The rehab osprey chick...

An update on the young osprey I released last week...after her harrowing day of absence (harrowing for ME!) and her happy return to her nest, she has stayed put. I have visited her many times and she has remained at home this last week. I only found her perched on a nearby cell tower once, otherwise she stays right in the nest. She missed ten days of her normal development while in rehab and seems a bit traumatized by her experience, so she is staying safe. It's all good for now, but eventually she will have to venture forth. One other chick has been there with her much of the time, tho yesterday she was alone in the afternoon. The third chick, a male, has not been seen in about 6 days now, and neither has Mom. She is eating well and clearly putting on weight in preparation for what's to come. But she needs to develop her flight skills and start thinking about how to catch a fish. I will keep watching...I think many rehabbed birds are not followed closely to see how that experience affects their development. It's especially tough for a young bird, whose normal development is a little altered by the time in a cage. We were lucky that this osprey could be returned to her nest while the parents and siblings were still there, as this will support her reintegration into osprey life.