Single Dad

 For those of you who are wondering about the new single Dad that I wrote about recently….me and two monitors are keeping a close eye on them. I visited that nest twice today….first thing in the morning I arrived and found the chick sitting up on the nest with a pretty full crop. Dad was perched nearby, watching over the little guy. Dad took off and grabbed some fresh grasses and brought them to the nest. Then he walked around the nest, arranging things before he picked up a half eaten fish that was on the nest and began feeding the little guy. What was so heart warming to me was that the chick had a fairly full crop, and Dads was empty.

Gosh its so easy to think these situations are hopeless, but this male is coming around. I think the little guy is raising this male to be a good dad! We have been thru some really scorching hot weather, and our little friend is surviving. Its been almost a month since we discovered the Mom missing. We worry about him being alone so much….but today after I checked a bunch of other nests, I came back and found Dad again, on the nest edge, just hanging out with the chick about five hours later, and the little one had a full crop again! He looks like he may have 10 days to two weeks till fledge…..so keep your fingers crossed! But today I saw the male there more than I have on other visits, and the chick is doing well. Its looking like this chick might make it! He was grabbing the fish from Dad this morning with some attitude!

I have fallen in love with him.