mom fussing in nest this morning, chicks hiding
mom feeding two bobbleheads, dad observing from nest pole
mom sitting much higher in nest bowl, almost certain she has a chick
mom incubating, dad on nest perch
mom incubating, dad on nest perch
mom has assumed the incubation position this morning
dad's back! first osprey reported in flathead county this year!
both male and female on nest this evening - female eating a fish on platform pole, male standing in nest
one chick in nest on 9/4, no one around today
deja vu again - one chick standing in nest; did see it eating a fish yesterday
deja vu - one chick standing in nest
one standing on nest platform
One chick standing in nest when I approached, took off as I got near, came back to nest shortly after.
fledger on telephone pole closest to nest, other 2 chicks in nest squawking at him
all 3 chicks still alive and well, one actively wingercizing; a bright spot in my nest rounds today
all 3 chicks staring at me as i walk the path under the nest. home alone, getting big!
1 chick self-feeding, the other 2 watching, both mom and dad out fishing
windy morning, hard to keep the scope still, mom in nest, saw 2 chicks for sure
mom standing on nest perch, 2 chicks visible, then mom saw me and flew off, chicks hunkered down. think i saw the 3rd chick, too, but not sure
looks like 3 big lumps in the nest with mom standing guard on nest perch
all 3 chicks in nest w/mom on this beautiful, cool, calm day
mom standing in nest, 3 healthy-looking chicks laying in nest
mom standing in nest, two chicks with very full crops visible, hoping the 3rd chick is sleeping. last week's record-setting heat w/no rain has me worried for my nests...
8:15 am, already mombrella time, chicks not in sight
omg there are three chicks in this nest! finally caught an early-morning feed, all three got fed
mom standing in nest, no sign of nestling/s, hopefully due to food comas. i turned my scope on the wpa2 nest (which is too far away to monitor accurately through most of the season) and saw mom laying in nest bowl while dad fed her!! this nest does have at least one chick, as i did observe feeding behavior a few weeks ago. sweet sight on father's day...
mombrella time, still can't get close enough to count heads
mom standing in nest, could not catch any movement today, will be glad when the wpa opens up again on 7/15 so i can get a closer look at this nest then...
saw my first little bobblehead of the season at this nest today. many of my other nests are on hatch watch this week, too, hope to get to them tomorrow (this one i can see from my back deck).
got back from 2-week vacation to find mom blissfully incubating today.
mom incubating, dad eating fish on nearby telephone phone
female incubating, male on perch
female laying in nest, male on nest perch
female incubating, male on nearby telephone pole eating a fish
male on nest perch, female standing in nest. expecting this pair to be one of my first to have an egg, but not today.
both in nest this morning. also note: the far nest in the somers wpa (which i am not monitoring because i can't see into the nest clearly enough until after 7/15, when the wpa opens back up to the public) finally saw the return of the mate! there's been a lone osprey on that nest for almost 3 weeks, fighting off red-tailed hawks and geese all by himself. very happy to see 2 on that nest this morning!
nice uneventful nest this past week, both mom and dad on nest regularly, things are quiet in the wpa
female standing in nest, male standing guard on platform perch
one back home, couldn't tell which one :-)
watched all afternoon yesterday and all day today, chick has not returned to the nest. she did have that faraway look in her eyes these past few days, but now the magpies have moved in.
chick back on nest this morning
chick on nest this morning, not this afternoon
chick hanging out on nest platform today
chick standing on edge of nest, stiff wind is lifting her feathers, she is looking all around, i don't see any other ospreys, either.
chick still hanging around :-)
female chick perched on nearby pole, then flew into nest food begging after i departed the scene. adult male osprey fishing from his favorite floating log out on the lake, most likely this chick's dad. also, i found the body of the missing chick under the nest today. i don't know how it got there; both me and my dog searched this area thoroughly last month without finding it. lots of tall weeds under the platform, but still, it seems we would have seen it. poor baby; i have no way of telling what might have happened, it's nothing but feathers and bones now :-(
chick perched on pole near the nest
chick on nest this morning
fledgling in nest, then flew off. parent nearby, i think it's dad
female fledgling resting on telephone pole a few yards from the nest; dad on a pole right next to her. no yakking, such enjoying the beautiful, mild afternoon. i am beginning to think the mom may have left on migration
fledgling self-feeding in nest
fledgling back in nest. updated fledge date to reflect this chick's departure; i believe the other chick had some kind of mishap prior to fledging.
just witnessed chick #2 fledge! lots of wingercizing, then a brief rest, then a short flight to the nearby telephone pole. he's been sitting there for about 10 minutes now, not moving a muscle; i will continue to watch to see that he makes it back to the nest safely
still there at dark - will be hoping he's back on the nest first thing in the a.m.
one chick and mom in nest, both eating fish dinner
it's now been almost a week without seeing 2 chicks on the nest. i believe something happened to the fledgling and he's not coming home. i don't believe this counts as a fledge because he didn't successfully return to the nest that i could see... :-(
i've been observing this nest w/scope the past two evenings. i have yet to see the fledgling return to the nest. last night after work mom was also gone, leaving the one chick by himself. i never saw the mom return last night (watched until dark), and this morning the chick is still alone in the nest, but he's doing a lot of hopping and wingercizing. where is everybody?
well i spent almost an hour watching this nest today. one chick and mom until i was about to leave, then in comes dad to drop off a fish. no fledgling followed. i'm concerned that we may have lost one, since i haven't observed both chicks at the nest since around 8/5, when i did see them both eating via a scope on my deck.
only one chick left in nest. when i arrived, mom was already calling out, but i could not locate the fledgling on any of the nearby trees/poles/haystacks. i'm assuming the best, he will be back, i will keep a good eye to make sure he returns successfully.
2 chicks alone in nest. they obviously had a fish - one was self-feeding, the smaller one was trying to steal a bite. at one point, he got the fish away from big brother, but big brother got it right back, and the smaller chick went to his corner...
mom was busy feeding two chicks until she saw me, then started squawking, the chicks ducked, she never resumed feeding while i was there - and i was a long ways away from the nest, too!
wpa area finally open to foot traffic, mom alarm calling when i got too near the nest from the path, took off and flew around me a number of times, then returned to nest when i headed back where i belonged. just one chick head visible
mombrella is all i see today - very hot, chicks are hopefully just laying low in the nest bowl
mom standing in nest, two chicks moving around in the bowl, suddenly mom alerts, intruder osprey flying overhead, dad responds and joins his family in the nest, one of the chicks decides to stand on edge of bowl to see what's what - must be a little male chick, already feeling the need to protect. :-)
mom and dad both perched on side of nest. mom is definitely wet and busy preening; dad appears totally dry. no hungry heads bobbing around that i could see.
after a full week of heavy rain, winds, and just-above freezing temps, i ventured out to check my nests. i watched dad bring a fish to the nest, mom got up and took the fish and fed herself. i never saw her feed a chick, and dad flew off. another nest well into the hatch watch time period, with no sign of a baby yet.
UPDATE: ok, i definitely see feeding behavior now, even though no little head is showing.
mom incubating; hatch watch starts next weekend!
female incubating, male slacking off on a tree by the beach. at first i thought he was fishing, but on my way back, 1/2 hour later, he was still dozing in the tree. as i passed, he flew to the shoreline and picked up a medium-size stick and took it to the nest. i don't think mom was fooled at all...
mom back on the egg/s, dad perched on platform bar
i've been waiting all week to see sure signs of incubation and today is the first time the female appears to be laying on eggs. not sure, though, since she is also getting up and fussing. will be double-checking again later tonight before editing nest activity.
both birds on the nest perch preening, that egg is going to get cold fast; only had a moment to watch, hoping i just tuned in for changing of the guard and the nest wasn't left untended for more than a few minutes
just watched her lay an egg!!! this is the first time i've observed this live, other than on a webcam. she's happily incubating now!
i watched for quite some time, both ospreys on the nest, but female is not incubating yet
another nest with the female fussing inside the nest bowl - egg must be coming!
one on nest, the other eating a fish at next power pole over
the mate arrived on 4/17 - yay, no goose to evict here this year!
not an osprey to be seen yesterday, but today they are popping up all over the valley! two of my nests have occupants this afternoon, while three others have goose mamas...
empty nest, two red-tail hawks on dad's favorite telephone pole perch, which i found interesting - i've never seen two together like that, maybe first-year sibs?
aj reported last seeing an osprey at this nest on 9/11; will be doing rounds tomorrow, but think i will probably find this nest empty for the season :-(
very bad wind storm last night, actually saw an osprey being blown backwards along the lakeshore. this morning one chick in nest, another appeared to be perched on next pole over, no sign of 3rd, but that's not unusual.
neighbor al reported all 3 chicks gone from the nest on 8/23 - yay! on 8/24, i again saw one in the nest, but at least now we know it can fly.
still seeing one chick standing in nest, who knows if it's a late fledger or one of the fledglings who's returned to the nest. keep hoping to see an empty nest, might have to try later in the day.
one lone chick in nest and saw one on nearby pole.
all 3 chicks back in the nest this morning, all 3 food begging - a regular chorus of osprey whining! dad arrived about 5 minutes later, quick food drop, one chick grabbed fish and mantled, other 2 continued to complain.
2nd chick has fledged today! he's actually perched on that crossbar directly below the nest, wish i'd seen how he got there. i'm going to say he flew out of nest and came back to that bar. saw the other fledgling perched two poles down the field. the 3rd chick is standing in the nest, peering down at his sib below. :-)
2 chicks in nest, fledgling flew in while i was watching! not 10 seconds later, here comes dad with a fish, drops it off, then proceeds to circle high above the nest, calling out. is this encouragement to the fledger, (who did not get the fish, by the way)? exciting, my first fledgling of the season!
saw all 3 chicks in nest today, along with mom. then dad stopped in briefly for fish delivery and took off again. fledge watch week!
mom at the nest, feeding herself. only saw 2 chicks today - one standing near mom, the other laying down.
3 chicks home alone, then i saw mom or dad w/fish eating on the nearby pole. chicks were calling for food, adult ignored them.
wpa gates finally opened last week, today i got close enough to see 3 distinct chicks - one looks huge!
either i saw 3 chicks or it was mom w/2 chicks. i wasn't able to tell due to the lighting - it sure looked like 3 youngsters, though!
mombrella hid the chicks from view this morning.
mom and her two chicks seem to be doing very well right now.
mombrella time, can't see the chicks at all today
mom standing in nest food calling; dad sitting on nearby telephone pole w/o a fish; didn't see either chick pop up this time.
wow, got a very good look at this nest today, and one chick appears much larger than the other. i only saw 2 chicks today; maybe i saw the youngest and oldest and there's a middle child that was hiding?
definitely saw two heads peeking over the nest rails! still haven't seen a recent feeding, so there may be a 3rd chick in there, but i hope not.
was raining by the time i got to this nest, saw dad on perch bar and mom standing in nest bowl, will check it again tomorrow when the sun comes out.
saw one little head (i'd guess about 5 days old) resting and another one was getting fed by mom, with dad on the perch bar. at least two chicks in this nest confirmed.
finally, we see feeding behavior!
mom incubating, dad eating fish on next pole down. so far i haven't caught any sign of a chick, but we're getting close!
hatch watch starts tomorrow!
mom was incubating, dad was on perch bar, intruder osprey flew around and tried to land on mom's back, mom stood up, intruder flew away, with dad on his tail...
one osprey standing on perch bar; didn't see the mate
mom peacefully incubating, great horned owl in willow grove nearby :-(
big wind & hail storm last night, but mom is still incubating this morning :-)
peace and quiet again today, which i love
mom all tucked in, nice warm day
mom incubating, dad on perch bar, all is well.
posting a pic of an osprey that dad chased around the lake for about 1/2 hour; he came to rest on a tree in my neighbor's backyard :-)
mom enjoying a sunny, warm day of incubation.
both standing on platform bar :-)
both standing on platform bar :-)
repeat of 4/22 - mom standing in nest, no sign of dad or incubation
quiet day, mom standing in nest, no sign of dad (or any geese).
very interesting day. first the nest was empty; then the nest had the two geese back on it; then the nest was empty again; now the osprey pair are back adding sticks and the geese are nowhere to be seen!
big snow squall yesterday afternoon, and today, both m/d osprey are busy with nestorations! no sign of the geese anywhere. checked under the nest (right as mom was flying in w/a stick; she landed, looked at me, took her stick and left - i must look like a stick thief). there were no indications that there'd ever been any eggs - no shells, no yolks, no feathers, nothing. i HOPE mother goose did not lose her eggs, just decided that playing house in that kind of weather was no fun after all.
i don't know when mom osprey arrived; i believe 4/13/13.
my first osprey sighting of the year! looks like male out on the beach right now. this nest is currently hosting a mother goose, who laid eggs about one week ago. this platform was not used by a goose last year. i don't know if this is dad out on the beach or not, but will keep an eye on the nest to see if there is any attempt to evict the goose.
wow, just spent the last 1/2 hour watching male osprey dive bombing the goose pair. at one point he had them both out of the nest, chasing him. but now there's a break in the action, and osprey dad is resting in a nearby tree, with both goose parents standing in nest. wow - mostly the geese just ducked in unison!!
on 9/14, i observed dad in the nest with a fish, looking around, not eating the fish, chick never showed up. dad eventually left with fish. i have not seen dad nor chick since that day. i think the two of them might have finally fled the scene (hopefully together).
caught one fledger perched on the nest bar early this morning; a few hours later when i walked down, no osprey in sight - but a beautiful northern harrier kept me company
one fledgling in nest, and DAD perched in tree overlooking the lake - yay!!!!
about 7 hours later, i observed dad with a big fish flying over the chick in the nest - he did two fly-bys, never dropping the fish. it looked like he was trying to entice his kid out of the house, but the chick stayed put and squawked. i never did see dad bring the fish to the nest.
single fledgling in nest. that's all i saw.
single chick in nest once again, with rtha perched on next pole over, then another young osprey on next pole in the line. nest chick starts squawking, here comes m/d with a fish, m/d drops it in the nest like a bomb, never even looked back! very funny; chick mantled it for awhile before starting to eat - guess he's not that hungry!!
one fledgling in nest, all alone. i did have an adult and fledgling circling above my house earlier today, and i'm pretty sure they're this nest's dad and chick!
have only seen one fledgling in the nest for the past couple days. i'm sure the other family members are around - just haven't looked at the right time!
one fledging flying around and then came into nest to perch; other fledgling already standing in nest. no parents in sight. hopefully these two had a fishing lesson earlier today...
one fledgling on nearby power pole and one chick in nest. sadie and i started walking towards nest, at which time #2 showed us that he was a fledgling, too! flew in circles around us about 4 times, then tried to land back on perch bar, couldn't stick his landing, made another circle, and ended up perching on same pole as big brother...no parents in sight...
still have my scope at home on this nest to see if i can catch #2 fledge; as of right now, both standing in nest
only one chick in nest when i arrived. moments later, the fledged chick returned to nest - again, like he'd been doing it for years!!! no sign of chick #3; i believe i can safely say he's deceased, probably a gho, no sign of him anywhere around nest. this means both my 3-chick nests have lost a baby this season...
will continue to watch this nest closely for fledge #2 and return of parents, etc.
only see two chicks today, but still hoping there's a 3rd i'm not seeing.
still only see one chick. how could we have lost two chicks in one week, with the nest still intact, etc? took dog and walked around the nest area - no sign of trouble. mom on power pole close by yapping at me. still hoping the other two are just hunkered down due to the heat and plan to check this nest in the early a.m. next time
only one nestling head popped up in over 10 minutes of watching - mom was on power pole about 20 yards away. hope all is well...
wpa finally opened to the public, got closer to the nest, saw 3 very big, very healthy chicks. watched for about 10 minutes and saw lots of moving around in the nest but no beak bonking - good sign!
3 bobbleheads in a row, smallest one in the middle getting fed by mom! all is well...
everything looks peaceful here - 3 nestling heads counted. i cannot get very close to this nest still, another week and the wpa will open back up. at least all 3 chicks are still active!
ha, that'll teach me to get puffed up. there are 3 babies in this nest, not 2!! fingers crossed dad is a damn good fisherman
probably my most "accurate" data is on this nest. saw 2 bobbleheads today, look to be about 2 weeks old!
wicked wind storm on sunday, neighbor and i have not observed any feeding behavior since that time. on 6/21, i saw female in nest, male returns with crib rail, female leaves, female returns, male leaves, male returns with another crib rail. so i'm hoping there are still chicks, will be going out again today to try and confirm.
observed more feeding behavior, have to wait a couple more weeks before i can legally get nearer the nest. am still trying to catch sight of a little fuzzy head - i know at least one is there
no, she really is feeding a baby! i'm going with my first sighting of mom behaving differently in the nest on 6/11. july 1st the wpa will be open again, so until then, i'm watching through a scope from a LONG ways away...
thought mom was acting a bit peculiar today, almost convinced myself that she was tearing food and feeding, but i think i was deluding myself. hatching in montana seems delayed this year!
watched the female hunkered down on the nest on 6/5, severe thunderstorm w/hail, she toughed it out. i am in awe of these birds, with their nests so exposed to the elements
tired of observing through my scope, decided to hike down the beach and enter the wpa from the shore. when i emerged from the woods, the female in nest saw me and began calling. when i stood still, she stopped; when i took a step, she called out in alarm (i was at least 150 yards away). dad was at the nest within a minute, landed on perch, then flew a circle around me, then back to nest perch. mom ended up leaving the nest and perching on power pole, dad stayed in nest, i beat a hasty retreat. mom returned to nest immediately. and DARN, i found another osprey nest (platform) about two power poles away that i hadn't seen before! female in that nest, male on power pole next to her, AND a big red tail hawk sitting on a pole between the two osprey pairs. i'm gonna have to go back with a fully charged camera...
oh, geez, i just scoped the nest and DAD IS PERCHED WITH A HUGE FISH DANGLING FROM HIS FEET!!! DOGGONE IT...
intruder in nest this morning!!!! watched the drama unfold through my scope. intruder osprey flew into nest, mom up off eggs to fight it off, dad arrives at nest and enters the fray, intruder leaves nest, dad stays with mom until she calms down and resumes incubation. i wish i understood osprey behavior; was the intruder after the nest??
oh, and i have no idea if any eggs were damaged, just can't see into the nest that well at all...
got to watch dad bring mom a huge fish yesterday! she's still hunkered down and calm
both standing on platform late last night, mom flat-backed this morning!
spartanmt: i have a spotting scope on this nest. female was doing a lot of what i call "tail pumping" a few days ago, but she's not laying in the nest yet, so i think i was faked out.
spartanmt: every time i looked they were mating - counted 6 times on 4/19/12!
glassman32: mating observed this morning!
al johnson reports female joined male in nest today; nest has some added lumber!
Male on Nest - Stay Tuned!