Osprey season 2011. All three chicks are thriving.

We've come from here, in case anyone wants to visit the previous thread. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1223795/#new

The three chicks continue to do well. Big Hook is proving herself to be a more than capable mother. There is an occasional bit of bullying by the largest chick towards the smallest, but the difference in their sizes isn't as pronounced as last year and I don't think we have any cause for concern, certainly not at this stage.

I've noticed that the little one doesn't even try to compete for its share of food. It seems quite contented to sleep until its older siblings have just about had their fill. This shot is from a couple of days ago.

The largest chick being fed.

Here the middle chick gets a feed whilst No. 1 watches on and the little one continues to sleep.

just amazing shots, so how long will they stay in the nest before they leave? any idea?

Jan

As No.2 moves away, the little ones stirs and is fed. No.1 waits patiently for Big Hook to give it more.

Thanks, Jan. Because our Ospreys have no need to migrate, because of the climate, the chicks are in no hurry to fledge. Pete is better at anticipating when they'll fledge, but my guess would be mid-December. The single surviving chick from last season is still around.

Big Hook feeds the largest and littlest in turn as No. 2 shakes a tail feather.

As you can see, there is no resentment and the biggest waits whilst the little one gets its share.

Madam X was telling me that Big Hook had been really cranky with Dad throughout the day, the day before yesterday. She would scream at him and seemed to be constantly demanding something, but was never satisfied (no comments needed in response to that gentlemen). He would be sitting on his favourite branch outside Madam X's place when she would start calling to him. If he wasn't able to determine what it was she wanted - immediately - she'd fly into the tree and flush him out and send him off with a flea in his ear. "Get fish!" "Get sticks!" "Get lost!" This behaviour continued the entire time I was there. Here she is calling to him - very loudly - from the right hand branch.

He promptly departed and returned after a brief absence, with a fish.

He high-tails it outa there to the pole branch.

She temporarily forgets about the fish in favour of berating him. The three chicks stare in wonder at the poor little live fish lying there in front of them. They are too young to be able to feed themselves yet.

Big Hook then concentrates on the task at hand - feeding her chicks.

But she's too distracted by his presence and stops feeding to resume scolding him. Dad, in the meantime, is nonchalantly preening himself.

His attitude enrages her even more and she chases him from the pole branch (I wasn't quick enough to get a shot), but she lands where he was only a second before and continues to yell at him.

After chasing him all over the place, she returned to the right hand nest branch where she continued to berate the poor darling.

Don't ever tell me that birds don't have facial expressions. Have a look at Dad's face. He looks so perplexed.

This is how I left them the day before yesterday. Big Hook standing at the edge of the nest bawling at her mate, occasionally breaking off to feed the chicks. She would even yell at him with her beak full of fish.

It didn't seem to want to post. I'll try again.

Do birds suffer from PMS?Sounds like she was having one of those hormonal days!! Poor Dad! Wonderful series of pictures! :)

Now, to yesterday. The chicks are fine. No photos because they slept the entire time and the nest was in shadow.

Big Hook's irascible behaviour towards her mate continued unabated. As with the day before, she was demanding, but Dad seemed to be unsure of what she wanted. She chased him all over the bay several times. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to zero in on them, but managed a couple of shots.

Here she is chasing him and screaming at the same time.

Thanks, BeaHive. She's certainly got a bee in her bonnet about something. It certainly can't be the amount of fish he's providing. The chicks are never desperate for food and the day before yesterday, I was there for about 2 hours and he brought three fish in that time.

Here's Big Hook returning to the nest following that chase - still screeching.

Dad in a manoeuvre to avoid his pursuer.

The two together. Pity about the wing tips. That's Dad in front voicing a protest.

Last one for now. Pete, you'll appreciate this. He actually landed in the big tree where you position yourself and where I was yesterday. I've only ever seen him up there once before and that was when Old Ma Osprey was still alive.

WOW such wonderful photos & great information!
Thanks for sharing!

Gosh poor Dad...forget to mow the lawn? Personally I,m thinking that Big Hook for the first time is realizing feeding three mouths is quite a job...maybe shes telling Dad to scram for a while...at any rate this is such a great thing to see...Margaret you rock!

Wow outstanding photos Margaret! Maybe Burd is right and she is just cranky over having 3 mouths to feed. Well as long as she doesn't drive her stunning mate away.

They all look gorgeous!

Thanks, Ladi_Burd, Burd and Pelle. Burd, that's my impression. That the task of caring for three chicks just gets a bit much at times. I've just returned from the nest. She wasn't quite as fractious today, but when he brought a fish and flew to the pole branch, as he customarily does, she initially concentrated on feeding the chicks, but then it all got too much and she chased him off again.

Images are still in the camera to be downloaded.

What you all are providing to us in pictures and details is a once in a life time experience. This journey is just INCREDIBLE! This is the first thread I come to when I check in. They are such beautiful birds and your shots make me feel like I'm really sitting there watching their lives unfold.

I'm especially in love of the over head shot of mom with her wings out flying, just beautiful.

I and I know the others that come to watch really can't thank yall enough for sharing your photos and details with us.

Thanks for the journey of a lifetime.

Jan

Thank you so much, Jan. I believe I'm privileged to be able to see this family every day and feel it would be such a shame to keep it to myself. I love being able to share their lives. I think I can speak for Pete here, too.

Gosh Margaret, wonderful shots. Your pictures and dialog just keep getting better and better. I love the shot of poor, kind, patient Dad sitting there just wondering "what the .......! Big Hook sure has her tail feathers in a knot about something. Perhaps she found out where he was when he went missing for a few hours a week or so ago! LOL

My goodness, those chicks are growing so fast. That nest is going to resemble a feather pillow when these chicks all start exercising their wings.

Next thing, Big Hook will get a sore throat from screaming at Dad and that will ruffle her feathers even more.

Just love this thread. Thanks Margaret.

Fantastic shots as always Margaret! I guess every mom is entitled to an off day or two!

Good morning all. Thanks, GG and nanny. Funny you should mention Big Hook getting a sore throat, GG. The day before yesterday, she sounded a bit raspy. Poor Dad really did look puzzled.

I spent nearly three hours there yesterday afternoon. I took my smaller 70-200 lens as I thought it would be better to catch any flight action. I know a poor workman blames his tools, but that lens simply would not lock onto anything. I was sorely tempted to fling it. Big Hook was still cranky, but no so much as the previous two days. She managed to feed the chicks without screaming at Dad, but when she finished, she chased him off the pole branch and once again he flew up into the big tree right above where I was sitting. I'll post a few shots later.

Edited because it didn't make sense.


This message was edited Oct 30, 2011 10:24 AM

Wonderful thread, beautiful shots, amazing subjects and story. Makes me want to come back for more. Thanks Margaret and Pete, for your time spent at the nest.

wow wonderful shots Margaret and Pete...I wonder what made ma so grouchy...or is she putting on for the camera ...LOL..tehe..I do love the line up shot and the big tree shot

Maybe she she just was not feeling well. I'm cranky when I'm sick.

She is a mother of triplets. I think I would be cranky too!

My thoughts exactly BeaHive. This is so much better than any soap opera on television!

Beautiful photos as always Margaret.

I think her crankiness has to do with the demands of having the three chicks. Although they never sound desperate for food, with one or the other dozing between feeds, she is obviously feeding them several times a day and in her Osprey mind, probably blames Dad for causing her to be so busy, as he's the one bringing the fish.

She was still a bit tetchy yesterday, but seems to be settling down. Not long before I left yesterday, she again chased him off the pole branch and after doing a brief circuit, he landed in the tree above me and she then joined him. They sat there for a couple of minutes, with her half-heartedly mouthing off, before he flew off. She stayed in the tree for at least 15 minutes. This is how close they were to where I was. This shot, taken with my 400mm lens, is uncropped.

This shot of Dad is from the day before yesterday, just as I was leaving. I've cropped distracting stuff from behind him, but he was 30' above me; so close that you may be able to make out the identifying spot on his iris (just below the pupil towards the beak).