Last Year’s Fledging a 5-Minute Celebrity!
As they sweltered through a second day of the direct sun, heat and humidity, Olivia provided her little ones with as much shade as she could by spreading her wings for both to sit under, which they eagerly did. She also would leave the nest and dive down towards the water, skipping along while dragging her feet to get a nice cooling-off. Then she returned quickly and repositioned over the chicks to let them also get a little cooling off themselves while she dripped and even reclined some on them. It’s amazing what these birds know and do for each other!
Jumping to this day’s blog title, I wanted to share a couple of photos that I entered into the Chesapeake Bay Magazine’s annual photo contest that published in this June’s issue. The first being the blog title, last season I captured a photo of one of our two chicks during his first weeks of flying. He won Honorable Mention in the Wildlife Category! 🙂
It was in the mid to upper 90’s and this chick decided he needed to cool off. He flew to the rocky berm below for a brief rest and then flew directly into the water and immersed himself. Then with a thrust up, he was out of the water and soaring up and landing back on the nest, looking like he felt much better!
The second photo is another 5-minute fame for me. This one (which I’ve had posted in the Mallards & Ducklings folder in the photo gallery tab at top) is a baby mallard, less than 14 hours old, born over at Red Eye’s Dock Bar under a palm tree the middle of June last year. I visited that nest every morning and every evening, trying to be there at the right moment, because once all the chicks have hatched, momma will have them in the water and gone from the nest permanently. As luck would have it, I was there! Here’s my entered shot, which won First Place in the Wildlife Category. 🙂
Now that is one cute baby duck! Notice the small tip on his beak which he used to break himself out of his egg. It falls off usually within 24 hours of birth.
For a look at the magazine”s complete photo contest winners and listing of their “Best of the Bay” winners, click here.
Thanks for letting myself and our last year’s fledging share our 5-minutes of fame with you!
Memorial Day Weekend
Although the weather was warm, I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! I was able to capture some photos of our little osprey chicks today that show how much bigger and stronger they are in just a few more days. They are able to move around more easily within the nest and are also very interested in being up and looking over the side.
Dad Oliver has been keeping up his duties of restrengthening the nest with more sticks along with a steady supply of fish.
Mom Olivia is very patient as she feeds her babies, actually taking turns to make sure each are getting enough to eat. Once they’ve had enough, the chicks usually settle down for a nap.
The wings of the chicks are rapidly growing in size as they learn to stretch and move them around. I noticed some beginnings of wing-flapping by the oldest one. It’s hard to believe that those wings will be full grown and ready for flight in another 4-5 weeks!
A couple of final photos, the first is of Olivia in flight today. You will notice she has had some feather damage. I reviewed photos from just a few days ago and her right wing-span did not have the missing feathers. Not sure what happened, if she tangled with an intruder or some other misfortune. Hopefully, she’s okay and on the mend.
And these little guys were visiting close to the base of the osprey nest and were just too colorful in the late afternoon sun to not photograph. 🙂
Thanks for visiting, and have a safe week!
Hey There Outside World!
I was out of town a couple days and took a quick moment this morning to catch a couple photos of our little ones to share. And, boy are they growing! They are pretty steady sitting up now and I’ve seen them crawling around using their tiny wings for support. They can certainly stretch their necks when they want to see their outside world!
I’ll be back soon to continue to share their growth before our eyes…..Stay tuned!
Two Osprey Chicks Ready to Grow
Our two little osprey chicks are becoming stronger by the day! Saturday morning, it was difficult to see the chicks still as their little heads wobbled around. In addition, a plastic bag and some pink wall insulation have appeared within the nest, making it difficult to see in. (Someone needs to talk to architect Oliver about keeping our sight window on the nest’s land side open for everyone’s viewing!) 🙂 By Sunday morning, it was amazing to see the two chicks sitting up and holding their heads steady! Here’s some shots of the babies….
I’ve even seen sibling rivalry already. The next photo shows one of the chicks with beak open, lunging at the neck of the other! Don’t worry, the other one turned around and beaked him back! Hopefully, they don’t hurt each other….
I saw Olivia take advantage of the warm weekend by diving a few times and then return to the nest. I’m guessing after that past week’s showers, Olivia needed it; she was constantly preening her feathers to clean them.
After one bathing dip, she returned to the nest and constantly fluffed her feathers in the warm sun….
Now that Oliver and Olivia have babies to protect, their demeanor at the nest has changed towards us humans. A walker passing by had stopped to photograph. Olivia caused a huge ruckus and took a defiant stance on the nest edge. I really thought she might attack the person. I love her attitude!
In addition, no one in the sky should come close either. An eagle was just passing by, but apparently Olivia and Oliver felt it was too close. Olivia left the nest and flew in circles between the nest and Oliver who was in pursuit of the eagle. It look like Oliver and the eagle were surely going to tangle but didn’t. Here’s their combative shots…..
I was sure the eagle meant no harm to our osprey family, but it didn’t matter. Oliver continued to go after the eagle until he high-tailed it over to Kent Island. Oliver returned to the nest looking flustered but proud of himself. 🙂
A couple more shots, this one shows the beauty of Olivia as she passes by me.
And finally, only one chick is in the next photo, but momma’s got his back as she keeps an eye on him as he starts checking on his outside world.
Each week now the chicks will grow at an unbelievable rate. Check back often as I share their growth in photos with you!
Not One…But Two Osprey Chicks!
That’s right, I have now seen and can confirm Oliver and Olivia have two chicks! Being so small, I can only get quick glimpses of them at feeding with binoculars, as they try to reach up for a piece of fish from momma. I tried to capture a photo, and the following two are not the best in clarity since I’m enlarging so much. In the first photo just to the left of Olivia’s leg, you can see a tiny light-colored beak and large black eye. In the second one, Olivia is feeding him.
In another week, we should be able to see much more and whether there is a third and fourth little one. 🙂
I’ve got a few more shots, the next one shows Olivia taking a nap in the evening. She must have been exhausted, I’ve never seen her take such a long one before.
The next one shows dad Oliver ‘bringing home the bacon”!
Oliver is apparently doing a great job in keeping up the food deliveries for the arrival of his hungry babies, as shown in the next photo. In it Olivia is returning from chasing an eagle away from the area this morning, and directly under her on the nest is a fish already there and waiting for the next feeding. Also notice Olivia’s talons are pulled in for the landing, just in case she should come close to landing by or on a chick.
Finally, I thought this last photo was cute with Olivia looking over at her summer’s tenant. See him just to the right and down a bit from Olivia on the branch? Obviously, these little guys are not a bother to our osprey and sense their safety as they perch alongside the nest often.
A quick mention, Blackwater Refuge’s osprey pair on their webcam have successfully laid three eggs, with the first hatching to occur in about a week. Be sure to check out their excitement for their first arrival, you might get to see the egg hatching on the cam. Also their three eaglets on Blackwater’s other webcam are now almost full-grown and it’s confirmed two have fledged!
An Osprey Chick Sighting!
I have finally seen at least one tiny little head reaching up for a feeding from momma! For the past week, our osprey parents have often been seen peering down into their nest from the sides.
Olivia seems at ease and is mostly tending to the chick(s) by either keeping them warm, giving them open-air time, and feedings. But when she leaves to take a break, left dad Oliver always looks as if he’s still surprised or bewildered with what he sees down in the nest, and will anxiously look at Olivia flying away into the distance as if to say, “Hurry back, this is your job!”. 🙂 If it’s been more than a few minutes, Oliver starts low chirping, trying to call Olivia back.
Olivia is never gone for long, I’m sure much to Oliver’s relief. He’s been a great partner and dad so far, and he has his own duties of nest protection from intruders, keeping the nest strong & tidy, and bringing fish to Olivia.
Ospreys usually have 2-4 chicks a year. Oliver & Olivia’s largest brood that I’m aware of is three. We now know we have one chick. Around May 10-12, a second egg would have hatched. Around May 15-17, a possible third hatching did/will occur. With binoculars, I’ve watched numerous feedings and have seen Olivia passing fish pieces to what appears to be at least two chicks by the way she dips to one side or the other back and forth. Here are some photos of different feedings. On some, you can tell the nest cup within the nest is down deep by how far down Olivia has to feed.
Here’s some great wing shots of our osprey parents. The first one is Oliver, the second and third one are Olivia. I love how the very early rising sun shined on Olivia in the third one.
Some final photos from this past week, this one of Oliver doing a fly-by me…..
And Olivia taking one of her meals off to enjoy alone.
And finally, Olivia skirting the water on another break to stretch her wings…. and wash her feet!
I’ll keep my watch and hope I can upload a glimpse very soon of our new babies!
We Have an Osprey Hatching!
It appears we have some exciting activity occurring within Oliver & Olivia’s nest! Their first egg was laid on April 2nd, with incubation taking approximately 36-39 days. Up until this past Friday, all seemed basically normal. But Saturday late afternoon through this evening, I’ve seen both Olivia and Oliver being very interested of their nest within, getting up and inspecting their clutch often from the side of the nest. They are also constantly picking at the nesting cup materials, rearranging it some as if to keep in place and secure. In addition, neither parent is too keen now on anyone walking by the nest, they begin to chirp. So I feel confident to say we have had a hatching! If there is more than one egg (and we hope so!), they will hatch in sequence of laying about 3-5 days after the first one. It will be a week or so before we might possibly see a little chick’s head popping up for a feeding or a look. That will be my challenge to capture!
I have a few photos to share from the last few days, the first one has Mr. Oliver giving me the stare down, while the wind behind gives him a stylish mohawk.
The next photo is Oliver at take-off and gives a great shot of an adult osprey’s wingspan which is 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet, the female’s being the largest.
I’ve noticed in the last couple weeks, Oliver landing on Olivia several times as if to mate. He wouldn’t continue but just stayed still on her a few seconds and then would lift up & over to the side of the nest while Olivia would reposition herself onto the clutch. I was wondering if it was a sign of affection or bonding between the two. Here’s one of those instances.
Yesterday morning, Oliver brought in breakfast upon which Olivia took possession and flight to enjoy alone. She came towards me this time. 🙂
With the immediate area having two new osprey pair soaring around as well as the occasional eagle, both Oliver and Olivia keep their eyes on these “intruders” as well as pursuing them with aerial chases as they protect their home and future family.
Another food delivery!
The next photo was taken last night, and shows our osprey parents inspecting apparent activity within! Does Oliver have a look of surprise on him?? 🙂
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This evening as the sun was setting and Oliver had just departed the nest from his clutch-duty, Olivia actually perched a few minutes to soak in the warm rays and do a photo shoot before positioning back on to her future family. You’re doing a great job, mom!
Stay tuned for our little ones as they grow from helpless 2-ounce chicks to soaring acrobats in just eight amazing weeks!
Finally, a shot of a young cormorant I saw over at Mears Point Marina who was also soaking up some sun-rays.
Blackwater NWR – 2010 / 2011
I love visiting Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland. The beauty and serenity is astounding. This is a collection of my best photos from each visit. If you haven’t already, take a day trip to Blackwater NWR to drive along their paved Wildlife Drive or walk along one of their trails. No telling what you might see!! For information about the refuge, read the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Blackwater NWR brochure (1.4MB PDF file).
My Visit – November 12, 2011
Visit – April 30, 2011
The next photos show a sequence of a Great Blue Heron trying his best to swallow his large catch. It took him 12 minutes from capture to final swallow.
His throat appears a bit full in that last photo!
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Visit – January 15, 2011
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Visit – January 1, 2011
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Visit – November 21, 2010
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Visit – September 18, 2010
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Visit – July 4, 2010
As We Wait for Oliver & Olivia’s Hatching
Oliver and Olivia continue to support each other and protect their nest as they head into their final days before the hatching of their clutch. Here’s a changing of the guard, as Olivia takes off for a break while Oliver prepares to take her spot.
In the next photo, Oliver had brought Olivia a fish but she didn’t budge off her clutch nor try to take it from Oliver. So Oliver took off with it to enjoy for himself. At least he offered it to Olivia first!
As Olivia returns to the nest and inspects her clutch, Oliver tends to a stick that needed an apparent adjustment.
The following is a cute photo of Oliver (right) and Olivia (left) together inspecting their clutch. I wonder if they can hear anything from the egg(s)….
Another photo, this one capturing a shot of their tenant who lives in the bottom of the nest. 🙂
The osprey population in our area has increased these last several years, which is great news. As the young osprey return to their area of birth, they must find a mate and a location to start a nest and take up residence. It appears we have a pair that have gotten a nest started on the Kent Narrows channel marker. We have both that pair and another pair from CBEC that continue to harrass Oliver & Olivia. Here’s a shot of the pair from CBEC on the newly constructed osprey nest platform. I can’t tell if they’ve been successful in starting their own nest yet. It must be enticing to want to try and steal a great home nest like Oliver has built and not start from scratch!
This past Saturday I was able to take a trip down to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where it is always a treat to see beauty untouched. I’ve uploaded my best to my BNWR photo gallery page for your enjoyment. Here’s a couple shots:
If you visit the BNWR photo gallery page, you will see a sequence of this Great Blue Heron trying to devour his large catch. It took him 12 minutes…..
Thanks for visiting, and stay tuned for Oliver and Olivia’s adventures while they bring their new family into our big world.
Oliver and Olivia Are Safe!
For those of you not within sight of the osprey nest, I just wanted to pass on that Oliver and Olivia are safe and secure, having endured even more violent thunderstorms and winds than a few days ago. The last three days of constant winds of 20-30 mph (and gusts over 60!) have kept Olivia low in the nest while the platform pole has swayed back and forth a bit. In the midst of it all, Tuesday evening, Oliver decided to have some fun and did some wave-skipping!
And then up Oliver soared, giving himself a good shake-off in the process. With the warm, humid temperatures, I bet it felt good!
As the storms headed our way Wednesday, Oliver was busy working on strengthening the nest, a never-ending job it seems.
And then today’s storms hit. I was not around but watched the weather radar and saw our area hit continuously by storm cell after another. Some hitting direct were packing 60 mph winds. And I worried about Oliver and Olivia and their nest. Would it be able to sustain the impacts I was watching? I had watched in horror late last summer a well-established nest over at CBEC along Prospect Bay just disappear in seconds from a violent storm (luckily the chicks had fledged!). This evening to my amazement and relief, the nest was fully intact and I saw Oliver and Olivia within minutes. 🙂
Just before dusk, the sun broke through a small clearing. I got a shot of the whole nest, still intact, proving Oliver certainly is one excellent architect!
One last thing I wanted to mention, we had an altercation at the nest this evening between Oliver, Olivia, and another osprey. Olivia was up and had started to let out loud warning calls, which got my attention. Oliver’s too as he came out of nowhere and was on the nest also screaming. A third osprey came down to the nest and immediately Oliver and Olivia were trying to attack it. The intruding osprey flew up and away, heading over to the Kent Narrows channel. Oliver and Olivia both stayed on the nest, chattered some more, and then Olivia settled back down on the clutch. I have noticed on the KN channel marker 3, another pair of osprey have started a first-time nest. In the last couple weeks, it appeared that one was constantly on the nest, possibly incubating an egg(s). I’m wondering if the intruding osprey was from that marker, as that pair has continuously flown over our nest and then a chase usually occurred, chasing the young pair back over to KN.
Let’s hope those nasty storms are over and more comfortable temperatures are on their way. I’m sure Oliver and Olivia would agree!
Bay Photos by Donna 
