Oliver & Olivia Endures Stormy Weather
What a week of weather! Oliver and Olivia have endured some strong thunderstorms while keeping their clutch protected and nest strong. There were a couple of times I feared the worse not seeing neither in the nest but was quickly relieved to spot an occasional head pop up in the midst of the wind and pouring rain. Whoever was in the nest each time was down very low and tight keeping the clutch secured and warm. Our Oliver the architect continues to bring and add sticks and materials to strengthen the nest as well as giving Olivia an occasional break from egg duty.
On some of the nicer sunny days, I captured some shots of the pair coming and going from the nest. I’ve also watched Olivia often take her breaks perched on Lipincott’s channel marker while Oliver assumes egg duty, all the while keeping his head up and an eye on Olivia. Such a wonderful protective mate!
In some of the photos you can see Oliver and Olivia looking at each other. They look so devoted!
Are you getting anxious to know how many eggs are in the clutch and how many chicks we will soon be watching grow? I sure am and wish I could see into the nest so we would know the count. The first egg was laid on April 3rd and should hatch the first or second week of May. Soon we will be sighting tiny heads popping up to see their new world! Stay tuned!
A Dinner Delivery From Oliver
The past few days have produced all types of weather. I was away Saturday but heard the weather was stormy and I’m sure scary for Olivia sitting on her egg clutch trying to protect them from the winds and rain. I was glad to see their nest still intact and both parents active Sunday evening. Olivia is the primary sitter, but Oliver quickly takes over when Olivia takes a break from the nest. The first sequence of photos shows Olivia leaving with a small fish in her beak that Oliver had brought to her, and then flying off while transferring the fish to her talons.
And here’s Oliver taking over egg-duty while Olivia is off to enjoy a well-deserved break and dinner!
I’ve seen an eagle flying in the area late evenings, occasionally coming a bit close to the nest which neither Oliver or Olivia take too lightly. Olivia will leave the nest and eggs unattended in pursuit of the eagle while broadcasting loudly her distress. And each time Oliver came from nowhere in to take over the chase while Olivia would speed back to her nest and clutch. Here she is again last night, rapidly descending back to the nest while Oliver was already on the eagle’s tail, warning him to stay away.
Oliver soon returned as well, staying on the nest for just a moment, maybe to check to see if Olivia and their egg(s) were safe. And then he was off and gone, flying up and over my left.
I captured Olivia about 7:00 pm last night deep in her nest. With the late sun, the photo gives us a good look at the materials and structure of their huge nest to date. Although the platform is actually a bit lop-sided, you will notice our osprey pair work to build their nest as level as possible. It looks like it’s at least 12-15″ high too.
Last early Friday morning, the sunrise was shining bright on a couple of mallards resting on the rocks at the base of the nest. I decided to take a couple of shots and caught the male doing his morning stretch before catching a nap along with his mate.
With a leg tucked up, he was off to nap in the warm shining sun. That’s some great balance!
Until next time, enjoy the week and happy bird watching!
And So We Wait….
Big apologies on another long absence, my mother had complications from her surgery and was back in the hospital a day after my last posting; she just got back out, and we’re hoping on the road to recovery for sure this time! 🙂
I still kept an eye on Oliver and Olivia when I could. By now, Olivia should have produced more eggs if she’s going to. I’ve seen the “changing of the guards” several times, when one leaves while the other gently positions over the egg(s) to keep them warm and protected, and have watched recently the parent leaning down and pushing towards their middle all while spreading their body to straddle the clutch. I’m thinking all this extra ‘work’ to position means we’ve got at least two eggs. We hope! Here’s a photo of Oliver working to position over the egg(s).
Some other shots of Oliver and Olivia from the last one and a half weeks–
In the following three photos, Oliver had just delivered a headless fish for Olivia who quickly is up and grabbing it. And as usual she departs with her meal, this time in her mouth but quickly works the fish down to her talons while she flies away.
Oliver and Olivia are such a great pair, devoted to each other as they work together to protect their upcoming offspring!
No matter how few minutes you have, our waterways always provide ‘something’ to watch and experience a peek into a life of nature. Those cute buffleheads continue to visit daily.
Coots are also still around. These coots were busy diving and eating while the sun was setting.
For the last couple weeks, I’ve noticed a small flock of large, swift-flying gull-like birds, that were diving for fish in spectacular plunges. Hopefully, some of you have seen them. They are northern gannets and were most likely migrating through to Canada where they breed. They weren’t easy to photograph but here’s a photo of one.
I’ve seen several more sightings of otters early in the morning, the last couple times there were three. They come from Marshy Creek and quickly swim clear across Kent Narrows channel towards Kent Island where I lose sight. Here are some photos from early this morning.
This evening I just happen to step out on the balcony and couldn’t believe three otters were just passing our osprey nest and swiftly swam back towards Marshy Creek. Again, always something to see out there! 🙂 Update: I had stated previously the photos showed beavers but I contacted Judy at CBEC for her expertise, and they are indeed otters! Per Judy, CBEC has two pairs (who produce young every year) on the property. Both pairs live in Marshy Creek area, but travel across to Oyster Cove and all around the peninsula.
Finally, just wanted to share my 5-minutes of fame, LOL. If you receive the magazine, What’s Up Eastern Shore, the following April issue is now out. The log canoe racing on the front cover is my photo! It won second place for their Fun On The Water photo contest but I got the coveted front cover spot. Isn’t that cool??!! 🙂
Hopefully I’ve caught us up on the life of our Oliver and Olivia as they protect their nest and their precious egg(s) from the weather and other predators while they (and we!) wait for the hatching early in May. I bet they have more patience than we do! 🙂
Egg Alert For Oliver & Olivia!
After watching for two days, I’m most positive that Olivia is incubating an egg that was laid on Sunday, April 3! That day I was able to spend a good amount of time watching Oliver continue to feverishly strengthen their nest while Olivia basically stayed perched and watched.
At 1:22 pm Oliver also brought a small headless fish for Olivia to dine on. As usual, she took the fish and left the nest to eat it elsewhere. She returned to the nest in 20 minutes and sat in the middle as shown below.
Here’s another shot of Olivia about 45 minutes later, cocking her head as she watched Oliver returning to the nest with another stick. It’s also a good shot to see the additional decor Oliver has discovered and used. Check out the small cardboard box on Olivia’s left, as well as that darn screen that is still there.
After that last photo, we went out to dinner. When we returned at 6:00 pm, I found Olivia sitting deep in the nest and turning her head keeping constant watch of her surroundings. I watched her for over an hour and saw her get up and put her head down and move it in the nest. She then repositioned to the middle and settled herself gently in the nest. I’m guessing she was rolling the egg around a little, which they do throughout the incubation period.
The next photo was taken at 6:53pm, with Oliver bringing Olivia a nice large fish with it’s head still attached, maybe a wonderful offering to show his support of the birth of their first egg! 🙂 Hey, the fish even has his head still which is unusual for Oliver. He must be making sure Olivia gets all she can to stay nourished.
Both yesterday morning and evening, I found Olivia still settled in the nest, which I was sure confirmed she’d given birth. And fantastic dad, Oliver, continued the nest strengthening. I noticed last night he was concentrating more on grass and clumps to pack and line the nest for Olivia and the egg cup. Oh, and he added more of that lovely clear plastic to the side. LOL
Last year Olivia and Oliver had two chicks hatch, the year before three. It is possible an osprey can lay up to four eggs at 1-3 days apart intervals. So therefore, Olivia could be busy these few days laying one or more additional eggs. The eggs are the size of a large chicken egg and usually hatch in 4-5 weeks in the sequence they were laid.
Yesterday into today, the winds have kicked up to 20-30 mph. This morning Olivia was really deep in the nest, keeping her egg(s) warm and protected. At one point, Oliver returned to the nest and Olivia got up and stood about a minute and then flew off, probably for a break to stretch her wings. Dad Oliver immediately positioned and settled right onto the egg(s) until Olivia returned and took back her place. It is so amazing the instinct they have to support each other and their offspring, isn’t it?
Now we watch and wait for a little chick’s head to pop up to see his new world!
Finally, a quick photo of a blue heron who flew directly and pass me within 30 feet on Sunday. I didn’t even have to crop the photo he was so close!
Til next time, have a super week!
Oliver & Olivia’s Trashy Nest Decor
Please excuse the long absence, my mom didn’t bounce back so quickly from a scheduled surgery; she’s much better now!
Of course, Oliver and Olivia haven’t slowed up one bit in my absence. What a change in the nest! And the trashy decor, lovely! 🙂 Our pair of osprey have proven a love for plastic and continue to use it to secure and tighten their nest. I took a photo of the nest late Saturday night when I returned for a quick refuel, Oliver was checking out his work…
Seeing he needed more, he took off for another stick and head back. I loved the next shot of Oliver coming across our community property, my first with our osprey and daffodils in the same photo!
Early Monday morning, I found Olivia perched and keeping an eye on her surroundings…..and possibly looking for Oliver.
She must have known, as here came Oliver with a small fish that he offered to her to eat. Such a great mate!
By Wednesday, the plastic is starting to disappear within the nest of sticks. Let’s hope it stays deep and doesn’t get entangled with our osprey. This next photo has Olivia on the right and Oliver on the left. Another good shot to see the size difference between the two.
Another shot of the nest and trashy decor…..
Work does not cease for Oliver. This morning in the drizzle, our osprey pair rested on their nest; although Oliver would readjust a stick or clump of grass as he saw fit.
When he departed, I noticed a new addition of trash to the nest behind Olivia. The first photo shows the nest to date. Second photo is a close-up showing a piece of screen. Not a good addition to the nest I would think. Unfortunately, osprey in general will use just about anything to build their nest. It’s been recorded that in addition to plastic and fishing line, they’ve used a hula hoop, toy boat, barbie doll, rag doll, and a wallet. Wonder if that pair got lucky and found any money?? LOL
Finally, I wanted to share a photo of a northern shoveler who flew in with eight mallards to feed at the bottom of the nest. The mallards were quite verbal letting the shoveler know they didn’t like his presence. They left him and he swam off in another direction. First time I’ve seen a northern shoveler around the nest.
That catches us up to date. Last year around April 6, I noted Olivia became a permanent fixture on the nest, only getting up and leaving when Oliver appeared and replaced her, indicating an egg had been laid. In another week or so, we should expect see this occur. And then the excitement begins as we watch for little chicks peaking out to their new big world!
Have a great weekend!
Rebuilding The Nest
In just three days, Oliver and Olivia have made great progress in rebuilding their home. The first photo was taken early Sunday morning of the pair hanging out together before a day of hard work. This is a good shot to show again the size difference between Oliver (left) and Olivia (right) and notice the nest’s condition at that time.
An hour later, the day’s work begins….
Olivia takes a break to stretch….
By late afternoon, the nest was showing improvement.
Oliver brings in a late-afternoon snack for Olivia.
And she decided to take it somewhere else to eat. I guess she didn’t want to share.
The next photo is for fun. With the naked eye, I could tell something looked a little weird on the nest. Oliver looked way out of proportion….or did he grow? 🙂 (Olivia is behind him.)
Back to work, this time Oliver brought in a clump of grassy-like material for the floor of the nest and decides to move a stick.
While Oliver works in that stick, Olivia takes flight to retrieve a stick in the water she had been eyeing from the nest.
It’s now 7:00 pm Sunday and work is still going on. Olivia messed around with this rooted stick for some time.
For some reason, she did not like the root part! She broke it off and took flight I assume to discard it. (She didn’t bring it back!)
As the sun was beginning to set, Oliver brings one more stick before he and Olivia flew down to Lipincott’s channel marker for an evening’s well-deserved rest.
Monday was a stormy dreary day. When I left that morning, it was hailing as a thunderstorm was descending upon us. As I left, I saw one of our pair on the nest hunched over. Not a good day for home rebuilding. But today was! When arriving home tonight, I took the following photo. Olivia is sitting pretty on a much improved nest that has now been adorned with a plastic bag. Hopefully, they can work that bag down tight in the nest so neither of them or any chicks get their talons hooked into it and become entangled.
Plastic and fishing line are very hazardous to the osprey. Last year, the following photo shows Oliver during a scary moment with a plastic bag that had became entangled around his neck!
It could have been deadly for Oliver had he gotten in the water and the bag filled. After 30 minutes of me worrying and looking for Oliver with binoculars, he came cruising back to the nest with no bag. I bet Oliver was relieved, I know I was!
Back to today’s hard work, the next long series of photos show Oliver bringing in another stick in an awkward way. As he tries to make his way down to the nest, Olivia is forced out of the way even though she’s not making eye contact with Oliver or the stick….until those last couple frames. Hmmmmm…..she says a few words, and takes flight. Wonder what she said??!!
As the sun was setting, the pair enjoyed a quiet rest. Oliver has discovered the little piece of wood jetting up from the platform and will perch on it while keeping an eye on the surroundings.
How about that nest??!! Oliver and Olivia have been quite busy. And their activeness makes for great photo shots. I hope I didn’t overload you on photos this time, I had some cool ones I wanted to share. And I love seeing and showing their expressions!
Unfortunately, I will be out of town Thursday through Sunday/Monday and won’t be around to track our osprey. 😦 I’ll be back online as soon as I can to enlighten you a little more with the life of Oliver and Olivia. Have a great weekend!
Gettin’ Down To Business
Not wasting any time, Oliver and Olivia have gotten down to business quickly, with some great bonding and home rebuilding. From yesterday to today, notice between the next two photos taken early yesterday morning to those that follow from today on how much the nest has changed.
In the next series of photos from today, for some reason Olivia did not approve of the long stick hanging on the nest. She flew off to retrieve it and bring it back to the nest to redistribute it to her liking.
When Olivia brought the stick to the top of the nest to drop down on it, she almost impaled herself and fell off to the side of the nest…
She luckily pulled away and off the nest, leaving an entangled section hanging. She came right back to the nest and started to rearrange when the section went crashing into the water below.
Olivia peered over the side at the water below but didn’t attempt to retrieve them. I think she had had enough of that for a while! Oliver showed up shortly thereafter with dinner, which she took quickly and flew off to eat alone. Notice Oliver ate the head of the fish before bringing Olivia her portion.
To help identify Oliver and Olivia, the next photo shows their size and the chest speckling. The female osprey is larger than the male and usually has more chest markings. Our Olivia is on the right, Oliver on the left.
Finally, I wanted to share the next photo to show Oliver and Olivia already have their home tenant for the season. Olivia is giving him a stern look before he flew into the bottom of the nesting material to the nest he is tending to.
Until next post, Happy Spring!
Welcome Back Oliver & Olivia!
As those who live in the community already know from all the kew-kew-kew-kew noise yesterday, Oliver and Olivia are back home from their winter migration! The minute I stepped out of my car, I could hear a loud ruckus. I found Oliver and Olivia dog-fighting with another osprey pair over the nest. The other pair would try to come close to land, but neither Oliver nor Olivia would allow it and chases entailed. The two other osprey gave up and flew together over to CBEC. I wondered if they were the pair that had lost their nest last summer during a violent storm and were looking to relocate.
Although noisy, we are glad to see our pair back. Both look to be in great shape. And by the size of this freshly caught fish Olivia brought to the nest, hungry too!
A little later Oliver brought a tiny fish to the nest, and Olivia must not have been impressed. He landed and then took off with it while she chattered at him. Maybe she was telling him, “Is that what you call dinner?”
Oliver and Olivia also wasted no time in bonding, I saw them mating three times in just a couple of hours!
At the end of the evening, they were both perched on Lipincott’s channel marker, a favorite of theirs……
while they watched the sun set on a gorgeous “Return of the Osprey” day.
A Few More Osprey Sightings….
Things are still somewhat quiet here at the Oyster Cove osprey nest and surrounding area as the spring season descends upon us. Since Tuesday morning’s nest sighting, it wasn’t until this morning at dawn that I saw another osprey on the nest, again a female. It was still a bit dark so the photo is terrible which makes it difficult to confirm if this female is the one I photographed Tuesday.
I’ve been watching our pair’s past season’s favorite perches on the channel markers and the trees over at CBEC and haven’t spotted an osprey; I had wondered that if Olivia was in the area, she might be keeping an eye on the nest from a distance while she waited for Oliver to appear. In the last couple days in the area but away from our nest, I have seen three other osprey sightings, two that had a fish in their grip heading somewhere safe to enjoy. So the osprey are definitely arriving for the season.
Still never a dull moment with our wildlife here, these last two days I did see a bald eagle over at CBEC….
along with a seagull on our nest and coots feeding at the base.
I understand it’s late in the season to see canvasback in our area, but we did have a small raft feeding in Marshy Creek out past our nest Tuesday evening.
Until next time, enjoy the upcoming gorgeous weather!
Another Osprey – Is It Olivia?
I kept an eye out most of the day yesterday and did not see an osprey on our nest, only a large black bird twice and a seagull. Maybe my sighting Saturday was a transient just stopping for a rest.
And then this morning at dawn, we had a female osprey on the nest. You can tell it’s a female by the speckled chest or ‘necklace’ she has. A male is only faintly spotted. Is this Olivia?? I’m not sure as yet, but if she continues to revisit the nest, I will review photograph comparisons between last year’s and more photos I capture. I took most shots through my glass slider so she wouldn’t see me. She stayed for a few minutes, started chirping and then took flight up and over our community.
I can’t wait to get home from work and see if she’s still around. (yes I’m blogging at work to put the word out….ssshhhh don’t tell the boss!) 🙂 Check back and I’ll keep you posted!
Bay Photos by Donna 