My little illness slowed me down for a few days, but today I just had to go check on the progress of the Ospreys I’ve been following since early Spring.
This shot is of my favorite nest – the one I thought would never be built because I was so sure that the two birds were too young to mate. Silly me. Shows how little I know.
These three beautiful chicks are just about ready to try their wings, and yet they still want to gather under mom for shade, and they expect to be fed regularly, of course. Today I watched mom patiently feed them all. Then she flew away from the nest and soared around for a couple of minutes. She did this twice, so I’m guessing that she’s saying “all right, kids, this is how it’s done. Now GO!”
And when dad suddenly showed up, that was one crowded nest. All five of them scrunched together.
There are two chicks in the nest just behind the picnic shelter, and two more in the nest way back in the trees. And this pair of little ones in the nest nearest the road, between Battery Worth and the Cemetery. I almost missed the little guy nestled under mom’s wing.
It was a good day. Now it’s time for a nap.
Jim McDade, Photographer 