Arboretum osprey chick has hatched!

 The remaining egg on the Arboretum cam osprey nest has hatched this morning….and gotten it’s first feeding! 

Accident?

 I am getting a lot of inquiries about the egg on the Arboretum cam nest that is on the outer edge…here is what I shared with the Arboretum folks about all this. People have jumped to an a conclusion that the female chose to reject that egg and I dont think thats actually what happened.

When I watched that video I thought it was actually an accident. She started to roll the egg, which is normal behavior but the nest has been so damaged by storms that the egg hit a slope and rolled to the edge of the nest. They can’t pick up an egg and return it….and it’s pretty hard to roll it back uphill when all you have is a beak. She settled on the remaining egg and kept looking at the other egg….like it concerned her, but she didn’t know what to do about it. It was also very windy when she was trying to roll the egg. I don’t think she actually meant to reject an egg….it was stormy and she was trying to roll an egg and it just didnt go well, partly because of the state of the nest. Usually they are rolling an egg in a soft grassy cup in the nest, that sort of contains it, and it doesn’t roll away like that.

The nest base has decomposed so it’s really just dirt….and the sticks they have added are not getting anchored in anything so they blow off after every storm. And the dirt base is not flat, so it looks like the nest edge drops off slightly….which caused the egg to roll to the edge.

Its sad, but ya know….shit happens. Storms, damaged nests, etc…But life goes in and many nests are hatching and today I actually saw my first chick! They are usually too small to see for at least 1-2 weeks, and I saw one tiny head during a feeding….just briefly before it fell over, as they do!

Hatched!

 Our first chicks have hatched! Right on schedule, day 39! It just never gets old, and is still a thrill to see after 29 years of watching the ospreys. At first Momma was just sitting but she kept hunching up to peek beneath her breast. Then Dad arrived with wet grasses to cool the little ones. Both adults stood side by side staring into the nestcup. Mom walked around the edge of the nest and picked up a half eaten fish, leftovers from a previous feeding, and began offering little bits of fish into the nest. Chicks are too tiny to be seen yet, but they are in there!!!!

Storm loss

 Sadly I did find one catastrophic loss today….

one nest that was removed last fall, was rebuilt this spring and eggs were laid in it…..is completely gone after the storm. I waited until i saw both adults. Good to know they are ok.

Photo from several weeks ago, and today…..sigh. They worked so hard to rebuild the nest….

Most other nests we are finding to be ok…..some damaged a bit, but incubation continues. Still making the rounds tho….a lot of nests to visit.

 

The storm….

 hey guys just want to make a point here…..if you post a comment on this page and you dont get a reply, do not assume that I am blowing you off. As many of you know, I am stretched very thin, trying to do so much, and I often miss stuff on Facebook. That is why I frequently post my email address…..please use it if you are seeking an answer, want to share info, or want to communicate with me for any reason. I always answer people, eventually, but on occasion I miss what is posted here….you can always contact me at osprey.mn@gmail.com.

I prefer to have conversations about specific nests or monitoring via email, so just want you all to know that I am available….but facebook is just not the best way to connect with me. My apologies to anyone whose comments here were overlooked.

I just have so many hours in a day, and facebook has become a lower priority out of necessity. Emails are MUCH less likely to be missed!

I am hearing from many of our intrepid nest monitors that most nests survived the storm……some nests were damaged, but we are locating both adults on most nests….of course it will take time to recheck all nests. These birds never fail to amaze me by how tough they are, but weathering storms is just part of being an osprey. I would always prefer to lose eggs than chicks. At this stage they still could reclutch, tho its getting late. And we may be in for another round of storms tonight….hopefully less severe.

Many thanks to all the monitors who were out there today checking things out!!!!! I treasure all of you who care so deeply about ”your” ospreys!

As one of the monitors drove me to a medical test today, we talked about a nest a few years ago that had three fairly large chicks, and a huge storm pelted them with hail that was so deep, the snowplows had to remove it from the roads….piled high. That poor female withstood that beating, trying to protect three chicks but they were too big to cover fully. Two of them died, but she managed to save one chick, and she survived uninjured!

I also remember many years ago a big tornado went thru the Hugo area, leveling homes, filling a lake with debris. There was an osprey nest about one football field away from totally flattened houses. When I checked them the day after the storm, the eggs were hatching and the adult's were feeding the tiny chicks! It was truely awesome! These birds deserve so much respect for what they endure to breed successfully!!!! So think good thoughts for them all tonight!!!!

Haven’t forgotten about you!

 As this population of ospreys continues to grow, I am finding less and less time to spend in front of a computer….writing posts and answering emails. I have also had some health issues and took a much needed break to go to California for a few days to visit my cousin and to see Paul McCartney on his first tour in three years. He was amazing and did provide a big lift to everyones spirits. I busted my butt to get to most nests before I left…and many ospreys are incubating. Sadly we still have some sites where a nest was removed and no ospreys have been seen, no rebuilding has occurred. We are missing a lot of banded birds….even younger ones. Today I checked a nest that was built last year and still there is only a lonely female there. No male has shown up. Not sure why she hasnt attracted a new mate. We are looking for new nests that might pop up. It will be very interesting to see how our numbers are at the end of the year.

At any rate, I havent forgotten about the readers! Only so many hours in a day tho….cant believe its mid May already!

New life….

 Happy Easter, Happy Passover, Happy Ramadan…..

Our first ospreys have laid eggs….while many nests are still empty. I have now documented 14 nests that were removed, and I have not been around to even half of the nests so far. There will be more. Some ospreys are rebuilding, but it looks like some have given up. Many banded birds have not returned yet, and I wonder if avian flu has already taken a toll. We may never know. Many long term monitors are alarmed, saddened, frustrated.

For some of our older expperienced Ospreys who have laid eggs right on schedule, we are reminded that life goes on….

and more personally I see that with all the changes this year, nests gone, avian flu spreading….having solid long term data to help us document the changes may be more important than ever.