The aftermath at the Arb cam osprey nest….mom continued to brood the deceased chick for many hours. But before midnight she gave up, and stayed off the body most of the night. At about 5 a.m. this morning ( if you roll back the video) she moves in to the nest cup at stares at the body. She is trying to come to grips with what has happened. Then she sits on the body again. The male brought a fish and she took it to the perch to eat ( a change in her behavior that tells us she understands there is no chick to feed) and then he stared in to the nest. The body is now covered by some nest material and harder to see.
Tho I try to accept these losses….sometimes it causes my human heart to hurt and tears must be shed. We loved little arb for 2.5 days, rooted for him, but this female was not equipped to be a parent. Her failures are difficult to understand or accept. I think she was just too young and her instincts were to care for herself. Ospreys are motivated by two driving forces….to survive and to reproduce. I think at this stage of her life, the first instinct was stronger and the second not fully developed. Those of us who were watching closely are hurting today….and that’s ok. It’s ok to care about the creatures that make our planet amazing. They add so much joy to our lives, and sometimes they cause us pain. Bless every hurting heart out there. I share your sadness, after devoting 32 years of my life to these birds. Hugs to every one of you. Remember that life is fragile….treasure every living creature. Life can be very short….dont waste it. Be kind.
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