Friday April 25...

Interesting day in the field. I checked a bunch of nests and read a bunch of bands. I visited one of WU's nests, the male who tended two territories last year.  The new male, who was displaced from WU's other nest, is still there and he was strongly defending the territory. He stood very close to the female as another male buzzed the nest (perhaps WU?). He even mounted the female at one point as if to say"she is mine", tho they did  not copulate. He also chased the other male aggressively and returned to stand wing to wing with the female. It certainly looks like WU is no longer the territorial male there. It's interesting because this is the nest that was originally WU's primary nest, where he nested  successfully prior to the polygyny. The other nest may have some attributes which makes it a superior site, in the eyes of an osprey. It is higher, on a transmission tower, which makes it safer from predators. It also removes the birds further from human activity. It is literally overlooking the Mississippi river. A series of males have tried to take over this nest in past years, so it is a very attractive site to an osprey. I am seeing extra ospreys at many nests now, in fact most nests! Lots of territorial disputes....sometimes 4or5 extra ospreys. I also got to see a favorite pair of mine whose nest had failed last year and they just totally disappeared. I was happy to see them again, both alive and together.  Also found another of my favorite pairs have laid eggs! Chicks are on the way. So there are quite a few birds on eggs now. Don't ask me why some of these ospreys are my favorites. Some of it has to do with unusual events that I have observed, some of it has to do with the relationship between the two birds,  some of it really unexplainable. I have just enjoyed my time observing them. Some of it is related to how long I have known particular birds...some I have not known long, but somehow they have captivated me. A mystery.