more fish please....

I wrote this post on another site this morning...thought I would share it here as it relates to little Arbs big appetite and frequent presence on the nest...
Ha ha eating seems to be ALL she does! She has a good Dad. This should reinforce what the Dyfi folks and I have been saying.....that many of these juveniles do not catch their own fish. They rely on their parents. I do think they may occasionally catch a fish, primarily male chicks, because they are hard wired to fulfill the role of provider, but they still rely on their parents to provide a large portion of their food. I have heard a so called osprey expert here say that a fledged chick can go catch a fish on its first flight....highly unlikely. Maybe impossible. After all my years of watching them, I think if an osprey chick flies off and does not return during its early flights, it probably met some sad fate rather than became totally independent so quickly. I am coming to the conclusion that the mortality rate in the first year may be higher than we think. (We are looking at doing a little more research on this during the winter). I do think they may begin accepting a fish from an adult someplace other than the nest though. So, I think it's a GOOD sign that little Arb is still on the nest so much and is eating so much. I think that actually may be increasing her chances of long term survival. The fatter and stronger she is when she begins her migration, when she will have to start catching her own fish, the more cushion she will have against failed fishing attempts. Her instincts are growing stronger everyday, and her frequent food begging does not mean she is too dependent...she is building reserves and developing in ways that may not be apparent. It's all good!