Fledging!

That time has arrived, and I have confirmed fledgling on a couple of our earliest nests! Seems like they just hatched but now they are adult size and taking their first flights. So what is it that happens physiologically that prepares them for flight? As their feathers are growing in they are called blood feathers, as the shaft is full of blood. They do a lot of eating and sleeping as their bodies are putting energy into growing these feathers. Breaking a blood feather can cause a serious loss of blood. As they approach fledging, the blood in the  shaft of the feather begins to dry up and the feathers stiffen enough to be able to sustain flight. In those 10-15 days prior to fledging they will also be building their muscles by flapping their wings. On a nest full of three chicks, it can become chaotic so quite often the parents begin to perch nearby, rather than in the nest. The chicks can begin to hover up above the nest or even “fly” from one side of the nest to the other. And then one day, a gust of wind will carry the chick off the nest on its first voyage away from the nest. I watch closely to be sure they land safely somewhere nearby. After 25 years of watching this, I have come to believe that flying is the easy part, but landing is difficult. Sometimes the return to the nest ends in a face plant!  Technically I call a nest “successful” when at least one chick is known to have fledged successfully. That does not mean it flew away, and was never seen again. Ospreys remain dependent upon their parents for 10-30 days post fledge. So a successful first flight will end up with a chick back on the nest to be fed. While this stage of their development can be very exciting, it’s also a little sad and worrisome. They are on their way to independence , but they can get into a million kinds of trouble away from the nest and rescues may be necessary. We will keep searching for them on each visit, which I find to be a fun adventure. But for some of us, an empty nest is a sad sight. But let’s not go there yet! So much data still to collect. I found a new nest last week that still has a young chick in it, but I have not determined who the male is! So I still have a lot of work to do. One band number has evaded me, and I keep doing as much as I can to gather all the important facts. Our fledging dates this year are a little later than in last years, due to the late start to the breeding season, so we will be able to enjoy our friends a little longer this year!