September 30!

 September 30 and it’s in the upper 80s with a dewpoint close to 70…..awful. But none the less I went to check on all the chicks / dads I saw last week. Ha! only one pair was gone! I still saw two chicks at different nests, with one Dad delivering a fish….PLUS Lil Arb and her Dad, delivering many fish to her today! The past two weeks I watched one chick with her Dad who was always present, eating near her, watching over her…but those two were not found today. But two other nests still had a chick. One of those was the chick that was the very last to fledge in the metro area….so she has just been flying for one month now. I always hope for them to have a good month of being fed, and having time to learn stuff before migration. But as is often the case, this chick is always near the nest so probably hasnt learned to catch fish yet. And even tho it was pretty unpleasant to be hiking around with the scope and tripod, it was a joy to see these young ospreys….photos below. I noticed that one of them has eyes that are almost yellow now, with the younger one still having eyes that are that light pumpkin orange. I saw Dad deliver a fish to the younger one. Any day that I can still find an osprey to watch is a good day!

September 23!

 Fall is definitely in the air….leaves are turning /falling. Some trees are going from green to dead without stopping at “beautiful”. But I went out again today to check the same nests I have checked the past two weekends. Tho some nests I visited during the week were now empty(sigh), today I got lucky! I did see that chick which I believe to be the latest fledging youngster. I had to hike around to locate her. At first I saw a juvenile flying and I watched that one circling higher and higher, and then I turned a corner and spotted another one perched on a pole, eating a fish. Watched this one for quite a while until I was certain it was that youngest chick. I am not sure of the identity of the other one since it never landed. And I saw no adult here, tho this Dad is elusive….we know he is there, delivering the fish!

So then I moved on to another nest where I have been seeing one chick the past two weeks. Today there were two ospreys flying in circles, very low, near the nest…..not chasing, not vocalizing….just kind of playing I think! Then they finally both landed on a nearby roof….both chicks! I believe these are siblings from that nest! Photos below. Great to see them both!!!! Dad must be around here, but I didnt see him.

Then I moved on to a third nesting territory…this one has become a delight to me in these final weeks. This dad is always nearby! Thats not all that common….as most dads seem to be scarce, just dropping several fish a day but not sticking around for long. But this Dad was perched in the same dead snag as the juvenile. Chick had a fish, and still was crying for more. Dad flew off and returned in TWO minutes with a fish and he ate near the chick. So sweet! It was hard to tear myself away from these two. I headed back to the first nest, thinking about hiking back out for another look, but saw dark clouds looming. And since I woke up this morning at 3:30 and never got back to sleep, my energy was sinking. I did see Lil Arb this morning as Dad delivered breakfast.

Will I see anyone next week? I dont know. But every day like this, spending some time with a few ospreys in person, is a delightful, treasured experience. I remind them all to stay safe….

the sibs on the roof….and the Dad and chick together in the snag.

Reward!

 The daily fix! After going to the dentist, of course you always need some pleasurable reward eh? So I took a short swing past a few nests, different than those I visited last weekend (my dentist told me he saw an osprey on one of these nests last weekend) …and I got to see two chicks. So folks, they are still around. Just sitting sweetly, looking beautiful. I find myself just sitting there….savoring. Lil Arb still there too….always eating those tiny fish! So if you need to see Ospreys, you still can!

P.S. you may have noticed they are all females!

Hanging out…

 I have a problem. I inadvertantly spent the whole weekend hanging out with the ospreys….tho thats not what I intended to do! I kept heading over to the east side of the metro because, just like last weekend, there were at least four chicks, four dads at four nests, not far from each other that I could, ya know, hang out with. Somehow, just being near them is somehow uplifting to me. Did a lot of hiking, searching, watching, listening, educating tolerant and interested people. I spent time with what I think is the youngest osprey chick….fledging just two weeks ago or so. She was not on her nest, or anywhere near her nest, but I started hiking and it wasnt long before I had located her. She was flying around and exploring the area. Not far away was another chick waiting endlessly on her nest for Dad. I did not see him, but I knew from her crop that she had eaten recently and she was shooting some nice poop squirts. I also caught her flying over a creek and she came back wet, so either bathing or just trying to go in the water. With the cooler temps and low humidity, It was just so beautiful out, a pleasure to be out there. A few short weeks ago I was dragging my scope and tripod around in the heat and feeling so exhausted I was sure I must have a terminal illness! Not today! I drove a little further and found another chick, not in her nest but in a dead snag nearby….and as I scanned the surrounding area I was able to spot her Dad, in the distance, in another dead tree overlooking a lake. And just down the road at another nest was a chick in her nest, hollering for food, tho I could not spot the dad. I found myself just being fully present in the moment, feeling the sun, the breeze, taking in the sounds of the ospreys. Its interesting how even with people, bikes, traffic in the distance, other birds, planes etc….the osprey vocalizations pierce thru it all for me. I hear their voices above the cacaphony of other sounds. That is the sound I am attuned to. I just love these birds so much. I am finally able to let go of the stresses of the breeding season, the research, the rescues, the worry, and enjoy these final days, hours, moments with them.

Still here….

 You all have heard my story about the male who had a fractured keel way back in 2015. The male whose female would not accept him after a month in rehab…tho he tried to bring fish repeatedly.

I was driving down the road today , after leaving the pottery studio and he flew right above my car with a ginormous fish! So I turned around to check his nest. The remaining chick was on the nest…apoplectic, because she saw him with that huge fish but he had stopped to eat part of it himself! She was pacing back and forth on the nest and hollering desperately for food, in spite of her full crop. I located him and watched him eating the head of that family sized meal. Finally he delivered that fish to her Highness. As he flew off, over my car very low, I said…. “ I love you…..stay safe, I cant wait to see you next year… or maybe next week.” With the north winds expected this weekend….will I see him again? Sure was a good way to end the week, seeing him and his beautiful, rotund daughter. He is such a great Dad.

Will she stay or will she go?

 Its getting barder and harder to find any ospreys, but every day I go out I do find at least one chick, and I know that means her Dad is probably around to feed her. Yes its usually a female. It’s good to see Lil Arb is still around……we see less and less of her on the nest but she comes back for a fish delivery a couple times a day. I always like to see a fledged chick have at least a month between fledging and migrating, to build those skills and pack on the pounds for the trip. Lil Arb will be a month old on September 19. The weather forcast calls for the winds to shift Friday night, and over the weekend prevailing winds will be from the NW. Those are the conditions that invite the ospreys to begin their journey….if they are ready. All they have to do is put out their wings and let the wind carry them. Will she go this weekend? Or will she stay a bit longer? Winds shift back to southerly on Monday. This weekend I will also check the chick that just fledged during the final few days of August or first few days of September. She may need a little more time.

Sure hope I get to enjoy the presence of these special birds for a little longer….I am not very good at letting go.

Mid September….feeling wistful.

 I worked hard this weekend trying to tie up a few more loose ends. (some are still dangling). I hiked a lot carrying my tripod and scope but thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time with the ospreys….tho I had to retrace my steps on sunday after getting skunked and rained on a tiny bit on Saturday. Many nests are empty now, sigh. But I finally managed to find what I believe was the last chick to fledge. I had seen her fly away from the nest two weeks ago but had not confirmed that she made it back to the nest and was being fed. It was keeping me awake last night so today I finally did that. She looked so beautiful with her very full crop, flying about, on the nest and off to her dads favorite perch. I also visited another nest where there was a lingering chick who was also a pleasure to watch. Her Dad finally showed up, after she announced to the world that he was coming, and I was able to confirm his band number. It was a lovely day. It’s fun when I can relax and linger at a nest, rather than feeling like I have ten more nests to get to. Last wednesday the winds changed and the temps dropped and sadly we said goodbye to many of our ospreys as they took advantage of the perfect conditions for beginning their big journey. But I always enjoy savoring these last days with the remaining ospreys. The weather is lovely, rather than those tortured hot, muggy days we endured this summer. The light is different….just fun to listen to the chicks food begging, the breezes rustling some dry leaves, and smells of the prairie plants. I watched one young osprey chase an eagle away….what a brave girl! I love these last young ospreys that just dont want to leave. I am hoping I have a few more days like this to share with them. I visited one of my favorite males nests 7 times in recent days….no chick, and no Dad. Hoping to see him next spring but in this moment, I have to let go. I have run into a couple of the nest monitors in the last week, and its always fun to actually see them in person and chat about our winged friends and life In general. I also love to run into interested people in the public who will endure my endless stories about ospreys, as I did today. I love a chance to spark someones curiousity about these birds!

Below is a photo of one of these lingering beauties…

Labor Day….

 It’s been a ridiculously, miserably hot weekend, but I managed to confirm successful fledging on 7 nests….including one that had not fledged last weekend! I got lucky on Saturday and Sunday, but today, Labor day, I got skunked. The nest with the single female and Kisa remains totally empty. It’s now been two weeks since I saw Kisa and the male chick, and it will be two weeks tomorrow since I saw the female chick being pushed off the nest by her Mom. I have searched everywhere but have failed to locate them. I was so hoping to see some of them, or at least one of them, one more time...or perhaps the rehabbed male. Sigh.

I saw no ospreys at all at three other nests today as well.

I have checked in on the Arb chick and when she does show up, she whines so desperately it makes me laugh out loud. That hyperphagia is kicking in big time, instinctively causing her to pack on the pounds as she unknowingly prepares for a big adventure. As I looked at her and her Dad, she looks bigger than him now! She is a character. I am not seeing her Mom anymore….so she is probably on her way south. I am glad we have a happy ending at this nest.

Why is it that I feel so…..abandoned at this time of year?