I am aware that the Arb chick jumped out of the nest again, just as he did yesterday when human activity was occurring directly under the nest. There was an emergency repair needed on Monday when a water line broke. This stage of development is a fragile time and its easy to cause a chick to “pre fledge” or jump too soon, before he has fully developed the necessary strength and skills to fly and to land safely. He has not been flapping, hovering or displaying the usual behaviors which preceed a successful fledge. He is still within the window of time when fledging is normally expected.
He and the adults were giving alarm calls before he took off.
When I saw what happened, I once again called the Arb. I also went out there and I spent three hours searching for the chick. Jim joined me and helped search all over the area but we could not find him or hear him. I watched the adults carefully for clues, but when they flew over, I did not hear the chick food begging. Jim had to go, so at 4:30 we ceased searching. The chick is very vulnerable on the ground overnight, and is not being fed. ( Adult ospreys generally wont feed a chick on the ground because it leaves them vulnerable to predation).
I will return in the morning and try again.
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