Bay Photos by Donna

This is an update to our community’s Osprey nest platform from my last post dated May 30th, The Makings of an Osprey Nest, which showed the beginnings of a possible Osprey nest by an Osprey pair I had noticed was trying to start an impossible nest atop Lippincott’s Channel Marker #3.  Oyster Cove community neighbor, Becky, commented on my last post the following:

“I believe these two are the osprey pair that built a large nest on top of a boat at the marina next door. They were very busy and had mated I believe. At some time in the past few weeks someone destroyed the nest and left these two osprey without a home so late in the season. Maybe the boat owner decided he did not want to share his boat! It really was a mess. I did however feel sorry for the uprooted osprey.”

This now makes sense and possibly completes the ‘puzzle’ of how a pair came about so late in the season to start a nest on our Oyster Cove platform!  Thank you, Becky, for your observations, it is most appreciated!  🙂

Our ‘new’ Osprey pair take turns perching singly on the platform, sometimes you might catch them on it together, but they seem to perch more often on the Lippincott channel marker.  They can probably see where they were first building a nest on the boat from the marker and may still feel the need to protect that area, may have even tried to restart the nest on the boat with a stick or two.  Depends on whether the boater has been around more often to scare them away.  I have noticed they do act as if they own our Oyster Cove platform and will chase away any of the other area Osprey that come near it.  That’s great news!

The final photo in my last post on this ‘new’ nest is repeated now first, and then followed by photos as the nest changed.  It’s really not much bigger, for every few sticks added, one or two get knocked off.  I’ve not taken a lot of the Osprey on the platform, and most times it’s been through my sliding glass door, so that blurred the shots.  I’ve just enjoyed watching them from the window through our binoculars.  🙂

May 30, 2013 pm

May 31, 2013 am

June 3, 2013 am – Landing to have breakfast on the platform

June 3, 2013 pm

The male Osprey in the next photo perched in this position for quite a while.  I just couldn’t see how he could be comfortable, lol.

June 4, 2013 am

June 5, 2013 pm – A stick doomed to fall

As the male Osprey in the next photo was perched,  he decided to work on the nest.  Now that cannot be easier!  No, it wasn’t, he quit after couple attempts.

June 6, 2013 am

June 6, 2013 am

June 8, 2013 am –  Protecting the nest from another Osprey doing a fly-by

Here’s the nest as of this evening.  The Osprey pair came a few times to perch…..

June 9, 2013 pm

but I found them this evening back on the channel marker, where they feel the most comfortable I guess.

Our Osprey pair perched at Lippincott’s Channel Marker 3 – June 9, 2013 pm

My fingers are still crossed this Osprey pair continue to build, perch, and protect our Oyster Cove platform for the season, learning to get comfortable amongst us!

Hope you enjoyed, thank you for stopping by!