Osprey Chicks and Nests
Soon as we arrived in Everglades City first of January, I quickly took notice of their half dozen or so Osprey nests throughout the town, observing females were already incubating/brooding.
At the end of March before leaving, the chicks were practically full grown.
Osprey chick
Osprey chick spreading those enormous wings
Osprey parent looking at its chick who is watching something in the sky
Two Osprey chicks
Everglades City Osprey Chicks
At home around the Chesapeake Bay, our female Osprey are just now beginning to lay their eggs. 😲
The Osprey in Everglades City had some interesting nests. One Osprey nest platform idea in Florida is the use of old satellite dishes. Holes are drilled for drainage and then they’re erected on poles, providing ample room for a growing family. What an awesome idea to recycle old dishes!
Satellite dish nest
High School field lights nest
Satellite dish nest
No takers this year for this new satellite dish setup
Communications tower nest
Top of tree AND top of tower in background
A Few of Everglades City’s Several Osprey Nests
Seen at a residence in Everglades City ❤
And to finish up my Florida Osprey, a final capture of a male at sunset, watching over his family.
Male Osprey
I’m missing these Florida Osprey, but am delighted to see an adult pair fishing the lake at our present location in SC. And soon, I’m hoping we’re able to return home to see our Chesapeake Bay Osprey who arrived mid-March and are in the process of laying eggs now!
You must be missing B&B. I kind of miss them, too! I love the recycled satellite dishes – brilliant idea!
Thank you, Eliza, the dish idea is just so awesome! Yes, I do wonder if they both made it back AND what does the nest look like……if there is one! LOL
The certainly were minimalists, weren’t they? 😉
Always enjoy seeing your Osprey images Donna! One of my favorite birds to photograph!
Thank you, Reed! We have the same taste with raptors! 🙂
Fantastic photos, Donna. I see that you’re making “connections” with other Ospreys in SC. That’ll keep you busy for a while, I’m sure. 🙂
Thank you, HJ! Well, if they would just fly over my way maybe! lol But I do still like watching them hunt and fly, they are a beautiful bird. 🙂
I don’t mean to disparage Bella and Beau but it looks as though the Everglades Ospreys know how to build a proper nest. 🙂
Most definitely! If/when I get back home, I want to visit B&B just to see what that nest looks like this season! 😉
What a great idea with the dishes.
I love the Osprey whirligig.
I’d love to see the dish idea used around the Chesapeake Bay, B&B would certainly benefit since they couldn’t keep the sticks on their small manmade platform. And I need one of those whirligig!! 🙂
Who built B&B’s platform?
I’d love to have one, too. In your travels, ever seen one made as a Red Tail?
Someone in the community had erected it before we rented there. It is on the ‘small’ size compared to all the Osprey platform building plans I’ve seen.
No Red-tail seen. I bet that one would be pretty!
We’ve got Red Tails that nest in the high trees around the Eno River. I hear them call all the time.
Not quite the same as your previous perch looking down into the nest, but still great fun I’m sure. Love the idea of using the dishes. I bet Beau and Bella might have had an easier time keeping the sticks from falling off the platform. 😆
Thanks, Gunta. Yes, B&B would surely benefit from a dish platform!! 😆
Love the light in the last pic Donna. Yes, it was an amazing journey for you with your Chesapeake Bay Osprey, watching them nest and breed.
Thank you, Ashley! I am missing my CBay Osprey….. 🙂
Osprey series is back…great, Donna!!
Thank you, Indira!!
Wonderful, Donna.
Thank you, Imorgana!
Wonderful to see these osprey, Donna, and I’m sure your beloved osprey at home are in your thoughts as well. They are a testament to the DDT ban–their populations were in steep decline not that long ago, and now we see breeding and healthy populations all over the world. Looking at your beautiful photos here of these magnificent birds, seeing satellite dishes recycled and used for their nesting platforms, a true success story. Great post and terrific photos.
Thank you, Jet. It was surreal seeing Osprey raising families during the winter in Florida for me, knowing our CBay Osprey were as far as South America for their winter grounds, with not a thought about breeding. 🙂 I know you appreciate the dish platforms, both recycled and so perfect for big nests!
That is a great way to use recycled dishes. I saw that they were nesting atop lights and thought that may be bothersome to have light all night long, but they also have heated nests.I am happy as well to see some are keeping it natural atop a tree. Lovely light on the last shot of the male osprey.
Thank you, Jane! The nest on the lights are field lights for a sports field at the town’s school. So no all-night bother to the Osprey family! 🙂
Oh, that’s good. Wonder if they watch the games?
😊
Loved this post, Donna. So interesting and your photos are really wonderful!
Thank you, Isabel!
That tall tree shot was impressive.
I don’t know what kind that tree is, it stays green year-round but boy they do grow tall, thin and beautiful. I kept meaning to get another photo vertical full shot top to bottom to show it’s height. That Osprey family certainly has an incredible 360 degrees view! 🙂
I do love that sunset shot. This post reminds me of the adventures of your osprey pair back home. 😊
Thank you, Belinda, I missed posting it before and just had to include him, he was just too handsome . 😊 Seeing Osprey chicks during winter was quite surreal, lol, the Osprey back home are just now laying their eggs. I’m hoping to be able to check them out when we get home to see a season all over again! A two-fer season for me! 😉
Best idea ever – recycled satellite dishes as nests. Fantastic shots of the osprey. 😊
Thank you, Irene! They should certainly outlast any wooden platforms I’ve seen deteriorate so many times just a few years after erected. 😊
Lovely images, Donna!
Thank you, Deborah!
I do love that idea of using a satellite dish as well Donna!
The upper right shot looks like a nest has been built right beside some high intensity stadium lights? I wonder If it could catch fire?
Thanks Wayne! Those lights are baseball/softball field lights for Everglades City School K-12 that presently serves 188 students total. So they are not on a whole lot ever. But, I do know there was a concern about a nest catching fire with a high school in Maryland that did have big stadium field lights. When the Osprey season was done, the nest was removed and a raised platform, maybe 2′ high, was installed well above the lights. Sure enough, the Osprey returned and used the raised platform and all was good after that! 🙂
Oh thats good news Donna! They may actually like the outdoor heating I bet?