All present and accounted for!

 I was out the door again before 6 am….and checked some different nests on my way back to the one where two chicks fledged and disappeared yesterday. When I first arrived

I saw two chicks and felt dismayed that the third one had not returned. One chick was on the perch, the other was laying down. When the one laying down got up to stretch his wings….up popped a third head! All three chicks were there, so the third one who had not returned when I left at 5 pm yesterday, had found his way back home! I was so relieved! Mom was there too and I noticed that all had very empty crops. It was early….7:30 ish….so I stayed to see them all get fed. The two flighted chicks each did short loops and back to the nest. The third chick has not fledged yet. The hours went by and there was no sign of Dad. Mom was perched on the upper perch and the chicks were looking up at her and food begging. Finally after hours of this, she took off to get food…and my anxiety increased. But finally the male arrived with a fish, which caused a bit of a fight. These chicks are all self feeding now so he needs to get THREE fish! Mom was still gone and I decided to move on….this weather wears me out and I had many other nests to check. But all is well there. Whew! We are seeing many adults that are gone a lot, and I believe it’s a result of difficult fishing. The heat increases algae and lily pads making it hard to see fish, and fish go deeper. Anyway I visited many other nests that had fledged….and I was able to locate all chicks on those nests. Then I did stop at the single females nest….boy that chick is a real beauty. And mom and daughter had full crops….tho I did not see that new male, so we don’t think he is around. But it still knocks my sox off to see what this single parent has achieved, again.

I made it home early, for me….2:30 and laid down and fell asleep for several hours.

Today’s photos show all three chicks at the nest with all the misadventures yesterday….shooting into the sun is difficult, but those are all chicks….

And then just a portrait of the single mom’s chick….