Bella & Beau 2019: Well, That Was Quick! (A Quick Update)
Osprey nest location: Cambridge, Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
July 24, 2019 – #2
This morning, less than two hours after publishing my last Bella & Beau post, “It’s School Time” and talking about how the ‘teens’ fledging was imminent, my husband called out a chick was missing from the nest. What??
I ran out to the balcony. I didn’t see the fledged chick anywhere, and Bella didn’t seem fazed.
Bella and one lone ‘teen’ on the nest
It was a breezy 8-10 mph wind. With her constant 360° degree watch, Bella wasn’t giving me any signs of a fixed direction of the fledgling. I spanned my 180° degree view with binoculars for a flying or perched Osprey but no luck.
I looked off and on for the next several hours, trying to locate the fledged chick perched somewhere nearby.
During that time, the second chick received two feedings. At the first feeding, I could hear faint “fish fish fish” chirps. I couldn’t pinpoint the sound’s direction.
Much louder chirps were voiced when Beau arrived with the second meal. Bella was too busy taking the fish from Beau, but Beau heard the fledgling crying and gave me this ‘hint’ shot of its location.
Beau looking at our rooftop and the chirping fledged ‘teen’
Beau left the nest and flew to perch on the Cambridge tower. The fledgling got louder. No one was listening! Bella gave a few looks up at the fledgling but then continued feeding the second ‘teen’.
We were to leave right after that. Grabbing my camera and zoom lens heading out, we went to view our rooftop before leaving.
Bingo! Sure enough, there the fledged ‘teen’ sat perched!
Bella & Beau’s first fledged ‘teen’ on our rooftop
Fledged ‘teen’ looking a bit apprehensive
“How am I going to get back to the nest to eat? I’m hungry!”
(fledged for four hours at this point)
Beau on the top of Cambridge tower, keeping a watchful eye on the fledged ‘teen’
Returning 1½ hours later, we checked our rooftop to find it birdless. From a distance, the nest showed two Osprey on it; but the late afternoon sun’s glare made it impossible to see if they were adult or juvenile.
Finally back to my ‘perch’, I had confirmation the fledgling had actually made it back to the nest, yay! And, my oh my, it was crying “fish fish fish” loudly.
“My turn to fly is next!” says “Teen” #2
(hungry ‘teen’ has it’s back to us, pouting)
Mom Bella was watching from a sail mast, calling Beau for a fish as well.
Bella watching over the chicks while calling for Beau to fetch a fish
I didn’t see Beau anywhere but imagined him flying over Choptank River, with those raptor eyes spanning the waters for a fish to snare.
A fish for one hungry and definitely deserving newly fledged ‘teen’.
Ahhhh…..life is good tonight in Bella and Beau’s Osprey World as the sun goes down…
Tonight’s sunset over Cambridge Creek and Bella & family (nest platform bottom right)
Wow, Donna, that’s exciting! I feel like congratulations are in order —:-) Precious days ahead, learning how to fly, land, and then, ultimately, catching their own fish.
Thank you much, Lisa! Still lots of exciting days ahead for sure. Hopefully, Bella is starting to finally see the light at the end of the season’s tunnel! 😊
Well , that was exciting. Then the sunrays peering through the clouds- a good ending to a good day.
A good day for sure! Thank you, Jane!
MARVELOUS!!! So happy to see the first one fledge! This is such an exciting time and it will end all too soon!
Teens are so unpredictable, lol. I certainly wasn’t expecting it to be hours after posting about it! 🙂
Wonderful captures and creatures!
Thank you, Cindy!
Very exciting!
It is, thank you!
Well, that’s progress!
Proves teens are unpredictable, catching me off-guard! 😉
Great photos and story Donna! And I marvel that both of our nests had the oldest chicks fledging on the same day! It must be happening all over the Bay this week! Long live the Ospreys!
Thank you, Susan! Woo Hoo! 🙂
Excellent news! I guess the second chick will be taking flight soon as well. I hope they don’t fly off too soon. I do enjoy your fine pictures of this family!
Thank you, Belinda! Yes, the second chick will be taking flight any time, he/she’s exercising those wings on the nest often, it wants to fly too! Osprey chicks normally hang around the nest until September, before migrating, we’ll see what these two will do. 🙂
Thanks Donna.
Woo hoo! They’re going to be gone before we know it. That sunset was stunning!
Thank you, Deborah! The season is flying by fast!
This event is very important, it proves that the chicks are very motivated and in excellent physical conditions, ready for what comes next. I predict that they will learn to fish in no time. Congratulations, my friend! You must be happy now, after a bit of worry for the disappearance of the teenager. 🙂
Thank you, HJ! I remember last year’s first fledgling was stuck on a rooftop all day long and into the evening, so this time I was real glad it was just a short few hours. 🙂 Now teen #1 thinks it’s a pro, lol, it was leaving and returning to the nest many times yesterday. I love when it lands and chirps loudly to announce its landing success. 😊 Teen #2 is watching intently and flapping hard, it wants to fly too! So any time now for sure!
Very nice job on this series 👏👏
Thank you very much, Ted!
They grow up so fast! 🙂
They certainly do! 🙂
It is so fast indeed 🙂 Very happy for the family and for you. But I do hope they will stay around for a bit longer 😉 ❤
Thank you, Takami! The chicks will still use the nest as a home base for feedings until early September. Once they’ve mastering the skill of flying, they still have to learn the skill of fishing for themselves. Bella & Beau will take them out over the river soon and start the teachings! 🙂
Exciting times ahead for you Donna! 🙂
Another month of lots to learn for the ‘teens’ we hope! 🙂
We do worry about our favorite nestlings, don’t we.
Yes, we do! 🙂