Will it work out?

 I am getting a lot of questions regarding the Arboretum nest....many are concerned that the eggs are being laid too late, so let me tell you a little story. About five years ago we had a pair of ospreys that we were concerned about since it was getting to be mid May and no eggs had been laid. We kind of gave up. But then we discovered that they had laid eggs at the very end of May! We watched them carefully thru the breeding season, and yes, they were a bit behind some of the others. The chicks finally fledged at the end of August. I always like to see young ospreys have about a month post fledge to learn to be ospreys, to build the necessary skills to care for themselves before they begin their solo migration. When they fledged so late, we were concerned since many ospreys begin their migration in late August to mid September. However, that male, one of our favorites who is still with us, stayed around and provided for those two chicks until they began their migration in the first week of October, and he stayed one day after the last chick dispersed before he began his migration. So we know they can be successful when eggs are laid a little later, and we hope this male at the Arb will become a great Dad. A lot depends upon him. The first ospreys to lay eggs are always the older, established, experienced birds....but when one of them does not return, as happened this year at the Arb, it can take some time for a new mate to be found. We watched as two different males competed for that female and that territory, and then they did begin laying eggs. Time will tell if they are all fertilized. But we are hopeful and past experience tells us that they can be successful, even laying their eggs a little later. But they have many hurdles ahead, as do all ospreys. We are cheering them on and thinking good thoughts....and a little luck wouldn’t hurt!