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August 4 - After another twenty-minute visit today, the nest remained vacant for the rest of the day. |
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August 2 - This is one of
the first images in two days of Osprey at the nest. These two stayed
for only twenty minutes before taking off again. |
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July
28 - The young Osprey will maintain their juvenile plumage for the
first 18 months or so, at which time, they will have their definitive
adult plumage.
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July 27 - An Adult Osprey returned to the nest site shortly after one of the
young Osprey departed from the nest. |
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July 26 - Both of the young Osprey returned to the nest today and in this image,
one of them has returned with a fish. |
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July 22 - In less than a month, the young
Ospreys will begin thier first long-distance migration. They are likely to
winter along the Gulf Coast of the US and Mexico or in the Caribbean islands.
|
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July 20 - The adult Osprey shows off its incredible 6 foot wingspan. |
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July 19 - The Osprey spent very little time around the nest today and returned
only to eat a quick meal. |
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July 18 - This Osprey
arrived at the nest with this fish, indicating that it might have
caught the fish itself. However, because it fledged less than a week
ago, we're inclined to think that it received the fish from an adult.
|
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July 17 - In
many inland states, Osprey are still listed as endangered or threatened, especially
where populations were small or extirpated after the DDT years.
|
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July 15 - An adult has been bringing fresh leafy
material to the nest. Given the long life expectancy of Ospreys and their
frequent re-use of nests, bringing in material at this time of year is thought
to be an investment in the upkeep of their site for next year. |
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July 14 - The adults return to the nest with a meal for their young that any fisherman would be proud of!
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July 13 - Touch down! It
looks as though both Osprey have made their first flights over Lake
Barkley, though most of their time is still spent at the nest.
|
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July 12 - These two Osprey
have typically shared food quite easily, though here we see otherwise!
In subsequent images, both were seen eating this fish.
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July 11 - Although the
young birds are capable of flight, they will still rely on their
parents to bring them food. Most young birds will successfully capture fish 11 to
20 days after fledging. |
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July 10 - Shortly after receiving fresh fish from the adults, one of the young
Osprey made its first flight around 7AM this morning. |
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July 9 - Both of the young Osprey have lifted themselves a few inches above the
nest as they practiced flapping their wings today. |
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July 8 - When fully grown, the wingspan of this Osprey will reach anywhere from
54 to an impressive 72 inches across. |
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July 7 - The Osprey young are now 53 days old which is the average age at which
Osprey young fledge. |
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July 6 - Practice flights continue as these two chicks prepare to fledge.
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July 5 - The Osprey young are still very dependent
upon the adults for food and will continue to be even 10-20 days after they
fledge. |
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July
4 - It appears that this chick is aware of the camera's presence.
Notice the irises of the chicks are orange-red, as compared to the
bright yellow of the adults (see July 2).
|
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July 3 - Since food seems to be abundant, the chicks can share a freshly caught meal with little aggression.
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July 2 - one of the parents stares directly into the camera, giving us a close up of the adult's piercing yellow irises.
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July 1 - This image illustrates the relative size of the chick (left) to the parent (right).
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June 30 - With just days left until typical fledge time, the young Osprey
continue to practice wing flapping in preparation for their first flight. |
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June
29 - Though they may climb to 200 m to locate schools of fish before
dropping down to begin hunting, Osprey typically hunt 10-40 m over
water. These adults at Lake Barkley are obviously adept hunters!
|
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June 28 - What appears to be an aggressive interaction is actually a typical food exchange between a parent and chick.
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June 27 - As you can see
in this picture, the Osprey young are growing closer to the size of an
adult Osprey as well as becoming more similar to the adults in
appearance. |
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June 26 - In the past few days the young Osprey have spent much time flapping
and getting used to using their wings. |
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June 25 - Osprey young typically fledge between the ages of 50 and 55 days old.
The Osprey young are now 41 days old so we can expect them to fledge in the next
one and a half to two weeks. |
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June 24 - The adult Osprey returns with a fresh catch for its young who eagerly accept the meal.
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June 21 - This image depicts a food exchange between a parent and one of the five-week old chicks.
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June 19 - This young Osprey raises and flaps its wings as it begins to practice for its
first flight.
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June 18 - The adult Osprey returns with food for its young which are beginning
to require a larger food intake. |
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June 16 - The young Osprey is looking right at the camera and showing off its ability to look intimidating!
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June 15 - The chicks are rapidly approaching the size of the adults!
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June 13 - The chicks are beginning to show the rich brown coloration which will eventually cover most of their back and wings.
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June 12 - The chicks spent much of the morning huddled underneath the adult.
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June 10 - The
chicks look to have grown considerably. Their gain in body
mass peaks when they are 20-35 days old, at about 50-75 grams per day.
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June 8 - One chick looks on with interest as an adult prepares the next meal.
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June 7 - The chicks' juvenile plumage is beginning to emerge throughout their wings.
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June 5 - Although still much smaller than the beaks of
the adults, the chicks’ beaks have the distinctive hooked shape of birds of
prey. |
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June 4 - An up-close profile of the regal looking female Osprey.
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June 2 - One parent breaks off pieces of food for the chicks while the other takes off to hunt more fish.
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June 1 - As the two chicks rest their heads on what appear
to be food items, one of the parents carries a large stick in its beak.
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May 31 - The image captures a moment of beak-to-beak feeding between the parent and one of the chicks.
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May 30 - Although a diverse number of species are consumed, nearly 99% of their diet is live fish.
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May 29 - The Osprey's powerful wing strokes
enable it to fly with prey, which can weigh as much as 50% of their total body
weight.
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May 28 - On average, Ospreys are successful at catching prey approximately 50% of the time.
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May 27 - The chicks are nearly two weeks old and
entering the quickest growth phase. In this image however, it appears the birds
are sleeping off all that hard work!
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May 26 - The unhatched egg is clearly visible in
this image. Since Ospreys make little effort to clean the nest, it is unlikely
that the adults will remove the egg. |
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May 25 - The Osprey's wingspan measures just over five feet, one of the largest among North American birds of prey.
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May 24 - It is hard to believe that in just over
a month these tiny chicks will be almost as large as their parents! |
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May 23 - At just over a week old, the chicks are
freely moving about the large platform nest. For this reason, one of the
parents is constantly guarding their movements to ensure they don't fall out of
the nest.
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May 22 - Although the female continues to
incubate the lone egg, hope is fading that it will actually hatch. |
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May 21 - While one parent looks on, the other
tears off bits of flesh for the hungry, eager chicks. |
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May 20 - Standing in the shadow of one of its
parents, an Osprey chick stares straight at the camera. We are still waiting for the third egg to hatch.
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May 19 - The nest lining provides excellent
camouflage for the Osprey chicks from potential predators like Great Horned
Owls and Bald Eagles. |
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May 17 - You can distinctly see two vibrant chicks with their heads raised in
this image, a wonderful sign! Hope is not lost on the third egg however, because
it is only 36 days old today, the second one just hatched a little early. |
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May 16 - The parents have been eagerly feeding and tending to the two hatched
chicks. The female feeds the chicks small bits of fish on a regular basis. |
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May 15 - It appears that only one egg is left, and although they are well
camouflaged, two chicks can be seen behind the last egg! |
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May 14 - The mother can be seen pulling the egg shell away from the first chick
that has finally hatched, 38 days after it was laid. |
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May 12 - It is incredible
to think that the three little eggs will one day become the impressive
figure of the adult Osprey in the image. They are within days of
hatching, but a long way off from maturity. |
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May 11 - This nest is a testament to successful conservation and management
practices that have been implemented to save the Osprey population after the
rapid decline in the 1960's-70's. At this point 80-90% of all nesting Osprey
pairs nest on artificial sites like this one. |
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May 10 - The first crack
on the egg is visible 2-3 days before the egg hatches and the beak can
be seen working on the hole 12+ hours before the chick emerges. It will
also give faint peeps, especially if distressed. |
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May 9 - Vehicles and
stationary structures can be a very real threat to birds. It is
estimated that 35% of Osprey injuries are due to collisions with these
kinds of objects. |
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May 8 - Osprey do not breed for the first time until they are at least three
years old, and many wait even longer than that. |
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May 7 - Only one week left! The oldest egg is now 31 days into the 37-39 day
incubation process. That means we are expecting it to hatch between the 13th and
15th of May. |
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May 6 - During the winter months most Osprey will fly south of the continental
U.S. and stay in Cuba or even fly completely across the Caribbean and stay in
parts of Central and South America |
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May 5 - Osprey have incredibly powerful wing
strokes that allow them to take off while half submerged in the water and carrying a
fish that usually is 10-30% of their body weight. They can carry prey that is more than 50% of their own weight! |
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May 4 - The female shows off her 5' wingspan as she
leaves the nest, exposing the eggs beneath her as she leaves. |
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May 3 - The male arrives with fish for the female.
Sometimes he will feed her, but other times he
will give her a break and incubate while she hunts for herself. |
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May 2 - All three eggs appear to intact and healthy as
both parents have continued to faithfully incubate them. In general, Osprey eggs
average 2.35 inches in length and 1.75 inches in width. |
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April 27 - It has been 21 days since the first egg was
laid, and 16 since the last one. This means they are roughly half way through
the 37-39 day incubation period. |
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April 26 - The size difference between the male
(standing up) and the female (incubating) is very evident in this image. |
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April 25 - The cam was knocked out for a few days by a
storm, but it has come back and it appears that all three eggs are fine and the
pair is incubating as usual. |
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April 22 - Some male Ospreys will become so protective
of their mates that they will follow them everywhere they go, even if that means
abandoning the nest to watch her hunt! |
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April 21 - The pair have continued to mate and display
for one another through the incubation process. It is thought that males will do
this to keep other males away and show that the female and the nest
are his. |
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April 20 - Both male and female will routinely turn the
eggs to keep the albumin from sticking to the side of the egg shell. They
usually use their beaks instead of their feet. |
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April 19 - Osprey eggs are often a high commodity among
egg collectors because they are so brilliantly colored. This practice devastated
the Osprey population for many years in the early 1900's. |
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April 18 - The male will usually provide the female with
fish and sit on the eggs while she eats on a nearby branch. However, he will also initiate
his "turn" at incubation apart from feeding. |
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April 17 - The incubation period lasts between 34-40 days
with a mean of 37 days. That would place the first chick hatching on, or around, May 13th. |
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April 16 - Three seems to be the average clutch size
across the globe with four being an exception and sometimes non-existent, but there is
insufficient data to make a firm conclusion about clutch size. |
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April 15 - Below the wing of the female, we see the
completed clutch of three eggs. |
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April 14 - While holding part of a fish in its talons, one
of the Osprey gets up close and personal with the camera! |
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April 13 - One of the members of the pair will be at the
nest at all times due to the vulnerability of having an open nest site. |
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April 12 - In an Osprey clutch, the first egg is
always the biggest and they descend in size as they are laid. Average
reductions in size compared to the first are:
2nd= -2.1%, 3rd= -5.6%, 4th= -8.2% |
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April 11 - It is getting difficult
to see as the pair camouflage their eggs with colored plants and
debris, but a third egg has been laid in the nest. |
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April 10 - Osprey pairs actually share
the job of incubation. However, the female usually sits about 70% of
the time while the male covers 30% |
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April
9 - Osprey eggs are considered to be among the most brilliant and
beautiful of all birds of prey. Their colors range from cream to
cinnamon, and they are covered in reddish brown spots and wreaths. |
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April 8 - The male watches over
the nest, which now has a second egg. Osprey will lay an egg every 2-3
days with clutches ranging from 2-4 eggs. |
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April
7 - The male is extremely protective of the female and the nest while
she is laying eggs. He typically will roost in a tree nearby and will
only leave her to catch food and will immediately return to stand guard. |
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April 6 - The male and female crouch over the first egg, laid early this morning! |
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April 5 - To avoid hurting their mates with their talons during
copulation, male birds of prey curl their feet into a ball when
mounting. |
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April 4 - A bright sunset emphasizes the dark chocolate coloring of the Osprey's plumage. |
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April 3 - Other than humans, the most common predators for Osprey
are Bald Eagles, Great Horned Owls, and raccoons. Most of the predation
is against nestlings however, and not adults. |
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April 2 - Osprey usually have high degrees of pair bonds from year
to year, with the most common reason for separation being the loss of a
previously used nest site or death of the mate. |
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April 1 - One would think that Osprey would have a problem with
mercury poisoning with an all-fish diet, but they don't because they
are able to deposit it in their feathers and molt it away from their
bodies. |
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March 31 - In this image the female continues to soften and arrange the nest bed in preparation for egg laying. |
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March 30 - The overall Osprey population in the U.S. has rebounded
quite well since the pesticide era, however they still remain listed as
endangered or threatened in many inland states. |
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March 29 - Due to their willingness to use artificial nest sites,
Osprey populations have been largely unaffected by human development
and sprawl in their usual habitats. |
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March 28 - Most Osprey in N. America (except those in the southern
most parts of the U.S.) are migratory and spend their winters in the
rainforest climates of central and S. America. |
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March 27 - When Osprey move into a nest site they typically only
re-line the old site with softer nest material and do very little
rebuilding themselves. In this image, it appears that the Osprey are
mating. |
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March 26 - Osprey are unique among raptors because their diets consist of 99% fish, and very rarely eat land animals. |
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March 25 - Osprey were one of the major species affected by DDT use
in the 1950's-70's, but since DDT was banned and with an increase in
conservation efforts, their numbers are now reaching record highs. |
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March 24 - Our first image of the Osprey pair mating. In general we
expect egg laying to begin within a month after the pair first arrived,
but this is flexible. |
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March 22 - Ospreys dive feet first for their prey, which only
allows them access to the first few feet of water. As a result they are
limited to shallow waters and surface schools of fish. |
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March 21- It is estimated that 90-95% of all nesting Ospreys now use artificial nest sites such as this one. |
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March 20 - We couldn't resist including this picture of the Osprey looking inquisitively into the camera. |
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March 20 - One of the Ospreys swoops into the nest with a freshly caught fish in its talons. |
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March 18 - The average wingspan for an Osprey ranges from 60-70 inches! |
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March 17 - Although it is often difficult to distinguish between
male and female Ospreys, the female (top) is slightly larger and
typically has a more prominent speckled ring around her chest, while
the male (bottom) does not. |
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March 15 - It appears that our pair from yesterday are interested
in staying a while as they were in and out of the nest all day today,
bringing in new material. |
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March 14 - We have received the first images of an Osprey pair checking out the nest! |
