Seems like the Ospreys are starting to arrive in the metro now in greater numbers. I visited 19 nests and found birds on seven of them. I have read about nine bands so far. And one male had his band read twice today on two different nests (as I did last Sunday also). I watched some drama at one nest with two Bald Eagles and two Ospreys chasing each other around. This is not uncommon this time of year, but always interesting to watch how aggressive the Ospreys can be when they feel threatened. Always interesting to hear that vocalization that means "oh no a Bald Eagle". Some males were working hard on the nest, bringing sticks endlessly, digging a cup for the eggs, some are still looking around for a female, doing the courtship dance in the sky with a fish. Some pairs are clearly old mated pairs, so comfortable together...but some show behaviors that indicate it might be a new partner. Males can become defensive, turning their back to a female, hanging their heads and sometimes spreading their wings a little bit and shaking them. The females seem to hold some power...is he good enough for me? There are just so many fascinating behaviors to observe!
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