So hungry....

 Went out in search of a particular osprey today, actually several of them, but did not find the ones I was searching for. But I stopped at one nest and found all three chicks still present on and around the nest. All were quiet. Suddenly they burst into that desperate, raspy, whining sound of food begging....wings went out and down in a subordinate position as they hollered so loudly. I laughed out loud. Dad must be on his way! Sure enough, Dear old Dad arrived on the nest as two chicks dove for the fish, a serious tug of war broke out. Of course Dad departed as quickly as possible. Then one of the chicks on the nest flew up in the air and made a particular vocalization that adults commonly make when they see a Bald Eagle. It was kind of cute to hear a juvenile try to replicate that sound. I understood it! And then a large adult Eagle flew above the nest, followed by a juvenile eagle. All three chicks scattered in all directions. The juvenile eagle went after the one with the fish. Oh dear. I lost them behind some trees and I waited anxiously....and one by one they all returned to the nest, without a fish. Smart! The one with the fish must have dropped it, rather than fight with an eagle!  Then they all started hollering again. This time, Mom arrived with a fish! Yeah! She is still around and still helping to feed this large brood! Many females are hard to find now so I was surprised to see her. The whole family was well and accounted for! That is not the case on many nests now. I moved on to another nest where I found two chicks on the nest, also hollering for food. Desperate, hungry, cries that escalated to a pitch which announced that Dad must be in sight. He arrived shortly with a fish, and again, these two struggled to gain control  of that piece of gold! In fact, this struggle was so intense, they both fell off the nest, and a chase ensued. Eventually they found their way back to the nest and of course, neither had the fish. Oops. So the food begging began anew. Ya gotta laugh. So noisy. But the instinct to "bulk up" before migration is strong. Their survival may depend on it! I had to leave before another fish was delivered...but the male here is still working hard to care for these youngsters. The last nest I visited today revealed two adults calmly and quietly  eating their own fish. No food begging heard, no chicks seen. So these adults are still sticking around, in case they are needed, and preparing for their long trip south. I enjoy every last moment spent with these birds, still trying to clarify some research details, be sure our data is accurate, and just soaking up the sights and sounds of these magnificent raptors.