Bella & Beau 2019: Two Hungry Teenagers
Osprey nest location: Cambridge, Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
July 13, 2019
Welcome back to Bella & Beau’s Osprey World! I’ll start off with the 4th of July fireworks that occurred a day after my last post. The noise did not seem to bother Bella and her family.
Fireworks over Choptank River – Bella & nest lower left corner
Fireworks over Choptank River – Bella & nest lower left corner
Both parents have had their work cut out for them with their two steadily growing, hungry ‘teenagers’.
“Houseful”
The teenagers are now going on six weeks old.
Bella and her two ‘teenagers’
Just over five weeks ago…..they were so tiny.
Chicks just over a week old
Beau is still temperamental on when he will and will not go for fish for the nest. The more Bella hollers, the more Beau will ignore her…..until he decides he will make a fishing run.
Beau not responding to Bella’s call for another fish
And then Beau finally gives in.
Beau in flight
Beau arriving with a meal
Bella thinking, “It’s about time!”
Bella is still making an occasional fish run herself when she gives up on Beau, like in this next instance.
Bella flew to the river and returned quickly with this fish before sunset
Albeit late, Beau did show up three minutes later with a fish for the nest. When he saw Bella already feeding the chicks, Beau went to the tower to sit and wait with his catch. It was Bella’s turn to ignore Beau.
Beau with a fish intended for Bella and the chicks
Beau this time responding to Bella’s sunset call for a fish
More of Bella feeding those hungry teenagers
Besides to fish, Bella is leaving the nest more often other times, either to fly around or perch nearby, to give the chicks room to move and exercise those growing wings.
Bella in flight
Chick “wingersizing” is tough with Bella on the nest
“School Time”
Chicks watching Momma Bella fly around the nest
Sometimes Beau still comes to the nest to ‘chick-sit’ until Bella returns.
Beau “chick-sitting” while Bella was away gathering nesting materials
But Beau usually prefers to hang around nearby, keeping watch over Bella and the nest. If he’s not fending off harassing Osprey intruders, poor Beau has to also deal with the nuisance of Northern Mockingbirds and Barn Swallows.
Beau vs. Northern Mockingbird
The hot and muggy summer days continue. Bella has a strategy of providing her chicks some shade by creating her “Mombrella”.
Bella’s “Mombrella” for those hot days
Many of those humid days transformed into more late day thunderstorms.
Chicks alone during a down pour
When the rain is over, Bella returns to two very wet chicks
Wet chicks drying out 40 minutes later
Enduring the weather’s elements gets pretty tough at times. Now that they are older and less vulnerable, Bella will feed the chicks in the rain as well.
Bella feeding during a heavy downpour
It was the gorgeous days that I captured some beautiful shots of Bella and the chicks while riding past in our boat.
A moment of bonding for Bella and Beau while the chicks nap
Bella and chicks
Chicks rapidly turning into full grown raptors
Beautiful Bella
All is good in Bella & Beau’s Osprey World when the bellies are full and the sun goes down.
We have another successful couple weeks of an Osprey family’s survival and growth, who can ask for more!