Nesting Ospreys

Have you checked the Osprey Cam lately? They are almost as big as mom, fully feathered, and already past the average age of leaving the nest. They ought to be flying any day now.
I have read that they begin to test their wings by briefly hovering over the nest. Haven't seen this happen yet.
 
Mike, I watched for a while a few days ago. Saw mom take a short flight, probably a few laps around the nest, came back and then spread out her wings and flapped them for a minute or so. The babies mimicked her, so I believe she's getting them to strengthen up. Should be any day now we see some lift off activity! :thumbup:
 
I ran across this on another site concerning these same birds. I had assumed that once they flew out of the nest it was over. Looks like a lot of interesting viewing is to come.


a few upcoming events

The father osprey dropping off fish and letting the chicks fight over it when the mother is not in the nest. This is the type of behavior we'll see again later in the summer, when the mother osprey has started migration and the father is left to watch the kids until they're ready to head south. Dad's job at that point will be to provide additional food if the chicks are having trouble catching their own, and he will often do this by dropping a fish onto the nest for the chicks to eat.


Ornithologist Arthur Cleveland Bent describes in Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey:

"Finally, confidence in the power of its wings, or the example set by its parents, prompts the boldest of the young to make its first real flight away from the nest, a supreme moment in its life. With surprising ease it sails or flaps along, but it soon becomes tired and looks for a place to perch. Its attempts to alight on a treetop are awkward and uncertain; it has not learned to grasp a slender perch and finds it difficult to get its balance with much flapping of wings and wiggling of tail. It may be forced to alight on the ground to rest...Such flights are short at first and the young always seem glad to return to the firm flat top of the nest, which will be their headquarters, bedroom, and dining room for several weeks yet."

Once the new fledgling has left the nest for the first time and managed to return successfully, the next task will be to master the wind and the use of its own wings, because much is riding on the fledgling's ability to become a strong flyer. By the end of September these young birds must be ready to get themselves all the way to Central or South America for the winter -- possibly 2000 miles or more. So although the first flight is an exciting moment, it is just one step on the path to becoming a strong and independent adult osprey.
 
These things are going to fly any minute now. I just watched the smaller one start hopping up and down and flapping it's wings, and it managed to hover momentarily. Then it pushed off and went airborne from one side of the nest to the other. They spend a lot of time standing on the edge of the nest now, looking as if they want so bad to give it a go but just can't pull the trigger.

Another thing I have noticed when they are in the nest alone and he sun is shining, the smaller one maneuvers to be in the shade of the larger one. I keep them in a reduced window when I am online just to see what happens next.
 
Well, the second one finally took the big step over the edge yesterday. I was watching it with my grandson (8 years old) and it was doing the same old perch on the edge, look over, flex wings, preen and scratch bird mites routine that had gone on for days. We went downstairs when Austin's mother came to pick him up, I logged back on about 30 minutes later and the nest was empty. Camera was offline when I checked it this morning. I hope they haven't shut it down yet, as the Ospreys will use the nest as a base of operations for a while longer.
 
MikeH said:
Well, the second one finally took the big step over the edge yesterday. I was watching it with my grandson (8 years old) and it was doing the same old perch on the edge, look over, flex wings, preen and scratch bird mites routine that had gone on for days. We went downstairs when Austin's mother came to pick him up, I logged back on about 30 minutes later and the nest was empty. Camera was offline when I checked it this morning. I hope they haven't shut it down yet, as the Ospreys will use the nest as a base of operations for a while longer.
Click to expand...

That is so awesome :thumbup: I just checked and it is back up and running :D
 
I was worried about the smaller and weaker of the babies (female?). The stronger of the two babies (male?) was getting the majority of the food, and flew a lot sooner than the other one. It was nice to see the smaller one fly yesterday. Hopefully it wont be long before the smaller one is finding its own food.
 
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