More fledging!

 Another stinkin hot day….mid 90s, hi dewpoint. But I went out again before 7 …..I visited a lot of nests, and found a few more chicks that have fledged! One of the nests I visited is the one with two 19 year old adults and three chicks. I discovered one chick fledged and perched across the street from the nest on the tip top of a pine tree! Woo hoo! And the endearing part was that Momma was perched at the tip top of another pine tree just a short distance away. Not one of her usual perches, so it was clear what she was doing…staying close. Then she flew over to a very high perch in a semi dead tree that the adults often use to watch over the whole domain….where she could see the fledged chick and the two remaining on the nest. At one point an intruder was wafting around and Mom gave a chirping call and in very short order Dad appeared on the nest. The intruder flew over and he escorted him away. Such awesome parents.

Then I moved on to another nest and discovered another chick fledged. I also found many nests that are still not ready, including one that is so far behind I was just able to count chicks for the first time! In one area I was watching the nest but could hear a lot of chirping and I looked up and saw seven ospreys flying around together. It’s a booming population!

I am enduring this horrible heat wave by getting up very early and getting out there for 6-7 hours before I just have to come home and put my feet up and drink pellegrino and fresh lime…..lots of lime. This weather is so draining….and yet, most ospreys seem to be handling it.