Osprey eyes....

 Yesterday there was a post on another facebook page about an ospreys eyes. The osprey actually had its eyes closed, so it looked totally white. The post was closed to comments but I thought I could do a little educating here because there was some incorrect info there. Its common for ospreys to close their eyes, often one and a time, which rests the opposite side of the brain. They also snooze for short periods, both eyes closed. An ospreys eyes close from the bottom up, and the eyelid is white. Many people suggested that what was being seen was the nictitating membrane.....but it was not. The nictitating membrane is milky clear......they can see thru it. It is closed from the side, when diving, to protect the eye surface while still allowing them see. We can still see their eye when the membrane closes. Depending on the light, it can look more milky and reflects light. Here is a photo of an osprey with its nictitating membrane covering the eye. Next image is a photo of a osprey with its regular eyelid closed. Hope this clarifies some things about osprey eyes!

Rich rewards....

 As I mentioned in the last post, the past month has been a challenge for me....first several weeks of running myself ragged trying to get data collected before my surgery. Then spending the last ten days trying to recover from that surgery, and then a few days ago I started to revisit some nests, trying to take it slow, but finding that difficult when I would run into a nest where I felt something might be wrong....a chick alone for long periods with a very empty crop, or a nest where there was an adult with a silver band on that needed to be read ( a very challenging task as those bands are meant to identify a dead bird, not a live one on a nest. Nine little digits all around the band). I guess I pushed too hard and woke up today feeling like I had been hit by a truck. I had to abandon my plan for the day, to check many nests, and decided to visit just two and then come home and rest. 

I started early at the nest where that chick was alone and hungry....and before 8 this morning I had confirmed he was ok.....eating a big fish in his own while the adult perched very close. Whew. 

Then I proceeded to visit a nest that is sort of far from other nests, by itself, so often gets neglected during my usual rounds. When I arrived I found one chick on the nest. There should be two. They had not fledged before my surgery but I expected that they would have by now. I watched this chick food begging loudly which meant he could see an adult, tho I couldn’t see it. After a while this chick quieted down, which meant that parent had departed to get some food. I decided to drive around a little lake nearby and look for the other chick. I couldnt see or hear anything for the first 10-15 minutes.....then I saw an osprey flying low over the water....I got out of the car and grabbed my binoculars. As he turned I could see the juvenile plummage! He was dragging his feet  thru the the water, dipping his toes, but not plunging in. I watched him for a while, and then he disappeared behind some trees. When he came back out he was followed by another Osprey. I tried to identify that one too....both looked like juveniles, but I wasnt totally sure I was zeroing in on different birds as they looped around. Then there  was just one again. At this point I sat on a bench and just watched the amazing show this young male was putting on, practicing his water starts over and over....with such enthusiasm! Plunging into the water, practicing putting his feet out in front, even tho he never came up with anything. In these early days, they often are not actually trying to catch a fish, but just developing the skills that will be needed to catch a fish! Diving in, getting lift off out of the water. I found myself talking to him, out loud, “ good job!” , “looking good”, “oh ya gonna take a little bath?” as he splashed his wings in the water. Then I looked around....it was early Saturday morning, not many people were out, it was so peaceful and quiet, and yet the few people I saw had no idea what was happening and what they were missing!

I think about how often we all walk around lost in our own heads, or in a conversation with another person, lacking any awareness about what is going on around us. I was totally enjoying this amazing developmental stage of this young Osprey that I don’t get to see all the time. And to just sit there on this beautiful morning felt like such a healing gift from the universe. It filled me with joy. After many, many water starts, this juvenile must have seen Dad with a fish and he went screaming to the nest. I jumped in the car and returned to a spot where I could see the nest just as Dad dropped a big fish for this chick. Then I had to laugh as he continued  to food beg as he looked at this big fish in his talons. It always cracks me up how they keep crying long after they have a fish and Dad has departed. Then I was going to leave, but thought, no I need to find that other chick. So I started driving down some residential streets, looking between the houses....this is usually when the police are called! Eventually I spotted the top of a dead tree and thought, THATS where an osprey would perch....and I finally found a spot where I could see the tree and sure enough, there was that missing chick. This one a girl! She jumped out of the tree and plunged into the water, came up empty, and did that a few more times before she started flying towards the nest....so I zoomed back there....nope she’s not there. As I headed back to the lake, I spotted her, sitting on a dead snag near the road, on the edge of the lake. She did another plunge into the water and then headed back towards that dead tree. What a delightful morning it was......to just relax and enjoy watching these

magnificent young birds that I love so much, on a perfect August day....knowing our days with these birds are numbered. I am so glad I got to fully enjoy some time with that family. Sometimes all the hard work is rewarded in the most amazing ways! 

I’m back!

 Wow the last month has been a whirlwind and a challenge. I learned in July that I would need to have some surgery, so spent the two weeks prior frantically checking all nests. I was working 11 hour days, every day to confirm fledging and get as much info as I could. Then had to take about ten days off to recover, and am just weaning myself off the pain pills and starting to check some nests again. Of course a lot of birds fledged in those ten days and some disappeared.....but I am trying to locate as many as possible and confirm at least one chick has fledged successfully on each nest. There are always so many lose ends to tie up. I also learned of many injured ospreys and at least one found dead, tangled in baling twine.  Sadly most of the birds that were rescued had to be euthanized. 

For those that are watching the Arboretum nest cam.....the window for possible fledging has opened for that chick. Most chicks fledge at around day 55 of their life, but some fly earlier and some later so I consider the window to be from day 50 to day 60. So pay attention in the next ten days as that youngster exercises his wings and prepares for his maiden voyage!!!

I also want to send out a huge thanks to Bernice Caruth and Rick Endo for their generous donations! It’s been an especially difficult year with  many, many miles driven so the financial support from so many people has been deeply appreciated! 

The adult male that we rescued, and was mentioned in one of the previous posts, sadly had to be euthanized after developing neurological symptoms. But the single Dad that was at the nearby nest has done well and successfully fledged his two chicks. I thought you would enjoy this photo from Lisa Jude who helped keep such a good eye on that nest! A special thanks to all the volunteers who have worked so hard this year watching 

over all these nests and and especially during my down time. It takes a village!