Bella & Beau 2019: One, Two, Three – Cute As Can Be
Osprey nest location: Cambridge, Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
June 9, 2019
A week has passed since the last update, and it’s exciting to report Chick #1 now has two siblings!
All three chicks lined up for a feeding
Three Hungry Chicks
Bella & Beau checking out their new chicks.
Beau (left) & Bella looking at their three chicks
Beau (left) & Bella looking at their three chicks
Beau (left) & Bella looking at their three chicks
Beau seems to give more looks of surprise, the looks are priceless.
Beau checking out the chicks.
The chicks amaze Beau.
“We had three???”
Since the hatchings, Bella has become the full-time incubator and chick feeder, only taking breaks to exercise or wash, before being back to the nest in a flash.
Beau always seems nervous and bewildered when she goes. He’ll glance at the chicks but keeps his eye on Bella the most. What is he supposed to do?
Beau keeping eye on Bella while he ‘babysits’.
“Come back, Bella!”
“Come back, Bella!”
I am most sure Beau would rather be fishing, right?! Of course, Beau now has to step up his game on quantity and size to feed Bella and three very hungry chicks.
Beau’s fish have indeed been been coming in bigger, and many with the head still attached. Beau will have to find his nourishment inbetween runs best he can.
This specific instance, Beau was enroute with a fish and had to chase an Osprey intruder away before delivering it to Bella. Talk about doing two things at once! Go, Beau!
Beau chasing an intruder with a fish in his talons.
Beau finally delivers the fish after successfully chasing the intruder away.
Another fish delivery….
Beau landing with a fish and Bella taking it aggressively.
Beau landing with a fish and Bella taking it aggressively.
Beau landing with a fish and Bella taking it aggressively.
Beau landing with a fish and Bella taking it aggressively.
Beau landing with a fish and Bella taking it aggressively.
Beau landing with a fish and Bella taking it aggressively.
Beau landing with a fish and Bella taking it aggressively.
Beau landing with a fish and Bella taking it aggressively.
Poor Beau!
Beau delivering a fish and Bella aggressively taking it
Bella will feed herself first, hungrily devouring the head and gills. She then begins feeding the chicks the meatier portions in small bites.
Feeding Time
Feedings easily last 20-30 minutes. Although Chick #1 is the biggest and most aggressive to grab the offered bites, Chick #2 is right in there alongside #1, getting his share. Chick #3 is hanging back, sometimes not even up and trying, letting the older ones get their fill first. But after a couple minutes, #3 tries to get in there for a bite. Bella is awesome, ensuring #3 is getting his share too! It can be very tough for the third chick to survive if food is scarce, even more so if any Osprey has four chicks.
After delivering, Beau gets out of the way, perching on the wood block until the feedings are done. His job is to keep his eye to the sky for any intruders, alarming when necessary.
Beau alarming a pair of Osprey intruders.
Beau got Bella’s attention to help watch the Osprey intruders.
Beau alarming an intruder
We still have numerous Osprey flying overhead often, agitating Bella and Beau to no end.
Osprey intruder harrassing Bella & Beau.
Osprey intruder harrassing Bella & Beau.
Osprey intruder harrassing Bella & Beau.
Osprey intruder harrassing Bella & Beau.
Bella & Beau watch the intruder move on.
Bella mantles over her chicks while she & Beau warn intruders
Beau would prefer to have a rest and scratch an itch, which always feels good.
Beau scratching an itch.
Beau scratching an itch.
“That feels better.”
Beau scratching an itch
While shooting the Barn Swallows around our marina, I can still see Bella & Beau’s nest, although it is at a distance farther than my balcony.
It was then an awesome photo-op moment occurred. From the marina docks, I watched Beau fly to the nest with a fish. Bella didn’t jump up like she always does, screaming and grabbing.
She just ignored him and stayed incubating.
Bella ignoring Beau’s fish delivery
Bella must have told Beau to “Shhhhh…the babies are sleeping, go!”
I watched Beau take flight and fly directly towards and past me…..
Beau in flight with a fish
And then he landed atop a sailboat mast six boat slips from where I stood.
Beau preparing to land on a sailboat mast
“Touchdown!”
He seemed to be worried with something or someone behind him that I couldn’t see.
And then just as quickly, Beau took flight again and flew off towards the water tower where I imagine he either ate the fish or waited with it for Bella to call when time.
Beau departing the sailboat mast
Talk about a right place, right time moment. It being Beau made it more special!
Starting today, we had and are due several days of rain showers. Wet Springs are detrimental to recently born Osprey. The female parent must try to keep them warm and dry best she can, and delay feedings if possible to not expose the fragile chicks to the extremes.
We’re sure Bella will do her absolute best during these rough times.
I’ll end with a comical series with Beau trying to help out with more nesting materials. Bella gave Beau some looks, she is known to prefer to arrange her nest herself.
Beau taking stick to nest.
Beau landing.
Beau arranging his stick.
Bella watching where Beau is putting it.
Bella’s thinking, no not there!
Bella ignores Beau, she’ll move it later. 🙂
And a shot of beautiful Mama Bella.
Bella taking a break on a warmer day, giving the chicks some fresh air.
Three chicks! ❤
Three cheers to you Donna, for these wonderful shots. And of course 3 cheers to Bella and Beau 😀
YAYS all the way around! 😊 Thank you, Takami!
I am speechless: this post has all the perfect photos for illustrating the life of these Ospreys and their chicks! Kudos to you, Donna for making such great efforts to capture all of these great Osprey moments for your readers.
Thank you so kindly, Hien, I am all smiles. 🙂 It does take quite a few hours to put together each B&B post, but I have a lot of fun doing it, selecting from the past week’s photos and putting the storyline together. Somehow it always seems to fall into place. Whew! Of course, the stars who make it all happen are Bella and Beau. 😊
Wow! That was a surprise! Three chicks! Poor Beau, he’s going to be busy fishing all day!
Great report and beautiful gallery my friend…THREE! 🙂
Thank you, HJ! I know, THREE! And, yes, I hope Beau does enjoy fishing, lol. 🙂
Excellently narrated story of the couple, Donna!!!!
Thank you, Indira! They are pretty special, huh?!! 🙂
Busy daddy. Three mouths to feed plus security watch. I hope he gets overtime pay. LOL!
He should! LOL Poor fella, he always looks at Bella as if to ask, okay, what next?
That’s wonderful news, Donna. Let’s hope that all three will make it!
Be kind Mother Nature! We have our fingers crossed. 🙂
They are so cute and I am happy to see how much they have learned from last year’s experience. They are working well as a team. Maybe beau is already worried that each year will add one more chick!
Thank you, Jane! Bella and Beau got it going on for sure now. Beau is a champ, although he’s still not sure how all those hungry mouths just appeared! 😊
Their experience from last year is paying dividends this year!
Yay, is sure is!! 🙂
Whoa… you’ve outdone yourself with this one… Such utterly amazing shots. The experience they both gained from last year is showing.
The shot you captioned with: “Beau finally delivers the fish after successfully chasing the intruder away.” is marvelous! I tried to comment to it, but WP seems to be messing with that featured (as perhaps you discovered over at my blog?) This latest series is simply marvelous. I’d like to add individual comments if only WP would let me! 😦
Thank you, Gunta, I aim to please! (pun intended!) hee hee
B&B are doing well, and poor Beau does try to please, I will give him credit. Bella’s one tough cookie, she knows what she wants when she wants. She sounds like me! 😉
Poo on WP, yes I am having the single photo comment issue on yours & other sites too. 😦
So exciting!!!
It is, thank you, Cindy!
Wonderful birds and fabulous photos.
Thank you very much! 🙂
Wow Donna, these photos are so beautiful! The birds are beautiful and wonderful parents! I envy your photo skills my friend. 🙏🏻😎🤙🏻
Thank you much, John, everything’s going well so far! I hope it shows I enjoy shooting birds, I love trying to convey their beauty to others! 😊
You surely do, Donna. 🙏🏻😎❤️
As always Donna, a wonderful series of photos and story line. I am jealous that you are up high enough to see the young chicks. In our nearby nest I can’t see them until they are big enough that their heads will poke above the ‘horizon’. So until then I have no idea whether there are two or three chicks in ‘my’ nest. And like you I am sorry about this bad streak of weather. Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you, Susan! Chick #1 here is already stretching tall to see out, so you’ll see someone peering out quite soon! 🙂
Beautiful images! I sure hope all the chicks make it and the parents can keep up!
Thank you, Deborah, me too! I was just witnessed and am finally relieved that Beau brought a fish in, Bella was going nuts for over an hour. Poor Beau, he looks a bit tired. 😦
Three, how exciting! I hope they will all grow healthy and strong.
Your photos are impressive, Donna, particularly Beau’s one-footed landing. 🙂
Thank you, Eliza! Fingers crossed for all three!! 🙂
Another wonderful illustrated story.
Thank you, Tom!
How wonderful Donna, three little heads, and now the real work begins! Busy parents!
Let’s hope Bella & Beau got plenty of rest during the pre-hatching period, they’ll certainly be tested with three to care for now. Busy times three! Thank you, Ashley! 🙂
Wonderful images and great series.
Thank you, Ted!
Gorgeous photos. I’m envious Donna, but I suspect if I had a nesting pair of osprey within sight I wouldn’t get anything done.
Thank you, Chris! They are distracting…..the house chores, that is. LOL 😉
Happy news😊. Bella and Beau are a fine team. Wonderful photos Donna!
Thank you, Belinda! The parents are a bit bewildered at times, but they are a team for sure! 😊
Fantastic series on the success of this osprey family’s progress, Donna. Your photos and narrative were a delight, thank you. I espec. like the second photo labelled “Three Hungry Chicks,” seeing all three chicks with their mouths open, that’s wonderful.
Thank you, Jet! My, oh, my those three little mouths already seem bigger, or at least each trying harder and wider to get their bite. 😊
Superb shots as always! Especially like the fledglings and the stick carrying! 🙂
Thank you, Tom! 😊
Great post and news – rooting for those wee chicks! But don’t let them near my piping plovers please… RH
Thank you and I hear ya! 🙂
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