A busy weekend….I spent Saturday visiting some nests I hadnt been to for a while to follow up on fledglings. All but one were found. At one nest I had fun watching two fairly recently fledged chicks. Both still flying and returning to the nest, but I saw no adult. Then they both took off, one by one, and flew in an odd direction, over the trees and down the hill….hmmmmm. Where were they going? So I , of course, had to use roads to figure that out….so I drove around and down to that area and one was flying around. She went over my car and headed in a surprising direction. So I followed them to a small pond where an adult was perched and they flew around and practiced some water starts! Fun! Now I know where they go when not on the nest. It’s so much fun to figure this stuff out.
I stopped to see the orphan on the way home and she was around but I never saw the male in 90 min.
This morning I headed back there…. When I arrived there was no one around in any of the places. After about 45 minutes the male showed up for a brief visit…and then he took off to the west. Hmmmm. So I went that way, checked some lakes but couldn’t find him. So back to the nest and when I got there little miss Muffett was on her tuffet, the nest. She was quiet and she just waited for quite a long time. Her crop was empty. I told her he would come….but she was getting desperate so she went across the road to a small pond and she perched in a tree for a while and then she began flying around the pond and diving in to the water! She did this over and over. I counted at least seven dives, but each time she came up empty. Then she came back and perched on some lights, soaking wet. Dropped her wings, preened for a while.
But then she took off again and went across a different road to the bigger lake. She perched in a dead tree which was very far from where I was so I could not get any decent photos….but she did jump off the tree and make at least three more dives. I can never get photos since I am shooting thru a scope and I cant follow movement like that so I just had to enjoy watching her. Each time she came up empty tho. This is the truth about fledglings tho…..they don’t catch fish for quite a long time. She is over 5 weeks from fledging now and she is doing some water starts and practicing but catching a fish does not happen very often with these youngsters, especially the females. She finally returned to the nest, all wet again. And she waited and preened.
Bless her little heart, she is trying, and those attempts are progress! Then the male appeared so suddenly I didnt catch it with the camera. I am not sure exactly what he brought but she wolfed it down. She was very, very hungry. And I started to wonder if he had seen her fishing attempts…because as soon as she finished that fish, or part of a fish, he brought another whole fish! Maybe 20 minutes later! I got a photo of them together….but I wasnt expecting him to return so soon!!!! The chick flewoff with the fish and for Pete’s sake, I couldnt locate her. I knew she was nearby….but I had to pee soooo bad so I left. I also went to check another nest.
When I got back I could hear her hollering and it was stupid how long it took me to spot her, hidden in a tree…and she could see the male on a lightpole. She cried and cried and cried…..with a full crop. I was enjoying watching her and then I noticed the male was gone again. Suddenly the chick moved back to the nest…..so I moved too. And then, sure enough, the male returned with another whole fish!
So tho today started with a very empty crop, and many efforts at water starts and fishing….our little darling ended up being very well taken care of by this devoted friend of hers. And that was just 3:30 this afternoon! There was probably more food this evening. This little world of theirs, that I get to slip in to, is an amazing place to spend time. I know you all enjoy hearing about it….but it’s pretty magical to experience it. It’s life at its best. I am so lucky.
The first photo is the fledglings from yesterday….then today’s adventures with our beloved unfamily. 
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